The Nation August 11, 2011

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

Ojukwu is alive, says Obi

Page 7 Nigeria qualify for quarter-final beat England 1-0 NEWS -

NEWS – Page 10

•To meet winner of France,Ecuador tie

•Governor cautions against rumour

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VOL. 7, NO. 1849 THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

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Pressure on Jonathan to drop REC nominees ‘List full of PDP loyalists’

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HE President may withdraw some names from the list of eight Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) nominees sent to the National Assembly last week.

Major stakeholders have faulted the list, stating that some of the names are known to be card-carrying members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or loyalists of notable leaders of the party.

Sources told our correspondent that some concerned stakeholders held a closed door meeting with a confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan over the issue. The meeting agreed to convince him to withdraw the controversial names on the list-in line with his promise to evolve a truly independent INEC. The stakeholders were said to have argued that by appointing those with links to his party or persons who played ignoble roles during past elections, Jonathan has violated Section 156 (1, a) of the Amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The section reads: “(1) No person shall be qualified for appointment as a member of any of the bodies aforesaid,

‘

We all know that that would be a violation of the Constitution because it is specific that party men shall not be appointed into INEC.

’

From Yomi Odunuga, Abuja Bureau Chief

if (a) he is not qualified or if he is disqualified for election as member of the House of Representatives; provided that a member of these bodies shall not be required to belong to a political party, and in the case of the Independent National Electoral Commission, he shall not be a member of a political party.”

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had, in a press statement, faulted the list for allegedly containing the names of card-carrying PDP members.

A source at the meeting said: “We have impressed it on those we feel are close to the President to intimate him with the implication of this decision to smuggle his party

members onto the board of INEC as commissioners. We all know that that would be a violation of the Nigerian Constitution as amended because it is specific that party men shall not be appointed into INEC. “The emphasis is on the word ‘shall’ and we do not understand why a President who promises to engender a truly independent electoral body would pick his own party men as commissionernominees. That is not acceptable and it is totally against the letters of the constitution, which the President vowed to uphold and protect.

“This is not about party A or party B. It is about equity and having a level playing field where one party would not feel that it has been shortchanged by a system where the electoral umpires pander to the whim of the ruling party. That was the essence of our meeting and we have been assured that the President would do the needful, if he is convinced that he has erred.”

The ACN, in its statement, said it was shocked that Jonathan picked such names as that of Dr. George Ada, a former Speaker of the Cross Continued on page 2

•NICON Insurance Managing Director Emmanuel Jegede testifying during the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee public hearing on activities of the BPE in Abuja ... yesterday PHOTO: NAN

‘NICON sale fraudulent’

•It’s not true, says Ibrahim

Salami may sue NJC C

OURT of Appeal President Isa Ayo Salami and other justices who sat on the Ekiti and Osun states gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal Tribunals did no wrong, it was announced yesterday.

The other Justices are: Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, O. Ariwoola, Chiman Centus Nweze and Adamu Jauro.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) said Justice Salami and the others have no ‘issue’ to answer over al-

From Yusuf Alli and Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

legations of telephone calls between them and some leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and counsel.

With this development, exGovernors Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun) and Segun Oni (Ekiti) have lost their bid to unseat the incumbent governors, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Rauf Aregbesola, whose victories were upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Court overrules al-Mustapha F

The NJC also said the Justices who served on the Sokoto State Governorship Appeal Panel - Justices Musa Dattijo Mohammad, Paul A. Galinje, John Inyang Okoro, Mas’oud Oredola and Regina O. Nwodo - are not guilty of any misdemeanour.

But Justice Salami is said to be considering going to court over the decision of the NJC, which asked him to apologise to the Chief Justice of NigeContinued on page 2

•SEE PAGE 11

By Eric Ikhilae, Judicial Correponsdent

ORMER security chief Hamza al-Mustapha has lost his bid to thwart attempts by the state to confront him with his past statements.

It was learnt that the statements, with which the state intends to test his credibility and the veracity of his claims, were made on October 13, 1999. They are devoid of his assertions, which are extraneous to the case of conspiracy and murder of Kudirat, the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola’s wife, for which he is standing trial.

•al-Mustapha

Continued on page 2

•POLITICS P17 •SPORTS P23 •EDUCATION P25 •NATURAL HEALTH P47

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

NEWS Pressure on Jonathan to drop REC nominees Continued from page 1

•From left: Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Kingsley Moghalu; Governor, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and Deputy Governor, Operations, CBN, Mr Tunde Lemo, during Fayemi’s visit to the CBN in Abuja ... yesterday.

River State House of Assembly, who presided over the 2007 controversial election in Benue State.

The statement reads: “Nigerians had expected that in line with some of the recommendations of the Justice Uwais panel, the President would have caused the vacant posts of the RECs to be advertised and the names of those short-listed published so that Nigerians can scrutinise them before they are interviewed and the successful ones among them appointed.

“Rather, the President opted to stick to the old, discredited way of doing things by handpicking known members and sympathisers of the PDP. This is wrong and calls to question the President’s commitment to his so-called

transformation agenda”.

Describing Ada’s nomination as irksome and insensitive on the part of the President, the party said “Dr. Ada was a speaker in Cross River House of Assembly during the tenure of Governor Donald Duke; If that is not partisanship, then we need another definition for the word. The same Dr. Ada presided over the 2007 election (as REC) in Benue State, which threw up David Mark, and it is common knowledge that the state’s election tribunal annulled that election.

“The same Dr. Ada presided over the controversial Jan. 2011 governorship rerun in Delta, as well as the state’s governorship election last April. Therefore, it doesn’t take rocket science to know why this same person is being recycled.”

Salami may sue NJC over Auta Panel recommendations Continued from page 1

ria, Justice Katsina-Alu, within one week.

A statement from the Deputy Director (Information) of the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye, said the decisions were arrived at by the Council at its sixth emergency meeting, on Tuesday.

The session had deliberated on two reports of its Committees on the allegations levelled against Chief Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, Justice Salami and some Justices of the Court of Appeal.

The reports were those of Justice Umaru Abdullahi Fact-Finding Committee and Justice Ibrahim Auta Review Committee.

Specifically, NJC cleared Justice Salami of engaging in suspicious telephone calls with counsel to influence judgments in favour of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the Court of Appeal which sat as the Governor-

ship Election Petition Tribunal Appeal in the two states in dispute.

Mobile giant MTN disowned the call logs attributed to Justice Salami by Oni in a petition to the NJC. Oni and the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) petitioned the NJC and accused Justice Salami of engaging in telephone calls with some lawyers and politicians to influence the court’s decisions on Osun and Ekiti governorship elections’ petitions.

But MTN said the call logs did not originate from it and the format of the retrieval of the “curious” logs was strange.

The NJC statement said: “At the end of deliberations the Council decided as follows:“That the allegation made by the Hon. President, Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami, that the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon.

Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, instructed him to direct the Sokoto Gubernatorial Appeal to dismiss the appeal by the Democratic Peoples Party of Nigeria is not true.

“The Council found that the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria acted in good faith and was motivated by the apparent urge to protect the administration of justice and avoid breach of the peace when he directed that the judgment in the Sokoto Gubernatorial Appeal be ‘put on hold’, pending the investigation of the petitions he had received on the matter.

“Therefore, the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria was exonerated of the allegation of interference with Court proceedings in the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Election Appeal.

“That the Hon. Justices of Court of Appeal who served on the Sokoto State Governorship Appeal Panel, namely Hon. Justices Musa

Dattijo Mohammad, Paul A. Galinje, John Inyang Okoro, Mas’oud Oredola and Regina O. Nwodo, have no issue to answer.

“That Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami, and other Justices who served on the Ekiti and Osun States Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal Tribunal, namely Justices Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, O. Ariwoola, Chiman Centus Nweze and Adamu Jauro, have no ‘issue’ to answer as it found that the call logs relied upon by the petitioners lacked authenticity and evidential value and, therefore, no sufficient evidence to establish unethical communication between them.

“Having therefore established that the allegation by the Hon. President, Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami, against the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, regarding the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Appeal was

false, Council decided that it is a misconduct contrary to Rule 1(1) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Consequently, Council further decided that the Hon. President of the Court of Appeal should: (i) be warned for such unethical conduct which eroded the public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the Judiciary; (ii) apologise in writing to both the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and National Judicial Council within a week from today the 10th day of August, 2011.”

Justice Salami is said to be weighing two options - either to apologise to the CJN, who will retire on August 28, or go to court to challenge the pronouncement of the NJC that he is guilty of misconduct.

A top source, who spoke

pleaded not to be named because of “the sensitivity of the matter”, said: “Justice Salami may go to court to challenge the decision of the NJC because it has no basis as the Council cannot determine a case of perjury; only a Court can do that.

“Consultations have begun and some lawyers have volunteered to represent him.

“What the NJC did was to take sides as all issues concerning the CJN, including alleged interference in Sokoto Governorship Appeal, were overlooked.

“By asking Justice Salami to apologise for misconduct, the NJC members are technically saying that he is no longer fit to occupy the office. There is more to the decision of the Council.”

The source said the NJC ought to have established the fact that the CJN lied on oath too.

Continued on page 6

al-Mustapha loses bid to thwart move to fault his claims Continued from page 1

al-Mustapha had told the Lagos High Court that the statement was one of the many he made before the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) that investigated the murder and some other cases.

In a ruling yesterday, Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere held that his objection to the state’s intention was wrong.

The court upheld arguments by the state’s Solicitor General and lead prosecution lawyer, Lawal Pedro (SAN), that the prosecution was at liberty to confront a witness with his/her previous written statement with the intent of showing contradictions in the witness’ statement and his/her oral testimony.

The court, in reaching its decision, relied on the Supreme Court’s verdict in the case of Sambo v the state 1993 7 NWLR part 300 at page 5 and the provision of Section 209 of the Evidence Act 1999 cited earlier by Pedro.

Justice Dada held that since the statement had been referred to and identified in the course of the trial, and the

statement not being a confessional one, the claim by the witness (Al-Mustapha) that he made it under torture not withstanding, the prosecution could cross-examine the witness on the statement.

As against lead defence lawyer Olalekan Ojo’s argument, the court held that it made no difference whether the witness was a prosecution witness or a defence witness and an accused person, as is the case with alMustapha.

Justice Dada granted permission to the prosecution lawyer to exercise its liberty under Section 209 of the Evidence Act 1999 to cross-examine al-Mustapha on the said previous statement.

The court, however, held that the court could only decide whether or not it would attach any weight to the statement because it was not before it as an exhibit, holding that the law is that the court could only act on evidence legally before it.

Justice Dada said: “I find solace under Section 209 of the Evidence Act and I hold that it is not confessional statement on the murder of

the deceased, the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

“However, still under Section 209 of the Evidence Act, I’m of the view that the prosecution has the liberty to call the attention of the first defendant to the said document, ID2 on what is the alleged contradictory part thereof since the first defendant has identified it as a statement, although allegedly made under torture, even though it is not confessional in nature.

“Therefore, I hold that the principle of Sambo against the State is still the same here.

And leave is hereby granted the prosecution to point the first defendant to the portion of ID2 (the statement) which is considered contradictory. I so hold.”

Dispute arose on Tuesday on whether or not the state could confront al-Mustapha with his said previous statement when his lawyer, Ojo, objected to the move, arguing, among others, that the authorities cited by Pedro, including the Sambo and the state case, were inapplicable.

Pedro had, seeking the court’s leave to cross-examine al-Mustapha on the state-

ment, relied on the provision of Section 209 of the Evidence Act. In his counter argument, Ojo had insisted that it was illegally impossible for the prosecution to cross-examine a witness, who is both a defence witness and an accused, with a statement allegedly obtained through extra-judicial means when it had failed to tender the said statement before closing its case.

Ojo, who faulted the cases cited by Pedro, argued that it was necessary that legal practitioners are abreast of the facts of a case before relying on it. He also argued that the defence witness could not be cross-examined on a statement he allegedly made under duress.

Besides, he said the state’s move was prejudicial to the defence because since the defence has closed its case, it was prejudicial for the prosecution to introduce new evidence. He also argued that in the interest of justice, it was wrong for the court to allow the prosecution, who failed to tender in evidence the statement, to benefit from its misdeed.

Replying on point of law yesterday, Pedro faulted Ojo’s submission that the prosecution’s intention was prejudicial, arguing that haven referred to the statement in his evidence-in-chief, alMustapha must be cross-examined on it.

He also argued that the prosecution was at liberty to present all relevant materials before the court at any time, since there is no law that limits the time such materials, inadvertently excluded before the prosecution closed its case, could be tendered.

Pedro contended that there was an exception to the rule guiding the admission of evidence in proceeding, noting that such exception applied where the statement to be tendered and on which the witness was to be cross-examined was not a confessional statement, as it is the case in this case.

Tempers were high at a point when Ojo, who intermittently interrupted Pedro’s submissions, complained that he (Pedro) threw jibes at him, stood up and urged the court to restrain Pedro. Pedro responded that his action was

•The late Abiola

informed by how Ojo acted the previous day, describing him in uncomplimentary words.

Ojo had, on Tuesday, told the court that it was an elementary law, and that even a rookie lawyer knew that it was improper for the prosecution to seek to cross-examine a defence witness on a statement obtained through extra-judicial means and not tendered in court.

He also, at an instance, made a veiled reference to Pedro’s alleged inability to appreciate when the cases it cited were relevant.

The hearing continues today.

ADVERT HOTLINES: 01-280668, 08070591302, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

NEWS

‘Only 15% of Nigerian roads in good shape’ That roads across the country are in deplorable condition is no longer news. What is news is the admittance from a federal agency that only 15 per cent of roads belonging to the Federal Government are in good shape

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NCREDIBLE it sounds, but it is the stark reality. Only 15 per cent of federal roads across the country are in good shape.

The scary statistics was released by the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP), under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

It showed that about 15 per cent of more than 160,000 kilometers of secondary and tertiary roads are motorable.

The RAMP verdict came barely 72 hours after Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu urged the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on Nigerian roads.

He spoke during a courtesy visit on Works Minister Mike Olotememen at work.

The RAMP statistics also stated that the hinterlands, which has a large population of Nigerians have the greatest share of bad roads, 70 per cent of which are in the rural areas.

National Co-ordinator of RAMP Ubandoma Ularamu, an engineer, made the revelations yesterday in Osogbo, Osun State, at the opening of this year’s retreat and review meeting.

His words: “Out of over 160,000 kilometer of secondary and tertiary roads in Nigeria, with an average registered network of 4,000 kilometers per state, only about 10 – 15 per cent is paved. While a large proportion of this network remains in poor or very poor condition with only 15 per cent of federal roads in good condition.

“It is sad to note that rural roads which are statutorily referred to as local government roads which constitutes about 132,000 kilometres (67.7 per cent) of the entire road networks in Nigeria is the worst hit by this state of disrepair.”

The deplorable state of rural roads across the nation, the RAMP chief stated, have continued to impact negatively on the national economy.

As a result of these problems, he added that farmers continued to face the challenges of “high transport cost, long travel time, huge post harvest losses and high rate of autoaccidents”.

Explaining the negative effect on agriculture, Ularamu recalled that

A MEDICAL insight was yesterday given frequent indigestion, which an expert, Dr Abiodun Awulusi traced to an abnormal functioning of the liver.

The doctor informed that the liver, located at the upper right part of the stomach, functions as part of the digestive system, breaking down the food into bits.

“Malfunction of the liver can lead to death, indigestion could trigger its dysfunction,” Awolusi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He also said that the liver could develop a viral or bacterial infection which could lead to abnormal growth or cancer.

According to him, the main symptom of liver problem is jaundice, which presents as the yellowness of the eyes, due to retention of wastes that should be excreted.

His words: “The liver is supposed to metabolise wastes, but when it is diseased, it cannot do that and so you have the Bilirubin that is supposed to be dissolved, metabolised and excreted in the urine being retained.”

“That is why we see it in the eyes as being yellow because the liver which is supposed to destroy the wastes is not doing it effectively.”

•Ore road...yesterday

NEMA urges more tree planting

•Vehicles stucked on a federal highway

By Nneka Nwaneri studies carried out in 2006 revealed that about 20 per cent of total farm produce never reached the market.

The Federal Government decided to implement RAMP in Kaduna and Cross River states where they were designed to meet the needs of each state, one of which had 132 numbers of river crossings.

The coordinator noted that RAMP had proved to be a huge success in the two pilot states, which had elicited the interest from other states that have shown willingness to use RAMP strategies to address their rual road development problems.

The project, according to Ularamu, had adopted the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) in selecting the states wishing to participate in RAMP to meet two criteria of governance and readiness.

Decrying the low-level of public expenditure on road construction and rehabilitation, he stressed that government alone could not shoulder the responsibilities of making roads pliable using the RAMP strategies.

‘

It is sad to note that rural roads which are statutorily referred to as local government roads which constitutes about 132,000 kilometres (67.7 per cent) of the entire road networks in Nigeria is the worst hit by this state of disrepair

’

Any state wishing to participate in RAMP, he added, must comply with governance and fiduciary issues including fiscal responsibility and transparency in the management of public funds.

Ularamu submitted that unless these issues were strongly addressed, the huge sums of money expended on roads could end up being wasted.

The Osun State Governor Rauf

Aregbesola, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Otunba Grace Laoye-Tomori, pointed out the importance of rural road development to agenda of his administration which, he recalled, propelled him to write letters of commitment to the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Project Management Unit to express the state’s readiness.

Explaining that his administration took cognisance of of the importance of efficient road network to rural development, Aregbesola submitted that the Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (OREAP) has a mandate to upgrade 50 kilometres of roads leading to four farm settlements across the state.

According to the governor, the effort was already yielding dividends as many farmers had returned to the farm settlements. Besides, ten out of abandoned FADAMA III projects in Iwo Farm Settlement, Pataara have experienced a boom due to the improvement of the road linking the settlement with urban centres.

NJC petition: Aregbesola sure of victory for party

“W

E hope to get justice because we have confidence in the ability of the people to unravel what happened”, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola said in Abuja yesterday. He spoke after honouring an invitation by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

He expressed optimism that his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), will get justice on the petition it filed against the Justice Thomas Naron-led Governorship Election petition Tribunal.

‘Frequent indigestion is sign of liver problem’

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

The party had petitioned the council following a report of alleged unholy romance between the lead counsel of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN) and a former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola with Justice Naron.

The alleged romance was revealed through an edition of The News magazine which published an MTN call logs between the tribu-

nal chairman and Kalejaye on various dates while the petition of Aregbesola was being heard.

Aregbesola, who spoke yesterday at the premises of the NJC, said he was at the council because of his party’s petition and the invitation sent to him by the council.

He was with the National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, the National Legal Adviser, Dr Muiz Banire; and a commissioner-designate in Osun State, Mr. Ajibola Basir.

Aregbesolsa said: “Well, I am here base on the petition by my party

before the council concerning the first tribunal during the hearing of our petition over the declaration of the former governor as the winner of the 2007 governorship election.

“We hope to get justice because we have confidence in the ability of the people to unravel what happened.”

The appearance of Aregbesola before the NJC which lasted for two hours, was held behind closed doors. Other members of the tribunal were Justices Sa’adu Mohammed, J.N. Akpughunum, A.T. Badamasi and J.E. Ekanem.

DISASTER managers-the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised communities that are pron to desertification to plant more trees in their areas to create buffer against windstorms ad rainstorms.

The advice came in the wake of the damage done by windstorm to many households spread across five local government areas in Kwara State.

The Director-General of the Agency, Alhaji Muhammad SaniSidi, gave the advice in Ilorin, the state capital while donating relief materials to the victims of the recent windstorms.

He said the threat from global climate change has necessitated the need to rekindle afforestation programmes as well as discourage deforestation, especially bush-burning and unfriendly environmental activities.

The NEMA chief, who was represented by a director, Mrs Clementine Aisueni, said the agency after learning of the incident in the state immediately despatched an assessment team to inspect the affected communities and make recommendations, based on which relief materials could provided to victims.

Some of the items worth millions of Naira included: bags of cement, bundles of roofing sheets, pieces of plank, building materials, household items, food items as well as bedings.

CORRECTION IN his column for August 9, Olatunji Dare wrote that,as commissioner for Women Affairs in the Ayo Fayose Administration, Mrs Ronke Okusanya led wives of local government chairmen to the UK to give them “necessary exposure.”

Mrs Okusanya served as commissioner in the Administration of Niyi Adebayo, not Fayose’s.

The trip was proposed and widely debated, but was never carried out because of strong public opposition. Mrs Okusanya, we regret these errors.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

NEWS N4tr for health sector

F

FOR Nigeria to get it right in the health sector, a huge investment of about N4.1 trillion ($26.6b) would have to be made over the next five years, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, announced yesterday. Addressing reporters on the National Strategic Health Plan at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC), the minister, said the projected spending translates to N666.3 billion a year or N5,100 per person per year.

He said the investment will cover physical infrastructure, human capital development and other sundry projects. It is expected to involve the private and public (federal, states, local government), sectors, development partners and the Diaspora.

“It is a national health plan with all the tiers of government involved and even the private sector, so it is not just the Federal Government that

EU cultural centres sign agreement

By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Arts)

T

HREE European Cultural Centers in Lagos will today, sign an agreement forming a EUNIC Cluster at the British Council in Lagos. EUNIC (European National Institutes for Culture) is the network of international cultural relations institutes from the member states of the European Union. Its members seek to facilitate cultural co-operation, create lasting partnerships between professionals, encourage greater understanding and awareness of the diverse European cultures and encourage greater language learning.

The founding members are the Alliance Française, the British Council and the Goethe-Institut. They will actively pursue ways to share best practice, exchange resources and work together on selected projects, thus creating effective partnerships and networks among them in order to improve and promote cultural diversity and understanding between European societies and to strengthen international dialogue and cultural cooperation with Nigeria.

The Cultural Department of the Italian Consulate in Lagos will join as an associate member. Specifically, they will cooperate on areas like creative industries and art in public space.

Marc-André Schmachtel, the Director of GoetheInstitut Nigeria, has been nominated as the EUNIC Cluster president in its first year.

The presidency will rotate every year. Schmachtel says: “EUNIC will give us the opportunity to develop common activities within a European context and to strengthen by this the visibility of European presence in Nigeria. As the most populous African country it is a very important partner for us and we want to emphasize on the cultural exchange.”

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

is making all that investment”, he said.

He described the five-year plan as quite comprehensive which other stakeholders like state governments have willingly bought into. The states, according to him are also setting up their own strategic health plans to facilitate effective implementation.

The measures are encouraging better collaboration between federal and state governments and have resulted in a synergy that will maximise resources and achieve the health goals of government’s Vision 2020, Chukwu enthused.

He noted that some of the projects and programmes that are encompassed in the Plan are even part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

•Former Managing Director (MD) of Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) Mr. Tunji Bello (left) handing over to the new MD, Mr. George Noah...yesterday

Only 31% made five credits in WASSCE

O

NLY 30.99 per cent of the 1,540,250 million candidates made credits and above in five subjects including English and Mathematics in the last May/June West African Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the country.

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) released the results yesterday.

But the result is an improvement on last year’s, in which only 23 per cent of the candidates achieved the minimum requirement for admission into the univer-

By Kofoworola BeloOsagie

sity.

Announcing the results in Abeokuta, WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr Iyi Uwadiae, said the improved performance might not be unconnected with efforts by some state governments to boost teaching and learning in secondary schools. He singled out Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Edo as states that have made concerted efforts in this regard.

“A good number of states took measures to improve their results – like Lagos,

Akwa Ibom and Edo. For instance, Edo State governor went round schools in the villages, encouraging the students to prepare and not participate in examination malpractice. When you prepare for an examination, you demystify the exam,” he said.

Uwadiae said 94.79 per cent (1,460,003) of the candidates had their results fully processed. Of the total, 55.34 per cent (834,314 candidates) had a credit and above in English Language while only 38.93 per cent (587,630) achieved the same in Mathematics.

However, about 618,924 (40.55 per cent) candidates made credits and above in six subjects; 789,288 (51.71) got credit in five subjects; while 943,187 (61.80) managed credits and above in four subjects.

Uwadiae said the result of 80,247 candidates in some subjects were withheld due to errors on their part committed during registration or while writing the examination. He said their results would be released once the Council can resolve the errors, but urged candidates to take care to fill in the proper data when registering online

or filling their answer sheets.

Another 81,573 candidates had some of their results withheld because of allegations of examination malpractices. Uwadiae said the release of their results would be dependent on whether they are implicated or found not to have committed examination malpractices by the National Examinations Committee (NEC) – the highest decision-making body of the Council which would meet later in the year to determine.

Niger Delta roads: Fed Govt loses N106b to faulty design

T

HE Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its third weekly meeting in Abuja yesterday approved contracts worth N114.4billion.

However, N106billion of the sum is the cost government is paying for a faulty design of the EastWest Road which is due for completion in 2013.

In effect, the government will now pay N245 billion for the execution of the road project.

Explaining the increase in cost of the project, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who briefed reporters at the end of the council meeting alongside Hajia Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, Minister of State, for Niger Delta and Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health, said the initial design of the project failed to take into account the difficult terrain of the region, especially in Sections 1, 11 and 111.

He said for the project to meet the required stand-

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

ard, government had to review the entire road structure with the aim of redesigning the shoulders and the width of the road.

Maku said there is hardly any road or dam project that does not cost more than the initial contract sum, adding that when the contract was awarded in 2006, the quotation from the original contractor Julius Berger, was so high that government refused to touch it.

He explained that the dualisation of the project “is a landmark intervention of the Federal Government on infrastructure in the Niger Delta region”.

The minister noted that “the augmentation of the project became imperative to adequately complete East-West road project, which by its

location in the oil industry zone, is an emerging heavily trafficked road in Nigeria which calls for a stable road pavement that is less prone to frequent failure and disruption of traffic flow”.

Attempting to justify the huge augmentation of the project, Kuchi said work would have stopped on the project by the end of this month had the FEC not approved a request for the N106, 968,419,582.65 augmentation of the project.

She also blamed militancy, incessant rainfall in the region as well as budgetary constraints for the slow pace of the work and denied that the government at any point in time abandoned the work.

Kuchi said the project which is almost 40 per cent completed will create 2000 additional jobs in line with this administration’s transformation agenda.

17.5m Euro Siemens scam: Germany forecloses release of Munich Court records •Insists on pardon by Yar’Adua •May not handover five suspects at large RMED with pardon by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, there were strong indications yesterday that the German government may not release the records of a Munich court containing the list of Nigerians who benefited from the 17.5m Euro Siemens bribery scam.

The records are vital to the ongoing trial of some suspects over the bribery scandal.

It was also learnt that the German government has not shown enough commitment to the release of six suspects who are still at large.

Investigation by our corre-

A

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

spondent revealed that although 12 suspects have been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja , six Germans among them are still at large.

The suspects at large are Eduard Seidel; Klaus-Peter Gilbert; Schroeder Jochen; Detlev Woerman; Ralf Henrich; and Dirk Warner.

Others on trial are a former Director of Power Holding Company of Nigeria(PHCN), Maigada Shuaibu; exGeneral Manager(Finance) of NITEL, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka

Ossai and ex-Chief Executive Officer of M-Tel, Edwin Moore Momife.

But while the non-release of the Munich Court records

by Germany is not only impeding the trial of the suspects, some prominent Nigerians involved in the scam are being shielded.

A government source, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “We have reached a dead end in our attempt to bring other suspects implicated in the Siemens scandal to justice because the German government is not willing to release the records of the Munich Court .

“The argument of the German authorities is that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua had pardoned Siemens A.G after some diplomatic consultations. Even the blacklist of the company by the Federal Government was lifted.

“So, as far as the German government is concerned, all issues bordering on the scandal are closed based on the understanding with the Federal Government. That is why they are not willing to release the records of the Munich Court.

“Since Siemens has also paid about N7billion fines and charges withdrawn

•Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke against the company, the German government does not see the basis for the release of court records or any official for trial.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The nonavailability of the records has made the ongoing trial of some suspects a bit tight for the government.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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NEWS ‘Single six-year tenure not an abomination’ From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor

FORMER Edo State Governor Osariehmen Osunbor yesterday said that the single six-year tenure for president and governors being canvassed by President Goodluck Jonathan should not be dismissed as an abomination.

Osunbor said the idea was canvassed extensively at the Constitutional Conference of 1994/1995.

The former governor spoke at a press conference in Abuja.

He noted that the essence of the suggestion was to ensure that power was not concentrated in one place or region.

Osunbor said: "I must admit that I was personally surprised by the amount of controversies generated on account of this suggestion by Mr. President. I am surprised because this is not a new idea. It is not something that has come out of the blues.

"It is an idea that has been with Nigerians for a very long time. I was privileged to be a member of the Constitutional Conference in 1994/1995 and this was one of the several views that were canvassed at the conference.”

NAFDAC proposes life imprisonment T for drug counterfeiters HE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has proposed life jail term for drug counterfeiters.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii, on a visit to the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen in Abuja said: “we are asking for a lifetime jail and confistication of assets of the offenders. We are also asking for a whistle blower bill to reward the people who give information that may lead to the interception of the fake drugs.

This will allow us to compensate the victims of this crime.

“In 2009, the agency intercepted a container with about 700,000 fake anti-malaria drugs and secured a death sentence

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

in China for the six persons connected with the manufacturing and shipping of the fake products while persuading the Indian parliament to pass a law that criminal offence is punishable by life time jail with the assets of convicts being confiscated.

“But in Nigeria today the maximum penalty here is 15 years in jail or an alternative of N500, 000. NAFDAC has assembled a team of lawyers to see how it can effect a change to that law by creat-

ing a stiffer penalty.

“We have also found out that counterfeiting of medical products has become very sophisticated. It is beyond looking at the packaging.

“Former drug barons have realised that it is cheaper and safer than engaging in counterfeit products; so, they are directing their resources to manufacturing counterfeit medical products which now constitute globally between $75 billion to $200 billion annually. We have decided to rely on cutting-edge technology to detect counterfeit products.

“The agency has already

procured multi-million dollar hi-tech facilities that will enable it detect counterfeit products within some minutes. The incidence of fake drugs has reduced to five percent in major cities across the country though still prevalent in rural areas.”

Responding, the Onolomemen lauded the agency for its commitment towards tackling the menace of counterfeit drugs across the country.

He pledged the support of the ministry in the provision of facilities.

Ojudu to deliver lecture in Abuja From Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

SENATOR Babafemi Ojudu will deliver this year's International Youth Day lecture tomorrow.

In statement, the Coordinator of African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Mr. Chido Onumah , said the event is part of activities to celebrate the International Youth Day. The Lecture, entitled "Social Media and the African Youth: Agenda for the 21st Century," is expected to explore the role of youth in the advancements in information and communication technology.

The lead discussant at the event is Mr. Oma Djebah, former Commissioner for Information, Delta State, who will discuss "Social Media: Implications for Niger Delta Youth.”

The organisers said: "The centre chose to focus on social media because events around the world have shown that social media can alter the social and political order.”

A

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

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HE United Nations International Children Fund (UNICEF) has commended Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi for voting N500 million for women and children development issues.

The Country Representative of the Fund, Mrs Sara Nyanti, gave the commendation at the signing of the 20112012 Multi-year Programme Implementation Agreement in Ibadan yesterday.

The money will serve as counterpart fund to be provided by the government for the various UNICEF -assisted projects in the state.

Addressing the UNICEF team, Senator Ajimobi, re-affirmed the commitment of his administration to UNICEFassisted programmes.

The governor added that his administration would be proactive in the pursuit of concrete and practical solutions that will transform and empower women and the generality of the people in the state.

He said: "As a new administration, part of our plans for addressing the challenges of growth and development of the State is to remain committed to creating the right environment with the support of development partners like UNICEF, private investors and organizations toward improving the well-being of the people of the state."

Ajimobi promised that his administration would prioritise the issue of women and children.

•From left: Minister of Trade and Investment Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Akinwumi Adedeji, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Erelu Olusola Obada at the third meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja... yesterday.

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN

Oyo ACN flays PDP over alleged N16b allocation

Dangote, FRSC disagree over cause of multiple accidents

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

D

ANGOTE Sugar Refinery Plc yesterday disagreed with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) over the cause of last year’s multiple accidents on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

FRSC had published a report that a Dangote truck, laden with sugar, had a brake failure and rammed into other vehicles in a gridlock at the Michael Otedola Bridge. Over 40 persons and several vehicles were burnt.

The report said the Dangote Mack truck was not road-worthy and must have been overspeeding.

But testifying at the resumed inquest on the mis-

By Joseph Jibueze

hap before the Ikeja District Coroner, Mr Tajudeed Elias, a Workshop Manager in charge of vehicles maintenance at Dangote Sugar, Engr Jibrin Baba, said the FRSC report was false.

According to him, the truck involved in the accident was not a Mack but a Freight Liner, and that the FRSC got the registration number wrong.

He said all Dangote trucks are thoroughly checked before they are discharged with goods, and that there are mechanical checkpoints on their delivery routes. He added that the truck’s brake system

did not fail nor was it speeding.

“We have checkpoints, known as the Preventive Maintenance System (PMS), along the routes, and we keep technicians there. In the factory, we check the trucks from bumper to bumper, from brake liners to engine to light before they leave.

“If a truck is heading for Ilorin from Lagos for instance, there are four PMS checkpoints to check the truck at different stops. We also do general servicing of the trucks every three months,” Baba said.

Baba said the brake shoe could not have fallen off as it allegedly did without being

dismantled because it was covered by the wheel drum.

“I don’t think it is from the truck except it was dismantled,” he said.

He added that if the truck’s brake had failed, the head (engine part) would likely have disengaged from the carrier since it had about 40 tonnes of sugar.

“The fact that it did not summersault means the brake was working. The radiator would have been damaged and the truck would have run over other vehicles. The fire could not have been caused by the truck because it uses diesel,” Baba said.

Alleged forgery: Court warns Ogun PDP chiefs N Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court has warned Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Bashorun Dayo Soremi and four others who are standing trial over alleged signature forgery to desist from making comments.

Others are Semiu Oladipo (Secretary), Adeja Olokun, Abiodun Taiwo and Aree Olufemi Dehinsilu.

They are accused of forging a signature to aid the substitution of the candidate for Remo Federal Constitu-

UNICEF commends Ajimobi

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

ency, Hon. Dave Salako.

The trial magistrate, Oyebola Oyewunmi who frowned at newspapers publications on the ongoing case credited to Soremi also rejected the documentary evidence which purportedly exonerated the accused from the case.

The Court, however, admitted in evidence a Video CD which contains proceedings of the January 6, 2011 PDP primaries where Salako

was declared winner in the presence of the third accused (Olokun) who in his Police statement claimed he (Salako) did not participate in the contest.

At the resumed trial in Abuja, the Defence counsel, Ajibola Oluyede tendered a photocopy of the report of a forensic expert which he claimed emanated from the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon in Lagos.

Upon his request, the Court asked the Prosecution counsel, Simon Lough to produce the original copy

which the Prosecution Witness two, a Chief Superintendent of Police Adebowale Williams said was in case file.

Bubble, however, burst when Oluyede tried to withdraw the duplicate, after the Court had received the original copy from the prosecution.

He argued that since the Court had already taken custody of the original copy, there was no need to leave the duplicate again.

But the magistrate expressed her reservations over the request. Oyewunmi observed that the duplicate ten-

dered by the Defence counsel was inconsistent with the original copy presented by the Police in the open court.

She pointed out that the duplicate has five pages and attachment while the Police copy has only three pages with no attachment.

Besides, she said, the document was not a duly Certified True Copy (CTC) as required under Evidence Act. The trial has been adjourned till August 30 for continuation.

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HE Oyo State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the allegation that the state government received N16.3 billion from the Federation Account in July.

The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Mathew Oyedokun, said the PDP was basing its unsubstantiated allegation on a discredited source.

The PDP had alleged through a statement by its Director of Media and Strategy, Dr Morohunkola Thomas, that the Abiola Ajimobiadministration received the huge sum and that he should spend the money wisely. Thomas further expressed surprise that Ajimobi’s government which promised to run a transparent government did not disclose the money to the people.

But Oyedokun said : “In PDP’s ignorance, it had forgotten that Oyo State, just like any other state of the federation, does not run a monthly budget but a yearly one and that what the government intends to do for the year were already itemised in the state’s yearly budget.

“We cannot run a profligate government of the type that PDP ran. We would be accountable to our people in all our ways.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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NEWS Salami may sue NJC Continued from page 2

The source added: The CJN, in his affidavit sworn to on the 7th of March, 2011 deposed on oath as follows:“7(i) That I did not any time whatsoever interfere in any form or manner with the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal. (iii) That one of the complaints is the petitions was that the judgment about to be delivered by the Court of Appeal in respect of the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal had leaked. (vi) That I, therefore, called the Hon. President of the Court of Appeal by telephone to come to my Chambers. (vii) That when Hon. President of the Court of Appeal came to my Chambers, in the presence of Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher, I told him I had received a complaint that the judgment to be delivered in respect of the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal had leaked. (viii) That the Hon. President of Court of Appeal, Justice I.A. Salami, OFR admitted that the judgment had leaked. (ix) That I showed him the petitions I had received in respect of the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal and told him that the only way to maintain the integrity of the Court was to reconstitute the panel, as that was the proper cause of action to take. (xvii) That the only step I took in my capacity as the Chairman, National Judicial Council, was to direct, vide letter No. NJC/ CA/DM/IV/48 of 19th February, 2010, that the judgment that was to be delivered in the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal ‘be put on hold’ pending the investigation of the petitions I had received. That I did not, in the letter under reference, direct the Panel on the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Appeal not to deliver judgment.”

“The depositions contained in the CJN’s affidavit were controverted by Justice Salami in his affidavit sworn to on the 31/3/2011 in the following depositions:“4. (iii) That to my knowledge, there were no allegation of judgment leakage and no judgment, whether actual or leaked was shown to me by the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria. (iv) That with particular reference to the deposition in paragraph 7(viii) of the aforesaid affidavit of Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, I did not admit (to the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria) that the judgment in the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Appeal had leaked. (v) The Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria actually instructed me to direct the Panel of Justices hearing the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Appeal panel to dismiss the Appeal, which I told him I could not do. (vii) The Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria instructed the Justices of the Court of Appeal in the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Appeal panel not to deliver judgment which had been reserved.

5(i) That it was on the 8th day of February, 2010 that the Hon. Chief Justice invited me to his office. (vi) That each of the petitions Annexures 2 and 3 is dated 15th day of February, 2010, seven (7) day after the Hon. Chief Justice called me to his office in the presence of Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher. (vii) That as at 8th day of February, 2010 there was no petition against me on any issue.”

“At page 96 Paragraph ‘U’ of the Umaru Abdullahi Panel’s Report, it was found that there was no evidence of leakage of judgment that was about to be delivered in Sokoto Gubernatorial Appeal. It was also found that the petitions did not state that there was leakage of judgment.

“Above all, from the uncontroverted deposition in the affidavit of the PCA, the petitions upon which the CJN purported to have asked the PCA to disband the Sokoto State Appeal Panel were not in existence at the time the CJN called the President to his office and ‘advised’ him to disband the panel.

“Who then is lying on Oath in the present circumstances?

With the finding of the NJC Panel headed by Hon. Justice Umaru F. Abdullahi CON, it is crystal clear that the depositions contained in the CJN’s affidavit are not true. The CJN therefore lied on Oath.

“The aforesaid affidavit, having woefully failed to establish any allegation of leakage of the said judgment, the only valid and correct position is the affidavit of the PCA. If the petitions upon which the CJN based his directive were not in existence, the only conclusion is that he called the PCA to prevail upon him to take certain steps in the Sokoto State Election Petition Appeal, an act which was not based on any complaints by the parties to the petition.

“Paragraph ‘K’ of page 85 is to the effect that the CJN and NJC have no constitutional powers to interfere in any proceedings of a legally constituted Court. Paragraph ‘M’ of the same page 85 is to the effect that the CJN acted in good faith.

“It is noteworthy to observe that lack of statutory or Constitutional powers to support an action negates good faith.

It is therefore absurd for the panel to conclude that the CJN acted in good faith.”

FCDA sells kerosene for N50 per litre From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

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N fulfilment of President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise to make kerosene available at affordable price to the common man, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, yesterday flagged off the National Kerosene Direct Sales Scheme.

The minister, who was represented by the Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, said the gesture was in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

Mohammed said the scheme would provide and sell kerosene at the official price of N50 per litre in all states and the FCT.

‘Kwara governorship poll marred by malpractices’ A

T the resumed sitting of the Kwara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital, a witness of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) told of how electoral malpractices marred the April 26 polls in Moro and Baruten local government areas.

ACN is seeking the cancelation of the election results from Moro, Baruten, Ifelodun, Asa, and some other local government areas and a few wards in Kwara.

The party alleged gross violations of the Electoral Act and manipulations of results.

In her statement, made on oath, Moni Oladokun, a female ACN witness who observed voting in Malete, Moro Local Government, told the tribunal that voting began at Elemere at 10am as against the 12.30pm, when voting ought to start, after accreditation and verification of accredited voters.

She narrated how students of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, were beaten up by suspected PDP thugs and prevented from voting.

Oladokun said the students were believed to have made up their minds to vote the ACN candidate, Mohammed Dele Belgore, because of his promise to reduce their over

•Witnesses recount their experiences From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

N200,000 tuition fee, if elected.

She also spoke of how ballot boxes were stuffed with thumb-printed ballot papers.

According to her, she saw some of the students in their pool of blood, after they were attacked by the PDP thugs.

Oladokun, who identified herself as an ACN member, said she was assigned to some designated voting centres in Malete.

She said she was at Malete Polling Centre when she got a call from an ACN coordinator for Moro that certain misconducts were going on at Elemere, adding that voting had started there at about 10am.

“I got there at about 10.30am and witnessed people voting. I made enquiries from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members posted to work as Electoral Officers for the fourth respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and I was asked to direct my enquiries to the party agents. I asked the agents about the voting that

had started before 12.30pm but they could not give me an answer.

“I asked the police officer at the centre and he also could not give me an answer. I told him that it was wrong of him to have allowed the flouting of the Electoral Act by allowing people to vote before the designated period. The policeman asked for my identification and I refused to show him, telling him that it was unnecessary. I got to the polling booth with a camera and a pen. By this time, the policeman, the party agents and some other people came round me and forcefully collected my camera and pen, claiming that I would not be allowed to leave the place alive. I was threatened, harassed, intimidated and pressurised. I stood my ground and insisted that the voting must stop,” Oladokun said.

She said she later called an INEC hotline to narrate what had happened, adding that INEC had sent another set of three youth corps members to the centre and posted out those who had

·

perpetrated the fraud. She said the ballot boxes were also changed.

The witness said the policeman, who had no name tag on his uniform, later told her that he was forced to allow the illegality and that as a Nigerian, “I should understand his dilemma and the need to protect his job”.

Oladokun said her camera was later returned about 30 minutes after INEC had resolved the matter, adding that she was told the camera was intact when she asked if it had been tampered with.

She said: “I was about to leave when one lady came to meet me and offered me an envelope, which she said contained some money and a new handset. I declined, telling them there was no need for this more so as I could not sell my conscience.

“Some people in a classroom (in Molete) were involved in multiple thumbprinting and the ballot papers were being put inside the ballot boxes...”

An ACN supervisor in Gwedebereru/Babane Ward, Baruten Local Government, Lanre Sakele, said there was “no election in many polling units in this ward as ballot boxes and other electoral materials were forcefully taken away by PDP thugs and stuffed with already thumbprinted ballot papers”.

• Kunle, the eldest son of the late former Oyo State Governor Kolapo Ishola (left) welcoming former Deputy Governor to the Ishola administration, Alhaji Hamid Gbadamosi (middle) and former Chairman, The Punch, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, during their condolence visit to the family in Ibadan...yesterday.

CPC witnesses to tribunal: we’re not forensic experts

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HE experts commissioned by the Kaduna State governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Haruna Yunusa Saeed, to examine the electoral materials for the last poll yesterday told the tribunal that they were not forensic experts.

The three “expert witnesses” told the tribunal, when they submitted the report of their inspection, that they were neither trained in document analysis nor were they trained in handwriting experts.

They, however, said they were hired by the petitioner to work for him and were accordingly paid N150,000 and N20,000 to recount and reexamine electoral documents and the election re-

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

sults that had been certified by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Under cross-examination by counsel to Governor Patrick Yakowa, Mr Emmaneul Ukalla (SAN), who held brief for Joseph Daudu (SAN), and counsel to INEC, Emmanuel Toro (SAN), the witnesses said they were not experts in forensic analysis but experts in their fields.

They added that it was their expertise that helped them to identify electoral malpractices.

Mohammed Sodangi, a lecturer at the Department of Accounting, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said he was a consultant to the petitioner.

The witness said he was hired to recount the results of

the April governorship election and was paid N150,000 for the service.

He said: “I was paid N150,000 to carry out the assignment of collecting electoral documents through another person assigned also to collect only certified true copies from INEC. I am not a forensic and handwriting expert. I only worked with 10 people, both men and women, given by the principal petitioner.”

Musa Shuaibu of No 2 Bwari Central Mosque Road, Bwari, said he was neither a forensic expert nor a handwriting expert.

He said he was hired and paid N20,000 for his services.

Shuaib said: “I am a politician, but I am not an ad hoc clerical officer. I am not

a handwriting trained analyst. I am not a forensic expert. The principal petitioner engaged my services for this assignment. I was paid N20,000. I received electoral documents from INEC. I received 600,000 ballot papers from 10 local governments and I took physical counting of the ballot papers originally used for the April 28 governorship election. “But I am not informed whether or not those papers are in court. I acted as an inspection agent, and there were 25 of us that did the assignment.”

The third expert witness, Abubakar Sadiq Abdullahi, of Madaki Avenue, Bwari, Abuja, told the tribunal that he was also not a forensic expert but a graduate of Business Administration from a polytechnic.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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NEWS Ondo ACN faults alleged threat to shut Adaba FM •Govt: it’s a lie From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Ondo State, has criticised the state government’s alleged threat to shut Adaba FM, a private Radio Station in Akure, the state capital.

In a statement yesterday, ACN Director of Media and Publicity Gbenga Akinmoyo said the party would resist any threat from the government to silence the opposition.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko was said to have met with the management of the station and warned it against using the medium to air ACN programmes said to be “uncomplimentary attacks” on the Labour Party (LP)-led administration.

Mimiko was reported to have warned that failure to adhere to the directive would lead to the closure of the station.

The government was said to have been disturbed by comments made during interviews allegedly granted to ACN chieftains, which it allegedly viewed as distasteful.

Akinmoyo said the alleged threat by the government is an infringement on one of the most fundamental human rights, the freedom of expression.

He said: “In the opinion of the ACN, the governor has taken things too far by his attempt to turn the state into his personal puppet and silence all forms of criticism.

“We will not tolerate his threats because we live in a democratic society, where the interest of the ordinary citizen is protected by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Judiciary.

“What we find most surprising is that this is the same governor who uses state-owned media stations to rain abuses on ACN National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, so where is the equality of arms?

“We do not fear this threat and remain unperturbed in our determination to continue to fight against the institution headed by Mimiko.

“The truth must be made known to the whole world, especially indigenes of the state, so that all will know the real nature and character of our leaders.”

Chief Press Secretary to the governor Mr. Kolawole Olabisi denied the allegation.

He said: “It’s a lie. The governor never made such a threat. LP has been supporting Adaba FM since its inception. The government is presently rehabilitating the road that leads to the station and we have been airing our programmes on the station.

“If there has been any threat, let the management of the station come out and speak.”

LASU cancels part-time courses

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HE Lagos State Government has acancelled part-time courses at the Lagos State University (LASU).

It will take effect from the next academic session.

In a statement, Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Education Otunba Fatai Olukoga said the decision was

reached based on the report of a Visitation Panel set up by the governor to look into the academic and administrative activities of the school in the last 10 years.

Olukoga said the government was determined to ensure the accreditation of courses and improve standard inthe school.

Ajimobi inspects projects

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HE era of bad roads is over in Oyo State, the state government has said.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi spoke yesterday, while inspecting the first phase of roads being repaired in the state.

The roads are Secretariat/Bodija road, Customs Officers’ Mess/Government House road, Yidi/Onipepeye/Airport road and Mokola/Queen Cinema road.

The contract for the roads was approved by the governor a few weeks ago. The project is being handled by the Oyo State Road Management Authority (OYSROMA).

Ajimobi said he would build and rehabilitate many roads before the end of his administration.

He said the second phase of the project would be extended to all parts of the state.

“One of the legacies I want to leave behind is to fix virtually all bad roads in the state. My vision is to have roads which motorists can be proud of; where vehicles would not have their shock-absorbers punctured. “It is achievable, considering the aggressiveness with which we are addressing road construction.”

Monarch laments Ilesa robberies

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HE Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, has cried out for help, following incessant robberies in Ilesa, Osun State.

In the last two weeks, about three major places in the town were robbed, including a first generation bank and a fish depot.

The monarch spoke while receiving Senator Jide Omoworare representing Osun East at his palace on Tuesday.

Oba Aromolaran implored government at all levels to create job opportunities.

He said: “It is important for many idle hands to be engaged and made productive.

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Omoworare said the purpose of his visit was to commiserate with the people of the community on the incessant robberies and thank them for voting for him, his colleagues and party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), at the last general elections.

He reiterated his resolve to fulfil his electioneering promises.

Omoworare also visited the robbery victims at Wesley Guild Hospital and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Odo-Iro Motor Park.

Widow relives ex-Governor Ishola’s last moments W IDOW of former Oyo State Governor Chief Kolapo Ishola, Grace, yesterday relived the last moments of her husband, who died on Tuesday morning.

She said the late Ishola was not ill and did not complain of any ailment before his death.

Speaking with reporters at their Ikolaba home in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Mrs. Ishola described her late husband as “the pillar” that held the family for decades.

She said she discussed with her husband for several hours till about 4:30am on Tuesday, before he had his morning devotion.

The late Ishola was said to have died from diabetes, which he had been managing for years.

His son, Kunle, confirmed that his father was diabetic and had been managing it since 1989.

The late Ishola was a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees.

Sympathisers have continued to visit the deceased’s

•Amosun, Alaafin, Fayemi, others pay tributes

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

home. Among them are former deputy governor to the late Ishola under the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ahmed Gbadamosi; emissaries from the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; former Chairman, Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola; and PDP Deputy National Chairman (Southwest) Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.

Gbadamosi described the death of his former boss as “shocking.” He said the deceased was a great friend and seasoned administrator.

Gbadamosi said: “He was honest, humble and kind, as he touched the lives of many people positively. As a governor, he did his best and his administration remains one of the few good governments in the state.”

Oladipo said: “Chief Kolapo Ishola was a great support and a strong pillar for our party, not only in Oyo State but in the Southwest and the country.

“He was a man of peace worthy of emulation. I recollect his contributions to resolve the PDP crisis in Oyo State. He was an apostle of politics without bitterness.”

Alaafin described the deceased as a great administrator and a worthy ambassador of men. He said the vacuum created by the late politician’s death would be difficult to fill.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, in his condolence message, said: “The nation has lost a fine gentleman and political icon. During his tenure as governor of Oyo State between 1992 and 1993, he

contributed much to the economic well-being of the people of the state.”

Former media aide to the deceased Mr. Bode Oyewole said: “The Ishola I served as Chief Press Secretary during his short but action-packed tenure was an embodiment of humility, drive and vision.

“His passion for the development of the state was immense. Yet, he was a gentleman whose heart harboured neither malice nor hatred for anyone. No wonder he had friends and admirers across the political spectrum.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, in a statement yesterday, said: “It is a pity that Chief Ishola died at a critical time in the nation’s history, when his wise counsel would be needed by many, who are willing to tap from his wealth of experience.

“The late Ishola would be remembered as a politician, who never believed in violence and brigandage. I always look up to senior politicians like him, who proved that you don’t need to kill or engage in arson before winning an election.”

Nigeria reaches quarterfinals •Egbedi’s goal nails England

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LYING Eagles ace, Edafe Egbedi scored early in the second-half as Nigeria edged England 10 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday.

Egbedi netted the winner from inside the penalty area in the 52nd minute at the Centenario stadium in Armenia.

England leaves the tournament without having scored a goal in four matches. It had advanced to the second round with three 0-0 draws.

Striker Matthew Phillips had a chance to give England an equalizer against Nigeria

•Nigeria’s Edafe Egbedi (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring against England during their FIFA World Cup U20 football match held at Centenario stadium in Armenia, Quindio department, Colombia PHOTO: AFP

in the 74th, but he missed over the crossbar after entering the

area free from defenders.

Phillips also came close in

the 81st, sending another shot over the crossbar.

50 injured in Akure motorcyclists’ clash

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VER 50 persons were injured yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State

capital, during a clash between two rival groups over the control of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owner and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN).

The groups were allegedly led by Kayode Ajayi, a.k.a.

Ekun, and Jimoh Obabia, a.k.a. Igbira.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

The hoodlums, wielding clubs and cutlasses, vandalised many vehicles.

Those injured are on admission at various hospitals within and outside the state.

It was learnt that in an attempt to take over the leadership of ACOMORAN, which is currently led by Isaac Akin,

Igbira and his group attacked Ekun, who is a respected leader of the association.

An eyewitness said: “Ekun was hit with a livesnake before cutlasses could penetrate his body. His car was also vandalised.”

Ekun was said to have been unconscious and taken to the State Hospital, where he was transferred to the Obafemi Awolowo

University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

He is currently receiving treatment at the Emergency Unit.

Police spokesman Mr. Adeniran Aremu confirmed the incident. He said they are on top of the situation, adding that some arrests had been made.

Ekun’s wife, Mrs. Aina Ajayi, urged the police to fish out her husband’s attackers.

25 held for street trading in Lagos

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BOUT 25 persons have been arrested by the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and Special Offences for violating the ban on street trading.

Chairman of the task force Supo Sulaiman spoke to reporters yesterday at his office in Alausa.

Sulaiman said: “The Law that established this ban states clearly that whoever trades in an unauthorised place, apart from the market,

By Miriam Ndikanwu

has committed a crime.

“When you drive through the Third Mainland Bridge in traffic, you will see boys pretending to be hawking. Many of them have guns under their clothes, which they use to rob innocent citizens. This cannot continue.

“Just this morning (yesterday), we arrested 25 people on the Third Mainland Bridge.

“The government is out to enforce all environmental

laws to the letter. Lagos is not a jungle where anybody does what he likes.”

Sulaiman lamented the violation of traffic laws by commercial buses.

He said 133 vehicles had been impounded in the last one month for various traffic offences and 100 of them were commercial vehicles.

On violation of traffic laws by military personnel, he said senior officers had been contacted to address the situation.

“We have arrested bullion vans that violated traffic laws, because carrying money in a bullet proof van is not a guarantee to go against the law,” he said.

Also yesterday, the MarshalGeneral, Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Danjuma Maigari, said the unit has, in the last one year, dismissed 150 officers for corrupt practices.

He urged the public to always report corrupt practices to his office.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

8

NEWS Amaechi swears in eight commissioners From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has sworn in eight more commissioners, bringing the total to 14.

The governor, at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday, asked the commissioners to put service above personal needs.

He said: “We need to be in a hurry to deliver the basic necessities to our people. The challenge of transforming the state should be put above personal ends. This administration will not condone corruption.

“We must ensure the completion of the new city development, construction of roads, the new primary and secondary schools and the monorail project.”

The governor asked the commissioners to work as a team, in driving the vision and mission of the administration.

The appointees are: Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi Emmanuel Chindah George Tolofari Dr. Tammy Danagogo Fred Igwe Dr Nathaniel Imegwu; Charles Okaye and Okey Amadi.

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Bayelsa gives N687m bursary

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HE Bayelsa State Government has begun the disbursement of N687million bursary to students in tertiary institutions.

The payment will cover years 2008, 2009 and 2010.

According to the Chairman of the eight-man disbursement committee, Jonathan Obiebite, the money will be paid through the banks with the aid of a web site created for the purpose.

He stated that payment for the 2007 exercise was encouraging and successful.

“In the last exercise, phone lines were used, but this time

From Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

a website has been created for the programme so that data collection will be easy.”

Obiebite said postgraduate and special students would identify themselves at designated centres .

The beneficiaries are categorised as follows: PhdN120, 000; Msc N80,000; law students N200,000; monotechnics-N100, 000; medical students-N80, 000; special students (Undergraduates)N40, 000; Special Students (Secondary-N20,000,; and other undergraduates N15,000.

Edo begins work on erosion site

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DO State Government has started work to stop the gully erosion on Ekenhuan Road, linking the popular Ekenhuan Barracks to the City Centre in Benin.

But work is yet to begin on the Auchi –Okene highway, which has been washed off by erosion, forcing motorists to divert through Jattu.

Inspecting the project yesterday, Governor Adams Oshiomhole praised the pace and quality of work .

He said: “I am happy at what the construction firm is doing and that is the beauty of getting a good contractor to intervene in works of this nature.

“I am happy at the pace of work and they have assured us that by tomorrow, this job would have been completed and the road would not be a danger to motorists.”

Oshiomhole said to check the erosion government had to divert the flood water.

DELSU to graduate medical students

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HE Delta State University, Abraka, will graduate its first set of medical students next month.

The Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Prof John Obodo, said this yesterday at the opening of a three-day practical first aid training for students.

He said 34 students would sit for the final exam later

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

this month.

The Provost said the training was to equip the students with practical knowledge to render first aid services during emergencies.

He said 500 students were participating in the programme holding at the Abraka Campus.

N3m for officers’ families

Ogboru appeals rerun judgment

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EMOCRATIC Peoples Party (DPP) governorship candidate in the January 6 governorship rerun in Delta State Great Ogboru yesterday approached the Appeal Court sitting in Benin, Edo State, seeking to set aside the tribunal judgment , which upheld Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s victory.

The Elections Petition Tribunal, led by Justice Doris Ogwurike, on July 25 dismissed Ogboru’s petition.

But in a Notice of Appeal, Ogboru urged the Appellate Court to “allow the appeal and set aside or reverse that

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

part of the judgment of the tribunal dismissing the petition and the objection of the appellants to the first and second respondents’ cross petition.”

He is also seeking the granting of all the reliefs sought in the petition and any consequential order the court may make in the circumstances of the appeal.

According to him, his petition is founded on the fact that ballot papers and results sheets were not submitted by presiding officers at the poll-

ing units.

The DPP candidate said the allegation in the petition that INEC did not conduct election in specified polling units placed no burden on the appellants to call registered voters to prove that INEC did not conduct elections.

He argued that the allegation of malpractice did not arise in the petition, stressing that the complaint is that ballot papers and results sheets were not received by presiding officers at the polling units and there was no recording by presiding officers.

Ogboru argued that the ex-

hibits tendered by the respondents did not show the distribution, receipt and or use of sensitive electoral materials at the polling units as they could not be connected to any polling units.

He said the tribunal erred when it rejected the joint expert report.

According to him, the tribunal erred when it held that the first and second respondents’ cross petition was not abandoned, stressing that the ballot papers did not support the cross petition of the first and second respondents.

Shell to rectify ‘misconduct’ in Ogoni oil spill

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HELL Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has promised to rectify issues of indictment raised in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the Ogoni oil spill.

It, however, said this is subject to the conclusion of its study of the report and subsequent investigation of the issues raised.

The Federal Government yesterday said it was yet to conclude its position on the United Nation’s (UN) report on oil spill in Ogoniland.

Shell’s Managing Director Mutiu Sumonu made this

From Dele Anofi, Abuja

known after a meeting with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe.

He admitted that the report was an eye opener.

“The UNEP report is welcomed because it is a report we think gives us a better understanding about the spills in Ogoniland.

“We also think it will give us the opportunity to set about the reconciliation agenda in Ogoni, working with government agencies to restore the environment to its natural state.

“We are committed to working on those recommendations very quickly.

“But let me make it clear that the 1000-page UNEP report was just submitted to the President a few days ago.

“It will take some time for us to digest it, to understand the issues that were raised and investigate them before I can give further detailed decision of SPDC.” He said Shell is determined to work on emergency issues identified in the report, like provision of potable water in some communities in Ogoniland.

“We are committed to mak-

ing sure that that happens very quickly,” Sumonu said.

Orubebe said government has not reached any conclusion yet on the report.

He said: “The presentation has just been made and government will study it.

Government would not just react like that, further meetings would be held with Shell and other oil companies and we agree on the best ways with which to tackle the issues that were raised.

“Mr. President in due course will make a policy statement on it after due consultation.”

Rivers ACN commiserates with Abe

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ROSS River State Governor Liyel Imoke has donated N3million to the families of the late Private Muazu Ma Sandu of the Army and Corporal Stephen Elemi of the Police Mobile Force, Mopol 11, Calabar.

They were killed during the communal clash that claimed over 30 lives in Boki Local Government.

The two officers were deployed to maintain peace when the two communities of Boje and Nsadop clashed over the ownership of a farmland.

Presenting N1.5million to each of the next of kin of the deceased, Imoke said the late officers should be honoured as they died protecting others.

“When we deploy officers and men to carry out internal security operations, we ex-

•Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan (left) with Deputy Governor Amos Utuama and Abayomi Johnson at an Executive Health Talk organised by the state in conjunction with First Cardiology Consultants in Asaba....yesterday

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Rivers State has commiserated with Senator Magnus Abe over the death of his mother, Mrs. Margaret Abe. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Jerry Needam, yesterday, described the demise of Mrs. Abe as sad.

He said: “ACN, a party that values life, shares in the pain of the Abe family over the sad and sudden departure of their mother.

T

Robbers kill policeman in bank raid

•Imoke From Kunle Johnson, Calabar

pect them to offer their very best.

“It is also the responsibility of government to offer them its best.

“So it is a thing to be frowned at when such personnel are deployed and they pay the ultimate price with their lives and their families are compensated.”

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

“We are, nevertheless, consoled by the assurance of her blissful eternity in the bosom of the Lord, as well as by her remarkable legacies of a worthy life in Christ Jesus.

“We pray that God would grant Senator Abe and his family the fortitude to bear the loss and grant the deceased eternal rest.”

N unidentified policeman was yesterday killed by a stray bullet during a bank robbery at Auchi, Estako West local Government of Edo State.

Sources said the slain police officer was dressed in mufti and transacting business close to the bank.

Another person was also

A

•ACN chieftain’s wife kidnapped From Osagie Otabor, Benin

injured in the raid that occurred 20 minutes after a bullion van brought money to the bank.

The source said the sixman gang came in two Toyota Camry cars .

They were said to have

made away with an undisclosed amount of money in the operation which lasted 40 minutes.

The wife of the Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Orhionmwon Local Governmen,t Mrs. Carol Ehigie, has been kidnapped.

Mrs. Ehigie was abducted on Dumez road by gunmen operating in a 10-seater bus.

When contacted, police spokesman Peter Ogboi was said to be attending an emergency security meeting.

Family sources said the kidnappers were yet to contact her relatives.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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NEWS PDP, ACN supporters clash in Kogi From Mohammed Bashir, Lokoja

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HERE was a free-for-all yesterday at the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal when supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) clashed over an alleged angry comment.

The fight, The Nation learnt, started when a party supporter made an allegedly infuriating remark during the tribunal sitting. The remark reportedly distracted proceedings.

The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by the ACN House of Representatives’ candidate, Malik Taina, challenging the declaration of the PDP candidate, Tijani Damisa.

•From left: Director/CEO, Strategic Business School (SBS) Prof. Joseph Mba, CEO, Neimeth Phamarcetical Plc, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Chairman of the board (SBS) Apostle Hayford Alile, and D-G, Academy for Governance, Prof. Austin Uwandulu at the launch of the Elevator: African’s Mass Empowerment Network.

PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID

‘Kogi on alert for Boko Haram’ From Mohammed Bashir, Lokoja

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HE Kogi State Directorate of the State Security Service (SSS) yesterday said it was keeping vigil over the likely incursion of the Boko Haram sect into the state.

The sect had reportedly threatened to hit Kogi and some other northern states.

A source, who pleaded anonymity, told reporters in Lokoja, the state capital, that the threat by the sect had created tension among residents.

The source said: “We are not resting on our oars. We are not relenting in our commitment to tackle any insecurity in the state.”

The source said the SSS had met with stakeholders to reinforce security across the state, adding that all citizens and property would be protected.

According him, Islamic preaching, especially in this holy month of Ramadan has been regulated and supervised by security agencies.

“Everyone of us is important as far as the security situation in this state is concerned. That is why we are involving everybody,” the source said.

Jang appoints son, The Nation ex-reporter advisers

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LATEAU State Governor Jonah Jang has appointed 21 special advisers, including his son, Yakubu, and former Plateau State Correspondent of The Nation, Mr. Ayuba Pam Dangwong.

Yakubu is now the Special Adviser, Special Duties and Dangwong the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity.

The former Chief of Staff to former Governor Joshua Dariye, Nde Alexander Molwus, has been appointed as the Special Adviser, Political Affairs.

A statement yesterday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Shedrack Best, said former Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Clara Gang, is Special Adviser, Statistics.

Two other women, Mrs. Monica Gwom and Mrs. Irene Piental, are listed as Special Advisers, Women Mobilisation and Rural Transformation.

Those reappointed as Spe-

From Marie-Therese Peter, Jos

cial Advisers are: Isa Chungwom Song, (Legislative Liaison); Rev. Gyang Choji, (Religious -Christianity Affairs); Dauda Lamba, (Legal Matters); and Nuhu Musa, (Security).

Others are: Rev. Danjuma Daniel, (Ethical Reorientation); K.K. Vongdip, (Youth Mobilisation); David Zoyong, (Inter-Governmental Relations); Thomas H. Gofwan, (Non-Governmental Agencies, NGOs); Nyeng Gyang, (Information and Communication Technology); Sam Karuri, (Project Monitoring); Timothy Parlong, (PeaceBuilding); Adamu Bala, (Tourism); Nasiru Goshi, (Religion - Islamic Affairs); Moses Dongo, (Community Relations); and Timothy Kumtong, (Labour Matters).

They are expected to be sworn in on Friday at the Government House, Rayfield, Jos.

Governor hails monarch at 48

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WARA State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has congratulated the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi, Esuwoye II, on his 48th birthday.

In a message to the monarch, the governor thanked God for sparing his life to celebrate another birthday.

He described Gbadamosi as a philanthropist, who has the interest of his people and community at heart.

Ahmed said: “On behalf of the government and people of Kwara State, I heartily felicitate with you, kabiyesi, on this joyous occasion of your 48th birthday.

“I also wish you long life and prosperity on the throne of your forebears.

May you continue in good health and wisdom in the service of your community and the good people of Kwara State.”

The governor praised the monarch for his contributions to the socio-economic development of Offa since his ascension to the throne, noting that these have transformed the community.

Wishing Oba Gbadamosi and Offa residents a successful celebration, Ahmed urged the monarch to sustain the tempo of development and improve the economic status of his people, the community and Kwara State.

Trovan test: Pfizer to pay N104m to four victims P HARMACEUTICAL giant, Pfizer, and Kano State Meningitis Health-Care Trust Fund will today pay N104 million as compensation to four victims of the 1996 Trovan drug clinical trial.

During the clinical trial, about 11 children and 22 others suffered various degrees of disability.

The four beneficiaries, who will be paid N26.5 million each, are those who scaled the DNA test conducted to authenti-

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

cate the genuine victims of the Trovan test from the 200 allegedly injected with the drug and recommended to Pfizer for compensation.

The payment will be carried out by Pfizer/Kano State Health-Care Meningitis Trust Fund headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Alhaji

Abubakar Wali.

The Nation recalls that the compensation is the highpoint of the agreement reached between Pfizer and the Kano State Government to end the protracted legal tussle that followed the 1996 Trovan drug test.

During the screening of victims, 190 claimants pulled out. They protested their invita-

tion for the DNA screening and instituted a legal action against the screening committee.

The protesting victims were, however, pacified by Pfizer and the government, which urged them to withdraw the court case and participate in the DNA test.

They did.

Besides the four beneficiaries, the government and its attorneys have reportedly received US$30 million and US$10 million.

Nasarawa: Opposition condemns sack of perm secs

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HE Nasarawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the recent sack of 19 permanent secretaries by Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura.

It described the sack as illmotivated, illegal and a witch-hunt.

Almakura replaced the sacked permanent secretaries on Tuesday. He retained seven others he inherited from the Aliyu Akwe Doma administration.

PDP Chairman Yunana Iliya said the governor’s action would divide the state, adding that Almakura has

From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

shown he lacked requisite knowledge about governance.

Iliya said the sack “shows that the person who did it does not have the state at heart and does not know what the civil service is about”.

Reacting to the governor’s statement that he sacked the permanent secretaries to save the civil service from politicisation, Ilya noted that those he sacked were not inferior to those he appointed .

He said the residents would soon see where the loyalty of

the new appointees lies.

Ilya noted that the sudden sack of the top civil servants was uncalled for.

He said the permanent secretaries are career civil servants, adding: “Even though they have political attachments, that does not warrant anybody to just wake up and say he was done with some civil servants because they participated or were loyal to the previous government.

“These are people who must have started their careers as clerical officers and

•Almakura

were groomed to directorship position, from where they became permanent secretaries.

But they crashed in a day because somebody, who does not know the rudiments of the civil service, became governor of Nasarawa State. It is very unfortunate.”

Police parade undergraduate for alleged robbery

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HE Kwara State Police Command yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital, paraded a student of a federal tertiary institution, Haruna Jimoh, for alleged robbery.

The command is on the trail of two undergraduates of the same institution who are said to be Jimoh’s accomplices.

Jimoh, 23, and the other suspects allegedly invaded a home at Irewolede village in Ilorin on July 25, armed with a local pistol, axe and a knife.

Police Commissioner Peter Gana said a resident was stabbed in the stomach during a confrontation with the hoodlums.

He said the quick response of men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squads

•Announce promotion of 149 inspectors From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

(SARS) led to the arrest of one of the suspects. The others reportedly escaped.

Gana said: “Items recovered from Jimoh include a gun, which was later discovered to be a plastic toy gun, and two masks.

Investigation showed that the three suspects are students of one of the tertiary institutions in Ilorin.

“The arrested suspect is a leader of one of the secret cults in the institution, while the two others at large are also members of the same cult.”

The police also paraded another suspect, Agara Wilson, 22, of Isu village, Imo

State, for alleged robbery attempt.

Wilson and another suspect, at large, trailed their victim from a commercial bank on Taiwo Road, Ilorin, on August 1.

Gana said investigation had showed that Wilson and his “accomplice” belonged to a gang of criminals that specialised in using motorcycles to snatch bags and money.

He said: “The gang at times plant nails on vehicle tyres and trail victims to places where they rob them of their belongings when the are victims changing tyres.”

The police paraded a group of three suspected armed robbers for invading the home of at Basin, Ilorin,

on July 19.

The suspects are: Tunde Michael, 33; and Isiaka Adisa, 22; both reportedly hail from Oyun area of Ilorin; and Richard Bulus, 24, of Sango area of Ilorin.

Gana said: “Ironically, one of the suspects, Isiaka Adisa, was a former security guard at his victim’s residence. He supplied his gang members information and the lead about the victim…”

The police commissioner announced the promotion of 149 police inspectors to the rank of Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs).

He said two Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) Mathias Asogwa and Ojayele Yomi of Offa and ‘A’ divisions were honoured for their outstanding performances.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

10

NEWS Abia tribunal strikes out petition •Orji: It was the toughest case against me From Ugochukwu Eke, Umuahia

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HE Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia has struck out the petition filed against Governor Theodore Orji by the governorship candidate of the Democratic Front for a Peoples Federation [DFPF], Emenike Owanta, for lack of merit.

The tribunal chairman, Justice Mobolaji Ojo, said the DFPF candidate failed to file the name of his running mate 60 days before the election, as stipulated in the Electoral Act as amended.

Ojo said the names and number of party members which must not be less than 50 in a state were insufficient, adding that the ones the party submitted were not realistic.

The tribunal ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not err in omitting his name and party since he was not qualified and therefore threw out the case.

Governor Orji said it was the toughest case against him.

He said he made futile effort to settle the case out of court.

He said: “I made many overtures to him to withdraw the case, by sending prominent men from the state and his area to appeal to him which he refused.

Enugu workers begin strike From Chris Oji, Enugu

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NUGU State workers yesterday began a three day warning strike over the non- implementation of the minimum wage.

But the government said in a statement that it would apply the no work, no pay principle if the strike persists.

While Labour insisted it was rejecting the N10, 000 and N5, 000 said to have been offered by government, the government said in a statement that it would fully comply with the implementation of the minimum wage this month.

Prayer for chairman A PRAYER session for the late Aromire Kazeem (aka Chairman) who died two years ago will hold on Sunday at his 36 Arobadade Street, Bariga, Lagos home, a statement by Wasiu Odunsi said.The time is 1pm.

•The late Kazeem

‘Fashola won’t disappoint Lagosians’

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AGOS State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Aderemi Ibirogba yesterday said Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) will not disappoint the people.

He said the state government has made it possible for the masses to access the government through telephones, internet and short messaging services (SMS).

“We are working on satisfying 18 million Lagosians and to provide them their needs.

“Lagosians have the right to walk in to our offices and request for information. We want the masses to utilise our efforts and bring to our notice any wrongdoings, so we can get it right”.

Ibirogba spoke yesterday at The Nation during a visit.

He was accompanied by Special Adviser on Information Mr. Abdulateef Raji; Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello and other officials.

“We have been challenged to do more in this

Lawmaker to sponsor bill on women TO stamp out all forms of violence against women, the Chairman, Ad hoc Committee of the House of Representatives on Media and Public Affairs, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, is set to sponsor Paycheque Fairness and Violence against women bills to palliate the sufferings of the womenfolk.

The Paycheque bills, Bamidele said would allow women entrepreneur to access capital and meet the needs of women owned businesses under a harsh and highly discriminative economy in Nigeria.

The Lawmaker, who is representing Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1, regretted that the voices of women are being subjugated in Nigeria in terms of policy making as well as facing serious economic challenges , which he said must be tackled to build a more equitable and virile Nigeria.

By Abike Hassan

present administration and we need the co-operation of The Nation. We will not rest on our oars but continue to excel. We are all professionals in our fields and Governor Fashola has put tested and trusted people to work with him”, he said.

The commissioner said Fashola will always put the people first “During his first term, Governor Fashola won with 800,000 votes but polled 1.5million votes in the last election. He does not want to let them down but develop the state and satisfy the need of the masses”, he said.

The commissioner and his team were received by the Managing Director/Editor in Chief, Mr. Victor Ifijeh; Chairman of Editorial Board, Mr. Sam Omatseye and other members of management.

Mr Ifijeh pledged that The Nation will continue to uphold the truth in defence of freedom.

•Ibirogba ... yesterday

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAM

Ojukwu is alive, says Obi

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OVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has dismissed the rumoured death of Igbo Leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

He spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mike Udah, “following innumerable calls and enquiries he received from different quarters.”

Udah said: “Governor Peter Obi has been inundated with calls from many quarters, both within and outside the country on the state of health

By Joseph Irabor

of Igbo Leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu. The intermittent heightening of tension that has attended his hospitalisation shows how dearly Nigerians and the world hold him.

“The governor observes that Dim Ojukwu has continued to attract the attention of the world because of his outstanding leadership role and assured place in national history. It

also shows that his popularity is real.

“Obi thanks all who have continued to show concern about Ojukwu’s ill-health and requests them to continue to pray for his full recovery.

He reassures all Nigerians and foreign admirers of Ojukwu that he is still very much around with us. He appeals to death-mongers to show a little discretion, especially on issues that are clearly open toconfirmation.”

•Ojukwu

PDP can’t fix Nigeria’s problems, says Igbokwe

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot fix Nigeria’s problems, “even if given 20 consecutive years in power,” Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chief Joe Igbokwe has said.

He spoke yesterday at the headquarters of The Nation during a visit.

“The PDP can’t fix anything in the next 20 years.

They lack the honour and ability to move this country forward. Look at our roads, they are all in a shambles, crippling business activities in various states of the federation,” he said.

“Our biggest problem in this country is how to drive the good for nothing party out of governance. They cannot be trusted with power.

They are confused; they dont know what to do with the funds at their disposal. We have seen how they continue to put this nation in a mess,” he added.

Igbokwe, spokesman of ACN in Lagos, boasted that PDP cannot beat his party in an election that is free and fair.

He said ACN will use the performance o f its governors to win more states in 2015.

Varsity proprietors canvass for excellence CONFERENCE of Proprietors of Private Universities in Nigeria (CPPUN) has identified government’s failure to pursue excellence in education as the cause of the country’s universities poor ranking in Africa and the world.

The conference lamented that the highest ranked Nigerian university, University of Ilorin, was in 55th position in Africa and 5,846th position among the 8,000 universities in the world ranking.

The conference spokesperson and ProChancellor, Bowen University, Iwo, Prof.

Gamaliel Onosode, spoke during the eighth regular meeting of the group at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos at the weekend.

He said: “Government was not paying attention to the development of education in this country. The delivery of qualitative education was the reason for the existence of private universities in Nigeria.

Being smaller in nature, private universities have tremendous potential to ensure the pursuance of excellence than the institutions which are part of the integral part of the society.”

Goodnews Baptist Fellowship

•Igbokwe speaking... yesterday

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

“We made a big success during the last elections. PDP cannot ignore our nationwide presence now. We have made in-roads into Nigerian politics. We will use service de-

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAM

livery and hard work to win more states,” he said.

“During the previous elections, we told people especially in the Southwest to use good governance being enjoyed by Lagosians as yard-

stick to cast their votes and they voted massively for our party. Even in the Eastern part, Akwa Ibom for example, our party would have been declared the winner if not for the rigging in favour of the PDP,” he said.

GOODNEWS Baptist Association holds its fellowship on Friday and Saturday. The theme of the fellowship which holds at Triumphant Baptist Church, Akonwojo, at 4 pm daily is: “Power for Effective Witnessing.”

The moderator, Rev. Titi Ajadi, said participants would be spiritually uplifted. The conference secretary, Lagos West Baptist Conference, Julius Adeniji and other ministers are expected at the occasion.

11

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Naira eases on strong dollar demand

N

AIRA eased against the US dollar on the interbank market yesterday after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) failed to clear all demand at its forex auction.

The local currency closed at N154.04 to the dollar on the interbank market, its lowest in two months, compared to 152.80 per dollar on Tuesday.

The CBN sold $250 million at 150.75 to the dollar at its auction, short of the $369.30 million demanded and the $450 million sold at 150.50 to the dollar on Monday.

“The naira weakened against the dollar on both segements of the forex market due to strong demand for the dollar and coupled with the fact that the central bank was unable to clear all demand at the auction,” one dealer said.

Traders said the naira will continue to depreciate unless there is a major dollar inflow from oil companies.

Fed Govt to sell N70b in bonds

From the 122 enterprises that have been privatised so far, N146 billion has been realised from the sales.

33.6 per cent of them are doing poorly while 66.3 per cent are doing well.

-Bolanle Onagoruwa, Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)

NICON acquisition fraudulent, panel told H OW was risks giant NICON acquired by businessman Jimoh Ibrahim? The public hearing investigating the privatisation and commercialisation of public firms by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) heard yesterday that Ibrahim acquired the Nigeria Insurance Corporation illegally at over N18 billion.

But Ibrahim in a statement dismissed this allegation, saying he injected N17.5 billion and met no money in NICON account when he acquired the company.

KPMG and Assurance Acquisition Limited (AAL), in a report submitted to the panel yesterday, disclosed that the Global Fleet chief used forged documents to acquire.

It claimed that Ibrahim withdrew 20 million pounds from NICON foreign account in London and stripped the company of N6.37 billion.

“The total assets taken out of the company either directly or through companies wholly owned and controlled by Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim and not properly accounted for

• It’s not true, says Jimoh Ibrahim From: Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

amounts to N6.37 billion made up as follows: Investment in NICON Investment Limited, N2.484 billion, proceeds from closure of HSBC Bank 1-Day call and Euro currency accounts, N1.739 billion, balance in the Oceanic Bank Plc domiciliary Account, N1.623 billion, investment in NICON Airways Limited, N350 million.”

“Expenses incurred on behalf of NICON Airways Limited, N192 million; erstwhile GMD’s drawings, N12.9 million; expenses incurred on behalf of NICON properties Ltd, N12.5 million; expenses incurred on behalf of NICON investment Ltd, N10.2 million and liquidation of placement with NICON Investment Ltd, N51 million,” it stated.

A representative of AAL, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Osuala, speak-

ing before the committee yesterday, maintained that Ibrahim posed as Director of Oceanic Bank to fraudulently acquire NICON Insurance from the preferred bidder, AAL. The representative of NICON Pensioners, Mr Awa Mmaju, at the public hearing, gave the same account of the alleged shady deals by Global Fleet in the acquisition of NICON Insurance.

Asked to confirm the allegations, the Director-General of BPE, Ms Bolanle Onagoruwa, claimed ignorance of the alleged shady deals, stressing that she was not aware of the illegalities levelled against the Chairman of Global Fleet.

The Managing Director of NICON, Emmanuel Jegede, in his presentation before the committee, said the involvement of NICON Insurance and

Global Fleet in Air Nigeria erased liabilities of over $250 million at the time of acquisition.

He said, apart from the purchase price of $47 million paid by the core investor of the NICON Seguros, N17. 3 billion was injected into the business in 2008 by the core investor.

He said payment of claims of N113 million was for the Sosoliso Air crash that happened during the transition period of the privatisation.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim said he acquired NICON from the Federal Government for $48 million which was bigger than what the other bidders offered.

The Global Fleet boss said he has paid N11 billion on general pension since the acquisition.

He added that it is the BPE’s responsibilities to pay staff pension.

The statement said an audit carried out by KPMD confirmed that NICON was indebted to Ibrahim to the tune of N2 billion when the Federal Government forcefully took over the company from him.

T

HE Federal Government plans to sell N70 billion ($458.3 million) in three, five and 10year sovereign bonds on August 17, its eighth debt auction of the year, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said on yesterday.

The debt office said it would sell N30 billion of the three-year, N15 billion of five-year and N25 billion of 10-year papers, due to mature in 2014, 2015 and 2018.

All the papers are reopenings of previous issues and the results of the auction will be published the following day.

Nigeria,sub-Saharan Africa’s second-biggest economy, issues sovereign bonds monthly to support the local bond market, create a benchmark for corporate issuance and fund its budget deficit.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$109.7/barrel Cocoa - $2,856/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢78.07.pound Gold -$1,161/troy ounce Rubber - ¢146.37/pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N7.3 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -10.2% Treasury Bills -2.64% Normal lending -24% Prime lending -18% Savings rate -3% 91-day NTB -6.99% Time Deposit - 6% MPR -8% Foreign Reserve -$34.7bn FOREX CFA 0.281 • 213 £ 241.00 $ 150.7 ¥ 1.5652 SDR 240.3 RIYAL 39.3

• From left: Mr Pieter Van Der Groen, General Manager Technical, Eland Oil and Gas Limited; Mr Uche Dimiri, CEO, Oando Energy Services Limited and Mr Kunle Adeyemo,Onshore Assets Manager, Chevron Nigeria Limited (West and East), at the just-concluded 35th Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE 2011) in Abuja.

NAICOM to implement compulsory insurance in Sept

By Akinola Ajibade

T

HE National Insur ance Commission (NAICOM) is to start the enforcement the five compulsory insurance under the Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI) in September.

The policies under the MDRI initiative are Group life insurance policy, Motor insurance policy, Building insurance policy and building under construction insurance policy.

The commission’s spokesman, Lucky Fiakpa, in a statement, yesterday, said a steering committee set up for the initiative recently met to discuss the issue.

Speaking on the issue, the NAICOM’s Director, Research, Statistics and Information Technology (R,S&IT), Alhaji Adamu Balanti, said the date was agreed upon to carrys out the implementation of the policy.

Also, the Consultant on the MDRI project, Chief Yemi Soladoye, said the enforcement teams would be trained before the exercise would be carried out between August and September when the enforcement is expected to commence in full swing.

Soladoye assured that the Commission would still be very much involved in the project, adding that the MDRI project is an industry affair.

In a related development, the Deputy Director, Authorisation and Policy (A&P), NAICOM, Mr Leo Akah, said the commission is doing all it could to encourage the agency system.

He said, part of that strategy, is the reduction of the registration fee for agents from N15,000 to N1,000.

He said it is expected that the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) would do the same to promote the agency business in the industry.

Fed Govt revenue hits N7.3 trillion

T

HE total revenue gen erated by the Federal Government last year increased by 50.8 per cent to N7.304 trillion, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.

In its annual report for last year, the apex bank said stated that total revenue generated in the year under review, constituted 24.8 per cent of nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It attributed the significant revenue growth to enhanced receipts from both oil and non oil revenue sources.

The report indicated that total oil revenue (gross) accounted for N5.396 trillion (18.3 per cent of GDP), indi-

By Collins Nweze

cating an increase of 69.1 per cent above the level of 2009.

A breakdown showed that revenue from crude oil and gas exports increased significantly by 88.9 per cent to N1.696 trillion. In the same vein, receipts from petroleum profit tax (PPT) and royalties increased by 54.8 per cent to N1.945 trillion, while revenue from domestic crude oil sales increased by 83.2 per cent to N1.746 trillion.

Meanwhile, the computed average Capital Adequacy Ration (CAR) of the banks indicated that 16 banks met the stipulated minimum required 10 per cent, compared

with 13 per cent at the end of December 2009. It also revealed that the asset quality of the banks, as measured by the ratio of non-performing loans to industry total, improved substantially as it declined from 32.8 per cent at end-December 2009 to 15.5 per cent at end-December 2010.

The ratio was below the industry threshold of 20 per cent maximum prescribed for systemic distress. The development was attributed to the acquisition of non-performing loans in the industry by the new Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

The average industry li-

quidity ratio stood at 47.5 per cent and was above the 25 per cent minimum requirement.

All the banks met the stipulated ratio, compared with 21 per cent in the preceding year.

The development indicated that the overall health of the industry has improved.

The Annual Report said the monetary policy measures implemented in 2010 substantially improved liquidity conditions in the banking system, thereby ameliorating, to a large extent, the challenge of credit crunch in the banking system. The sustenance of banking reforms, unrestricted assess to the discount window and the guarantee of interbank transactions in-

creased the level of confidence in the banking system.

The report also revealed that the volume and value of e-card transactions increased by 70.6 per cent and 66.3 per cent to 195,525,568 and N1.073 trillion, compared with the 114,592,669 and N645 billion attained in 2009.

Available data on various e-payment channels indicated that Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) remained the most patronised, accounting for 95.2 per cent of the total e-payment transactions in volume terms, while the Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminal was the least with 0.8 per cent.

12

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

BUSINESS NEWS Turkish firm proposes 1m jobs in Nigeria

Flight Schedule MONDAY - FRIDAY

A

LEADING Turkish Agro- Al lied company, Atespar Ag ricultural Machinery, has proposed to the Ministry of Agriculture, a multi-faceted programme that would create over one million direct and indirect employment opportunities in Nigeria.

This disclosure was contained in a statement in Abuja by the Media Consultant to Atespar, Mr Billy Adedamola.

The statement claimed that the proposal was presented to the Minister of State for Agriculture, Alhaji Bukar Tijani in Abuja by Atespar President, Kamil Buyukatesli and the Managing Director, Baybars Erkul.

Buyukatesli said if the proposed programmes which include tractorisation and processing of Agric products are implemented, Nigeria would have solved not only her unemployment problem, it would also successfully achieve food security.

Under the proposed programme christened Turkey-Nigeria Agricultural Friendship, Atespar which also produces the popular Agromaster Agric equipment, will in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture, provide access and supply of Turkish made 5,000 units of farm tractors and 5,000 units of each basic farm implements, including Disc Ridger, Disc Harrow, Disc Plough and Farm Trailers.

Provision will also be made for adequate spare parts and ancillary services.

This, the Atespar President said, would serve as an intervention to inadequate availability of farm equipment which has been militating against agricultural development and food security in Nigeria.

Minister urges Ekiti to exploit agric

M

INISTER of State for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngama, has urged the Ekiti State government to embrace farming as a veritable source of internally-revenue and to boost its economy.

He said in Abuja that agriculture had always been a source of revenue for the country before and immediately after independence but expressed regret that the country failed to add value to its agricultural produce. ``The government is coming up with a comprehensive strategy to address the problem of farmers.

We are all united in ensuring that agriculture is developed,’’ Ngama said.

He said meetings of the Federation Account Allocation Committee should be regarded as an avenue to exchange ideas and evolve strategies on how to increase internally-generated revenue.

Ngama said no economy could afford to spend all its revenue and that states should exploit their natural endowments, stressing that for Ekiti State, agriculture and ICT should be the targets.

He assured the state government of his support in facilitating increased agricultural production and congratulated the state for being the first of the 36 states of the federation to set up a Debt Management Office (DMO).

He enjoined the state to be prudent in the handling of its financial affairs.

Responding, the Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said that managing the meager resources of the state was one of the key priorities of his administration.

Fayemi said that partnering with the Federal Ministry of Finance would be of mutual benefit.

The governor said that the state was in the process of setting up its own DMO and that a Bill had been passed in the state’s House of Assembly to put effect to the plan.

• From left: DMD, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Dr. Godwin Omene; Managing Director/ Country Chair (SPDC), Mr Mutui Sunmonu; President, Governing Council, AES Excellence Club, Dr. Ausbeth N. Ajagu; Group Managing Director, Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Otti, at the monthly Business Luncheon of the club.

Banking stocks lose N329b • NSE assures investors B

ANKING stocks have been hit by a major crisis. About N329 billion has been lost in the last eight trading sessions at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Most of these institutions slumped to their lowest market value this year in the stock market in the aftermath of last week’s nationalisation of three banks Afribank Nigeria, Springbank and Bank PHB - by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The massive sell-off of banking shares and attendant steep decline in share prices increased in the last three days when the banking stocks lost N189 billion.

Half of the banking stocks slumped to their lowest share prices yesterday with other half barely above their lowest market values. Banks that are trading at their lowest share prices are: First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, United Bank for Africa, Skye Bank, Fidelity Bank, Wema Bank, Finbank, Unity Bank and Intercontinental Bank Plc. Market value of quoted banks, which opened this week at N2.128 trillion, closed yesterday at N1.939 trillion. It dropped from N2.419 trillion by the end of first half to N2.268 trillion by end of July, indicating a loss of N329 billion in the past eight trading days.

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

First Bank opened yesterday at year-to-date lowest price of N10.15, Fidelity Bank, N1.67; Finbank, 50 kobo; UBA, N4.30; Wema Bank, 70 kobo; GTB, N11.64; Intercontinental Bank, 70 kobo; Skye Bank, N5.32 and Unity Bank, which opened at a low of 59 kobo.

Other banks are also trading at about their lowest values this year.

Access Bank opened yesterday at N6 as against its lowest price of N5.96. Diamond Bank was two kobo above its low of N3.98 at N4.

Ecobank traded at N2.73 from its low of N2.67. First City Monument Bank at eight kobo above its low from N5.82 to N6. Oceanic traded at N1.15 as against a low of 96 kobo.

Union Bank opened at N1.96 as against its low of N2.09.

Zenith Bank was two kobo above its low of N12.28 at yesterday’s opening price of N12.30. Sterling Bank is a kobo above its low of N1.35 at N1.36 while Stanbic IBTC showed better resistance at N9.20 as against its low of N8.41.

Dealers, who had an emergency meeting with the management of the NSE, lamented the negative in-

fluence of the nationalisation of the banks and anxieties over the banking reforms on the capital market.

They decried the nationalisation of the three quoted banks without consideration for capital market operations and processes. The three banks were still traded on Friday prior to the announcement of their nationalisation.

The NSE yesterday appealed to investors not to be disillusioned about the situation in the market.

It said the management would not renege in its duty of protecting the interest of investors in the market.

Chief Executive Officer of the Exchange Oscar Onyema said his organisation believes that the actions taken by the CBN, NDIC and AMCON should end the crises in the banking sector and help stabilise the financial markets.

He said the management of the exchange took the proactive action of briefing the brokers’ community before the take-off of trading on Monday. This, he said, helped to stem the slide of the NSE All Share Index to 1.9 per cent despite putting the three banks on suspension, a move which eroded N30billion of market capitalisation and five on technical suspension.

Bridge Banks: Unclaimed dividends intact

U

NCLAIMED dividends of the new three bridge banks, Keystone, Enterprise and Main Street, are intact contrary to insinuations that shareholders have lost their investments in these banks.

The Managing Director of First Registrars, Bayo Olugbemi, who disclosed this to The Nation during an interview, said shareholders, who are yet to collect their divi-

By Tonia Osundolire

dends from these banks can go to their various registrars.

He explained that the registrars of the former banks are still around and have the unclaimed dividends.

His words: “It is true these banks no longer exist, but their liabilities and assets have been taken over. In so far as the registrars are still functioning, shareholders will get their

dividend. For instance, we (First Registrar) are the registrar for Bank PHB and as a shareholder, you can come to us for your dividends if they yet unclaimed. If you recall, Alpha Merchant Bank when it was liquidated, the Federal Government paid the creditors, depositors and later settled the shareholders.

But this scenario is different, but certainly their dividends are intact,” he said.

DMO floats domestic debt market

T

HE Debt Management Office (DMO) has established a domestic debt market as an alternative source of borrowing for both the government and the organised private sector.

Its Director-General, Mr Abraham Nwankwo, disclosed this in Abuja yestersday when Prof.

Chudi Uwazuruike, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ehime-Mbano Federal Constituency in Imo State, paid him a courtesy visit.

“We took a decision to focus on developing the domestic debt market for a number of reasons. First, so that the government could have an alternative source of funding if

it must borrow. Let it not be constrained to borrow from external sources only, let it have a choice. `` We thought that was important to have a long-term for government to have a choice not to rely only on external borrowing. ``The second is that we wanted also to develop the domestic market so that other stakeholders that are not government, particularly the ``corporates’’ could also borrow long-term from this market for the purpose of developing the real sector of the economy and infrastructure.’’

According to him, though Nigeria has some external debt it is managing, there will still be the need to

borrow from appropriate sources for long-term development of the country. ``So, by developing a market where government can issue bonds just like where private companies issue debentures, government will be subjected to the discipline of the market,’’ he added.

On the bond market, Nwankwo said as at 2003, there was no market for long-term funding in the country, but noted that since 2003 till date, the DMO had been able to resuscitate the bond market ``We have been able to resuscitate the market in such a way that we have established three-year, fiveyear, seven-year and 10-year bonds.”

LAGOS – ABUJA Departure Arrival 1. Aero 06.50 08.10 2. Associated 07.00 09.30 3. Air Nigeria 07.00 08.20 4. IRS 07.00 08.20 5. Dana 07.02 08.22 6. Arik 07.15 08.15 7. Chanchangi 07.15 8. Air Nigeria 08.15 09.35 9. Dana 08.10 09.20 10. Aero 08.45 10.05 11. Arik 09.15 10.15 12. Chanchangi 10.00 11.00 13. IRS 11.15 12.35 14. Dana 12.06 12.26 15. Aero 12.20 13.30 16. Air Nigeria 13.25 14.45 17. Chanchangi 13.30 14.30 18. Arik 13.45 14.45 19. IRS 14.00 15.20 20. Aero 14.10 15.30 21. Air Nigeria 14.50 16.10 22. Dana 15.30 16.50 23. Chanchangi 15.30 16.30 24. Arik 15.50 16.50 25. Aero 16.00 17.20 26. IRS 16.30 17.50 27. Arik 16.50 17.50 28. Dana 17.10 18.30 29. Chanchangi 17.30 18.30 30. Air Nigeria 17.35 18.55 31. Air Nigeria (T/TH) 18.30 19.50 32. Arik 18.45 19.45 33. Aero 19.20 20.40 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

LAGOS – BENIN Arik 07.30 Associated 08.30 Aero 10.50 Arik 11.45 Associated 13.00 Aero 14.25 Arik 15.30 Associated 16.00

1.

2.

3.

4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

1. Arik 2. Aero 1.

2.

3.

4.

LAGOS – CALABAR 07.30 11.20 12.50 16.00 LAGOS – JOS 10.55 11.15

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

08.30 09.10 11.50 12.45 13.40 15.20 16.30 16.40 08.50 12.40 14.10 17.20 12.15 12.45 09.10 11.00 11.10 16.20

LAGOS – PORT HARCOURT (CIVIL) 1. Aero 07.15 08.35 2. Arik 07.15 08.35 3. Arik 09.00 10.20 4. Dana 09.27 10.40 5. Aero 10.50 12.30 6. Arik 11.40 13.00 7. Air Nigeria 12.00 13.10 8. IRS 13.30 15.00 9. Arik 14.00 15.20 10. Dana 15.03 16.20 11. Air Nigeria 16.00 17.10 12. Arik 16.10 17.30 13. Aero 16.15 17.30 14. Arik 17.10 18.30 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

LAGOS – OWERRI Aero 07.30 07.30 Arik Air Nigeria 13.40 Arik 14.00 Arik 16.30

08.40 08.40 14.55 15.10 17.40

1.

2.

3.

4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

09.1 12.50 12.55 15.55

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

LAGOS – KANO Air Nigeria 07.10 IRS 08.00 Dana 08.10 Arik 12.20 IRS 14.00 IRS 18.15

08.50 09.45 09.40 14.00 15.45 19.55

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

LAGOS – UYO 10.35

11.35

1. Arik 2. Arik 3. Arik 1. Dana 1. IRS 2. Arik

LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 11.15 13.15 15.50 18.00

LAGOS – ILORIN 1. Overland 07.15 2. Arik (M/T/TH/F) 17.30

08.00 18.00

LAGOS – ABUJA SAT/SUN Arik 7.15; 10.20; 2.20; 5.20pm – 7.30; 9.15; 10.20; 2.20; 4.50; 6.45 Aero 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 – 07.30; 09.35; 13.10; 14.50; 20.20 Air Nigeria 08.15; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30 – 08.15; 13.30; 14.30; 17.15; 18.30

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

13

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

14

INDUSTRY

CBN: Nigeria will make N192b from N planned cash limit in 2012

IGERIA will reap N192 bil lion from the planned cash limit policy by next year, the Central Bank has said. The policy is billed to take-off with a pilot test in Lagos State by the end of this year.

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Operations, Mr Tunde Lemo at an intraractive forum organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry(LCCI), in Lagos said individuals and corporate organisations that make cash transactions above the limits will be charged a penal fee of N100,000 and N200,000 respectively.

The limit for individuals and corporate organisation, is: N150,000 and N1 million.

Lemo said operating a cashless society is a key strategy by the apex bank to fast-track growth in the financial sector.

He said the apex bank commissioned a study in conjunction with the Bankers Committee on operating a cashless society as a key strategy to fast-track growth in the financial sector.

Lemo noted that with the new policy, banks will cease cash in transit lodgement services rendered to merchant-customers from June 1, 2012 to be replaced by CBN licenced CIT providers.

According to Lemo, in the wake of the banking industry intervention, analysis indicated that the high cost structure of the banks was partially responsible for their preference for lending to the capital market and oil & gas industry which led to asset bubbles.

He said: “Our effort towards rapid financial inclusion is also being enhanced through the adoption of mobile payments and non-interest banking that would reduce industry costto-serve by 30 per cent, increase access, convenience and service levels across the industry and enable greater financial inclusion and integration of

•SMEs operators flay policy

•Deru Stories by Toba Agboola

financial services into the economy, with its attendant positive impact on economic development.”

“The policy which will begin from June 1, 2012, will ensure a daily cumulative limit of N150,000 and N1,000,000 on free cash withdrawals and lodgements by individuals and corporate customers respectively.

Furthermore, third party cheques above N150,000 shall not be eligible for encashment over the counter.

Value for such cheques shall be received through the clearing house.”

Earlier, the Deputy President of the LCCI, Mr Goodie Ibru, who represented the President of the Chamber,

•Lemo

•Ibru

Otunba Femi Deru, called on stakeholders in the finance and industry sectors to use the interactive sessions to roll out policy issues that would ensure that the new CBN’s cashless policy achieves its target.

“It is good that this policy will have a direct impact on the banking industry efficiency and cost structure, reducing the cost of cash to the financial system, as well as result in significant savings that can be passed to customers in form of reduced cost of banking services and lower lending rates to borrowers,”he said.

President, National Freight Forwarders Association of Nigeria, Mrs Grace Odunjo, argued that the CBN did not take small business players

like members of her association into consideration when introducing the cash policy. Other monetary transactions, according to her, do not suit their business because they cause delay.

“Transporters, whom you hire trucks from require you to pay between N3 million and N4 million in cash. Certified cheques take up to three days to clear. This is not good for our business,” Mrs Odunjo noted.

President, Bureau de Change Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Balogun, drew the CBN’s attention to the issue of low trust in the industry and illiteracy level of most Nigerians, which must be addressed.

The Nigeria Association of Cham-

bers, Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), at a press conference in Lagos recently, said the policy may not work in isolation but may require other macro-economic policy support including infrastructure.

Speaking on behalf of the OPS, the President, NACCIMA, Dr Ademola Ajayi said: “ For instance , the informal sector accounts for about 60 per cent of Nigeria’s economic activities and cash is heavily used in the sector.

“With our large illiterate society and poor ICT access by majority of the citizens, the CBN would need to introduce other policies to complement this one to make paper transactions cheaper and attractive with some education of the masses.”

Ademola said bank charges on non cash transaction could be reviewed downwards for customers, as incentive.

He said although the policy will reduce cash handling cost and robbery attack, the time is not yet ripe for Nigeria to have such limits because of the technology that is involved.

He said the new rule would lead to apathy on the part of many Nigerians to transact business with financial institutions because the N150,000 limit is too small.

“What I can see happening now is that many bank customers will prefer holding their cash back at home because the N150,000 limit is too small. Besides, the technology involved will be too cumbersome for low level businessmen who do not have knowledge of such before.

“I think it is borne out of the desire to move Nigeria to the next level of a cashless economy. It is also meant to assist in tracing transactions and spending. More so, it is to assist in ensuring that the substantial portion of money in circulation is within the banking system unlike now when about 80 per cent of the money in circulation is outside the banking system.”

Performance measurement scheme coming, says Aganga •Minister not satisfied with workers’ performance

T

HE Ministry of Trade and Investment is set to introduce Performance Measurement Scheme (PMS) to determine the productivity of its workers.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga made this known while declaring open a retreat for Directors and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of parastatals/agencies under the supervision of the Ministry . It was held at Transcorp Hotels, Abuja.

Aganga said the ministry had not played its major role in the past and stressed the need to revitalise it to ensure that the management understands its role and its contributions towards the growth of the economy.

His words: “This Ministry has to play its major role. If this Ministry fails, it will not work. The way you look at yourself and your contributions have to change from now. By the time we finish this retreat we will understand our role in the transformation agenda of this administration.

“It cannot be business as usual. It has to be work. It has to be productivity. You will be measured in terms of your productivity with our performance measurement scheme, once we agree on want we need to do.”

The Minister pointed out that the mandate of the Ministry was promotion of Private Sector Investment to allow substantial improvement in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), productivity and commercial ability as well as attract investment.

He said it was not just foreign investment from investors but also to unlock capital within Nigeria in or-

der to work towards the transformation agenda.

Minister of State, Dr Samuel Ortom said the retreat will afford the management the opportunity to have a roadmap that will drive the Ministry for the next four years and urged them to cooperate for effective discharge of the ministry’s mandate.

He said the Ministry has to add direct benefit to the masses based on the fact that Nigerians are looking unto President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda as the last hope to make things happen.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Abubakar Muhammad pleaded with the management staff to cooperate to give the retreat a resounding success and reminded them that participants were expected to come up with a strategic plan to move the ministry forward.

•Dr Aganga flanked by Muhammad; and MD Stanbic IBTC, Mrs Sola David-Borha, during the bank management’s visit to the ministry in Abuja.

Fish trawlers seek govt’s intervention over pirate attacks

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ISHING trawler owners have raised the alarm over recur ring pirate attacks on fishing vessels.

President of Trawler Owners Association of Nigeria (NTOA), Mr John Overo, told journalists in Lagos that the development was capable of generating diplomatic rows between Nigeria and her West-coast neighbours.

Overo called on the Federal Government to rise up to the challenge and stem the tide.

He cited two cases when sea pirates struck off the Bonny Oil Terminal, assaulting seven vessels and

•N53 million products and equipment lost to the vandals subsequently taking them to unknown destinations and vandalized the vessels.

“The pirates removed the electronic gadgets on board, including the SSB Radio, VHF Radio, Radar and Echo Sounder.

“The report revealed by the captain was that the pirates commanded them to steer the ship to waters off Benin Republic where attempts were made to attack oil tankers and other vessels using these vessels as platforms,” he said

He noted that the situation could result to diplomatic row between Nigerian and the Republic of Benin if it continued.

Overo discribed the situation as worrisome. He urged the Federal Government to put in place measures, aimed at checkmating the sea pirates before it escalates.

He said: “This further underscores the call by NTOA call for the provision of adequate security in Nigeria ’s territorial waters to ensure safe operations for fishing vessels and

other law abiding maritime users.”

According to the NTOA president, government should provide effective security in Nigeria ’s maritime environment in the overall interest of the nation.

He noted that the association has written a letter to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nigeria Navy, on the incessant attacks.

Overo said the association members lost about N53 million products and equipment to vandals.

The NTOA president also appealed

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

15

INDUSTRY

Vitafoam pledges sustainable growth

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•From left: Finance Director, Vitafoam Nig Plc, Mr Bras Ogun; Folikwe and Technical Director, Mr Joel Ajiga at the briefing.

Way out of energy crisis, by BoI chief M ANAGING Director of Bank of Industry (BoI) Ms Evelyn Oputu has called on entrepreneurs to rescue the ailing power sector via the use of alternative energy projects.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Ms Oputu urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the bank’s initiative to solve the power problem.

She said the bank had continued to expand its operations without compromising the quality of its investments, and post impressive financial results.

According to her, the cumulative number of approved loans and investment grew by 1125 per cent from 88 as at December 2005 to 1078

Stories by Toba Agboola

by December 2010, the value of fresh loans and investments rose by 1066.3 per cent from N9.8 billion to N114.3 billion within the same period Ms Oputu said the percentage of the bank’s yearly lending to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises increased to 96 per cent by December 2010 from 35 per cent in 2005 adding that more than N2.37 billion was approved for various cooperative groups (comprising mainly women and youths) since 2008 under a collective guarantee arrangement.

The bank announced the approval of N48.4 billion industrial projects, last year, which it said, raised job opportunities in the manufacturing sector by N1 million.

The jobs were created through the enterprises and cooperatives it had assisted in 2010, up from 150, 000 recorded in 2005.

It also announced a profit before tax of N2.578 billion during the period under review.

At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja, the bank announced that the volume of investments approved by the bank in the year, which reached N48.4 billion, was a 262 per cent increase over the N18.5 billion that was recorded in 2009.

NASME, CIPE upgrade capacity of entrepreneurs

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HE Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), in collaboration with Centre for International Private Enterprises, CIPE, Washington DC, US organised a capacity building programme for its members in South west states at Osogbo, Osun State.

The move was borne out of the realisation of the importance of the SME sector in national development.

The Federal Government has lately revved up its plan to upgrade entrepreneurs’ capacity.

The influence of Business Membership Organisation (BMO), in fostering and promoting the growth of the sector is increasingly becoming important as they constitute the major body that shapes the growth of the sector in most advanced and de-

veloping nations through advocacy and constant engagement of policy makers.

Commenting on the benefits derivable during the event, the Chairman of Osun State Chapter, NASME, Alhaji Badmus Azeez commended the organisers and pledged to effectively use the programme to re-mobilise members and rededicate their energy for greater performance.

He praised the leadership of the association for the wonderful opportunities and promised to pass the message of thetraining to all the members not present at the event.

“In Nigeria, the major BMOs like NASME, MAN, NACCIMA, LCCI, NASSI have constituted themselves into an Organised Private Sector (OPS), with strong advocacy voice against policies that are inimical to

the growth of the Sector.

“To sustain this effort at state levels with capacity gaps and numerous organisational challenges the event was then packaged by national body of the association to strengthen the capacity of the leadership of state chapters to deliver valued services to its members,” he said.

The programme is an outcome of a strategic diagnosis carried out by a team of international consultants which conducted an on the spot assessment on the challenges facing members of the association,” he said.

Past President of NASME and Chairman Board of Trustees, Chief Moses Makinde, promised to donate 100 hectres of land to NASME Oyo State Chapter to assist them have access to land, which is critical for production and agriculture.

Fed Govt to restructure mining sector

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HE Federal Government has re stated its desire to transform the nation from a mono-product economy through the restructuring of the minerals and metal sector to make it the bedrock of the nation’s economy in the next few years.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada, who dropped the hint during his meeting with the delegation of officials of African Iron and Steel Association in his office, in Abuja, stated that the solid minerals sector will play a major role in government’s Transformation Agenda for the revival of the national economy.

The Minister disclosed that he had directed the Mining Cadastre Office not to renew the 19 mining titles issued to the Delta Steel Company(DSC), adding that he had ordered that those mining titles should be converted to the National Iron Ore Mining Company

(NIOMCO) as its captive mines.

He said: “For sustainability, I want to assure you that we have not lost sight of the 19 mining titles to DSC, they came back to renew it but I stopped them. I ordered Mining Cadastre Office to convert those titles to NIOMCO as a company.”

Sada pointed out that legal problem is the major factor facing the steel industry; expressing hope that the legal tussle would be solved.

He explained that the minerals and metal sector cannot be funded adequately with budgetary provisions, adding that with the collaboration of the Ministry of Finance, other areas of statutory funding will be explored for the sector.

He said: “It is worth restating the determination of the Federal government to take advantage of the nation’s abundant mineral and metal resources for the growth and development of the economy. All hands are on deck to ensure an efficient trans-

formation of the sector to effectively contribute to the economic growth of the country.”

Sada expressed the ministry’s readiness to work with other relevant bodies to develop well articulated plans to move the sector forward, stressing that the minerals and steel sector is a major and critical resource for the industrialisation of the country.

The Minister, who decried various challenges such as infrastructure, raw materials, legal problem among others militating against the survival of the nation’s steel industry, expressed the government’s preparedness to tackle such problems so as to move the sector forward.

Sada disclosed that for the National Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe to be functional, the Federal Government has directed the resuscitation of one line of the company to produce Iron Ore, the basic raw material for the production of steel.

ITAFOAM Nigeria Plc has reaffirmed its resolve to the improve the quality of its products and maintain its drive to sustain the marketability base through practices that conform to international standard.

The company, which also recorded an improved performance in its last financial year, said it was appreciative of customers’ contributions to the success recorded by the company within the period under review.

Sales and Marketing Manager, Peter Folikwe said the company would continue to put strategies in place to increase its share price in the stock market and maintain its leadership position in the foam and allied product in the industry.

Folikwe said the promo was designed to reward its customers for their outstanding performance in 2010 financial year operations.

He said the promo, which com-

menced last month, would end at the end of this month, adding that “once you buy a Vitafoam product worth N20,000, you get a jumbo pillow and qualify for the grand draw.

“Whatever level you are, Vitafoam has a product for you. It is a Pan-Nigeria promo, cutting across the country. We are to divide the regions into North, South and West.’’

He said the star prize is a visit to Turkey or any other country, adding that this would be drawn at the grand finale of the promo.

Other prizes, according to him, are Blackberry phones, home theatre, generators, DVD players, IPADs and mini computers.

He urged customers who are yet to partake in the promo to ensure they participate to enable them reap the reward for their patronage over the years.

Govt to establish cocoa corporation

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HE Federal Government plans to establish a cocoa marketing and trade development corporation, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akin Adesina has said.

The Minister dropped the hint in Abuja at the roundtable conference on the development of the cocoa sector.

Adesina said the establishment of the corporation would help to curtail the dwindling fortunes of the cocoa industry in Nigeria.

He said efforts were ongoing to increase cocoa production in Nigeria from the 600,000 tonnes per annum, adding that the increase could not be achieved without putting in place a standard structure.

The minister noted that the establishment of Ghana Cocoa Board enabled the country to

achieve remarkable progress in the cocoa sector as the affairs of the industry are coordinated by the board.

He also said the establishment of Ghana Cocoa board gave the country international recognition as a big player in the world’s cocoa industry.

When established, the proposed cocoa marketing and development corporation, would make cocoa production in Nigeria to be efficient and competitive in the global cocoa market,’’ Adesina said.

According to him, the establishment of the corporation will require the injection of huge funds.

He commended the CBN for supporting the initiative by including cocoa production in the $450 billion Nigeria Incentive Base RiskSharing for agricultural lending.

Indomie, SIFE strengthen partnership

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UFIL Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie Instant noodles in support of SIFE Nigeria, a global network for the empowerment and improvement in the quality of life and standard of living of people in communities across the world.

Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) is a global network that is improving the quality of life of people around the world by teaching them the principles and values of free market economics and entrepreneurship.

The project tagged “Indomie Buka” which is worth about N11,000,000 designed by Indomie in partnership with SIFE Nigeria and about 150 Indomie branded mobile carts are distributed to economically disadvantaged persons in 30 locations in Nigeria. People

who have no identifiable means of livelihood get mini mobile carts, cooking utensils, startup capital and adequate training on how to run and manage the business effectively.

Speaking at the flag off held recently at EKO Le Meridian, the Public Relations Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr Temitope Ashiwaju, said Indomie’s partnership with SIFE on this project is in line with its social responsibility to touch lives of its consumers, empower, motivate them and alleviate poverty among Nigerians.

Ashiwaju said they carried out an assessment to determine the group of disadvantaged person’s best position to benefit from this initiative and identified a pool of 900 economically disadvantaged person across board.

Entrepreneurs urged to maintain low debt profile

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ENERAL overseer, Christian Pentecostal Mission CPM Rev Obiora Ezekiel has called on entrepreneurs to maintain low debt profile if they are going to survive the challenges of the future.

Ezekiel made this known during the opening of Rephidim MicroFinance Bank owned by the church in Lagos.

He said a lot of businesses are in terrible shape because of excessive

borrowing and inability to pay back their debts.

The cleric condemned the act of borrowing money from banks without repaying adding that this has led to the collapse of many generational banks.

Ezekiel warned Nigerians to discontinue the habit of collecting money without interest because banking business is profit making and not charity.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

16

INDUSTRY

Govt imports $628b food, says Minister

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IGERIA imported $628 billion (N98 trillion) worth of food between 2007 and 2010.

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who made this known in Abuja said last year alone, Nigeria spent N635 billion to import wheat, N356 billion on importation of rice, N217 billion on sugar and N97 billion on fish.

The minister lamented that dependence on food importation undermines domestic production and create fiscal challenges.

“There is a problem: Fiscally, this is not sustainable. Nigeria is eating beyond its means. While we smile as we eat rice every day, Nigerian rice farmers cry as the imports undermine domestic production.

“This must stop. We must accelerate domestic rice production and improve on processing to meet quality standards.

We must tap into all the resources of our farmers across our nation and deliver a green revolution for rice that will make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production”, the minister said.

However, succour may soon come the way of Nigerian farmers as the minister declared that his ministry would implement the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan to turn around the agricultural sector.

“I will never let Nigeria down.

As Minister of Agriculture, I will work closely with the Minister of State; we will never let the farmers of Nigeria down.

“We will revamp the agricultural sector, we will accelerate food production in clear and vis-

Stories by Toba Agboola

ible ways that will impact the lives of our people, and we will begin the hard work of restoring the lost glory of agriculture in Nigeria”, he said.

According to Adesina, the status quo in agriculture in Nigeria is not acceptable, stressing that Nigeria, which used to be a major player in agriculture in the world has lost its place in the global community.

“In the 1960s, we had glory. That glory was visible for all to see, Nigeria accounted for 60 per cent of the global supply of palm oil, 30 per cent of groundnut, 20 to 30 per cent of groundnut oil and 15 per cent supply of cocoa, farmers from the North to South generated wealth,” he said.

Adesina declared that the days of referring to agriculture as a development programme or social sector were over, noting that agriculture is a business and must be structured, developed, resourced and financed as such.

His words: “The days of treating agriculture as a development in Nigeria are now over.

We will develop and transform the sector as a business that works for small farmers, medium and large scale farmers that will unlock wealth and allow Nigeria to meet its food needs, while becoming a major player in global food markets, to help diversify income for the nations.”

Despite the challenges, the minister promised that he will, together with the minister of state, who is a seasoned agriculturist, work to restore the lost glory of the sector.

Nigeria woos diplomatic community on investment

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HE Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) has held a meeting with the diplomatic community in Asia with a view to attracting investment opportunities into Nigeria.

The Asian ambassadors in attendance at the two hour meeting were those of India, Pakistan, Philippine and Korea.

The Executive Secretary, NIPC, Mr Mustafa Bello, said part of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan was to make the country an investment destination.

To achieve this agenda, Bello said he invited them to see how Nigeria and the Asian countries could co-operate on investment, trade exhibitions, seminars and other economic cooperation.

In doing this, he said it was the intention of the NIPC to bring the private sector together with their counterparts in the Asian countries.

Bello said the country would go the extra mile to convince investors to come and invest in Nigeria and to intimate them of the improvement made so far in Nigeria against the background of the nasty experience of some foreign businessmen in the hands of dubious Nigeria.

The Indian Counsellor, Mr Suresh K. Makhijani, urged the Nigerian government to put in place a level play ground for all foreign investors, stressing that instead of the prevailing single entry visa now being given foreign investors, the government should make it multiple visa.

•President of Trinity Foundation Pastor Ituah Ighodalo (left); winner of the star prize , Mrs. Tosin Adekoya and Chief Risk Officer of FirstBank, Mrs. Remi Odunlami , during the presentation of N5 million won at the FirstBank’s 2011 Chief Executive Annual Merit Awards (CAMA 2011) held in Lagos.

•Service Point Manager, DHL Charles Eke (right); winner of the DHL Family Promo, Prof Emmanuel Esiomokhai; Service Point Advisor, DHL Mrs Idayatu Gbadamosi; Station Manager Victor Emele and Customer Service Supervisor, Mrs Henrietta Edeoga, at the presentation of prize to the winner of DHL promo.

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HE Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture has organised a 10-day trade fair to reduce prices of food stuffs for the Ramadan fasting season.

Acting Director General of the Chamber, Hajiya Fatima Muhammad Umar, said the fair was a collaborative effort between the traders and the chamber where the traders were offered free stand on the condition that they reduce prices of commodities.

She said: “The hiking of the price of foodstuff during the Ramadan period has been a problem not only for the poor but for the rich also. When we realised it was difficult to force the traders to reduce the price of their commodities, we decided to enter into this cooperation.

“We invited them to come and display their commodities at the trade fair ground free of charge with the agreement of reducing the prices. Big companies like Dangote

Kano chamber of commerce organises Ramadan trade fair promised to bring their commodities which would be sold at the company price.”

She further said the chamber has taken measures to ensure that the traders abide by the agreement made to reduce the prices, saying they had set up a monitoring committee to that effect.

Many customers expressed gratitude to the state government for organising the trade fair and urged the government to continue organissing it every year to help the low income earners.

One of the customers, Malama Hannatu Ibrahim thanked the organisers of the trade fair as she realised that prices of foodstuff at the trade fair is cheaper compared to the market.

“I got a five per cent discount on

a 20 litre gallon of palm oil compared to the price I used to buy before,” she said.

Another customer, Malam Isa Ibrahim urged the government to try and organise the trade fair every year and also urged government to provide the commodities next time, saying the reduction of the prices would be lower than that of traders.

Malam Bala Danrumisa, an Irish potatoes trader said even though the profit he gains at the trade fair is lower than usual , he is satisfied with it as customers are trooping to patronise them.

“I am satisfied with the trade fair even though the profit is lower than usual, as people are trooping to patronise us. So far, I have sold more than 20 bags of Irish potatoes,” he said.

Banks urged to facilitate Foreign Direct Investment

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INISTER of Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga has called on banks to facilitate Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country.

The Minister made the call when he received the Management of Stanbic IBTC Bank led by its Managing Director Mrs Sola DavidBorha.

Aganga said banks in the should use their relationship with local and foreign investors to bring investment into the country. He urged them to be proactive about engaging foreign investors to the benefit of the nation.

He said the ministry will start capturing data of people investing in Nigeria and that through the creation of the department of in-

vestment, the Ministry will be tracking records of potential investors and will be looking at emerging markets in the various sectors of the economy .

“Our jobs cuts across all the MDA’s and we are looking for investors in areas of agricultural, infrastructures, manufacturing of oil and gas and mining,” he said.

“Our plan is to meet with the right people that will open up op-

portunities that will crystallise into investment.

“Investors that can generate employment for 5,000 people are very important to us, it is not about money, it is about people, it is about job creation, government alone cannot create that kind of jobs that is why those investors are so important to us because they are creating jobs, increasing earning of ordinary Nigerian and creating

‘Our jobs cuts across all the MDA’s and we are looking for investors in areas of agricultural, infrastructures, manufacturing of oil and gas and mining’

opportunities to others”.

Managing Director of Stanbic IBTC, Mrs. Sola David-Borha had pointed out that the bank intends to partner with the ministry in attracting investment adding that various investment groups have come to explore and see the opportunities that are available in certain sectors.

She said the bank was involved in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) , import and export handling and investment flows from emerging market.

Aganga said the government is partnering with stakeholders in the economy on ways to move the private sector forward.

He said: “This interactive session today is convened primarily to ex-

patiate on mapped out strategies for strengthening international business ties and attracting the much needed foreign direct investment for key growth projects”.

In respect to this, Aganga noted that such strategies for strengthening international business ties include the involvement of the active business community in some official trips and other initiatives aimed at attracting investment into the country.

“The impact of the trips will be assessed based on the flow of investments initiated and executed on the heels of discussions between Nigerian businessmen and potential international investors in the various sectors represented on the trips.”

17

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

As the race for the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP gathers momentum, SANNI ONOGU x-rays the candidates jostling for the position.

PDP chair: Who does the cap fit?

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S the race for who clinches the national chairmanship seat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP gathers momentum, Sanni Onogu x-rays the candidates jostling for the position strengths and weaknesses.

On February 25, 2012, candidates now angling for the various positions the Peoples Democratic Party will choose a new chairman. At least 10 candidates have already showed their intention to vie for the post.

The strong contenders among the aspirants are Ambassador Hassan Adamu, Chairman of African Business Roundtable, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, ex-Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly, Ahmed Ali Gulak, Acting National Secretary of the PDP, Dr Musa Babayo, former FCT Minister, Ibrahim Bunu, former Governor of Bauchi State, Adamu Muazu, former GDM boss, Gambo Lawan, former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri, and former Minister of Petroleum Resource, Prof Jibril Aminu.

The aspirants are busy consulting the party top echelon and building consensus for their candidature ahead of the PDP’s convention next February.

What really are the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates?

may benefit his current ambition.” He is said to possess “heavy financial war chest” that may prove beneficial when he undertakes a nationwide campaign.

His major Achilles heel, according to our source, is that he has been “embroiled in the factional crisis that has bedevilled the Bornu State Chapter of the PDP, which most critics believe is the reason for PDP’s loss of the state to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).”

Adamu Muazu

•Mustapha

•Aminu

Alhaji Gambo Lawan

Dr Shettima Mustapha His bid got a boost when leaders of the PDP in Borno State threw their weight behind him. After a brainstorming session, the leaders argued that the post should be conceded to Borno.

Shettima who holds a doctorate degree in Agronomy had served as Defence Minister under the Yar’Adua administration and is regarded as cool headed and a bridgebuilder.

Ambassador Hassan Adamu He is a “moderating voice” in the politics of the North and a “good systems man”. He is highly experienced with a wide network in the private sector. He is a versatile team player. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the PDP. He was said to have stood up for Jonathan in the North when it mattered most and helped him stabilise during his first short tenure-even though he was branded as a “traitor” by the northern political elite at the time.

However what may count against him is that his network within the party’s ruling elite is limited. His relationship with the power block like the Presidency and the Governor’s Forum is not very encouraging according to a source. He is said not to have a “demonstrable ability as a political fighter to surmount the odds against him.”

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur Is an experienced politician, a former governor of old Gongola State and a very wealthy businessman. At age 76, it is believed that he would be able to command respect and serve as a rallying point for divergent opinions in the party and also enforce discipline.

However, he is regarded as an outsider in the power equation as he is not a member of the various power blocs within the party.

According to a source, the power blocs “feel he cannot be trusted.” His long absence from the political field to oversee the African Business Roundtable may also count against him.

Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali Is one of the new breed and highly intellectual political player who is up to date with modern trends. He is a member of the Nigerian, American and British Political Science Associations. His mastery of political skills,

He is a two term governor of Bauchi State and the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). According to our source, “he is still referred to as the best Governor of Bauchi State till date. The state enjoyed a huge facelift during his eight year in office as governor in terms of infrastructural development.” He is known to be totally detribalised Nigerian.

But he is said to be arrogant and high handed.” The failure to deliver the state to the PDP’s governorship candidate in 2007 still counts against him.

•Tukur

especially his ability to network is an added advantage. It is also believed that he is a man with a “disposition never to rock the boat.”

But, is believed to be inaccessible. In his current job as National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, critics say he keeps mum too much at critical moments.

Ahmed Ali Gulak A former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly was brought to limelight as the leader of the foremost group campaigning for President Goodluck Jonathan - the Goodluck Support Group (GSG). His performance as the National Coordinator of the GSG may win him support from the presidency, according to a source.

He once contested the post of House of Representatives in the FCT under the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP).

“He came into prominence as a result of leading the first group which canvassed for the election of President Goodluck Jonathan from where he was made a member of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign organisation and later a member of the Presidential Campaign Council. His role during the campaigns and subsequent election of Jonathan as President may win him sympathy in government circles,” the source said.

However, he is said to be relatively inexperienced in the political game at the national level. “His newcomer status in the PDP power equation may work against him,” the source added.

•Alkali

Was the former National Chairman of the defunct Grassroot Democratic Movement (GDM) and an ex-local government chairman of the Maiduguri Municipal Council.

His traducers say he has not been very visible in the political circles after his stint as the GDM boss under the General Sani Abacha regime.

Adamu Maina Waziri: The former Minister of Police Affairs from Yobe State is “fairly influential in national politics.” He has attempted to be governor of his home state twice without success. Notwithstanding, according to our source, “he has remained an active leader and financier of the PDP in the Northeast zone.”

The source added that he is not a “consensus builder” and has been a “controversial figure in Yobe politics.” “He is part of the acrimonious upheavals in Yobe PDP,” the source stated.

Prof Jibril Aminu Dr Musa Babayo Is the current Acting National Secretary of the PDP until two weeks ago, he was Deputy National Secretary. He is described as a very sound corporate player and consummate intellectual. He had worked as the Managing Director of the defunct Inland Bank which later fused with other banks to form the Finbank. According to a source, Babayo represents “emerging breeds of young intellectuals that have shown interest in the political firmament of Nigeria.” He is said to be a “skilful administrator at home with every section of the country having served all over the country during his distinguished banking career.” The source added that as the Deputy National Secretary, Babayo played a prominent role in the building of the new national secretariat of the party, which is still under construction.

His draw back, according to our source, is that he is relatively unknown within the political circles. But his admirers say he possesses the strength of character and steely disposition to handle the enormous responsibilities of the office of the National Chairman of the party.

Ibrahim Bunu The former Minister of the FCT, who hails from Maiduguri, the Bornu State capital, is said to be “an experienced politician.” He has been a prominent member of the political elite for a while, a “development that

The former Minister and two-term Senator “has the most impressive Curriculum Vitae (CV) of any kind in Nigeria,” according to our source. At various times, Aminu has been the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri; pioneer Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Minister of Petroleum and Education, former Ambassador to the US and one-time Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. He is also one of Africa’s foremost cardiologists and scholars in medicine.

According to our source, “he has been an ever present member of the power elite for the past three decades.” He is said to have made friends across the length and breadth of the nation, a quality that may count in his favour. He is a well-respected elder from Adamawa State.

But, according to his critics, “he has a knack for generating controversies and keeping acrimonious relationships with party chieftains in his home state.” His fight with former Vice-President Atiku Abubukar and his disagreement with the Governor Murtala Nyako is said to be a proof of his non-tolerant posture which may prove his undoing in the current race for the PDP’s plum job.

The convention is still more than six months away. The jostling continues. President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to play a major role, while the Northern Political Leaders Forum is determined to stop him.

Meanwhile, the scene is agog.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

18

POLITICS ‘Fayemi’s eight-point agenda will usher progress in Ekiti’

Hope Uzodinma is a first-term senator. He has vowed to devote attention to issues germane to development of the Orlu senatorial zone, reports EMMA MGBEAHURIKE.

Segun Erinle, lawyer and member of Ekiti State House of Assembly spoke with Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on Fayemi Administration, tenure of local government chairmen and preparation for council poll in the state.

Senator’s agenda excites constituents

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HAT is the assurance that the Ekiti state House of Assembly will live up to expectation?

We have done our best in the House of Assembly. We have passed bills that would facilitate a new transition in Ekiti State. All the bills passed are meant for the development and enrichment of Ekiti people. So, we have done what has made the House of Assembly to stand out in the country.

Specifically, what are the motions and bills, which you said, have made Ekiti Assembly to stand out?

We have been able to pass the Freedom of Information Bill, the bill establishing the road traffic management like that of Lagos, the Urban Development Bill 2011, Local Government Amendment Bill 2011, the bill establishing the Ekiti State University, which merged the three universities in Ekiti State into one. All these bills would augur well for the entire people of Ekiti State. Most of the bills are geared towards the actualisation of the eight-point agenda of Fayemi Administration. The bills would help the governor to transform Ekiti and assist him to achieve his agenda.

Could you shed light on the reduction of the tenure of council chairmen to two years by the House of Assembly?

It was an Executive Bill seeking to reduce the term of office of council chairmen to two years. I personally, was against certain parts of the bill.

But the government, in its wisdom, felt that a lot of excesses were associated with the council administration and one of the ways to reduce the excesses is to reduce their tenure from three years to two years. Any chairman that does well can ask for a second term. If you don’t do well, people would reject you. That is why government reduced their tenure.

The chairman has no choice than to perform. Within six months, I was able to fulfill my campaign promises.

Is it not too early to take stock? What have you done which makes you think that you have fulfilled your electoral mandate?

I promised certain things; a campaign office for collation of views and grievances, payment of monthly salary to women leaders, assistance to artisans and petty traders. I have done these.

But these are not core legislative achievements. What are the things you have done in the house as a legislator?

All the bills so far passed were executive bills. I was part of the process for passing these bills of progress.

Could you shed light on the bill that empowered the governor to appoint some local government functionaries?

I was against some aspects of the local government amendment bill 2011. I voted against it. I stood against it. I said it was wrong and I still maintain that it is wrong for the executive governor to choose PA to the local government chairman. I said that it is not done in the civilised world. I will not expect the governor to choose my own PA. The issue of supervisory councillors, though it is left for the party leaders to decide, I said certain things were wrong. But the truth of the matter is that my colleagues don’t see it the way I saw it. Probably, it is because I have spent greater percentage of my life in the United State and they are here and they know the system more than I do. What they said, which I agree with later on, was that, if you give the chairmen the power to appoint the advisers and supervisory councillors, they would abuse it. There is need to liaise with the party. But I must warn. Any law we pass now will have effect in the future. If someone who is not a democrat comes to power, would he not use it against our people, assuming that any of the council is lost to the opposition.

Are you saying that the new law is in conflict with the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees a democratically elected local government?

Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution is silent on some issues. I have gone through that law, it has a lacuna. Section 7 guarantees democratically elected local government, but it goes further to give the powers to the executive governor. On the governorship, the constitution is specific. On local government, it is silent. Except in Section 7, there is no other place where the local government is mentioned. As it is now, there is no third tier of government in Nigeria.

What are the issues that would shape the forthcoming council polls in Ekiti?

We have sworn in members of the state electoral commission. The law

creating caretaker administration in the councils gives them three month tenure. The first three month is renewable once. Let us assume that their tenure is renewable by September, the last day for the current caretaker is December 6. I believe that we shall usher in new elected councillors and chairmen later in the year. Under the able leadership of Dr Kayode Fayemi, the state is on course. The eight-point agenda of the administration is assisting a lot. We shall win in the 16 local governments and 177 wards. PDP and Labour Party are not on ground. The main problem we have lack of funds in Ekiti State to implement the laudable programmmes. That is why we are wooing foreign investors to invest in Ekiti.

•Erinle

•Uzodinma

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ITHIN two months, Chief Hope Uzodinma, who represents Imo West Senatorial District, Orlu Zone at the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly has realised that he is not there for a tea party. The philanthropist and member, Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says he is set to show that a legislator is a servant of the people.

Realising that erosion is one of the major problems confronting the people of the Southeast, he pricked the conscience of the nation when he raised the alarm that erosion was fast eating up the zone, leading to loss of lives and homelands. He told the federal government that unless it declared Igboland a disaster zone and tackled the erosion ravaging the area, that part of the country would be extinct in the next 10 years. While Uzodinma genuinely identified with the plight of Lagosians who suffered the anger of rain recently, he cried out that a similar catastrophe had hit the South East in the mould of erosion. He therefore seconded a motion moved by Senator Ganiyu Solomon that the victims be visited by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Uzodinma’s moving speech forced the Senate to include the people of the South East among those to be visited.

Then, before the Senate went on a recess, Uzodinma averred that unemployment among the youths was a grave threat to the peace and security of the nation, asking the Federal Executive Council to find out the number of unemployed persons in the country. He said government could do that by reactivating job centres in Abuja, the

36 state capitals and the 774 local government areas of the country.

Then it turned a major issue in the Senate.

Fortunately, almost all the senators acknowledged that Uzodinma’s alarm was justified to jerk the government into action.

Senate President, David Mark saved the motion and it sent a signal to the federal government to urgently address the unemployment scourge in Nigeria.

While the nation was still debating Uzodinma’s wake-up call, the Senator was in London where he unveiled to his constituents in the country, his resolve to set up Skills Acquisition and Computer Literacy Centres in each of the 12 local government areas in his senatorial District “to re-awaken the spirit of enterprise and technical wizardry which Orlu people of old were famed for”.

According to him, “the skill acquisition centres are programmed to avail our youths with requisite elementary technical skills that can serve as catalyst for our muchneeded medium scale technological revolution”.

He said his vision was to use the centres as technological revolution that would turn Orlu zone into the little Asian-Tiger of Nigeria with

‘Realising that erosion is one of the major problems confronting the people of the Southeast, he pricked the conscience of the nation when he raised the alarm that erosion was fast eating up the zone, leading to loss of lives and homelands. He told the federal government that unless it declared Igboland a disaster zone’

the graduates serving as ready energizers to the technical dexterity of the people, adding that no fewer than 120 youths would be taken off the labour market in the first 12 months of operation of the centres.

The Senator is also offering hope to his constituents as a demonstration of his faith in government about addressing the unemployment problem in Nigeria. Before he was sworn in as a senator, he had canvassed an Orlu Economic Development Summit as a means of addressing the economic and social challenges facing Orlu Zone, and the creation of an Orlu State not just to balance the marginalisation of South East in the number of states, but to harness the potentials of his people to accelerate their economic and social development.

Immediate past Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Nze Elvis Agukwe spoke about Uzodinma: “We voted him because he needed a government platform to take his advocacy to the next level. He had always been a man of the people, a philanthropist par excellence. We are happy.”

He regretted that past representatives of the zone had failed to draw attention to ravaging erosion threatening to sack Orlu people from their ancestral homes. He expressed that with Uzodinma’s moves on the ugly development, a positive action was being expected.

Chief Emeka Onwumere, chairman of Nigeria Pensioners Association, Imo State Chapter, who is also a constituent, said: “It pains us that after training our children in universities, they can’t find jobs.

They now depend on our meagre pensions for their feeding. It kills the spirit. It kills initiative. So, if the government can find jobs for our youths through Senator Hope Uzodinma, we shall definitely appreciate it.”

Also, to the National President of Orlu Political Consultative Assembly (OPOCA), Dr Samfo Nwankwo, Senator Uzodinma has the full support and encouragement of all Orlu people in his quest to address the challenges facing the district.

• New Permanent Secretaries in Nasarawa State taking oath of office in Lafia.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION Comments

EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

Vacuum in Delhi

A cruel way to die •It is the height of bestiality for robbery victims to be crushed to death on the highway

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RAVELLERS on Nigerian roads now have an additional headache to worry about: and that is the fear of armed robbers who not only rob but ask them to lie face down in the middle of the road, not minding what happens to the travellers in the process. On August 2, at least 14 such travellers were killed in Kogi State on the busy Abuja-Lokoja Road, which connects the commercial hub of Lagos to the Federal Capital Territory.

The 14 persons were among about 50 passengers who boarded a luxury bus in Lagos on the evening of August 1, en route to Abuja. They were ordered to lie face down on the road by armed robbers who assailed them. In the process, they were coerced to lie face and an incoming bus overran them.

This is the second such incident to be reported in two years. On July 31, 2009, a similar incident happened on

‘We haveto take security matters more seriously; that means we have to address the inadequacies of the police to improve their efficiency. Security patrols must be intensified on our highways.

We can’t escape it; more people will now be travelling by road because railway is in a comatose state and air fares are becoming more and more prohibitive’

the Benin-Ore Road. The driver who crushed about 19 passengers who were also asked to lie face down on the road by robbers, Osayande Idahosa, 40, said he thought the passengers were logs of wood because it was dark and visibility was impaired. Giving a graphic account of how the 19 robbery victims met their gruesome death, Idahosa said he was driving a Seaner Truck on July 31, 2009, from Benin en route Lagos when he approached the scene and that it was after he had crushed the passengers that he realised that what he had crushed were not logs of wood because they were very soft and that he heard some agonising cries of the victims.

The two incidents signpost the general insecurity in the land. Our fear now is whether the police are up to the task. This is because robberies on the highways have become a regular feature; as a matter of fact, Nigerians seem to have accepted them as part of what they have to live with.

It is only when the bizarre twist (like asking passengers to lie face down till they be crushed dead by oncoming vehicles), as in the two incidents above is added to it, that we get jolted. In some civilised climes, such reports would have continued to make the headlines days after, but we seem to have forgotten and moved on with our lives, leaving those directly affected to carry their cross.

Ours is one of the few countries where armed robbers would take

complete control of roads for hours, without any policeman in sight. It is only after they had left that the police would arrive the scene of robbery and start terrorising people in the vicinity. Obviously, the country is grossly under-policed.

And the few policemen that we have are even ill-motivated and illequipped.

That is why policemen take cover when they hear the sounds of guns in the hands of the armed robbers.

Their own rifles are no match for the sophisticated arms in the hands of the bandits. Yet, all the police authorities have considered as priority now is to change their uniform as if that is the main problem of the police.

We have to take security matters more seriously; that means we have to address the inadequacies of the police to improve their efficiency.

Security patrols must be intensified on our highways. We can’t escape it; more people will now be travelling by road because railway is in a comatose state and air fares are becoming more and more prohibitive. To leave the roads under-policed is to leave travellers at the mercy of robbers who not only steal and destroy, but kill without bating an eyelid.

Ultimately, we have to take recourse to state police. We have said that before that the present overcentralisation of the police force is counter-productive and cannot serve the security needs of a vast country like ours.

Assets of vanity • Fayemi’s plan to convert Ekiti’s white elephant structures to cash is laudable; but he should ensure it works KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi’s plan to commercialise Ekiti State Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti and the ‘Ekiti House’ in the highbrow Maitama District in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) must have been taken in the best interest of the state. But the governor has to ensure that he gets the best for the state from the concessioners that will eventually take over the structures.

Dr. Fayemi had on August 7 announced to journalists in his office at Ado-Ekiti that his government was thinking of using the Governor’s Office facility at the Ekiti State Secretariat, so as to free the gargantuan edifice he uses now, to earn his state some cash.

“I do not need a football field as an office to perform my functions as governor,” he said rather hyperbolically, just to underscore the misplaced priority the office has been, aside from the ‘Ekiti House’, Abuja, in the face of pressing developmental matters.

The governor said “world class” hotel and hospitality investors and managers would be given the job of commercialising the structures; and that the state government would not spend a dime to refurbish them. That sounds good.

There is absolutely no need for such edifices. The ‘Ekiti House’ in Abuja was unnecessary, especially when there is also an Ekiti Liaison Office in the FCT. That is a classical white elephant project,

E

for a state that could hardly fend for itself.

As a matter of fact, there is every cause to question the quality of thinking that went into such wasteful investments by past Ekiti State governments. It is the typical Nigerian power elite’s disease.

Ekiti’s development (and indeed, that of any other state) should be in the constantly increasing kilometres of tarred roads, increased rural roads to evacuate farm produce, how many rural communities have electricity, how many children are in school and how good are the infrastructure available to aid learning, how good are the health facilities in public hospitals, and the like.

But the Nigerian power elite would rather measure prosperity in their personal official comfort: the grandeur of government houses and the sheer luxury of government offices, even if the people that government serves live in opulent penury.

Dr. Fayemi deserves commendation for trying to set off a radically different, socially responsible path. What he is trying to do is to sacrifice part of his personal comfort for the common good. If a state’s chief executive says that his state is cash-strapped, that should reflect in virtually everything he does. This way, it is easier to carry the people along; but when the chief executive says one thing and acts another, there is a disconnect with the governed and it is only a ques-

tion of time for this to reflect in the people’s perception of the government.

What Governor Fayemi has given himself and his government is a tough challenge. It would be fine if they pull it off, and convert those wasting assets of vanity into developmental benefits for the people. If they do, coming generations of Ekiti would be eternally grateful to the Fayemi Government and etch the governor’s name in gold.

That is why concessioners to those assets must be strictly those who can turn them into gold. That is the only way to justify that the governor’s new plan is not only radical, but also sound thinking.

‘Dr. Fayemi deserves commendation for trying to set off a radically different, socially responsible path.

What he is trying to do is to sacrifice part of his personal comfort for the common good. If a state’s chief executive says that his state is cash-strapped, that should reflect in virtually everything he does. This way, it is easier to carry the people along...’

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HE illness of Sonia Gandhi has come as a shock to India’s sclerotic politics and may spark a succession struggle just at a time when the ruling Congress party is mired in corruption scandals and economic difficulties. Mrs Gandhi, the party chairman and most powerful politician in India, has had an operation in America for an undisclosed illness widely reported to be cancer. An official announcement said she would be absent for at least two weeks. But her decision to appoint her son Rahul to a quartet of politicians temporarily taking charge of political affairs suggests both that her illness may be serious and that she may not return to frontline politics for some time.

For her party, the timing could not be worse. Since her unexpected electoral victory in 2004, Mrs Gandhi has been the key figure in the Indian Government. Shrewdly declining to take power herself in order to ward off resentment of her Italian birth, she appointed as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the mild-mannered economic reformer, while retaining enormous influence behind the throne. But Dr. Singh, re-elected with an increased majority in 2009, has proved a deep disappointment in his second term. He has failed to use his party’s stronger mandate and more cohesive Cabinet to push through overdue economic and political reforms. Though a man of personal probity, he has been caught up in a series of corruption scandals that were highlighted last year by the nearcatastrophe of the Common-Wealth Games in Delhi.

And he has increasingly given the impression of an elderly, ineffective leader who has lost his vision and his grip.

As a result, the Government has been bogged down in scandal, parliamentary disruptions and political wrangling. The humiliation of the illprepared Games led to widespread allegations of corruption, involving ministers as well as top businessmen. The former Telecommunications Minister has been arrested, the chief organiser of the Games is awaiting trial charged with cheating on tenders, an opposition boycott has shut down Parliament for much of the year, and proposed landmark economic reforms such as land acquisition have stalled. The country, meanwhile, has suffered a sharp rise in inflation, riots over the rise in the price of staple foods such as onions, growing resentment over the widening wealth gap and a crumbling infrastructure desperately in need of renewal.

The appointment of Rahul Gandhi to take on his mother’s role may also provoke considerable resentment. Confirming the entrenched dynastic politics of the Congress party, it will appear increasingly anachronistic to a younger generation of educated middle-class Indians. He has, until now, proved an incompetent politicians, failing to win support for Congress in Uttar Predesh, India’s largest state. Clearly groomed to take over from Dr Singh, he has neither the experince nor the political weight of Pranab Mukherjee, the Finance Minister, or Palaniappan Chidam-baram, the Home Minister.

They and others may now be prompted to try to block his rise to the top.

With regional elections due next year and a general election in 2014, the Opposition, itself in disarray, is in no position to take advantage of Mrs Gandhi’s absence. The result may be drift, disorder and weak government just at a time when India needs strong leadership to consolidate its global rise and deliver its domestic aspirations.

– The Times

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

METAMORPHOSIS OF THE NIGERIAN

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IR: The president’s proposal for a six-year single term for the president and governors has drawn many criticisms and condemnations from Nigerians from all works of life. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the proposal calling it “self-serving and divisive”, and pointed out that the decision to amend the constitution must come from the people after a robust debate. Others viewed the president’s proposal as deceitful, “patently fraudulent and a terrible misadventure”; an attempt to distract the people’s attention from the demand for good governance. The North is spoiling for a fight at the National Assembly, calling the proposal a third term agenda and a “booby trap”. Many of these criticisms are well taken, but the question that comes to mind is why is the president interested in this when he knows the sordid history of term elongation in Nigeria and the outcome of the previous attempts?

Aso Rock is now attempting damage control, issuing clarifications and denials. The president could have gotten away with these lame clarifications and

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Squandering the Political Goodwill denials, but in the context of the present socio-political awakening that has taken hold in the country, this kind of political gimmick will no longer succeed. It is sad that valuable energy and resources are now being expended on a selfinflicted problem which should have been averted.

The president and the people around him misread the political mood of the country. What Nigeria needs now is good governance, not term elongation. Poor Reuben Abati! Just a few weeks on the job, now this! I wonder what he knew about this proposal, when he knew it and what he told the president.

Now, he had to explain this major political gaffe to the public, something he argued forcefully against in his column two months

ago.

The president’s political advisers: what were they thinking? If you had to list the top 50 problems facing Nigeria today, term elongation is not one of them. And for a president that has just conducted credible, free and fair elections and riding on a massive wave of political goodwill to squander all that in pursuit of a narrow selfish interest is a clear indication that Aso Rock is out of touch with the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.

Even if the president is interested in third term, this is not the time for that. The president should have first endeared himself to the people by solving some of the most critical problems facing the country in his first two years in office. Then, thereafter if he must take on this

issue he should do so through his proxies.

The saving grace in all of this is that it is early in the life of this administration; therefore the administration has time to recover and redeem itself by focusing on the pressing issues facing the country.

Nigerians have invested a great deal of emotions and political good will in this administration with the expectation that the president will fulfill his promise of transforming Nigeria. Term elongation is not transformation but regression we can ill-afford.

• Smart Uhakheme, PhD Associate Professor, Political Science, Daytona Beach, Florida 32120

Omatseye’s ignorance on protestant ethics and Islamic Banking

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IR: It is unfortunate that Omatseye can ignorantly write that the spirit of capitalism came from Christians, evidence of lazy research and a drifting mind which imagines poetic grandeur. Some even say that the early Christians inspired communism by sharing their worldly possessions. But a brief research of history will simply show that what is now referred to as capitalism or profit making in business and trading and the concept of personal property has existed since time immemorial.

It is true that Protestant Christianity (and perhaps most religions) abhors laziness and promotes hard work, a theme taken to heart by Calvinists. Catholicism does not promote laziness. But this is not tantamount to encouraging greed or excessive, usurious and cut-throat interest rates on loans, the likes of which the Central Bank in Nigeria under Sanusi [who is not a Calvinist] approves.

Trading for profit has existed in all cultures- Itsekiri, Arab, Malaysian, Pakistani, Chinese,

Indian, Igbo, Yoruba, Italian, German, Fulani, English, American, Hausa, Portuguese, etc, since time immemorial. Neither Protestants nor Calvinists created or inspired capitalism. And capitalism is certainly better than feudalism or communism.

Islamic banking is not the bogey that many fear it to be. Omatseye’s gratuitous celebration of ignorance and Sanusi’s immature and provocative posturing and grandstanding add more fuel to a needless fire, when what is needed is calm and thorough analysis, with an enlightenment of the public on the issue.

The interest based regular banking system has not been eliminated in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Libya, Pakistan, etc. Pakistan, which is where Osama Bin Laden was killed, remains a recipient of billions of dollars of aid from the West. It seems human beings the world over don’t want to abandon profit or interest.

The crave for the god of mammon [greed, excessive profit] predates

the Calvinists. It even existed during the lifetime of Christ on earth, who spoke and acted zealously against it. It should be remembered that the Vatican invests in the money market and regular banking sector. The Vatican Bank once lost heavily when its finances were managed and commingled with Banco Ambrosiano funds by Bishop Marcinkus.

It was one of the major financial scandals of the 20 th century.

Obviously, Omatseye is ignorant of this historical fact. It took the Vatican several years to re-organize its finances. Catholicism has always cohabited easily with capitalism, just like all other faiths and religions, after all, rich Moslems and leaders the world over, especially in the Middle East, invest in and profit from the money markets and regular banks, even to this day.

The core of Islamic banking is the prohibition of Riba, which means ‘usury’ or ‘interest’ or ‘excess’ or ‘addition’, but this interpretation of Riba has not been universally

accepted or applied in the Islamic world.

If Omatseye, plainly a sufferer from hubris, who seems to thrive on creating needless controversy perhaps in a deep seated and vain desire to be relevant had conducted more serious enquiry with an open mind instead of giving free reign to idle imagination based on his illogical and neurotic antiProtestant prejudices, he would have found that, for example, in Pakistan, where Islamic banking is practiced alongside regular banking, they have serious problems in its proper application in accordance with scriptural principles and Sharia.

And some Islamic banks engage in profit, which they justify as being in accord with Modarabah, Musharika, Ijarah etc. And in Malaysia, they have the problem of Islamic banks that invest in ‘Haram’ products i.e. the gaming and lottery industries. The love of money, usury inclusive, remains the root of all evil.

• Olufemi Sogunle olufemisogunle@yahoo.com

President Jonathan’s wrong diagnosis

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IR: A wrong diagnosis results in prescription of a wrong medicine. President Goodluck Jonathan is proposing tougher sanctions for erring officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agents.

But that is not our major electoral problem. The problem is the president himself and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that are resisting a genuine electoral reform.

They insist on choosing all very senior INEC personnel, and they also tell the security agents what to do, because they are in-charge!

Who, then, is to blame? What constitutional amendment is Dr. Jonathan seeking against electoral saboteurs? Are such amendments not covered under treason and felony law? Here I expect our lawyers to speak-out.

But, it is understandable if they don’t, since the president dismissed the recommendations of the Justice Muhammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) as “mere recommendations” on his way to self-succession.

I consider as a fraud, any constitutional amendment that does not address the issue of genuine independence for the electoral commission, along the line suggested by the ERC. Unless partisan politicians hands-off electoral matters, there is much less room for electoral confidence. To that extent, I blame the post-election violence on President Jonathan’s dismissal of the ERC’s recommendations for electoral justice. Even now he is still dodging that issue.

• Pius Oyeniran Abioje, Ph. D, University of Ilorin.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

21

EDITORIAL/OPINION

Obafemi Awolowo and the Making of Remo: A review- 1

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HIS book was first published in 2009 for International African Institute, London and has now been reissued in Nigeria by a local publisher to commemorate mama chief H.I.D Awolowo’s 95th birthday on November 2010. This is a scholarly work on Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the evolution of modern Remo, a sub-group of the Yoruba in Ogun State. In the past, I would have said a sub-group of the Ijebu but this would probably be unacceptable to Remo Patriots who for more than a century have been asserting their independence from Ijebu-Ode by claiming a separate identity.

This book deals with this story from pre-colonial times to the present. The book discusses the evolution of the 33 kingdoms and settlements of the Remo (Remo-metalelogbon).

These kingdoms vary in size and are grouped into North and South. Most of the ones in the north like Ode-Remo, Ogeere, Ipara and Iperu did not always see eye to eye with those in the South like Ofin, Ilara, Ikenne, Ilisan and Makun. Some Remo empire builders claim several towns in the immediate east of Remo as historically belonging to Remo, including IjeshaIjebu, Agbowa and Okun-Owa (Itakete). Some even claim Odogbolu and Aiyepe in periods of expansiveness. In their myths of origin, there was no unanimity about where the founding fathers came from but the majority of the Remo kingdoms claimed origin from Oduduwa, the eponymous ancestor of the Yorubas. Others like Iperu even lay claim to a dynastic connection between themselves and Oyo. Ilara for example claimed common affinity and origin with Aramoko in Ekiti and Ilara-mokin in Ondo State. By the 19th century shortly before the advent of British imperialism, Remo land was largely controlled from Ijebu-Ode. There were periods of rebellion against the Awujale but most of the time these rebellions were put down in detail because Remo land always found it difficult to be united against a common foe. In any case, even in relatively modern times, there were some elements in Remo who did not believe in severing ties with Ijebu-Ode. The subject of this book is therefore the story of the struggle for unity of Remo. In this struggle, there were two external factors that were to influence the development in Remo. These were the attitudes of Ijebu-Ode towards Remo’s ambition and secondly, the attitude of the British who since 1861 were effectively in occupation of Lagos and had gradually extended the boundaries of Lagos to Southern Remo particularly to Ikorodu, one of the important Remo Kingdoms. Some of the leaders in Remo exploited the presence of the British and particularly British missionaries of the Methodist church in their struggle for separate identity

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HY will a man kill someone or why will a man take his own life?

Many reasons are usually adduced when such tragic incidents occur.

The reasons range from the sublime to the ridiculous. In most instances, the reasons are not plausible. But since man must always have a reason or reasons for his action, the gullible public accepts, and even at times, take pity on the villain. It is in human nature to empathise with our fellow human beings. In doing so, we usually forget the atrocities committed by the villain who suddenly becomes penitent when the law catches up with him.

Another reason suspected criminals are fond of giving once caught is that it is the devil that pushed them to commit their heinous act. What has the devil got to do with an act which a man knowingly undertakes with the vilest of intentions? Such a statement is not borne out of fact but meant to win public sympathy. Killers know the consequences of their action; that is why they resort to dishing out statements to cover their dastardly act. They will never own up to their devilish action.

The holy books - the Quran and the Bible - state it clearly that man shall not kill and go a step forward to state the conditions under which life can be taken. One of these conditions is where one is convicted for murder. Since they are aware of this scriptural provision, killers quickly seek an easy way out by giving all kinds of excuses for their action. They forget that such excuses cannot bring back their victims to life. But

from the rest of the Ijebus.

The role of the Methodist church is crucial in the unfolding story of Remo’s struggle for independence. Sometimes this role came indirectly through the creation of a Christian educated elite in Remo and in this regard, the role of a certain Pythagoras Haastrup later known as Ademuyiwa Haastrup was almost decisive. Ademuyiwa Haastrup was born in 1853 to an Ifa Priest and was adopted by Wesleyan Methodist Missionaries and educated in Lagos. His parents originally came from Ofin and he was able to use his connection with royalty in ofin to influence the Akarigbo of Ofin that British influence and Christianity could bring Remo independence and progress. He used his considerable influence with Akarigbo in prevailing on the latter not to support the Awujale who was determined to block the trade-route from Lagos to the hinterland a situation that was later to lead to the defeat of Ijebu-Ode in 1892 without Remo suffering any military attack.

The influence of the Methodist in Remo land was not only limited to the activities of Haastrup alone because even the British Misssionary, Reverend William Fredrick Mellor who had virtually gone native in Remo land and had become a member of Osugbo had considerable influence in Remo and worked very hard to ensure Remo’s independence from IjebuOde. Remo’s history is characterised by internecine warfare between one Remo town and another leading to migrations, resettlement, coalescence, while retaining the old names in the various places in which they resettled. Thus in many of the Remo towns, one finds more than one ruler. In each settlement which are replications of old destroyed towns, they try to maintain separate identities by retaining their former rulers. Inspite of the attempt to maintain separate identity, there are institutions that provide a semblance of unity and common identity among the Remo people. These institutions include the titled heads (Obas), Osugbo, Eluku, Oro and later on Egungun apparently signifying Oyo’s influence. Remo by the middle of the 19th century realised that to save itself it must be united. It was in this situation that several towns came together to found Sagamu in the Southern part of Remo land. The kingdoms that came together to found Sagamu following the invitation between 1866 and 1972 of Akarigbo Oduname Igimisoje of Ofin to other Remo towns were Ado, Batoro, Epe, Ibido, Ijagba, Ijokun, Makun, Ofin, Oko, Sonyindo, Latawa and Ipoji. Two other towns were added later namely, Igbepa and Ranmiken. The new settlement of Sagamu was some kind of confederation with each of the settlements maintaining its identity and rulers even though they accepted the Akarigbo of Ofin as overall Suzereign. Some of the

Is life so cheap? again, why will a man kill another man? Why will a man kill his wife?

Why will a man kill his friend?

Why will a man kill his father, mother or brother?

Is it for money? Is it for sex? Is it for position? Is it to cover up another murder? Those who kill do so for various reasons. Some kill for money, others for sex or for position. No matter the reason, we all know that murder whether premeditated or not is a criminal offence punishable by death. Those who kill are usually afraid of death.

This is why they hide under all sorts of subterfuge to escape justice. For instance, the self-styled pastor, Kolade Arowolo, who killed his banker-wife, Titilayo, on June 24, and one Kenneth Udeh, who killed a banker, Emeka Ohazuruike, on August 6.

These are pathetic cases. They show the beast in some human beings. Why will a man take the life of another in cold blood if he is not inhuman? What could a wife do to her husband that would make him resolve that killing her is the only solution? Is such a man fit to stay in the community of fellow humans? Of course, the answer is no; no matter his made up defence for his action. After Arowolo was arrested, he said he killed his wife after she attacked him. I don’t know how many women will be on earth today if all men kill their wives after attacking them.

On his part, Udeh claimed that he stabbed Ohazuruike because he overpowered him during a fight.

These people will always find an

excuse, whether genuine or not for their action. But it remains for the discerning public to read between the lines. Arowolo’s and Udeh’s tales are the sort expected from such suspects when they are caught. They will come up with sweet stories all in a bid to portray themselves as the innocent party. At that moment, the law too is on their side.

The law presumes that they are innocent until proven guilty. And their guilt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Meaning that if they have a good lawyer, they will go scot-free.

T is in anticipation of such freedom that they assail our eardrums with their sweet for nothing tales about their innocence even before they are charged to court. When Arowolo was paraded by the police on July 5 in Lagos, he wasted no time in blaming his wife for his action. ‘’All I can say is this, look at the stabs on my hands; look at my body. I was trying to collect the knife from her. You can see every other thing. Investigation is still going on. You can talk to my lawyer. You are talking about my

I

‘Those who kill do so for various reasons. Some kill for money, others for sex or for position. No matter the reason, we all know that murder whether premeditated or not is a criminal offence punishable by death. Those who kill are usually afraid of death. This is why they hide under all sorts of subterfuge to escape justice’ •Idemili (left) and Udeh

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important Northern towns like Iperu, OdeRemo, Ipara and Isara refused to join the people in Sagamu.

The two most important quarters of Sagamu were Makun and Ofin. The author of the book under review claimed that the coming into being of Sagamu may have Jide been influenced by the Osuntokun new Egba settlement in Abeokuta which found strength in the unity of Egba settlements under one ruler. The phenomenon of town consolidation in Yorubaland in the 19th century was not restricted to Remo alone, new towns such as Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ogbomoso, Osogbo, Saki, Oke Odan in Yewa land were either small settlements before receiving large migrations particularly of displaced people in Yorubaland as a result of a century of warfare between 1793 and 1893. Nearer home Remo confederate settlements or towns such as Ago-Iwoye (1830), Ijebu-Igbo (1831) made up of 5 separate settlement Odogbolu (1850) created by 8 towns coming together. Ayepe (1872) by six towns coming together and in Mushin East of Ijebu-Ode came into being as a result of 60 small Idoko villages coming together.

With the centralisation in Sagamu, the Remo people faced the challenge of how to overcome even within Sagamu fissiparous tendencies tearing the settlements apart and the hostility of the Awujale to the settlement. This was because the new settlement constituted an economic challenge to Ijebu-Ode which hitherto controlled the trade route to the coast. The British in Lagos would of course not have IjebuOde disrupt trade between the coast and the hinterland. This was the reason why Governor of Lagos, William Carter signed with the Akarigbo, Oyebajo Torungbuwa in 1894 a treaty declaring Remo land a British protectorate while the Akarigbo was made to cede Ikorodu district to Lagos as part of Lagos colony. Ironically, the Akarigbo was not unhappy about declaration of British protectorate. In fact left to him, he would have preferred to join Lagos as part of the colony.

(To be continued).

Book Review, Author: Insa Nolte; Obafemi Awolowo and the Making of Remo: The Local Politics of a Nigerian Nationalist: Book Builders Limited, Ibadan 2010. 421 pp.

wife here and not any other person.

For goodness sake, I’m undergoing medical check-up. I’m not in the right frame of mind. Please, talk to my lawyer.

See injuries from stabbing all over my body; is that not enough? We are talking about my wife here. I am bereaved, for goodness sake.

Please, excuse me. At the right time, you guys will be invited and you will hear my story.’’

Udeh’s story was no less different when he gave an account of how he allegedly killed the banker right inside the deceased’s apartment in Agboju, Lagos. ’’He (Ohazuruike) called me on phone and I went to meet him in his house. We went out together to buy newspapers. When we came back to his house, he was asking me for the money(that is the N11 million loan Udeh’s brotherin-law, Onyeka Idemili, got from Ohazuruike’s bank). He even accused me of sharing the money with my brother-in-law and that was why I was not encouraging him to pay the money. I tried explaining to him but he started to push me and that was how we started fighting. When he was

Lawal Ogienagbon lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net

trying to overpower me, I rushed to the kitchen and picked a knife. I did not know that I had stabbed him until I started seeing blood. At this point, I ran out of his flat in fear.’’

Suspected criminals will always have a story to tell in defence of their mindless act. It will always be a one-sided story because the other party will not be there to counter them. In telling their story, they embellish it as much as possible to make them look as if they did what they did in self defence. But the law cannot avail them because it frowns on self defence in such a curcumstance since the other party was not known to be armed at the time of the incident.

The major task before us as a nation now is how do we stop beasts in human skin from taking people’s lives under the pretence of insanity, which many of these criminals plead on being arrested.

If we don’t do something to stop these killings now, we may yet witness more of them because of our seeming inability to adequately apply the law against those arrested. Human lives don’t come cheap, so they should not be wasted since none of us can create life.

SMS ONLY: 08056504763

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION

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URS is a nation that lives in self denial.

When the Ijaws led by Isaac Boro started their quest for self actualization in the early years of independence, the ruling powers resorted to force instead of dialogue.

When the Tiv popular uprising came, it was suppressed by the military. No one listened to their story of exploitation and disrespect for their culture and religion by their Hausa/ Fulani overlords. When the Yoruba insisted on taking their fate in their own hands by opting to develop at their own pace without interference from others as enunciated by the framers of the federal constitution, the federal government engineered a state of anarchy after subverting the spirit of the constitution. When the Igbo leadership that had been accessory to imposition of tyranny in the west finally insisted on liberating their people from the strangle hold of their partners in crime, the rest of the country also conspired to proclaim ‘keeping Nigeria as one is a task that must be done’. We fought 33 months civil war that consumed the best of our youths to achieve what we term “no victor no vanquished’. We continued living a lie. And when Bako Haram uprising started in Bauchi, on July 26, 2009 spreading like wild fire to Borno, Yobe and Kano states, we resorted to force refusing to see their struggle as a quest for self realization within a federal framework.

The response has always been s the same, whether in Benue, old west, Sango Kataf or Niger Delta, it is either incarceration or outright murder of leaders of ethnic rights , such as Awo, Tarka, Zamani Lekwot, Isaac Boro or Saro Wiwa. Once again, our response to three years old Bako Haram struggle has been

‘To the followers of Bako Haram who have disdain for wealth just as they loathe western education, religion freedom is as important to them as ‘resource control’ is to the Niger Delta. I cannot therefore see any difference between their demands and those of South West, North Central or South South geo political zones.

Their approach may be objectionable, but I think theirs is a legitimate aspiration within a federal set up’

Negotiated federalism is the answer to Bako Haram the execution of their leader, Sheikh Mohammed Yusuf, his deputy, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau, his father in law, Ba’a Fugu Mohammed, and the sect’s chief financier, Buji Foi, a former commissioner of religious affairs in Governor Ali Modu Sherrif’s Borno State administration.

As it is always the case, the vultures (apology to Saro Wiwa) representing the affected areas, who often pretend to love Nigeria more than their own people, are on the side of Nigerian State. It is therefore not a surprise that nearly all the leading light of the troubled area is on the hit list of the insurgents. The list include the sitting Governor of Bornu State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, that of Bauchi State, Alhaji Isa Yuguda and Senator Alli Modu Sheriff, former governor of Borno State. Also on the list is Senator Danjuma Goje, former governor of Gombe State.

For the Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the Bako Haram uprising was because the people have long been ‘victims of mass hunger and anger, mass unemployment, bad infrastructure, mass illiteracy and ignorance and general hopelessness’, .He likened the area to the laggard “SavannahSudan”, a grim tract of poverty and hopelessness that included Chad Republic, eastern tract of Niger Republic, Northern Cameroon and the Darfur Region’ of recently independent Southern Sudan’ But he has not told us mass unemployment; poverty and infrastructural decay are exclusive preserve of the north eastern part of Nigeria.

He similarly did not tell us those to be held responsible, if indeed mass illiteracy and

ignorance and hopelessness are more pronounced in the north eastern zone where less than 25% of school age children are in school despite Obasanjo initiated constitutional provision for free and compulsory education for primary and junior secondary school students. The governor similarly ignored the role of northern leaders in the exploitation of their people under the guise of religion purity. If imposition of theocracy in the troubled states by Boko Haram is the price of failure of leadership and exploitation of the people, I cannot see how this poses any danger to the nation and its secularity.

What federalism sets out to achieve is individual and group rights which can be defined in form of language, culture, religion or socio economic status. To the followers of Bako Haram who have disdain for wealth just as they loathe western education, religion freedom is as important to them as ‘resource control’ is to the Niger Delta. I cannot therefore see any difference between their demands and those of South West, North Central or South South geo political zones. Their approach may be objectionable, but I think theirs is a legitimate aspiration within a federal set up.

I think the Boko Haram uprising has provided another opportunity for dialogue among various Nigerian nationalities and groups including aggrieved Boko Haram about the National Question. We need to move beyond periodic self serving tampering with the constitution by the same set of politicians that often fraudulently claim to be more Nigerian than Nigerians. We should stop

living a lie.

Nigeria is not going to invent the wheel. We can borrow from the experiences of India, a more heterogeneous and populous nation and Canada, the first federation to adopt multiculturalism as a policy that has shown how a plural society can manage its group differences With a negotiated federal arrangement, there should be no reason why the South West cannot invest on rail transportation system without federal government interference. With provision of alternative method to the obsolete and dangerous system of transporting petroleum and cement products, the zone will be at liberty to ask Aliko Dangote with his 8000 trucks and other truck owners to deploy their to Kano where the geological formation of land can sustain the daily toll impacted on the roads by such heavy trucks . The Bako Haram administered sharia states will also be free to do without western education. For the services of doctors, pharmacists and engineers, they will be at liberty to depend on their neighboring North Central.

Each constituting geo political zone will be able to protect its territory and its citizens from the activities of thousands of non Nigerians from Niger, Chad, Southern Sudan who according one of the north eastern state governors perpetrate crime in our cities. Each geo political zone will be free to enforce its own rules. If the Bako Haram states are ready to accommodate the illegal activities of non Nigerians in the name of religion and cultural affinity, other federating states may not be obliged to do the same. And this will not pose any threat to national unity.

We stand to gain more. A negotiated federal arrangement will address the issue of indigeneship, citizenship and settlers such as we have among Zango katafs, Jos, Ilorin and other parts of the country. The outcome will spelt out rights and privileges of settlers and apportion responsibilities to host communities. This will encourage settlers to invest in their host communities either inform of industries, churches or mosques.

These then are some of the answers to Bako Haram instead of the usual resort to failed old tactics. Unfortunately, like the proverbial ostrich that buries its head in the sand, the Goodluck Jonathan administration that one thought should understand our fundamental problem is like its predecessors, Babangida, Abacha, Yar Adua and Obasanjo attempting to embark once again on self serving tinkering with a faulty architectural drawing on which no enduring edifice can stand.

VIEW FROM THE FOREIGN PRESS

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EOUL — Gangjeong, a small fishing and farming village on Jeju Island 50 miles south of the Korean peninsula, is a pristine Unesco-designated ecological reserve where elderly Korean women sea divers, haenyo, still forage for seafood. It is also the site of a fierce resistance movement by villagers who oppose the construction of a South Korean naval base on the island that will become part of the U.S. missile defense system to contain China.

South Korea’s president, Lee Myungbak, says the base is needed to protect Seoul from an attack from Pyongyang. The problem with that assertion is that the Aegis destroyers that Lee pledged to deploy at the base aren’t designed to protect South Korea from North Korean Taepodong ballistic missiles (TBM).

In a 1999 report to the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon verified that the Aegis system “could not defend the northern two-thirds of South Korea against the low flying short range TBMs.”

‘For four long years, the villagers have squatted on their farmland that was seized by the government, and laid down in front of cement trucks intending to pour concrete over the volcanic rock where pure spring water meets the ocean. Despite the fact that 94 percent of Gangjeong residents voted against the base, the central government, the military and Jeju officials colluded to make Gangjeong the designated site’

Unwanted Missiles for a Korean island

By Christine Ahn Thus, instead of protecting South Koreans, the militarization of Jeju Island will introduce new security threats to the country by fueling an arms race in an increasingly tense region of unresolved conflicts.

The naval base on Jeju Island will equip South Koreans and their American allies with the capability to strike long-range ballistic missile batteries in southeast China that target Japan or Taiwan. Washington sees this base as a central pillar to its defense system in the Asia-Pacific region. China, no doubt, sees it as a new threat.

The result of building the base, therefore, will only be increased stress on the U.S.China relationship. One South Korean military analyst, Cheong Wook-sik, said that China sees the U.S. Asia-Pacific missile defense system “as the 21st century’s greatest threat.”

And a Chinese Air Force colonel, Dai Xu, speaking more generally about Washington’s Asia-Pacific strategy, wrote recently that Beijing “cannot always put up with American provocations.” He added that China “must draw a clear red line against American attempts to surround it.”

Meanwhile, on the American side, a 2009 Rand Corporation report confirmed that, given China’s growing economic threat to the United States, the Jeju naval base is crucial for America “to project power in the

East China Sea and southward.”

Washington hasn’t been forthcoming about this base being built for U.S. interests, particularly in light of growing South Korean resentment of the high costs of U.S. military bases on the peninsula, and tensions over the recent admission by three U.S. veterans of dumping Agent Orange at Camp Carroll in southeast South Korea in 1978.

When I called the Korean Embassy in Washington to register my complaint about the Jeju naval base, the response was: “Don’t call us; call the U.S. State or Defense Departments; they are the ones who are pressuring us to build this base.”

Gangjeong villagers have used every possible democratic means to overturn the decision by Seoul to construct the base there. For four long years, the villagers have squatted on their farmland that was seized by the government, and laid down in front of cement trucks intending to pour concrete over the volcanic rock where pure spring water meets the ocean. Despite the fact that 94 percent of Gangjeong residents voted against the base, the central government, the military and Jeju officials colluded to make Gangjeong the designated site.

This week, the South Korean government ordered the police take further measures to restrict protesters, many of whom have already been arrested, heavily fined and

barred from entering the waters and land that they have lived on and depended upon for generations.

Jeju is a bellwether of how conflicts in the Asia Pacific may be resolved in the near future. Will the South Korean people allow its government to blindly follow U.S. plans to draw its country in a standoff against China? Will the South Korean government choose to resolve conflicts through dialogue and cooperation?

No one in the United States, North and South Korea, Japan and China wants another militarized conflict; we still haven’t healed from last century’s wars. This is perhaps more apparent in Korea than anywhere else, a country where a militarized division still separates millions of families.

We must not allow an unneeded military base to destroy Gangjeong’s rich marine ecology and the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen and haenyo — people who provide us with human security — certainly not in the name of “national security.”

• Christine Ahn is the executive director of the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Global Campaign to Save Jeju Island.

‘Meanwhile, on the American side, a 2009 Rand Corporation report confirmed that, given China’s growing economic threat to the United States, the Jeju naval base is crucial for America “to project power in the East China Sea and southward.”

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

2011 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Nigeria names 17 Athletes •Team departs for Germany to train on Wednesday •To arrive Korea en-route Germany, 20th August

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HE Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) named on Tuesday, a 17-strong team for the world athletics championships, which kicks off on August 27 in Daegu, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul. Nigeria’s strongest medal prospects, Blessing Okagbare will lead sixteen other athletes for the championship which ends September 4.

The country’s other medal hopefuls that would showcase their skills at the 13th edition of the championships are Gloria Asunmu (100m 4x100m), Blessing Okagbare (100m 4100m,Long Jump),Damola Osayomi( 100m 4x100m), Seun Adigun (100m hurdle 4x100m), Endurance Abinuwa (4x100m), Agnes Osazuwa (4x100m), Bukola Abogunloko (4x400m),Margaret Etim ( 4x400m) and Ajoke Odumosu (400m h, 4x400m).

Blessing Mayungbe (4x400m),Chizoba Okodogbe (4x400m),Omolara Omotosho (Shot Put), Doreen Amata (High Jump)Ogho Oghene Egwero (100m), Peter Emelieze (100m), Stanley Gbagbeke( Long Jump) and Tosin Oke

By Stella Bamawo ( Triple Jump) also made the list.

Meanwhile, the country’s contingent was expected to depart for Germany on Wednesday evening for training sessions ahead of the championships proper. The NationSport gathered that the athletes were asked by the German embassy on Tuesday afternoon to collect their entry Visas to Germany. But as at press time, it had not been ascertained if the athletes got the travelling documents.

However, if the athletes depart for Germany, they are expected to spend eleven days for an aggressive training session there while they are expected to leave for Daegu, Korea on 20th of August to acclimatize with the environment before the championship proper on the 27th of August.

In a chat with the Media Officer of AFN, Duro Ikhazuagbe , NationSport learnt him that the team will move their train to Mozambique for the All Africa Games which has been slated for September immediately after the World Athletics Championships.

Maputo 2011: Toriola leads Team Nigeria tennis team

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ORIOLA LEADS Team Nigeria table tennis team to Maputo Chief coach of Team Nigeria table tennis team, Nasiru Bello, has picked former Commonwealth champion, Segun Toriola to lead the team of ten players to next month’s All African Games in Maputo, Mozanbique.

Coach Bello, fondly called Alakoro by his teeming fans, revealed this on Tuesday at the Obafemi Awolowo stadium, Ibadan,where the team of 24 players is currently undergoing intensive training for the All Africa Games.

Toriola, who is a professional player based in France, leads four other top players picked for the games. Others are Quadri Haruna, who plays in Portugal, Monday Meroutoun from France, Portugal-based Segun Ajetumobi while Kassim Nasiru from France completes

•Toriola

the five-man male team.

The duo of Union Bank’s Jude Ogidiolu and Sola Oyetayo failed to make the team. Both of them are home-based players Coach Bello noted that selection of the team was not easy as the players all had to undergo open trails in Lagos before being called to camp adding that it was only on Sunday that they picked the team after a month’s rigorous assessment training as the players each had to play 19 matches within two days interval.

‘At the end, statistics of all the players after were used in the selection of the team. Toriola won all 19 matches to emerge the top player. I must say all the players are in top shape, I have confidence in their ability to make the nation proud in Maputo.

‘Everything has been working fine for us in Ibadan as accommodation and feeding has been ok. The training facilities too have been up to standard and it is now left to us to excecute the final part of the training, winning all the gold medals available in table tennis, come next month in Maputo.’

Coach Taiwo also revealed that a team of four male players led by Toriola on Monday left for Cameroun to take part in a tournament.

Not forgeting the women’s team, Bello said German-based Funke Oshinaike will lead a team of five women which includes Udem Effiong, Cecelia Otu Akpan, Janet Friday and Hussain Halima.

It would be recalled that the womens team just came back from Morocco, where it won the womens club championship.

The victory will enable the team represent Africa at the World Female Championship in Germany in November.

BRF Wrestlemania gets Sept date

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HAIRMAN Technical Committee of BRF Wrestlemania, Prince H.O. Mohammed said the Babatunde Raji Fashola proposed Wrestlemania will hold between September 13 and 16.

Mohammed told news men in Lagos that the event would hold at the Dr Okoya Thomas Indoor Sport Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

According to him, Intercontinental Bank has neen contacting the wrestlers for the event adding that one of the wrestlers, Fuad Shawas from Kuwait had an injury during his preparation for the event. He noted that the injury is expected to be healed within two weeks but that in the event that he cannot make it, the local organizing committee (LOC) will immediately replace him with Action man Kovac from Hong Kong.

He disclosed that all the foreign wrestlers would be moved round the country for three days before the events kick-off. The co-coordinator said reason why the championships was delayed for sometime was because it needed to be set in an international standard.

He explained that the governor of the state who the event would be used to honour deserve it, because of his immense contributions to the development of sports in the state.

Among African countries that will be participating in the championships are Congo Brazzaville, Congo Dr, Cameroon, Central Africa, South Africa and Nigeria, the host.

While the European countries includes; Scotland , America, Belgium, Hong Kong, Austria, Republic of Island, and Holland.

NPL CRISIS

NFF invites Owumi T HE NFF Disciplinary Committee has invited the embattled former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), Davidson Owunmi to appear before on Friday August 12, 2011 on his recent statement in the press which has been termed detrimental to the development of the game of football in the country.

This they said is based upon what his

From Patrick Ngwaogu, Abuja

case was dismissed from the court. Owumi is also expected to explain why he took football matters to court which FIFA the world football ruling body had frowned upon.

Also the committee banned Ocean boys Okey Akabogu for six months for unruly behaviour and also banned from playing for any of the national teams. The match between his team Ocean Boys and Lobi stars will be replayed under closed door on Wednesday 17th August, 2011 at the Samson Siasia stadium Yenegoa.

In the protest filed by Rising stars FC of Akure against Gabros International FC, the committee said that the protest of Rising stars lack substance and three goals three points was awarded to Gabros.

Rising stars was fined N200,000. The protest of Sagwe FC against Relaxers Fc was adjudged as lacking merit and was thrown out. Three points was awarded to Akwa united in a protest against Relaxers FC, and they were fined N50,000 for encroachment. Referee BiogyandeN N.T was suspended for one year, while Hon Chidi Okenwa Ofor was warned to restrict himself to the assignments given to him only. Ilaorangun FC won three points against Fountain FC

Copa CocaCola Dream Team screening ‘Nigeria, Ghana will win laurels’ camp begins

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OPA Coca-Cola, Nigeria’s leading grassroots football development programme, has commenced a screening and training camp to select fifteen outstanding players from the pool of twenty one shortlisted boys that contested at the just concluded National finals of the Copa Coca-Cola U-17 Football tournament.

The camp which is being held at the Union Bank Sports Complex in Surulere, Lagos will provide the contestants with world class training on Football Science as they compete for the vacant slots in the Nigerian Dream team.

Training on Football science involves understanding technicalities, tactical discipline of the game, tricks of the game and physical conditioning. Players will also be enlightened on how to play from simple to complex, defensive rotation, and the need to up hold moral standards. The players will further have access to top-notch facilities – such as a gym, a swimming pool with two football pitches plus a lounge – and will be put on a strict healthy diet to fuel their drive.

Senior Coach Nduka Ugbade, an exinternational and football educator, said, “With football, at the end of the day, it is not about the trophy won but the experience gained. Players should realise that talent is universal but opportunities are not universal. Copa Coca-Cola has brought a unique platform to these young boys and has also changed the face of the nation as these boys have been brought in from various backgrounds to foster unity, erasing tribalism and ethnicity as they Open Up to the Game.”

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OMMUNICATION giants, Globacom has hinted that beyond the international friendly being proposed between traditional rivals Ghana and Nigeria, topmost on the priority list of the organisation is to ensure both teams win laurels in subsequent competitions.

Speaking in Lagos, the Group Chief Operating Officer of Globacom, Mohamed Jameel stated that as the official sponsors of both national teams, the organisation is set to give full support that will help both countries rewrite their names in world football.

But with the world waiting earnestly for the cracker between both countries, which was earlier called off and now rescheduled for October 11, Jameel said that the encounter is exclusively the show of the outfit, being the official sponsors.

“We are aware of the tension that

By Innocent Amomoh

NFF to name new Eaglets’ coach after U-20 W/Cup –Chukwu

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EAD COACH for the National Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets will be unveiled after the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.

A member of the Nigeria Football Federation technical committee, Christian Chukwu told SuperSport.com that the committee will meet in Abuja to tidy up the process of naming a coach for the Eaglets immediately the global football showpiece is over.

The chairman of the committee, Barrister Chris Green is in Colombia with the nation’s campaigners, the Flying Eagles.

“The FIFA Under-20 World cup is

delaying the committee from meeting to shortlist the candidates to be interviewed for the Eaglets top job.

“Lots of coaches have applied for the job, we only need to sit down and shortlist the best and we hope to conclude the assignment once the FIFA Under-20 World Cup is done with.

“The decision is crucial, we required full house of members to take the decision.”

The former Super Eagles coach who declined to name the applicants however assured that the committee will be guided by national interest in naming a coach for the team.

“Wait until the committee has done

on to Ahmed Musa

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IGERIA wonder-kid Ahmed Musa has put up imperious displays at the ongoing FIFA Under-20s, with three goals and two assists. After the world cup, it is being speculated that clubs will jostle for the signature of the huge talent.

But VVV Venlo are not willing to part with the 18-year-old super-teen, according to Club President Hai

Berden.

He said: ‘’For six months there has been ongoing interest from big clubs for Ahmed, among others from England, and this will only increase this week.’’

Meanwhile, after the World Cup, Uche Nwofor is expected to sign a three-year deal with an option for another season with VVV Venlo.

this match has generated between both nations despite the fact that it is just an international frendly, we look forward to the best side emerging victorious,” he said.

An earlier report revealed that the match will be broadcast live in Nigeria and Ghana by International Cable Channel, Supersport as well as AIT in Nigeria courtesy of Globacom for the viewing pleasure of football fans in both countries, but with the latest development, there’s no words yet from Globacom in that respect.

Consequently, the organisation has reaffirmed its commitment to the development of the game of football in both countries and has consistently been backing the two national teams in the past eight years, while sponsoring the Ghana Domestic League and the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) as well.

P

in Abuja.

SuperSport.com gathered from the team’s spokesperson, Gracious Akujobi that Ukaigwe is expected to bring her wealth of experience in women football to lift the fortune of the women senior national team.

“Her presence in the team is beneficial as she will bring her wealth of experience to bear on the team,” she told SuperSport.com.

Ukaigwe has since joined the team in camp.

Ameobi signs fresh Toon deal

N VVV Venlo to hold

EWCASTLE UNITED have extended the contract of the Nigerian striker, Shola Ameobi.

Ameobi has been at Newcastle since he was 13 years and can now look forward to being at the club until the summer of 2014.

He told the club’s official website: ‘’All I’ve ever wanted is to play for Newcastle United and it is a really happy day for me.

“Newcastle is, and always will be, my club and I’m looking forward immensely to the next three years, beginning this Saturday with the new season opener against Arsenal.

“I would also like to thank the board and the manager for their continued support, which is very much appreciated.’’

Ameobi made his Magpies debut in 2000 and has since racked up more than 300 games on Tyneside, scoring 70 goals.

Utaka quits club as free player

N

Ukaigwe now Falcons’ coordinator RESIDENT of the Female Football Interest Group (FFIG) Henrietta Ukaigwe has been appointed as team coordinator of the Super Falcons.

The seasoned sports journalist was on Tuesday introduced to the players and officials at their Abuja Millennium Hotel camp as team coordinator.

Falcons are preparing for the crucial London 2012 Olympic Games qualifier against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon on August 28

its job, those to be interviewed even the lucky coach will be made public, there is no need to heat up the issue.

“We will be guided by national interest to pick only the best and most competent for the job,” he told SuperSport.com.

Early report linked ex-internationals like Emmanuel Amuneke, Henry Nwosu, Manu Garba, Kabiru Baleria to the job.

•Ahmed Musa

IGERIA international striker Peter Utaka has revealed he will see through his contract at Danish club Odense till next year.

Utaka has been widely linked with a move from Denmark but he has now told MTNFootball.com that the club are reluctant to sell him and he will stay put till June 2012, when his contract runs out.

“I have got so many offers from England, Germany, Spain and France but my club are prepared to ensure I see through my four-year contract which would end at the end of June 2012. They said I have been the player lifting the club for the past three seasons,” Utaka disclosed.

“Now we defeated Panathinaikos of Greece to move to the Europa Cup competition and we are still going to play in the UEFA Champions League play-off which I contributed a lot. So, Odense would prefer to lose me as free agent next year than to sell me.”

Utaka has scored 44 goals in 93 matches for Odense and four goals in five matches for the Nigeria.

ECOWAS plans to hold community sport for workers •Minister advocates for community sport

A

S part of efforts to promote unity and regional integration in the Sub-African region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has concluded plans to organise a sport event for public officers of the sub region.

The event according to ECOWAS Commissioner of Human Development and Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop became necessary based on the significant role of sports in fostering peace and social development across the world.

Dr. Diop disclosed this yesterday at the opening ceremony of the Scientific Congress on ECOWAS Sports Development held in Abuja.

The Commissioner who was

From Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja represented by the Director of Gender, Youth, Sports, Civil Society and Drug Control, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe disclosed that the new platform could also assist in realizing the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) if properly implemented.

Speaking at the congress whose theme was: “Regional Integration through Recreation and Sports Tourism”, Dr. Ugbe pointed that the River State government has agreed to sponsor the West African Public Service Game (WAPSGA) in Cross River State.

The congress was considered to provide a platform for multi disciplinary discussion that draws

experts in the sport sector, particularly on community sports involvement, recreation management, sports tourism as well as health promotion in the West African regional integration process.

In his remark, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru called for the need to develop community sports stressing that it is a veritable tool for promoting effective cooperation and integrations in the country.

The Minister, who was represented

by Mr. Olaniyan Sefiu of the Directorate of Planning in the Ministry, disclosed that sporting activities in recent time, has been able to eliminate disruptive tendencies as well as encouraging peaceful coexistence among member nations of the sub-region.

•Peter Utaka

25

THE NATION

EDUCATION

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com

email:- education@thenationonlineng.com

Anxiety over Ekiti varsities merger The merger of the University of Science and Technology, Ifaki-Ekiti (USTI) and The University of Education, Ikere-Ekiti (TUNEDIK) with the University of Ado-Ekiti is a bitter pill for some students, and a relief for others, reports SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN.

W

ITH the inauguration of a new Governing Council, the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, a marriage of necessity between the University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD) and the University of Education, Ikere-Ekiti (TUNEDIK) and the University of Science and Technology, Ifaki-Ekiti (USTI), has become a reality.

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, inaugurated Prof Jide Osuntokun as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council on Tuesday.

The merger, a recommendation of the State Education Summit held in May, was approved by the government.

The stakeholders’ summit based its decision on insufficient state funds to support three universities, which it said would affect quality of education.

However, before to the summit, a Task Force/Visitation Panel on education, set up in February, had made the same recommendation.

The recommendation is contained in the panel’s 123-page report signed by its Chairman, Dr Deji Adegbite; Secretary, Mr Jide Akinleye and 13 other members.

The panel recommended that the College of Education in Ikere-Ekiti be allowed to continue as an autonomous institution to train teachers at the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree levels.

Today, the college has consolidated on this with some of its degree and postgraduate programmes accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The report reads: “The poor financial resources of the state simply do not permit continuing existence of USTI as a full-fledged university.

Again, at the moment, TUNEDIK does not have an operating licence as the state government had voluntarily surrendered the instrument to the NUC. “It is hereby recommended that TUNEDIK ceases to be recognised as a university and should be wound down accordingly. Immediate arrangement should be made to absorb the present students in the relevant departments at UNAD. “Qualified staff therein should be

•Top: Administrative Block at EKSU; Bottom: Faculty of Science Building

deployed in other tertiary institutions or agencies of government where their services would be required. The structure ceded to it by the College of Education should revert back to the latter.”

The panel further suggested that students of the two universities, USTI and TUNEDIK, be transferred to UNAD now EKSUwhile their teaching and non-teaching staff should be redeployed in UNAD and other government departments.

The merger of the universities was ratified by enactment of a bill by the House of Assembly assented by the governor.

Students of the universities, established by the administration of Segun Oni in 2009, will join those at the 29-year-old UNAD when the Governing Council determines the modalities for the merger.

However, some TUNEDIK and USTI students are bemoaning their fate. They are worried about the level of preparedness of EKSU to accommodate them and the teaching and non-teaching staff with a population of nearly 2,500.

Some USTI students argued that, given their current experience, there is no way the government can sustain the quality of teaching in their university.

They complained of perceived indiscipline among staff and students of UNAD, saying it could frustrate the realisation of dreams.

Mustapha Bolarin, a student in the Department of Mathematics/Physi-

•Dr Ajayi

cal Sciences, USTI, could not understand the government’s insistence on the merger when Public-Private Partnership (PPP) plans had been concluded for the school, especially against the recommendation of the Task Force /Visitation Panel and the Communiqué Committee of the Education Summit on the need for PPP. “I see it as absurd that the state government could insist on forging ahead with the merger, despite the PPP arrangement,” he said.

Mezuzah Kayode, a student in the Biological and Physical Science De-

partment of same institution, claimed EKSU was not sufficiently equipped to support her dream of becoming a thoroughbred biological scientist. She said EKSU has Zoology and Botany as two departments where students of one do not have anything to do with the other while in USTI she offers Zoology and Botany in the same course in the Biological Science Department.

“If the merger project is politics as some people say, why should it be allowed to frustrate the lofty attainment of this institution? Why can’t the governor come here to see things himself rather than sending people?” Mezuzah asked.

The Students Representative Council Chair, who did not give his name, said the merger has affected the gains made by the university.

“I can inform you that a university in South Korea, named Kyungnam University, had entered into a partnership not just to fund some researches in the school but for a student exchange programme through which 30 First Class students will go to that university, stay for about two years and complete their studies,” he said.

At TUNEDIK, many saw the development as a positive step.

Majority of the students are enthusiastic about the merger, though they admitted they would miss the peace in the school and the low teacher-student ratio which aided teaching.

Mr Adu Bankole, a Faculty Officer

in Arts and Management Sciences at TUNEDIK believes the move is best for the state, given the enormous cost it will take to manage three schools.

“I do not see anything wrong in the merger as it is for the better. I think three universities are too many for the state.”

Ojo Oluwatoyin, a Physics student, said the merger was necessary as the institution lacked an operating licence.

Obasekore Zaenab contended that TUNEDIK lacked facilities.

“Look at our university, there are no structures than the ones you are seeing. To me, it is a relief that we will be moved to a larger space.

However, one would also ask: “Will the space in UNAD be enough for all that will be moved at the end of the day?”

The host communities of the two institutions also received news of the merger differently. While people of Ifaki, host of USTI, are seething with anger, Ikere indigenes are apathetic as some were not aware of the existence of the university, not to mention a merger. They even asked: “which of the universities are you talking about?”

The ignorance of many have been encouraged by the multiplicity of institutions within the same environment. The compound which houses The College of Education, •Continued on Page 26

•EDO TO SHUT 300 PRIVATE SCHOOLS- Page 26 • UNIJOS PLANS RELOCATION TO PERMANENT SITE - Page 37

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

26

EDUCATION UNILORIN FILE

Edo to shut 300 private schools

Lecturer wins Fulbright award MR Mubarak Ameen of the Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), has won the Fulbright award to the University of South Florida, United States, in support of his Ph.D research.

The nine-month fellowship begins on September 1, when he is expected to resume in Florida.

It will end on May 30, 2012.

T

HE Edo State Government is to close down 300 unregistered private primary and secondary schools.

Education Commissioner, Mr Ekpenisi Omorotiomwan told journalists in Benin on Tuesday that the schools will be shut once pupils are on the long vacation holidays.

He said the schools were not closed down during the 2010/2011 academic session that just ended because ‘parent ignorantly en-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

rolled their children in such school.’

Omorotiomwan, a barrister, said the illegal schools would be closed down when it is confirmed that all the schools have gone on vacation.

“Some persons enrolled their children in these schools unknown to them that such schools were illegal. As soon as we are satisfied that all the schools are on holiday, we will close down the illegal schools

and make them known to the public.

“We will make parents know which schools they should send their wards to in the next academic calendar. We will not compromise on the schools. There are 300 of them. We have made things easier for them. I see no reason why schools will remain unregistered in this state. We have removed the bureaucratic bottleneck that they faced before registration.”

Breast Cancer awareness

Pre-registration for post-UTME

•Continued from Page 25

Alumni lauds Council on Provost

T

AS part of the efforts towards promoting the health of women and reducing the incidence of breast cancer, one of the leading causes of deaths among adult females worldwide, the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) is running a breast cancer awareness and screening programme through its Department of Radiology.

The programme, meant for women aged 40 and above, holds on Tuesdays and Thursday between 9am and 2pm until August 31. It costs N1,500.

The university has enjoined qualified female members of staff to take advantage of the opportunity.

CANDIDATES who chose UNILORIN in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) for the 2011/2012 admission and scored a minimum of 200 began their pre-registration screening for the post-UTME tests on Monday.

The exercises held simultaneously at Ilorin, Lagos and Minna centres.

•Omorotiomwan

•From left: Mrs. Sherifat Dawodu, Head, Lagos State Public Sector; Mrs. Lola Odedina, General Manger & Group Head, Corporate Communication & External Affairs, both of GTBank, presenting the bank’s felicitations to the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, during a courtesy/congratulatory visit to the new commissioner.

HE Alumni Association of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos has lauded the Governing Council for searching for a new provost.

In a letter of appreciation by the alumni to the Council, copies of which were forwarded to the Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa’i, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, (FME) Prof Nicholas Damachi and the Director, Tertiary Education, FME, Dr Jamila Suara, the former alumni commended the way the council, chaired by Chief Paul Alabi, managed the recruitment process.

“It is our prayers that an appropriate, God-fearing and progressive Provost will be appointed. From the feelers reaching the association, the interview was absolutely free, very fair, unbiased, competitive and free of any acrimony. May God Almighty bless you and your board members,” the letter signed by the National President of the Association, Alaba Olalekan, and the National General Secretary, Adegboyega Anthony said.

Former Deputy Provost, Dr Sijibomi Olusanya, has been named Acting Provost pending the appointment of a substantive provost by the Federal Government.

Anxiety over Ekiti varsities merger

Ikere Ekiti, hosts TUNEDIK. There is also a distance learning centre of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Even after the merger was made public, USTI advertised for candidates to register for its post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) screening. There were questions from the confused public centre on why would put up such a ‘non-existent university advertisement?

According to the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, who confirmed the advertisement, those invited for screening are students who had started their admission process before the merger.

“I can confirm that the University of Science and Technology, Ifaki Ekiti is now an extension of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Ekiti State University. Prior to the merger, some candidates had obtained admission forms on the honour of the university.They would have to be separately attended to now to avoid possible hiccups,” he said.

Now that EKSU is a conglomerate of three universities, will it get more funding from government?

He said: “It could be assumed that the consolidation of three into one would impose a need for additional funding which is known to the state government and is already receiv-

ing attention. As you possibly may be aware, the state government has constituted a new Governing Council headed by Prof Jide Osuntokun, with Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua as Chancellor, who will oversee the process of consolidation. It is a whole new ambitious experience and process that will impose reviews and possible overhaul of entire content and quality. I can assure the generality of our people that a new EKSU will meet the yearning of our people in terms of structure, personnel, funding and in so many other regards”, he said.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Eniola Ajayi, added that candidates for the post-UTME test, who applied through USTI, were being

treated separately now to avoid administrative lapses, adding that they would eventually be merged with those who would write same test in EKSU. At Prof Osuntokun’s inauguration on Tuesday, Governor Fayemi said no stone would be left unturned in the bid to raise standard of education in the state.

Represented by his deputy, Mrs Funmi Olayinka, the governor urged members of the council to familiarise themselves with the robust programmes of his administration for education, especially at the tertiary level.

“We expect you to midwife the

recommendations of the recently held Education summit aimed at repositioning our industry in Ekiti, which is education. We have no doubt in our minds that the crop of statesmen appointed into this council will do us proud,” he said.

He decried the proliferation of universities without due consideration for quality. He also condemned the politicisation of the location of the federal university in the state.

In his acceptance of the new responsibility, Osuntokun said he will work hard to make the people of the state proud.

UNN hosts forum on Biotechnology centre

T

HE University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), which hosted a three-day consultative forum to streamline start-up modalities for the International Biotechnology Centre approved by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for the institution from Monday to Wednesday last week at NUGA Secretariat.

The Executive Board of UNESCO at its 186th meeting in May in Paris approved the proposal for the establishment of UNESCO Category 2 International Centre for Biotechnology at UNN. Welcoming guests, the ViceChancellor, Prof Bartho Okolo, said the forum represented a significant first step in the journey towards the establishment of the centre, which is aimed at strengthening the national and regional capacities in all aspects of modern Biotechnology.

The centre, the first of its kind in Africa when established, is expected to play a leading role in the achievement of Strategic Programme Objective (SPO) of UNESCO in the sector.

“It is instructive that the key mandates of this Centre include the research of African problems related to food security, tropical diseases, including emerging and re-emerging diseases, conservation of bio resources and environmental management and control.

“Expectedly, the centre will be instrumental in producing the next generation of biotechnology specialists, who will apply cutting edge technologies to tackle the real problems that constraint our development as a continent,” he said.

In his remarks, the Director/ Country Representative of UNESCO in Nigeria Dr Joseph Ngu said the proposed Centre would

promote food security and tropical disease research and also provide a platform for exchange and collaboration at the national level and within the region and beyond.

Making a presentation, Prof Jerry Ugwuanyi, outlined the objectives of setting up the Centre, leveraging on the goodwill of UNESCO. According to him, the centre will serve the biotechnology need of Africa emphasising South–south cooperation as well as increase the contribution of Biotechnology to solving regional problems in the area of the mandate of the centre.

He added that researches on tropical diseases, such as malaria were being conducted in non -infested malaria regions, but present researches would be conducted in regions where malaria exists and vaccines in dosages would be developed to ward off malaria.

“Of course ... where there are ghost workers, there will be ghost children!”

27

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN ALUMNI AWARD

Firm denies defrauding students in Ukraine

A

FIRM, Charity Luba Consultancy Limited, has denied claims that Nigerian students admitted into the National University of Radio Electronics, Kharkov, Ukraine were defrauded by the organisation.

Contrary to stories published in some national dailies (not The Nation) alleging that the students were cheated, a statement from the firm noted that the students told lies to the management of the universities that they settled their bills through the firm.

“From our investigation, we discovered that these are students that do not have enough money for overseas studies. Instead, they tell lies to cover up. (We) get reports of students telling lies to the Deans of the universities against the company about payment of school fees.

But with tellers of payments to the company, they are proved wrong.

•From left: Oyo State Deputy Governor and Special Guest of Honour Hon. Moses Alake Adeyemo receiving an award from Vice-Chancellor University of Ibadan Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, at the 2011 Honours Award, Dinner and Fundraising organised by University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Nigeria, at the Conference Hall of the University ... on Monday.

•From right: Mr Olufemi Ademola Babalola, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment Mr. Bello Olatunji Oluwaranti Lateef, Mr Olubayo Sodade and Hon. Wale Odunlami, at the event

At this point, such students begin to beg for forgiveness,” the statement stated.

To avoid such circumstances, the firm has advised parents not to send their wards abroad if they cannot pay the fees.

In the report, some students claimed that they paid $7,000 to the company, while others paid $2,000 with the intention of completing it when they got to Ukraine. They later discovered from the dean of the school that the fee was only $1,500. They also alleged that they had paid over N300,000 as service fee and visa processing to the company plus an additional $200 to transport them to their various schools when they arrived in Ukraine.

The students said only $750 was paid to the school which is half of the intended fee and they sourced for means to complete their fees.

Imoke to automate schools

T

HE Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, is to equip 250 schools with Information Communications Technology (ICT) facilities to enable students get the requisite knowledge to meet global challenges in ICT. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Communication Technology, Mr Odo Effiong, disclosed this while briefing newsmen. He stated that Imoke has approved the project.

“Two hundred and fifty secondary schools across the state would be equipped with computers and internet facilities backed by steady power supply supplied by solar power machines and batteries,” Effiong said.

He added that this would ensure that students who graduate from the schools are equipped with the adequate ICT skills commensurate with their counterparts in other parts of the world. He said as a major driver of growth, ICT should be integrated as a prime

From Kunle Johnson, Calabar

component of education.

The site said the state has a network of infrastructure which links all its ministries and agencies through the internet.

“Through fibre back internet connectivity all the ministries and agencies of the state located in Calabar beginning from the Cross River University of Technology to the Ministry of Works are linked,” he said.

He revealed that through the network, most activities in the Accountant- General Office are done using technology.

He added that over 1,000 civil servants are trained to use ICT yearly and soon, the training would be extended to the local governments where plans are in top gear to set up resource centres.

He further said a soft ware conference has been planned with the Institute of Soft Ware Professionals of Nigeria to hold at the Tinapa Leisure and Business Resort in Calabar this month.

STAN to train chartered teachers

S

CIENCE teachers will get 17hour training during the 52nd annual conference of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) holding at St Peters Unity School, Akure, Ondo State, next week.

Its Executive Director, Dr Ben Akpan, said at a briefing in Lagos, ahead of the event sponsored yearly by the NNPC/Mobil Producing Nigeria Joint Venture, that the association has divided the curriculum of science subjects taught in primary and secondary schools into modules for the purpose of the training which, he said, is necessary to produce chartered teachers – a crop of teachers who are well grounded in their subjects.

He said the practice by schools to assign teachers subjects other than their core areas of discipline necessitated the training because such teachers are unable to go beyond the surface when teaching pupils. This results in poor knowledge and poor performance in examinations.

“We are now focusing more on syllabuses. In the past year, we have taken primary and secondary syllabuses and reorganised them into modules. We are devoting 17 hours of the conference for modular workshops and, at the end, there would be an exam.

We will certify that a particular teacher is chartered and can teach

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

the subject very well,” he said.

Highlight of the one-week conference will be the MOBIL/STAN science project and quiz competition which has a total prize money of N1,575, million to be presented at a special awards ceremony hosted by the sponsors.

Though he said the science projects by the pupils may not be over-the-top in terms of sophistication, Akpan said the involvement of the school children in scientific enquiry would imbue them with skills to conduct sophisticated scientific research in the right environment.

Ms Sarah Essiet, Manager, Major Projects, Public and Government Affairs for Mobil said the Joint Venture is happy to support the competition which aims at promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) among school children and stimulating their young minds towards innovations.

“The aim of the competition is to encourage young Nigerian pupils and students to take an interest in the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at a very early age, in the hope that one day it will lead to careers and innovations in STEM,” she said.

She also thanked the association for recognizing the sponsors as in-

•From right: Ms Eshett, Dr Akpan and Mr John Ehiguese, MD, Mediacraft Associates, at the event

stitutional partners having supported the programme for 15 years.

This year, she said the total package to be spent on the competition comes to N19 million which covers administrative costs, accommodation/feeding of delegates, publicity among others.

From the brilliant performances of the pupils in past editions of the competition, Mr Ozemoya Okhodion, Media Relations Manager for Mobil, said the future is bright for Nigeria.

“You get the feeling of hope that this country can still get to the top with the inspiration that the children display during the competi-

tion. I am amazed by the depth of their knowledge,” he said.

At least, eight pupils from each of the 36 states and the FCT are expected to participate in the competition spanning written examina-

tions in the sciences as well as oral quiz and projects.

28

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

EDUCATION

My vision for UNILAG, by VC

V

ICE-CHANCELLOR of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, has the vision of placing the institution among the top 100 in the world by the time he is through with his five-year tenure which began on January 31, last year.

Sofoluwe, had served as Dean, Faculty of Sciences, Director of Academic Planning, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) before he was appointed the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the 48-year old institution. Giving an insight into the vision of the three VCs before him, he said he is poised to consolidate on their achievements to take UNILAG to greater heights.

To this end, Sofoluwe, who calls his tenure the “era of achieving global excellence”, has focused on some projects aimed at fulfilling his dream – key among them is to transform the institution into an e-university.

In his blue book, a document that outlines his vision, Sofoluwe said he would use his experience as a Computer Scientist to drive this vision.

Already, the institution has started work in earnest Sofoluwe said the institution has secured collaboration with Computer Warehouse group, a notable IT firm, to start developing software.

“Tremendous success has been achieved in this respect.

Already, the Computer Warehouse Group has agreed to build an industrial park where software will be developed. The facility will also enable staff and students to clone computers,” he said.

In other areas, the university is also enjoying improved facilities, such as an ultra-modern English Language Laboratory, upgraded power system, a N25.4 million Terratem Base Equipment, state-of-the-Art design studio in the department of Architecture, among others.

By Mfon Paul Bassey

Some projects undertaken

by Sofoluwe’s administration that are nearing completion include: the road network between the faculty of Science and Creative Arts department; the construction of new classrooms in the department of chemical sciences and the Distance Learning institute; among others.

Others already completed are: concrete fences and walls to secure the university land from encroachment and expandion and resurfacing of internal campus roads.

Not done in the area of novel initiatives, Sofoluwe said the university will soon establish a television station.

If it succeeds, UNILAG will be the first institution to own a campus television outfit.

It was the first university to establish a campus radio station, UNILAG FM, in 2004.

Sofoluwe said the TV station will be called, The UNILAG Television, (ULTV).

“As the University of Lagos blazed the trail in establishing the first campus radio station- UNILAG Radio 103.1 FM in Nigeria, it is part of our agenda to do the same for a campus television known to be, and identified as UNILAG Television (ULTV channel XXX). ‘’Consequently, the Head of the Department of Mass Communication has been directed to urgently follow-up the University’s request to the Nigerian broadcasting Commission (NBC) as well as monitor letters written by my predecessor to the Minister of Information and Communication, on the same issue. I am aware that the stateof-the-art studio has been established through the help of United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in the Department of Mass Communication. I led the delegation that

‘As the University of Lagos blazed the trail in establishing the first campus radio station- unilag Radio 103.1 FM in Nigeria, it is part of our agenda to do the same for a campus television known to be, and identified as UNILAG Television’

• DLI building project

•Aerial view of UNILAG

reputable institutions all over the world. The university has therefore decided to strengthen the bond it has with international institutions like; Virginia State University, USA; Beijing Institute of Technology; University of South Africa, South Africa; Central Michigan University; Darlana University, Sweden; University f Michigan-Flint, USA; DUN Group De Recherché International(GORI), France; University of Charles-Louis De Montesquieu d’Abidjan-

•Prof Sofoluwe

received the equipment from UNESCO in Abuja three years ago on behalf of the University,” he said.

He also added that preparations are also being put in place to set up an information dissemination network that will later be upgraded to a directorate of information and strategy, to facilitate adequate intra and intercommunication within and without the school environment.

Sofoluwe has said he is not focusing on infrastructure alone, but working towards gaining international visibility to provide greater prospects for members of staff and students, such as exchange programmes with

Cote d’Ivoire; University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom; Kansas State University, United States and The Institute of Research for development (IRD), Marseille, France.

The university also stated that it is also committed to providing better student welfare and as such plans to rekindle the flames of student unionism that had been dead for over a decade; build additional hostels and rehabilitate existing hostel facilities; ensure that all the programmes in the univer-

sity are granted full accreditation; establish better relationships with the alumni association of the school by creating an up-to-date directory of the school’s alumni.

In terms of discipline, the Sofoluwe Vice-chancellor said his administration enforces, sternly, the penalties and academic malpractice immorality. He also stated that the university was one of the first in the country to approve a dress code and this action has been emulated by other universities in the country.

29

Who is NANS President?

*CAMPUSES

‘Stop imitation of foreign culture’

*NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS& KNOCKS *GRANTS

Page 32

Page 31

THE NATION

CAMPUS LIFE

0805-450-3104 email: ladycampus@yahoo.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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The Students Union Government of the Lagos State University (LASU) organised a lecture to commemorate the 82nd birthday of former Governor Lateef Jakande and pioneer visitor of the institution. NURUDEEN YUSUF (100-Level Islamic and Common Law, LASU) and TIMOTHY ASOMBA ( 200-Level Mass Communication) were there.

Students’ birthday gift for Jakande I

T was honour for whom honour is due. Penultimate Monday, students of the Lagos State University (LASU) under the auspices of the Students Union Government (SUG) honoured former Governor Lateef Kayode Jakande, LKJ, (aka Baba Kekere) and pioneer Visitor to the institution.

Jakande was governor between October 1979 and December 1983, during which he established LASU. When he turned 82 last month, LASU Students’ Union leaders deemed it fit to celebrate him. They organised a lecture in his honour entitled: Universal Basic Education: A reflection of Lateef Jakande’s Free Education Policy. The event, which was well attended by students, took place at the MBA Hall, Ojo campus of the university.

Dignitaries included the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello; Registrar Lateef Animashaun; Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr Bidemi Idowu; Chairman of the NonAcademic Staff Union (NASU) Jibril Yakub; Secretary Comrade Abiodun Aremu; Leader of Ijaw Monitoring Group Comrade Joseph Evah; Secretary of Democratic Socialist Movement Dagga Tolla and Prof Olumuyiwa Noah of the Department of Educational Foundation and Counselling Psychology, who was the guest lecturer.

In his address, the SUG President, Lai Adebayo, said: “We organised this programme as a way of showing our appreciation to Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who actually set the pace for the establishment of what we know today as LASU. Today, we all stand on the threshold of history as we celebrate a rare gem that came to touch lives and inculcate the essentialities of education into us all.”

Evah, who delivered the keynote address, said some of the students, who are now benefitting from the policies of Jakande, were yet to be born when the school was established.

He said: “People ask why I am involved in anything that has to do with Baba Kekere, but they have forgotten that the free education of Baba Kekere between 1979 and 1983 produced about 10,000 professionals in the Niger Delta today.

The free health care services he rendered to Lagosians saved my family. Today, the Niger Delta people make up 30 per cent of those occupying Jakande Housing Estates.”

Evah said of all the Afenifere governors arrested after the Buhari/Idiagbon coup, it was only Jakande that was discharged and acquitted. He also praised the octogenarian for his foresight in proposing massive infrastructure development.

He said: “Jakande knew Lagos would be jampacked in the nearest future then and he proposed the metro line, now used in Dubai and other developed nations of the world today, in the 80s.”

Evah advised the students to be a blessing to the generations coming after them.

• Jakande receiving an award from Adebayo

•Prof Olatunji-Bello

•Evah

Aremu said the proliferation of schools during Jakande’s tenure was impressive.

“Whenever I see Jakande, I am always tempted to cry because he reminds me of the lost generation. When he started his campaign, he said no child would go to school which is of a distance of more than a kilometre to his home. Within six weeks, he ensured that no child of the age of six roamed Lagos streets between 8am and 12noon,”he said.

Speaking on the import of the event, Prof Olatunji–Bello said she felt honoured to have spent the day with “people the youths and leaders of today will always remember for landmark achievements.“ She said: “The history of Lagos is not complete without this legend and we are all here because of his vision.”

On the state of the university, Prof Olatunji-Bello noted that LASU needed people to give scholarships. She said the institution needed to employ first class lecturers and distinguished professors but noted lack of funds was hampering the objective.

“When you talk of LASU, you talk of one class but first class graduates. We need those who can bring the dreams of our forefathers to reality. LASU is a project for us all, we have to fight cultism. LASU should be somewhere we can all sit and feel secure and talk in peace with one another,” she said.

The guest lecturer, Prof Noah recalled that Jakande abolished the shift system adding that none of the schools he built while in office has collapsed.

•Fellowship gets new shepherd - Pg33 • Kudos for Rector - Pg34 - Pg33

•Continued on page 30

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

30

CAMPUS LIFE

Revisiting the Pushing SIWES Out

R

EPORTS abound of students demonstrating over unpaid allowances after participating in the Federal Government-managed Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). They always claimed that the money, though often released late, somehow got missing between the zonal Industrial Training Fund (ITF) office and that of the particular institution’s SIWES coordinator.

Last Thursday, the ITF Director-General, Prof Longmas Sambo Wapmuk, put paid the claim by admitting that his agency was “finding it difficult to pay students’ industrial training allowance”. The reason, he added, was that “the money meant for such payment is not forthcoming from the Federal Government”.

He was speaking at a seminar in Kaduna, where he added that no matter how long it took, once the money was released, he would pay the students, even if they had graduated.

“It is when the government provides the money to us that we will pay the students because we are not paying them from our own purse. That is why we owe the students quite a lot of money. Regardless of the time, whenever the Federal Government pays the money, we will pay the students. It will reach all students who have not been paid, even after graduation. We will do that through the records and contact addresses of the students,” he said.

I guess this should be reassuring; but somehow, I fail to feel so.

Why is it that we do not show unwillingness in giving excuses to our own children?

What manner of men and women do we expect them to grow up to become when all

drop the gamut of excuses that tend to pass the buck over our failure and start

Result of our Free Enterprise essay

I

START by apologising for my inability to run this last week as promised.

The judges did their part; so the fault with is all mine.

The essay was graded using four grading elements. The first is the writer’s gen08054503104 eral understanding and discussion of the (SMS only) issues in the topic which also showed the understanding of the free market •campuslife@thenationonlineng.net writer’s idea and the strength of the argument pre•ladycampus@yahoo.com sented. This section carries the largest share of the marks - 50 - which is half of they see is our less-than-sterling examples? the total marks.

Just last week, I had cause to board a bus and The second categorisation has to do with the had the misfortune of sitting beside a loqua- structure of the essay: the introduction/opening; cious young man, an undergraduate of the body and conclusion. This carries 20 marks. The University of Benin. In the less than 30min- third element is the presentation, style and prose. utes we sat together, he had made about seven In this the judges looked for creativity and style calls, just to tell his friends how frustrating he with appropriate choice of words without losing was where he was observing his SIWES. Os- focus of the real issue. This part also carries 20 tensibly, it was a parastatal of the Lagos State marks. The final section carries 10 marks and it government. He had two major grouses. grades the grammar and accuracy.

One, he was being “just used as the errand We received a lot of entries, a little over 150. boy”, even by office assistants (the new name The highest scorer made 77% while the lowest for messengers). Secondly, “nothing”, to use made 20%. Though their interpretations of the his word, was happening in the office. He question differed, but broadly, most of the writwarned his friends: “Never allow anyone to ers showed a good knowledge and understandmake you go to a government office to do ing of the free market concept. your IT”.

Some of the writers seem to have copied their Apart from the noisy distraction, he came essays, as the piece did not look original. across as someone who is willing to work. I The judges were: Prof Samuel Kafewo, Dr. Mike wished at that moment that I had something Duru, Mr. Adedayo Thomas and Mr. Sotola to offer him. I was almost tempted to say some- Segun. thing, but his steady stream of talk did not First 13 are: permit that. By the time the bus got to my 1st: Oluwanifise Moses Abiodun - (Obafemi stop, I felt a mixture of relief (at the peace Awolowo University, Ife) from his garrulousness) and regret (at the fail2nd: Temitope Isedowo - (Obafemi Awolowo ure to talk to him).

University, Ife) Though this is directed at the managers of 3rd: Jebril Olaniyi Adisa - (University of the SIWES, it is a call on us al as parents (lec- Lagos, Lagos) turers, authorities, government officials) to 4th: Ezeiyoke p.Chukwunonso - (Bigard Me-

Ngozi Nwozor

John Eneh is the General Secretary of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Students Union Government (SUG). He was the Sergeant-at-Arms of the SUG Parliament in the 2009/2010 session. Eneh spoke with EMMANUEL SHEBBS (400-Level Political Science) on the crisis rocking the parliament as well as other issues affecting students.

T

HE SUG has been in office for about five months.

What has it achieved so far?

In such a short period, the SUG has succeeded in resolving the problems of students. We have provided clean water in the hostels by ensuring the tanks are washed regularly. We have also partnered with the management to ensure renovation of the Students Centre where students’ activities take place.

What are some of the challenges of this administration?

One of the major challenges was the increase in tuition fee by the

management. Also, electricity supply in the hostel has not been regular. Another challenge is the frequent complaint of academic stress by students. Some weeks ago, a girl collapsed in the hostel and some days later we had to rush another girl who fainted to the hospital.

We have also had cases of students collapsing while queuing to process their GSS registration. Most times we are forced to use our personal resources to address these challenges.

Can you compare the past administrations with the present one?

As you can see, we are only fivemonths old, and we have achieved so much. I believe that before our tenure expires, we will be judged better than past administrations.

What is your advice to the parliament?

Right now, I am not in the House and I cannot really say much about them. However, I can still recall that during our tenure as parliament officers, the House was a peaceful decision-making body.

The parliamentarians get their allocations. As a piece of advice, the parliamentarians should endeavour to be united because there is no progress in disunity. They should think and take decisions as one house.

How is the relationship between the executive and legislature?

It has been very cordial. Early this year, we presented the SUG budget to the House. That is constitutional. The House made the necessary amendments before it was sent to the management. We have had good official relationship. There is no problem between the executive and the parliament.

What is your advice to students?

Before I go on with that, I must appreciate the students for their patience and support to the administration. I want to urge them to keep faith with us because this government is out to make life better for students. I equally want to thank them for their commitment in paying their fees without controversy. My advice to my fellow students is to keep doing their best in everything they do.

morial Seminary, Enugu) 5th: Olusola A. Akinwale - (Lagos State University-Lagos) 6th: Ekpo Nsikak Joseph - (University of Lagos, Lagos) 7th: Igbadu Suzanne Nguhemen - (College of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi) 8th: Fadesere Tobi .S - (University of Ibadan, Ibadan) 9th: Khadija Danfulani Ahmed - (Nasarawa State University, Keffi) 10th: Olaleye James - (Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso) 11th: Dukeh Inetemona Cliton - (Niger Delta University, Welberfore. Bayelsa) 12th: Ajobiewe Tolulope Odigwe - (Fed Uni of Tech. Minna, Niger State) 13th: Akpen Ngodoo Harriet - (Federal University of Technology Minna) As we announced earlier, the first three winners (Oluwanifise Moses Abiodun, Temitope Isedowo and Jebril Olaniyi Adisa) will be presented their cash prizes next Monday, August 15, 2011. This will hold here at The Nation’s corporate headquarters, 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Mushin, Lagos. Time is 3:00pm.

We have already communicated with each of you. You can call Adedayo Thomas (the number is in your email boxes) for further details.

All other winners living in Lagos can also come for their prizes same day and time. Winners outside Lagos should email Ngozi Nwozor at ladycampus@yahoo.com and copy adedayo.thomas@gmail.com detailing your department, name and contact of your HOD or Dean of Students Affairs.

Please all winners coming for their prizes on August 15 should bring their valid students identity card.

Students’ birthday gift for Jakande

‘Legislature, executive must unite to succeed’

•John

to be the examples for these young ones.

Ciao

Continued from page 29

He added that while Jakande’s free education programme went from primary to the university level of education, the Federal Government’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) is from the primary to the Junior Secondary level.

He said: “While Jakande’s free education programme was implemented with little funds - between 11 and 40 per cent of the state budget the UBE is richly being operated with funds from the Education Tax Fund Universal Basic Education Fund and grants from the United States (US), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Federal Government.

“In spite of the funding, the federal UBE buildings in Lagos State are worse than their Lagos Stateowned counterparts.”

He cited the federal UBE struc-

ture that collapsed at Togedejoye Primary School, Isawo, Ikorodu.

The SUG Speaker, Ganiyu Ibikunle, evaluated the giant strides of Jakande’s administration. He read Baba Kekere’s citation, concluding that Jakande is seen as an epitome of selfless service.

Jakande said: “In 1979, I promised free education for all in Lagos State and I believe things can be achieved. After the election and I was about to be sworn in, I discussed with the outgoing military governor to talk to the teachers not to demand money again from students. Immediately I was sworn in, I declared free education in Lagos State. Some thought it was impossible but it happened. I directed them to build schools on any vacant land in Lagos State.

We asserted that education is the key to development.”

Students praise governor

B

AYELSA State students have praised Governor Timipre Sylva for his resolve to pay the 2010 bursary and float a new scholarship scheme for students.

In a statement, the students under the aegis of Bayelsa Students Forum described the initiative as a timely intervention that will make life better for students within and outside the state.

According to them, paying the bursary and offering scholarships to deserving students underscore the governor’s commitment to education and human capital development.

“What the governor has done is commendable. It says a lot about his commitment to the plight of Bayelsa students and the overall development of the state. In the face of the current economic and financial constraints in the state, these

From Peretimi Apeli YENAGOA

achievements of the government led by Governor Sylva are clear indication of his commitment to the interest of our students within and outside the state.”

In a chat with CAMPUSLIFE, President of the group Perekeme Douyebralade said the governor’s decision to pay was well received by parents and students. He called on fellow students to support the governor in his bid to rebuild the state.

“I am overjoyed. This news has brought smiles to the faces of our students and their parents.

Bayelsa State is the only state in the Niger Delta where students don’t get bursaries regularly.

Now that we have a governor willing to pay, we must give him maximum support.”

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is a house divided against itself. It has had four presidents since December 2009, each claiming to have been duly elected. In this report, MUSLIUDEEN ADEBAYO (recently graduated from Social Work, UNIVERSITY OF JOS), reveals the root of the division, and sought the views of some stakeholders on the development.

Who is NANS President?

W HO is the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)? The question is not easy to answer because no fewer than four persons can lay claim to the title.

The difficulty in identifying the true NANS Presient is causing confusion among students both at home and abroad. Students, lecturers and other stakeholders in the education sector do not know the duly elected president of the association.

The controversy started on December 14, 2009 in Abuja, after the expiration of the tenure of the then president, Bashir Babale, a student of the Bayero University, Kano (BUK). During NANS 24th convention held at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja, one of the contestants, Jude Imagwe, was beaten by security agents, who were at the venue to monitor the election.

Since that incident, the union has not known peace. It has split into various camps paving way for the emergence of four presidents.

The question on the lips of many students now is who the legitimate president is.

Among those parading themselves as official of the union in one capacity or the other is Iniobong Ememobong.

Ini who lays claim to being president, is a 500-Level Law student of the University of Uyo. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistic from the same institution and did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Taraba State. Other members of his executive include Uko Michael Ukpong, Secretary; Hauwa Bako, special adviser on media and communication; Ahmed Agbabiaka 500-Level Marine Biology and Fisheries (LASU); Senate President,

•Students during a NANS convention

•Jude

•Iniobong

James Akande (LASU); Clerk, Danjuma Bello (ABU); Vice President, Aliyu Saida (ABU); Director Political and Electoral Reforms, Toye Oladotun (UNAAB); Vice President External Affairs, Isah Ogirima (Fed Poly Nassarawa); Vice President Special Duties, Ibrahim

Yerima (FCE Kano); Director Of Travel, And Exchange, Bashir Yusuf (Kwara Poly); PRO, Olalekan Akeem (UNIJOS); Director Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution, Luka Jacob (UDU); Ex-Officio 2, Omotunmise Tokunbo (AAUA); Ex Officio 1, Oviawe Abraham

(UNIBEN); Fin Sec , Ejiofoma Kemearerebo (College of Education Warri); Director of Gender Affairs, Solace Godwin (UNN); Treasurer Martin Timbee (FUT MINNA); Deputy Senate President; and Ajayi Tajudeen (AAUA).

Many regard Ini as the “authentic” winner of the election though he was alleged to have been sponsored by a certain governor. He has denied the allegation.

Chairman of the election committee, Babagana Gutti, who confirmed Ini’s presidency, said he and his secretary who contested on a joint ticket, polled 142 votes to clinch the posts. He added that 253 institutions, including universities, polytechnics and monotechnics across the four zones of NANS participated in the election. Other factors that made his own camp stand out are members of his executive who cut across various zones in the country. It also controls the NANS website, www.nans.org.ng.

Ini was known on many campuses until the first quarter of last year when he was asked to declare the late Yar’ Adua unfit. His refusal, according to a NANS official in the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), made him to lose his popularity to another factional leader of the union, Imagwe who later called for the resignation of the former president.

Imagwe, a postgraduate student of Environmental and Public Health at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), has his own executive as president. Members of his camp include Dauda Bashir (OOU); Senate President, Obande Obande (UNIJOS); and assistant secretary, among others. Imagwe, according to the official, was a first timer in the NANS national convention.

Etuk Bassey Williams, whose role in the election is unknown, has also been parading himself as NANS president. He is a student of the Abia State University, Uturu. He has Jossy Ekpe as secretary general.

Kingsley Ezekwelu from Anambra State University is another factional president. Though he is not prominent like the others.

Also in his camp are Okorua as Vice-President, Paul Okafor as Secretary-General, Mohammed Yusuf as Director of Travels and Exchange and Dani Fagbodun as Public Relations Officer.

Although all the presidents run their administrations independently, what is certain is that none of them has made any impact on the lives of the students they claim to lead.

Reacting to the development, Hassan Taiwo, National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign (ERC), said NANS has lost its content, credibility and focus.

His words: “Those parading themselves as executives are not even known on their campuses. No one can ascertain if they are students or not.”

A student of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB), who begged not to be named, said: “NANS conventions used to be a place where students learn new quotes of philosophers, these days, they go to conventions with weapons, guns, charms and other ammunition.”

Students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, held their week amid funfair and disappointment, reports NGOZI EMMANUEL (400-Level Mass Communication, UNIZIK).

S

A week of fun and disappointment

TUDENTS of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, have held their week. It opened with a discussion with the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Boniface Egboka, at the general auditorium, Garba Square.

The students asked questions and made suggestions on how to improve the university during the interactive session.

Egboka took time to answer their question and also listened to them.

One of the students, Emeka Ezeoha, 300-Level Psychology, said the session was very transparent.

“The VC answered all the questions without being harsh on us. He was even cracking jokes to ease tension,” he said.

The day after the interactive session was the Old School day.

Students were dressed in different old attires with funny foot wears and thick winter socks.

Boys wore skinny trousers that

were in vogue in the 70s. The students were a sight to behold as they dressed to lecture rooms in the old school clothes. A student that dressed as Cinderella told CAMPUSLIFE: “Of all the activities of the union week, I enjoyed this one most because it not only allows me to express myself, it gives me room to do something creative, funny and perhaps weird.”

Students wore ragged clothes the next day to “beg” for money. The reason for this, according to one of the students, was to remind the society of the suffering which students go through on campus.

“We want to tell all concerned Nigerian citizens that education in Nigeria is not easy. So, we plead with them to empathise with our suffering and help,” the student said.

The Students’ Union president, Onyinye Umejiburu, however warned the rag students against travelling a long dis-

•Students in a tug-of-war during the Jeans Carnival

tance for safety reasons.

“We don’t want any loss of life in the name of rag day,” he said.

The highlight of the week was “Jeans carnival”, called a night of great funfair as students gathered at the Garba

Square to celebrate. The event featured games, comedy, music, dance and fashion. The carnival heralded The Face of UNIZIK pageant. Winners were crowned amid cheers from students who witnessed the event. Afterwards, the students gathered to worship God with praises and prayers.

The SUG Public Relations Officer, Kachukwu Kachukwu, told CAMPUSLIFE the reason for the thanksgiving. He said: “The week would not be complete if we did not give thanks to God for His mercies throughout the semester. Even if it is on the basis of thanking God for the gift of life, we have to do this.”

The week ended on Saturday with “SUG night”, which was sponsored by telecommunication giant, Globacom. Kingsley Kalu, a comedian, held the audience spellbound throughout the programme, which was attended by officials of Globacom Nigeria. The gate pass for the night was Glo sim cards, which were being poor planning”.

Continued on page 36

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE

‘Stop imitation of foreign culture’

“N

IGERIAN culture is beautiful, and its preservation is a challenge for all Nigerians.” These were the words of Mrs. Evelyn Inofomoh, a resource person at the Lagos City Polytechnic Cultural Day. Tagged Culture, our Heritage, the event, which was organised by the literary and cultural group by the institution, and coordinated

From Evelyn Anene LAGOS CITY POLY

by Mrs. Inofomoh and Mrs. E. Anana featured cultural fashion parade, drama and comedy. The highlight of the occasion was the opening of traditional dishes Mrs. Inofomoh, in her brief address, charged stakeholders to stop blind imitation of other people’s culture.

Afterwards, the students held a rally around Ikeja decked in various indigeneous native attires.

Other members of the institution in attendance were: Mrs. Adebimpe Odufuwa, Director of corporate Affairs, Mr. Shina Elegbede, Director of Council for Art and Culture, Mr. Oki, Rector, Lagos City Polytechnic and Mr T.A Onobanjo, his predecessor.

IBBUL holds Foundation Day

I

BRAHIM Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL) has held its maiden Vice-Chancellor Foundation Day. The event started with a walk for life, an exercise which made the staff and students trek from the Kobo campus through rural hospital, then to the permanent site of the school. After the exercise, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adamu Kolo, delivered a lecture at the cafeteria to mark the occasion.

Prof Kolo said the vision of IBBUL was to make it a world class centre of excellence driven by people, partnership and technology, noting: “If you don’t have a vision, it means you are blind.”

The VC said a world class center of excellence cannot be driven by only one man, but the collaborative efforts of staff and students.

He said the fact that no Nigerian university ranks among the first 100 in the world, informed IBBUL’s partnerships with various local and international organisations to make the university compete with other world-class universities. He urged students to co-operate with the management in attaining her set goals.

•Prof Kolo

From Yinka Olatunbosun IBBUL Those at the lecture were the Deans, faculties of Agriculture, Arts and Education, deputy Vice-Chancellor, Bursar, Dean of students’ Affairs, and director of sports among others.

The event was rounded up with an inter-faculty match between Managements and Arts. The trophy was won by the Faculty of Management and Social Sciences.

•Procession of students during the cultural day

Association gets female president

N

IGERIA Medical Laboratory Science Students Association (NIMELSSA), University of Calabar (UNICAL) chapter, has elected its first female president. It was in an election conducted to fill the vacant positions in the 2011/2012 academic session.

The two contestants for the position were females Ame Edet, a 400-Level student was returned as the winner with 144 votes against her opponent, Joy Ozuzu, who polled 44 votes.

From Isaac Mensah and Comfort OgonOgon UNICAL

The election was held at the Open Pavilion and began at 12 noon. Security personnel from the management surveillance unit were strategically deployed at the voting ground to ensure law and order. At about 2:33pm, the election was completed and counting began immediately.

Ame expressed appreciation to the students who voted for her

and extended her hands of cooperation to the other candidate.

She said:“Just as God used Deborah in the Bible to deliver the Israelites, so do I promise not to betray the confidence reposed in me. I solicit the cooperation of students in the quest to take the association to another height.”

The electoral commission chairman said: “The election was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

Students maintained order and decorum till the end of the election exercise.”

•Emmanuel being honoured by the campus journalist

Campus journalists hold congress

M

EMBERS of the Nigeria Union of Campus Journalists (NUCJ) University of Calabar (UNICAL) and their counterparts from Cross River State College of Education, Akamkpa have held their fifth General Congress.

The congress, which took place at the Common Lodge of Hall 8, Female Hostel, was presided over by the NUCJ president UNICAL, Emmanuel Ogar. CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the congress was held to

•Student waiting to vote during the exercise. Inset: Ame

Hostel matron’s house razed

T

HE official residence of the matron of Hasiya

and Ramat hostels in Bayero University Kano (BUK) was razed by fire last Thursday.

The incident occurred while the matron and her family

From Zeenat Ibrahim BUK

were asleep.

According to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, no one could tell where and how the fire started. The witness

said the children escaped through the windows in their room, while their parents were trapped. . Fire fighters later came to rescue the matron and her husband by pulling down the wall of their room.

From Stanley Uchegbu UNICAL

ratify the suspension of one of the NUCJ members over gross misconduct.

After the meeting, Emmanuel Umoh, former leader of the union was conferred with life membership and was given a plaque. Umoh thanked God and his colleagues for giving him the opportunity to serve

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

33

CAMPUS LIFE Fellowship gets new shepherd

Psychology students hold conference

T

HE National Association of Psychology Students (NAPS), Imo State University (IMSU) chapter, has organised a psychology conference in collaboration with V-Option Resources.

The conference was well attended by students of the department, professional psychologists and people from all walks of life. Among the psychologists that graced the occasion were Prof Nkwam Uwaoma, Dr. Agnes Osita, Mr. Val Ogu and Mr. Cally Cusson.

From Egwumba Ugochukwu IMSU

Speaker after speaker enjoined the students to discover themselves and brace up for challenges as they grow up.

The NAPS Vice President, Ujunwa Egwumba, told CAMPUSLIFE that this was the lecture was the first by the department . She said the executives would ensure its sustenance even after they leave.

Students hail SUG’s reinstatement

S •The fellowhip officials being ordained by Pastor Oke

C

HRISTIAN students have been advised to be of good behaviour to make headway. Pastor Dele Oke made the remark at the inauguration of the new officials of the Christian Campus Fellowship, NTA TV College chapter.

Also, Pastor Raphael Edmond charged the students to always look to God as their source of confidence and strength in their aca-

From Johnpaul Nnamdi TV COLLEGE JOS

demic pursuit. He urged the new leaders to see their selection as an opportunity to “work in the Lord’s vineyard.”

Highlights of the event included the presentation of certificates of service to the outgoing officials and awards to outstanding mem-

bers.

The outgoing president, Abayomi Onifade, encouraged the new officials to work in line with the purpose of God and carry other members along in realising their dream. The incoming president, Faith Thomas, responded that they needed the grace of God to move the fellowship forward.

TUDENTS of Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma have praised the management of the institution for the reinstatement of the Damisi Itote-led Students Union Government (SUG).

The restoration was sequel to the recommendation of the Prof Oyaziwo Aluede panel which investigated the cause of the unrest that led to the proscription of the union.

The students had protested the increment in their fees. But the former Vice-Chancellor Prof Sam Uniamikogbo, dissolved the union in reaction to a press briefing the

From Nosakhare Uwadiae AAU

SUG officials held with journalists in Benin. The university authorities alleged that the students did not follow due process before they spoke to the media.

However, students who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE described the reinstatement of the union as “a step in the right direction.” A student, Frederick Amadasun, praised the management for its decision. The reinstated SUG president said: “We remain unwavering in our commitment to the students.”

Students advocate speed breakers

T

HE kontagora- Minna route in Niger, has recorded many automobile accidents over the years due to over speeding.

This situation has now forced the students of the Federal University of Technology (FUT Minna) to call for speed breakers on the road to stem the situation. The students said many letters had been written to the authorities but to no avail.

Only last Saturday, a 500-Level Geology student, Ibrahim

Faith Olaniran FUT MINNA

Abubakar, who was returning from night class, was injured by a hitand run driver around 11pm.

A students’ Union official who was at the scene of the accident said: “The student sustained serious injuries on his face and a fracture to his leg.”

He further called on the Federal Government to issue a speed limit for vehicles plying the road.

Humanity is safe from environmental radioactivity, says don

T

•Procession of Esan students and their masquerades

Esan students win cultural dance

A

S part of activities to mark the students’ week at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi (AUCHI POLY), the Students’ Union Government (SUG) organised a Cultural Day and Suya carnival last week. The activities, which took place at the school pavilion, were witnessed by students from various departments.

From ‘Tosin Ajuwon AUCHIPOLY

Town/ethnic associations, called “Parapo”, displayed their various attires and traditional dances. Members of the SUG, led by the Social Director, constituted the panel of judges. The National Association of Esan Students (NAES) was an-

nounced the winner, while Benin Students Association came second.

The suya carnival followed in one of the hostels. The event featured music, dancing competition and other activities. The students thanked their Rector and members of SUG for organising the programme, which many of them described as memorable.

Varsity holds research lecture AST Wednesday, the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) held its second quarterly Research Lecture series. The lecture was titled A competitive model for determining water quality index for various beneficial users” and was presented

by Prof E.C Nduka, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the university. The lecture, which took place at Ebitimi Banigo Auditorium, was charied by the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Prof. O.E. Abumere.

Prof Nduka stated that certain

L

•As Google storms varsity From Chris Okafor UNIPORT

mathematical parameters could be used to ascertain the quality of potable. According to him, determining the quality of water does not always involve sophisticated equipment. In his words “physical and mathematical parameters could also be used to determine factors that affect water quality.”

The Vice-Chancellor who was

represented by his deputy Research and Development, Prof Willie Abbey, charged the students on the culture of attending intellectual lectures and seminars.

Meanwhile, it was a moment of joy, last week, when the team of Internet search engine, Google, stormed UNIPORT campus to launch Internet packages. The event took place at the institution’s senate chamber.

The Public Relations Officer, Mr. Williams Wodi, kick-started the event with UNIPORT anthem.

HE Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Prof Isaac Ajayi, has assured the people of safety from radioactive materials on earth.

The professor of Radiation and Health Physics gave the assurance while delivering the fourth inaugural lecture of the university on the theme “Radiation bombardments on our earth: Are we safe?”

Ajayi described radiation as energy in form of waves or moving subatomic particles in space consisting of visible light waves, heat, radio waves, infrared and ultraviolet light and X-rays to the free space. He highlighted the sources of radiation to include natural and artificial sources.

From David Owoeye AAUA Despite the presence of the materials, Prof Ajayi said his research showed that people are still safe from the effect of radiation. But he advised the Federal Government to empower the Nigeria Nuclear Regulation Authority (NNRA) to set up radioactivity measurement laboratories in the 36 states of the federation or form a surveillance network for environmental radioactivity monitoring to every part of the country.

The lecture took place at the Obasanjo Multipurpose Hall of the institution and was well attended by students.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

34

CAMPUS LIFE Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi (AUCHIPOLY) are singing the praise of their Rector, Dr Philipa Idogho for making the institution conducive for learning. To them, she is as the best leader the institution has ever had.

They spoke with ‘TOSIN AJUWON (HND I Mass Communication).

Kudos for Rector F

OR students of Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo State, their Rector, Dr Philipa Idogho, is God sent. To, them she remains the best rector ever the institution has ever had. under her, the polytechnic has been witnessing rapid development in all sphares.

The students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, described the rector as a woman of virtue, who is committed to making the learning environment conducive.

Some students described her appointment as an act of God. They said her tenure has brought peace and harmony to the institution which was notorious for incessant crimes, cult clashes and indecent dressing.

A student, who craved anonymity, said the rector is worthy of emulation. She commended her for the construction of studios and offices for departments such as Fashion and Clothing, and Food Science

Technology.

She said: “Look around the school and you will see how much she has done. She has introduced new courses and renovated the studios and offices for the Fashion and Clothing Department. Even the workshop for Mineral Resource Department is almost completed.”

Another project that has caught the attention of many students is the renovation of the institution’s main library which was in bad state before the Rector assumed office.

Aderonke Igene, a student from the Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) Department, said the tenure of the rector has yielded dividends for the institution.

“This woman has done a lot for us. The academic lives of students have become more interesting because she has renovated the library and classes. With all these in place, students are challenged to study,” she said.

Gloria Oiza, a National Di-

ploma (ND) I Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) student, praised the current administration for enforcing the indecent dressing code.

Clement Odogbon, a HND II Mechanical Engineering student, added discipline to the virtues Dr Idogho has inculcated in students commended tackling some of the challenges confronting the School of Engineering.

“I must give kudos to the rector, she doesn’t feel because she is a woman among men that she would not do much. She provides equipment to the School of Engineering for practical. Unlike before, we now have a good workshop where we learn the practical aspect of our profession.”

Happy with the warm reception she is receiving from members of staff and students the rector has promised not to rest on her oars.

•Dr Idogho

Varsity gets new VC

T

HERE are indications that the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) is ready to move forward despite the crises, which have slowed down its academic activities for over a year. Two weeks ago, the institution resumed for the second semester.

Last week, the appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor for the institution was confirmed by the state governments jointly owned by the school. He is Prof Adeniyi Sulaiman Gbadegesin. The appointment of Prof Gbadegesin coincided with the 21st anni-

From Seun Oke LAUTECH

versary of the institution.

Prof Gbadegesin is a first class graduate from the University of Ibadan in 1979 and former head of Geography department, UI. In his first meeting with LAUTECH governing council, he stated his commitment to tackle the challenges that have disrupted activities in the college of health sciences.

Although there was no major programme to commemorate LAUTECH anniversary, however LAUTECH Joint Christian Mission (LJCM) held a prayer session at the school’s chapel to mark the 21 st anniversary.

•Mohammed Camara, a 200-Level Adult Education student, receiving prizes after he won 2011 UNILAG interfaculty debate

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

35

CAMPUS LIFE

Task before Owelle Okorocha

By Gerald Nwokocha ossygerald@yahoo.com

W

ITH the inauguration of Rochas Okorocha of All progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) as the Governor of Imo State, a new era is here. In any case, the battle for the hearts and minds of Imo people could not have been less dramatic, given the people’s

“O

NE must write and rewrite till one is right.

A.R. Ammons As a young girl, I have always had this big dream that one of my write-ups will be published on a newspaper. A big dream, isn’t it?

However, what are dreams for anyway? Are they not to spur you to greater heights?

I started writing about fashion and everything that has to do with women. But I realised that every article I wrote about these topics were nonsensical, incoherent and filled with really bad points. I decided to take a break.

No more writing, until I joined a

I

T is no news that unemployment, especially among the youths, is becoming so rampant in our country. And the primary cause of this malaise is predicated on increase in population, inadequate industries, and diversification of resources from the agricultural sector. Everybody wants a white-collar job, which can never be adequate.

The problem of unemployment has not been solved because of limited industries and lack of vision on the part of Nigerian leaders, who fail to look towards vocational education. This has compounded the problem of unemployment for school leavers,

M

Y main purpose of writing is to call attention to the drastic change at the Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy (OAU), so that more problems are not created by solving just one. It is over six months that the Students Union (SUG) building has been out of bounds to the legal occupants – elected student officials. The students no longer have access to certain things and certain rights have been curtailed. Nobody has any clue what the school management will do next, but no matter what, the students will survive the battle of great Ife! OAU has produced many intellectuals including the ViceChancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole. Those that passed out are

passion for matters they consider dear. They have repeatedly bemoaned their lack of good fortune in the area of leadership except during the days of the late Chief Sam Mbakwe.

Now that the battle has been won and lost, the first task before Governor Okorocha is to reunite the people.

But for Chief Okorocha to record meaningful achievements in the next four years, there must be peace. Providing purposeful leadership for Imo people is imperative and thus, the government should be able to galvanise the people towards positive ends in the manner that Sam Mbakwe did.

Undoubtedly, there would be ‘jobs for the boys’ to compensate those who laboured to enthrone the occupant of Imo Government House. But beyond that, the governor should pick the best hands from the state to make up a winning team. By so doing, he would be true to his word that he is on a rescue mission. Of course, he is unlikely to forget so soon how sensitive

the people have become towards bad governance. Although, Okorocha made his name as a philanthropist governing the people of Imo will be a different of fish.

As governor, Okorocha must be able to create jobs by facilitating the establishment of cottage industries, as well as expanding the frontiers of agriculture through mechanisation. There is need for him to bring back the Adapalm at Ohaji that was known to generate over N500 million monthly for the state in the past. So, also must he revive the Imo modern poultry project in Obowo. Doing these would generate more revenue and jobs would be created for Imo youths.

In addition, Okorocha must open up the rural areas by constructing roads. This way, there will be easy movement of people and goods across the state. Sadly, the state is now known as an industry-free zone, with cheap hotels, women of easy virtue and

Writers’ diary

By Zainab Quadri zaynabtyty@gmail.com

writers’ group called, The Articulators. The editor of the club came to me and asked that I should come up with something about the state of education in Nigeria.

The first question I asked myself was “would I please my readers with my creative ability or would I churn out another bad article?” So I started. For the next several days, I had nightmares. I

spent hours looking at my notebook, filling page after page with ideas about the “state of education in Nigeria”. Later, the entire write up seemed pointless and I was frustrated.

I glanced through the fourpaged write up, without thinking I ran to my hostel to show a friend. I had thought she would give me credit but after reading it, she said, “this write up is not too good, you can do better”.

Slowly, I sat down and went

scanty filling stations thrive. If industries are not established, whatever impact the present economy may make, it can only be fleeting. The governor should take a cue from his predecessor, who promised to create 10,000 jobs without functional industries to employ the youths.

Okorocha’s victory could not have come at a better time. As an avid supporter of qualitative education, no one is better informed on fortunes of good education. He has introduced free education although a school of thought believes the state does not have resources to fund such programme. But it is a step in the right direction. The governor also deserves credit to have announced that the tuition of the state-owned university should be reverted to what it used to be. But it seems provision of quality education is the most important thing the citizens want.

Meanwhile, it would be a good step to restore inter-house sports,

through the write up myself. Although, I felt a sense of pride for coming up with the article after two weeks of hard work but then I remembered what Joseph Trimmer said about writing. He said: “The task of writing may seem overwhelming but the reward makes the hard work worthwhile and besides writing positively is an opportunity for communication and you will develop the confidence you need to overcome its occasional frustrations”.

Therefore, I went back to my notebook and I started writing again with confidence, knowing

inter-school debates and quiz competitions, all of which formed the previously cherished school experience and values. The children deserve no less. Continuous re-training of teachers, too, is necessary.

I am glad that it is my governor, Rochas Okorocha, that has made his security vote public and has openly spoken of reducing it to N2billon from N6billion, so that he could fund education in the state.

He is also one of the few governors that agreed to pay the new minimum wage, without federal coercion, using limited available resources. That means he has his people at heart. His unannounced visit to ministries and schools are welcomed. Okorocha was elected on a popular will and must work for people, so he could reciprocate the gesture.

I implore him to also consolidate on some of the good policies of the Ikedi Ohakim administration especially the Clean and Green. He should beware of sycophants and work with administrators. I believe with his rescue mission agenda, Imo will be better.

Gerald, Graduating student of Information Management Technology, FUTO

if I tried again, I would do better. I have also learnt that writing is an exercise; you get better and faster with practice.

To become a writer, write. Don’t wait for that book manuscript or that MAC 311 newspaper and magazine production to work on your writing. You can start now.

Nevertheless, if you want to be a good writer you have to read, read and read! However, if you are still scared to write like me, you have to stop worrying and start writing.

Zainab, 300-Level Radio and Television Broadcasting, LASU

Solution to unemployment who take solace in robbery, kidnapping and prostitution.

Unemployment has affected not only the citizens but also the country itself. Its attendant effects have caused problems such as low national income, which could be the direct result of limited market for products, economic wastage, low standard of living, and set back in development and investment.

But there are possible remedies to the problems of unemployment, of which self employment is one.

Self employment, working

for oneself and not being employed by a company, industry, firms and government, is the most effective panacea to the problem that has rendered youths unproductive. School leavers should pick more interest in employing themselves, rather than walking around, looking for white-collar jobs which are hard to come by.

Graduates should be encouraged to start something on their own. They should put their acquired knowledge into practice rather than waste their time looking for non-ex-

istent jobs. The government and corporate bodies should also encourage this by providing funds or capital with which many graduates can start a small scale enterprise.

The government also needs to strengthen vocational education. If this is done, no graduate would depend on government or white-collar jobs. They would have solved the problem of unemployment once and for all.

Chidiebere, 300-Level Educational Administration and Planning, FCE Pankshin

Let us have our union back

By Betty Ubani bettydeboldeva@yahoo.com

proud to be graduates of the school and some return to become members of staff. Each academic year, over 10,000 candidates apply for admission into OAU. From time immemorial , the university has been known as “Great Ife”. There has also been a time of bloodshed that claimed the lives of some students. Every July 10, OAU students remember George Iwilade, a law student, popularly known as ‘Afrika’ and other victims who were murdered by cultists

in 1999 for canvassing for an egalitarian and cult-free atmosphere.

This is the extent to which the students of the university cherish their freedom. But during the tenure of the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof Michael Faborode, the school witnessed a tough time with the SU. Prof. Faborode never gave room to the opinion of others. On different occasions, he walked out of the Senate sitting to avoid accepting their decision. You either praise him to stay in school or challenge his authority and risk suspension or outright expulsion. It was never

a thing to worry about as the school academic calendar was being interrupted under his administration. However, the only visible change was in the area of infrastructure.

The SUG activities have been suspended for over 24 weeks and nobody seems to be disturbed. For now, no access is allowed into the building. There is no way a lawfully constituted students’ union would not react to an increment that is over 100 per cent. The truth is that the former VC played a smart one.

That was why the freshers resumed a week before the return-

By Chidiebere Umeorizu chidicamilla@yahoo.com

ing students. Of course, the role of the SU in any institution can never be undermined.

After the proscription, it has been one story or the other. Transportation fare has increased. The health centre has gone worse with little attention paid to student patients. There have also been cases of rape on campus. These were all checked when the union was in place. This is to say that the de proscription of the SUG is overdue. We need it back and this is a task before Prof Omole. Meanwhile, let me wish him well as he rolls his sleeve to solve the problems bedeviling the institution.

Betty, is a student of Dramatic Arts, OAU, Ile-Ife

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

36

CAMPUS LIFE

Hello Young One

By Uche Ogbonna uche.ogbonna@fidelitybankplc.com 08055061278

SAT by and watched steadily as you work your way up the ladder of life. In some areas you have done well, in others you have stumbled and slipped, while in yet other you have disappointingly bungled opportunities that could have set you apart and got you ready to take over the vast empire I have worked hard to build.

I have watched you take decisions, some good, some not so good. I have watched you select friends, some good, and some bad, some out rightly horrible. I have watched you work, play, relax and spend money, and now I am worried.

I am aging and I need to get you ready to take your place and this is why I am taking my time to write you this letter, long by my standards, but necessary at a time like this.

So listen up. If you are going to be ready to take over this business and grow it, you must realise that no real business is born just to make money. If you focus on the money, you will compromise your standards. Focus on the customer.

Focus on people. If you focus on people and give them what they can appreciate; if you take your time to keep perfecting the relationship between your product and the people who utilise your product, they will keep coming over and over and over. Sheep graze only where the fields are lush! Money is only a by-product. You will make money, that one is guaranteed, but if you focus on it and disregard people, you will fail. I am worried because as I watch you, I see your disregard for those around you. You haven't learned yet how to speak in that nice compelling manner that rivets the listener to you. You need to learn to love people. Love them, regard them, design everything you do to delight people. If you develop your "people" skills, then you will be on your way to sitting where I am sitting right now.

I am also worried about your disregard for time lines and schedules. You are late to your classes, late to events and appointments and you were even late to your sister's wedding! You do not use your watch regularly even though you own one, and even when you put it on, you simply wear it as a form of jewelry. Personally, I never employ anyone who does not wear a watch and I have severally given watch gifts to staffers who I noticed to be late comers. Your late coming is irritating. I have invested too much in you, but I am worried that it may turn to be a waste of

I

On and Off Campus

resources because frankly, if you cannot keep to time then you cannot be wealthy nor manage wealth. That is the business we are into - managing the wealth and resources of valuable customers.

I know in your usual brash and impatient manner you may want to drop this letter and though I have written a lot, I still have one or two things to say to you. So listen.

I had Randolph look through your wardrobe the other day. As much as you seem to be a trendsetter in casual and school or campus attire, you seem not to have a single business suit! How appalling. How can the heir to a CEO position not have a single business suit with which to attend a formal function? I am sure that some of your peers have one or two plain dress shirts and at least one black business suit with which they can attend a function that requires such. How can you be taken seriously if you do not dress seriously? Have you not heard that we dress to be addressed? Have you never heard that you do not have a second chance to make a first impression? How then do you think that you can be taken seriously when you look shabby? Those around you must take a cue from the way you dress. You must be neat, professional looking and polished at all times. Our circle is one of decency, charisma, poise, grace and panache.

Look the part or you may never get the chance to act the part.

Finally young one, you must learn to be reliable and trustworthy. Let your word be your bond. In this business, we trade 'TRUST' as currency. At this level, we do not speak carelessly.

We chose our words carefully, not because we lack what to say, but because we recognise that what we do say has a ripple effect that may have untold consequences. You may not learn all of this in the class room, but learn this well. You cannot be CEO if you cannot stand by your word.

The people you speak with must be able to take your word to the bank!

I have to stop now. So much I have left unsaid.

I trust you will read this over and over again.

As I have said before, the lion is aging fast, and your place is needed here as CEO, but it will take a huge amount of discipline and attention to the things that make CEO's.

Learn them well, young one. Learn them well.

Best Regards The CEO. Contact us marketing.communications@fidelitybankplc.com uche.ogbonna@fidelitybankplc.com 08055061278

•Contestants in Miss UNIZIK pageant during the SUG Night

A week of fun and disappointment Continued from page 31

sold to students at the gate of the venue.

The highlights of the night were the selection of Mr and Miss UNIZIK and music performance by popular musician, Terry G. The performance of Ginger your swagger crooner was, however, greatly hampered by bad sound system, which prompted the music star to leave the stage unceremoniously after 45 minutes. This infuriated the stu-

dents and many left the event in disappointment. Others who waited behind hurled sachet water on the organisers to register their displeasure.

An aggrieved student said: “It was a fine week that ended on a bad and unceremonious note because of poor sound engineering. Every student was more interested in the Terry G performance than any other thing but unfortunately, the pleasure was denied them because of poor planning.”

By Solomon Izekor 08061522600 •Cross section of parents at the occasion

College Provost hosts parents

S

OLE Administrator of the College of Education (COE), Ikere Ekiti Prof Francisca Aladejana, has held a “Parents teachers forum” over the closure of the institution. The event took place at In God We Trust lecture theatre.

Mrs Aladejana called the meeting to inform the parents about the behaviour of their wards in relation to the crisis that led to the closure of the school two months ago.

She told the parents: “The philosophy behind this forum is to afford parents, guardians and teachers the golden opportunity to interact and brainstorm on issues that border on the well being and progress of their wards in particular and the College in general. It is noteworthy that the certificate we give in this college, is not only based on the academic assessment of the students but also on the behavioural assessment.”

“One may, therefore, be making wrong conclusion, if he believes that, passing all the courses offered in the college is a sufficient condition for the award of NCE certificate. In the light of this understanding, I wish to plead with you, parents and

From Olusegun Adegbenro COE IKERE-EKITI

guardians, to join the college authority in passing the message to your wards that good behaviour is complimentary to academic excellence in the award of NCE certificate.”

Some other issues raised are school fees, constitution of parent forum executives, setting up of quality assurance and dress code committee.

Responding, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, a parent, thanked the sole administrator for calling the meeting and complained about the manner of dressing in the school. Another parent, Mrs. Helen Ajayi said: “I want the school fee which is between N22,000 and N40,000 to be made public so that other parents can be aware.”

Ola Joseph said: “I want the health centre to be rehabilitated.”

Mrs Aladejana promised that all the issues raised would be looked into. The parents set up a committee to oversee the forum. The members of the committee include Chief Kolawole Oluwadamilare, Chairman, Mrs. Rachael Ajayi, Vice Chairman and Prince Ola Joseph, Publicity Secretary.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

EDUCATION

Poly students seek end to HND/degree holders’ discrimination P OLYTECHNIC students have appealed to the Federal Government to make polytechnics, monotechnics and allied institutions degree awarding institutions to stop the discrimination between HND and degree holders.

They want the government to grant polytechnics and related institutions to award Bachelor of Technology (B.TECH) “to promote competition in the education sector.”

The students under the aegis of the National Association of Polytechnics Students (NAPS) made the call during a visit to the Interim Management Committee of Nige-

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

ria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Benue State Council. Led by its President, Ebenezer Eze, NAPS also called for the funding for polytechnics and monotechnics to encourage technical and vocational skills and discourage paper certificates as means of determining who is employable.

The association also appealed to Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyat Ahmed Rufa’i, tackle the dilapidation of facilities in polytechnics by

setting up a fact-finding committee comprising rectors, NAPS and National Association of Nigerian Student (NANS) officials of NANS officials and members of federal and state ministries of education.

NAPS is also making a similar appeal to Dr Muazu Kazaure, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to promote technical and vocational education towards achieving the Vision 20:2020.

It condemned the bombings in some parts and called on security

agencies, monarchs and other stakeholders to collaborate to tame the“violent destructive monster”.

NAPS promised to set up a Student and Community Security Committee comprising Students Union Government (SUGs), security agencies and community leaders across the country to help combat the problem.

Chairman of the Interim Management Commiittee of NUJ in Benue State, Tegh Tegh Dakor, advised the NAPS leadership to lead by example and strive to stamp out social vices, such as cultism and examination malpractices from polytechnics.

UNIJOS plans relocation to permanent site From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

A

•A new structure at the permanent site. Inset: Prof Mafuyai

“We have been appealing to government year-in, year-out on that issue, but nobody seemed to be listening to those appeals. How long should we continue to bear the risks of operating from three different campuses as a university? The university went so close towards getting a take-off grant during president Obasanjo’s administration.

Obasanjo responded positively by approving N1billion to develop the permanent site, but from all indication, the school authorities have not been able to get the money till this moment.”

Owing to lack of funds, the university has been operating from three different campuses within Jos

city, the permanent site; temporary site, and the old campus on Murtala Muhammed Way, Jos. The three pioneering faculties are: faculties of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences as well as Education.

Majority of its faculties such as Medical Sciences, Management Studies, and Administration as well as some academic and administrative complex, are left to operate from the temporary site with its attendant security challenges.

Despite the frustration, Mafuyai believes that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan will open windows of opportunities, to access the grant.

Mafuyai is also hoping to lever-

‘The university went so close towards getting a take-off grant during president Obasanjo’s administration. Obasanjo responded positively by approving N1billion to develop the permanent site, but from all indication, the school authorities have not been able to get the money till this moment’

age on the goodwill of successful old students of the university to raise funds.

“The university will exploit fully the opportunity of the alumni members occupying privileged position in the current administration. We can boast of the person of Mr Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation ( SGF). About four of the ministers are our alumni. Three of the governors are our alumni, as well as numerous lawmakers at the national and state assemblies. Very soon, we shall take our cry to them and I strongly believe they will listen to us,” he said.

He said the Advancement Office is mobilising the over 40,000 alumni members to support their alma mater financially, an effort that is yielding positive results.

Its funding challenges notwithstanding, Mufuyai said the university’s commitment to academic excellence is not in doubt.

The management is projecting to be second to none among universities in Nigeria, just as it aspires to be one of the best 10 in Africa, and also rank among the best 100 in the world.

UNIOSUN appoints DVC, provosts

T

HE Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has named Prof Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde as its Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

A statement by the Senior Assistant Registrar (Corporate Affairs), Mr Marcus Awobifa, said he would serve for three years between 2011and 2013.

Born on December 1, 1956, Olatunde obtained his B.Sc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Lagos (1980) and M.Sc in Agricultural Biology and Ph.D Agriculture from the University of Ibadan in 1982 and 1989.

Prior to his joining the Osun State University in 2009, Olatunde was

Varsity signs MoU THE Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a 104-yearold Pittsburg State University (PSU) on collaboration in research, lectures and symposia; and staff and students exchange programmes.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Isaac Ajayi, travelled to the United States to sign the document on behalf of AAUA; Dr Lynette Olson signed on behalf of the American university where she is provost and vice-president for Academic affairs.

While in the US, Ajayi also attended the 56th Health Physics Conference in West Palmbeach, Florida. He presented a paper on, radiological implications of background radioactivity in the sediments of some rivers and streams in Nigeria.

VC counsels freshers

•Appeals for take-off grants FTER over three decades of operating on its temporary site, the management of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) is making concerted efforts to move to its permanent site on Kaduna-Bauchi road.

Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof Hayward Babale Mafuyai, who made this known in Jos, lamented that the relocation has been a battle the management has been waging since 1975. The main challenge that has hampered the relocation can be traced to failure to claim its take-off grants from the Federal Government since inception even when younger universities have got theirs.

He said: “The gradual movement commenced several years back with the movement of three of its faculties to the permanent site where the library complex of the institution had to be converted to classrooms and offices to mark the beginning of academic activities.

“Why should the Federal Government single us out to deny us our take-off grant when other second generation universities across Nigeria got theirs long ago, and had since moved to their permanent site? If the government has appreciated the fact that we have a peculiar problem at the University of Jos, they would have been more forthcoming in helping us in solving some of our problems.

“This university is a second generation university and the only one in that category that is still operating on its temporary site. What is responsible for this, we cannot say.

Moving to the permanent site is not the kind of project our statutory allocation can solve. The cost of setting up the administrative block alone costs over a billion naira. The development of the permanent site needs a special intervention from the government.

AAUA FILE

an Associate Professor at the University of Agriculture Abeokuta (UNAAB), where he served on the Senate and Governing Council.

Olatunde, who has published 34 scholarly papers in national and international journals, is married with three children.

The university has also appointed new Provosts for its six colleges, deans and directors.

The new Provosts are: Prof B. R. Olorede (College of Agriculture), Prof C. O. Alebiosu (Health Sciences), Prof Temi Ologunorisa (Management and Social Sciences), and Prof W. A. Gbolagade (Science, Engineering and Technology.

Also, Prof O. O. Soriyan has been

appointed Acting Provost of the College of Education, while Prof Funmi Adewumi, is the Acting Provost for the College of Humanities and Culture.

Those appointed as deans are: Prof G. A. Adegboyega (Faculty of Engineering), Prof C. O. Alebiosu (Basic Clinical Sciences), and Dr P. O. Akinwusi, Acting Dean (Faculty of Clinical Sciences).

Prof J. O. Fawole is Director, Foundation Programme, the duo of Dr. O. J. Alamu and Dr. F. E. Babatunde, are Deputy Directors, Academic Planning and Quality Assurance Units. Dr J. O. Olaitan is the Acting Dean, Student Affairs Unit.

THE AAUA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olufemi Mimiko, has charged the 1, 249 part-time students to work hard.

Mimiko said: “The avalanche of out-of-school time that you have – Monday to Thursday – should be judiciously spent. How you spend it is a test of the man or woman that you will grow into in future. Plan your time well, study hard and live a responsible life,” he said.

Underscoring the importance of character as a core component of the university programme, he urged them to go on a self-discovery tour to exploit their innate talents.

He said: “Turn on your creative torch. Look within and tap your talent; your greatest wealth lies within you. The world is moving away from paid employment to entrepreneurship.”

Mimiko assured the students of the institution’s ability to cater for their learning needs.

“We have manpower. We are working to expand the infrastructure and the structures and we are daily strategically positioning all these to make a difference in the world of academi,” he said.

•Prof Mimiko

Alumnus wins CIBN award

•Prof Olatunde

A 2006 Banking and Finance graduate of AAUA, Miss Mary Oluwafunke Fakutiju, has won the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) prize for the Best Graduating ACIB Student for last year’s diets of the institute.

A statement by the Acting Head of Department of Banking and Finance of AAUA, Dr T.M. Obamuyi, said Ms Fakutiju was presented with the award at a Graduates Induction/Prize Awards at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Another alumnus of the department, Miss Rachael Bukola Akintade, won the prize in 2009.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

38

EDUCATION ACE FILE

SCHOLARSHIP

Coop declares N5.9m surplus THE Cooperative Multipurpose Society Limited of Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo, has declared N5.9 million as net surplus for the 2010/2011 financial year.

Declaring the amount at the Annual General Meeting held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Auditorium, the President of the Society, Mr Remi Busari, said it fared well this year because most of the difficulties encountered last year had been surmounted.

He added that as a result of the favourable operating environment, a dividend of 5.7 per cent on members’ investment has been recommended for payment compared to 3.5 per cent declared in 2009/2010.

CET donates to schools THE Centre for Educational Technology (CET), ACE, has donated instructional materials to five schools in Ondo.

They were produced by students of the Department of Educational Technology.

The beneficiary schools included Adeyemi Demostration Nursery and Primary School, Adeyemi Demonstration Secondary School, St Hellens Unity Secondary School, Ondo Boys High School, and St. Louis Grammar School.

The instructional materials would enhance teaching at both Primary and Secondary School levels and will promote self-reliance in line with the National Policy of Education.

APPROACHING DEADLINES Bioversity International announces Fellowships in the field of biophysical, economic and social themes related to the conservation and use of of genetic resources in developing countries-2012 Study Subject(s):Biophysical, economic and social themes related to the conservation and use of of genetic resourcesCourse Level:Research Scholarship Provider: Bioversity International and Pioneer Hi-Bred, United States and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Scholarship can be taken at: Developing Countries Eligibility: Nationality: Applicants should be nationals of low income and lowermiddle income countries, according to the Human and Income Poverty Index. Age: Applicants should be no more than 35 years of age. Degree: Applicants should hold at least a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject area.

Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes Scholarship Open for Students of Following Countries: Developing Countries Scholarship Description: Two fellowships, for up to US$ 20 000 each, are available for 2012 to carry out research, from 3 to 12 months, on a wide range of biophysical, economic and social themes related to the conservation and use of plant genetic resources in developing countries. This year’s Vavilov-Frankel Fellowships call focuses on the following themes Undergraduate Scholarship for developing countries applicants at University of Oxford in UK Study Subject(s):All subjects except medicine Course Level:Undergraduate Scholarship Provider: University of Oxford Scholarship can be taken at: UK Eligibility:Fee status: -Overseas Level of study: -Undergraduate Year of study: -New students Subject: All subjects except medicine College -To be confirmed Other criteria: -This scheme is only suitable for candidates of the highest academic ability who have outstanding examination results. However, financial need and social commitment are also major criteria for selection.

International Achievement Scholarships for Various Countries Study Subject: Any Employer: Sheffield Hallam University Level: Undergraduate, Postgraduate Scholarship Description: International Achievement Scholarships programme is open to students from any non-EU country applying to study at Sheffield Hallam University who will be enrolling in 2010/11 (January intake) or 2011/12 academic year. All full-time undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses are taking part in the programme.

The scholarships will be awarded to well-qualified students who demonstrate academic, personal or professional achievement in the personal statement on their scholarship application form. Successful applicants will be awarded with a cheque and a certificate to mark their achievement at a Scholarships ceremony following enrolment on their course. This scholarship is not a reduction in fees.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 30 June 2011 for courses starting in September 2011 30 November 2011 for courses starting in January 2011 Fellowship program for international applicants in the field of Applied Sciences,Science and Humanities at University of Ilorin, Nigeria Study Subject: Applied Sciences,Science and Humanities Employer:University of Ilorin Level: Postdoctoral Fellowship Description: As part of her efforts in building a global academic environment, the University of Ilorin offers a variety of Research Fellowships to qualified scholars of foreign nationals to carry out relevant developmental researches. The fellowship is tenable in the following disciplines: Applied Sciences (Engineering and Technology, Medicine, Agriculture); Science (Science, Communication and Information Sciences, Physiology and Anatomy) and Humanities (Arts, Business and Social Sciences, Education and Law).

Eligibility: The candidate for the fellowship should: i. Be a non-Nigerian; ii. Possess a Ph.D ; iii. Submit a well articulated research proposal in any of the disciplines listed above; iv. Possess excellent communication skills and be computer literate.

Fellowship Application Deadline: September 15, 2011

GRADUATION

‘Why schools produce poor graduates’ F he were the pesident, all schools will have adequate facilities, qualified teachers, and a system would be guided by stable policies.

This was the declaration of Mr Segun Olusola, principal, Laureate College, Mafoluku, Lagos, during the valedictory service of the school.

Olusola said he would make education his main focus and allocate enough funds to ensure its development.

He lamented that schools were not producing the right quality of students, blaming this on the unemployment of many graduates.

He said: “The way education is in Nigeria is sad. Schools are not manufacturing what is expected of them. This is why here at Laureate College, we have also trained our students to have entrepreneurial skills so that they can make it out there even without employment.”

To tackle unemployment, he said Laureate encourages its pupils to develop entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance.

The former Head Girl, Urenna Emenyonu, urged her classmates and others to embrace positive changes.

“There is a saying that goes thus: ‘There is a certain relief in change

I

By Kemi Runsewe

even though it is sometimes difficult. This implies that change is a way of life that we must welcome regardless of our choices,” she said.

Urenna said she was thankful to the school for the grooming, mentoring and support it provided them. She added that the school has left a lasting impression on them.

“Six years of the most productive period of our lives were spent here.

Though some of us joined the school later on, a lasting impression has been burned into their hearts. During this period; we were groomed, moulded and taught in ways worthy of envious thoughts. It is for this reason that I deem it fit to show gratitude, as he who receives a benefit should never forget it,” she said.

Joke Silva, a popular Nollywood actress, who also addressed the nine graduands, foresaw a bright future for them. She likened them to candles, urging them to proudly beam their light even in dark areas.

She said: “When I look at you children, I see hope for this nation. You children are bright, you are like candles. When you light a candle in the dark, you see the difference, so also, you are to light up this country. When you get out there, don’t be influenced but influence others with your light.”

‘The way education is in Nigeria is sad. Schools are not manufacturing what is expected of them. This is why here at Laureate College, we have also trained our students to have entrepreneurial skills so that they can make it out there even without employment’

•Pupils of Mind Builders School presenting a play on unity at the ceremony

Parents urged to allow normal pace of education

T

HE Education Director of Mind Builders Schools, Lagos, Mrs Bolajoko Falore, has urged parents to allow their children go through elementary school.

She spoke during the prize giving and music concert of the school held at its Ikeja, Lagos branch.

Mrs Falore, whose speech was read by the Head Teacher, Mr Olatunde Rufus Opeyemi, said it is compulsory for children to spend nine years at the basic education level – primary and junior secondary.

She said: “I appeal to parents to allow their children go

through the normal pace of passing through all the classes. That is from basic one to six as stipulated by the new Federal Government Policy on Education. The new system of education, Universal Basic Education (9-3-4) has made it compulsory for every child to spend nine years in primary school, three years in Senior School and four years in the university.”

Speaking on the school’s activities in the past session, she expressed pride in the achievements of the pupils in various endeavours, especially the ability of its Basic Six graduands to secure places in good private secondary

schools.

“Mind Builders have recorded many successes and achievements in various fields both internally and externally. It is also worthy of mention that all our basic six pupils have secured admission into various private secondary schools of high academic standard,” she said.

She promised to continue to sustain the good standard.

The best graduanting pupil is Darasimi Oloyede while Mrs Emiantor Joy Iroghama is the best parent of the year.

Parents, teachers and guests were treated to special cultural dance, songs, drama, ballet, and choreography.

39

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

EDUCATION

Systemic decay hampers youth development

GRADUATION

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•From right: Mrs Kate and Mr Kenneth Imansuangbon, congratulate Fadilah and her mother Mrs Mohammed Kabir at the event.

Pace Setters’ Schools graduate 296

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ACE Setters’ Schools, Abuja, have feted 296 pupils, who completed their kindergarten, primary and secondary education in the 2010/ 2011 academic session at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel and International Conference Centre.

They included Kindergarten and Grade (Primary Six) graduates from the Wuse and Gwarimpa schools, as well as SS 3 graduates from the Wuye and Gwarimpa colleges.

At a dinner in honour of 51 of the pupils at the Hilton, a fourthyear student of Economics and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States of America, Mr Obinna Ukwuani, spoke on the virtues of hard work and focus.

“Most of what I am today was learnt in my early years here in Nigeria. The qualities of hard

work and dedication were two things I learnt. At the MIT, I am made to compete against brilliant students from China, America and other African countries. To succeed, you must be focused, work hard, believe in yourself and learn to achieve,” he said.

He expressed faith in Nigeria and assured that he would return after his education to contribute to the development of the country.

In a lecture entitled: Education as a catalyst for development, the guest Speaker,Mr Henry Idahiagbon, urged the government to pay attention to public education. He said without it, the country could only dream of great technological breakthroughs.

The high point of the dinner was the award of prizes to the winners of the Kenneth Imansuagbon National Essay Competition, instituted by the

Pupils dazzle parents

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ARENTS, and guardians of outgoing pupils of Diamonds Mine School, Ifako Ijaye, Agege, Lagos, were thrilled by their children and wards at the prize-giving/valedictory service held in the school premises.

Decked in their best robes, the pupils left their parents glued to their seats during presentations by various classes.

There were poem recitations, quotable quotes, riddles, drama, which centered on various virtues delivered in flawless Yoruba, among others.

The presentation of the graduands and their mothers was the most interesting session. All nine parents of the five-year-olds who passed out from the nursery section were the first to file out, followed by the five parents of the primary school graduands. The parents prayed for their children and wished them a brighter future.

Earlier, the Proprietress, Mrs Grace Aderibigbe, expressed happiness at sending yet another set of pupils of the into the world.

She said: “We are sending these diamonds into the world, with the confidence that they would continue to shine wherever they find themselves. We are proud of them and we are confident that they will compete favourably with their peers anywhere in the world.”

By Adegunle Olugbamila

She urged them to shun evil and its devices as well as beware of bad company.

The proprietress extolled the virtues of the Head girl, Miss Abimbola Olowu, who she described as “a very brilliant, painstaking, diligent and sharp girl.” She said she would miss the graduands because they occupy a special place in her heart.

She noted that many parents have abdicated their responsibilities to teachers and schools adding that as a child’s first teacher, parents must always be there for their children, by assisting them in their home works, monitoring their activities and keeping close watch on what they do at school to ensure that the school continue to play its role of educating the child.

“Parents should be more involved in the educational pursuits of their children as this remains the only way they can assist the teachers in ensuring the success of the learning process,” she added.

Highpoint of the event was the presentation of gifts to deserving pupils. This, among other prizes include, a prize for the most obedient pupil, the most punctual boy and girl in all categories as well as the first, second and third positions in all arms of the kindergarten, nursery and primary sections.

Chairman of the schools.

Winners in the senior category were Fadilah Mohammed Kabir of Pace Setters’ College, Wuye, followed by Joy Okoyo of Patricia Private School, Benin City and Chidera Joseph of Kings Academy, Lugbe, Abuja.

In the junior category, Precious Bello Edobor of University Preparatory Secondary School, Benin-City, came first, while Maxwell Abaniwu and Dominic Ikechukwu, both of Pace Setters’ Colleges in Gwarimpa and Wuye came second and third. They all went home with netbook computers and N100, 000; N60, 000 and N40, 000, in both categories.

Director of the schools Mrs. Kate Imansuagbon, sang for her pupils at both dinner and the graduation the following day.

The Chairman, Kenneth Imansuagbon, charged the outgoing pupils to justify their parent’s investments by being useful members of the society and good ambassadors of the schools.

HE systemic decay in the country has affected youths from developing their potential fully, the Director-General of Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Prof Tunde Babawale, has said.

Babawale, who was the guest speaker at the Yaba College of Technology Secondary School’s Seventh speech and prize giving day, said the decadence in the society has impacted negatively on the youth population.

His words: “Although, youths are making great impact, in sports, the arts, literature and numerous other endeavours in contemporary times, the potentials of the youth have not been maximised because the systemic decay that has afflicted the Nigerian state has had deleterious effect on the youth population.”

He noted that the energy and activism that should propel the youth towards productive ventures are being diverted into counter-productive and extra-legal activities such as the ‘yahoo yahoo’ syndrome, examination malpractices, religious fundamentalism, cultism, violence, drug abuse and political thuggery.

Babawale said: “In today’s globalised would being young or youthful is radically different from what obtained one or two generations

By Leke Salaudeen

ago. Young people these days spend longer time preparing for adulthood than their parents did some years back.

“In fact parents now wait endlessly to enjoy the fruits of investment in their children. Socio-economic changes have compelled parents to make their children attend school earlier than they did during their time, start working to fend for themselves and other dependants, get married and have children (usually unprepared) and have the least chance of enjoying healthy adult life.”

To correct the situation, Babawale urged the government to provide adequate resources for sustainable youth development, create institutions that enhance national unity, cohesion and integration; provide equal access to opportunities for educational advancement and opportunities for the youth to grow.

Earlier, the special guest, Mrs Olawunmi Togonu-Bickersteth, advised teachers to constantly develop themselves, improve on their methodology and turn out students who can compete with their peers globally.

Pupils urged to learn from failure

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UPILS of Fountain Heights Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos have been advised to learn from their failures to help them in determining their future successes.

Managing Director, Chams Plc, Mr Ademola Aladekomo, save the advice during the school’s Fifth annual speech and Prize giving day.

Aladekomo, represented by his son, Tomiwa, an ex-pupil of the school, said: “Put in your best in everything you do; success lies in your hands. No one can reach the top without success and failure at a particular point. Always learn from your past failures and never allow it to stop you from moving on. Make sure you take advice but weigh it before acting on it.”

A former Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Chairman, Otunba of Isheri Olofin, Lagos, Mr S.M. Osunba, praised the school management for past successes.

“I praise the management for ensuring success of pupils. Pupils’ success can only be accredited for management’s hard work. This school groomed my son, who does

By Seun Olalude

not like to read before he came here, but eventually, he did so well.

He is now a 300 level student of Engineering at University of Lagos (UNILAG),” he said.

Also speaking, the Principal, Mrs Adebimpe Delamo, urged the pupils to cultivate the habit of reading.

She said: “One of my favourite quotes is by Helen Hayes and it says, When books are opened, you discover you have wings. There is such joy in that simple sentence and I want it to speak to you. Books give you wings. They make you fly-read hard and wide, study diligently and your reward will be excellence.”

“I am proud of the fact that we have consistently recorded excellent external examination results over the years and we hope the results in this our anniversary year will surpass all previous results and that with each passing year we will get better and better,” she said.

The school received donations from the late Mrs O. Olaitan; Elder Ogunbode; Mrs Dagogo-Hart; Mr and Mrs Oloeshin, among others.

•Pupils of Cardinal Schools Idowu-Egba, Lagos, entertaining guests during their graduation/prize giving ceremony held at the school premises.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

40

EDUCATION EDUTALK

How Edo tackled exam malpractice, by ex-commissioner

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ORMER Edo State Commissioner for Education Prof Ngozi Osarenren has reflected on her tenure recalling that she fought academic malpractices with vigour and determination.

She said apart from fighting the infrastructure battle in the sector, through the provision of amenities and facilities, there was a concerted effort to uproot ‘miracle centres’ from the state.

Osarenren spoke at the University of Lagos, Akoka, where she delivered the 13th Inaugural Lecture for the 2010/2011 academic session, entitled: Not Advising, but desirable alternatives: The work of a counsellor. The lecture was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adetokunbo Sofoluwe.

She said: “Before the present administration in Edo State, the state had acquired the notoriety of being the haven for examination malpractices in the popular miracle centres. The fight against this menace was very fierce with the cabal determined to harm and maim, if need be. But they were reasonably dealt with.

“Some conditions were insisted on by the Ministry of Education before the enrolment of any candidate in either WASSCE or NECO examinations by the private and public schools in

Extreme rules

By Emmanuel Oladesu Deputy Political Editor

the state. These conditions included the emphasis on the original copy of Junior Secondary School certificates, attendance register for the preceding year when the candidates were supposedly in SS11, evidence of payment of renewal fees for consecutive years before the examination for private schools and allocation of number of candidates to be registered according to the carrying capacity of the school.”

The don recalled that the first two conditions were to ensure that candidates really attended school, since the examinations are school-based.

Osarenren added: “Also, efforts were made to eliminate the incursion by all characters into the school system, including those that did not even have more than two years of secondary. It is when these conditions are satisfied that a school will be given a clearance letter signed by the commissioner indicating the total number of candidates to be enrolled by such a school.”

The former commissioner said though the process was tedious, it went a long way in curbing the incidence of examination malpractices.

I •Prof Osarenren

She recalled: “A principal expressing his appreciation for the sanitisation of the terminal examinations in the state said to me: ‘Honourable Commissioner, you have saved us from the days when someone will walk into your office and ask: ‘I wan enro, how much?’. This means ‘I want to enrol, how much?’ because it was a cash and carry business. As far as you can pay, the price, the certificate is yours. That was then.”

Osarenren paid tribute to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, saying he backed the reforms in the education sector, which resulted into aggressive school transformation, massive renovation and construction of dilapidated infrastructure.

•From left: Mrs Yetunde Baderin, Head, HIV/AIDS Programme, NYSC, Lagos State, Mr Wasiu Abiola, Media Manager, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and Mr Gboyega Kila, also of the NYSC, Lagos State, during the Fayrouz sponsored Variety Night at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos.

L

Literamed rewards readers

OTS of cash and gift prizes came the way of some pupils, teachers and schools that participated in the national draws of the Lantern Verbal and Quantitative Education bonanza organised by Literamed Publications Limited.

The draws, held at the Protea Hotel, Maryland, Lagos, were held to reward readers of the Lantern Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude textbooks they were required to answer questions in a detachable part of the text and submit to participate in the competition.

Speaking at the event, Chairman, Literamed Publications, Otunba Olayinka Lawal-Solarin, said the text, which was the first of its kind to be published in Nigeria, helps children to speedily develop problem-solving skills and prepares them for more advanced examinations in future.

“The book has equally contributed immensely to the ability of the child to answer questions from various fields conducted both locally and internationally. Knowledge of Verbal and Quantitative aptitudes are widely applied for Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Law School admission tests, job aptitude tests, Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT), and so

with

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

on,” he said.

Results of the draws were announced at the event. Adekunle Jamiu, a pupil of Emmanah Kiddies Nursery and Primary School, Ojo, Lagos emerged national winner of the draws and won the grand prize of N100,000, a laptop, and 50 Cowrie Comic books – also published

by Literamed.

In addition to a N500,000 cash prize, his school got a library resource of all Lantern textbooks, 50 story books and comics, a computer and a printer.

There were also zonal winners for the competition – with three pupils per zone winning prizes of N50,000, N30,000 and N20,000 plus 20 comic books, while the school with the highest number of entries got a desktop computer and Lantern text and story books.

For the West zone, Bisola Oladipo of The Ambassadors Nursery and Primary School, Ogun State came first while Salman Muhammed of IQRA Basic School, Kwara and Ambali Mariam of Harvest Nursery and Primary School, also in Kwara, came second and third. The school

with the highest entries for the zone was St Clare’s Nursery and Primary School, Osogbo, Osun State.

The winners from the Eastern Zone are: Ikpotokun Gift (Rock of Ages School, Boji-Boji, Owa Delta State), Anita Idahosa (Federal Staff School, Benin City, Edo State) and Chijioke Ojumah (Federal Staff School, Benin). The school also won the highest entry award.

Winners for the Northern Zone emerged from schools located in Kaduna State. The first was Blessing Umoru from Air Force Primary School, Kaduna followed by Bello Haruna of A-Aleem Academy and Ayomide Ajani of Gibeon Children School, whose school also won the highest entry award.

As host of the company, Lagos is treated as a separate zone. Oseni Omowumi Princess (Maryland Convent Private School) came first, Mairo Tony (French Village Staff School, Badagry) came second and Omidare Oluwaseyi Abbey (Emmanah Kiddies Nursery and Primary School, Ojo) was third. The highest entry award went to Maryland Convent School. Teachers of the first prize winners in all the zones would get laptops.

MET a graduate of a private university at an event I attended last Saturday who took interest in my work as a journalist because of a project he is working on. Aside the project, we discussed generally about the education system and he came across as an inKofoworola telligent, calm and respectful young man.

He is advocating a change in the way our tertiary institutions are Kofosagie@yahoo.com run. Beyond accrediting courses, 08054503077 (SMS only) he wants the National Universities Commission (NUC) to set standards about the kind of rules universities are allowed to set. Though I told him I did not think that was possible, his complaints about some rules got me thinking. For instance, he cannot comprehend why in an era when ICT is the in-thing, a university – not the one he attended – would insist that students do not own phones.

He also had a grouse about rules at his alma mater as well. He told me a story of how one girl was expelled for getting drunk even though she had completed her final examinations and submitted her project. The only reason he said she returned to the campus was to pack some personal effects – and she was expelled. She was one of many who were expelled for – can we say – peculiar reasons.

Was it enough for the university to expel her when she was as good as gone because she was drunk? I do not in any way support her getting drunk. It not only portrayed her level of indiscipline but her disregard for constituted authority for the fact that she could not stay away from the campus when she was under the influence of alcohol. However, I do not think it was enough reason to expel her. Given the huge investment by her parents to keep her in the school, additional to the fact that she was already done with her studies, I think counseling would have worked better. Like the woman Jesus saved from being stoned because of adultery, she would likely have remembered how her many sins were forgiven should the tempter return.

The girl’s story reminded me of another that I heard of sometime ago – about a boy was suspended for one session for a spurious reason I cannot now remember. After serving the time, the boy refused to return to that university or any at all – no matter the persuasion from his parents. On the contrary, he decided to focus on his love for music.

Private universities that strictly regulate the lives of their students might defend their rules as a means of producing the kinds of graduates they desire. They may claim that those who fall by the way side are in the minority and their fate should serve as lessons to others. However, they could also handle issues of rules differently to achieve a high level of compliance that results from an understanding of why the rules are instituted rather than from fear of getting caught. If compliance is done because of fear, it is not usually sincere and many students would always do something – take risks – to beat the rules. However, if it is out of an understanding of the institution’s goals, they are more likely to buy into the vision and cooperate in achieving it.

To achieve sincere compliance, institutions can involve students in reviewing rules. Learning of their views about the rules, and getting input from them on why institutions think certain rules are necessary would make students more obliged to keep them. This, I think, is better

Belo-Osagie

‘Was it enough for the university to expel her when she was as good as gone because she was drunk? I do not in any way support her getting drunk. It not only portrayed her level of indiscipline but her disregard for constituted authority for the fact that she could not stay away from the campus when she was under the influence of alcohol’

From my Inbox Re: Single term for principal officers (Thursday, August 4) Greetings and just went through your write up which is excellent. You are the only one who has taken up down the memory lane amidst the hysteria about Jonathan’s proposal. One term per Chief Executive will solve problems in Nigeria at all levels. It has help in our universities and it will help with corporations, ministries, governors, and president.

Thanks for not having short memory like most Nigerians. Regards, Prof Olayiwola Erinosho Kofo, kudos for your treatise today on “Single Term for Principal Officers of Tertiary Institutions” in the country. It is well considered for stability, peace and orderliness and don’t forget what I told you to keep in focus – for the government to accelerate action on the agreement reached with ASUU on the age limit for lecturers. Thank you. 08056150— .

Your Edutalk was a brilliant one. Please keep it up, Dr Atu, UNIABUJA. Hello Ms Belo-Osagie, I just want to say congratulations on your enthusiastic and audacious speech in Edutalk of yesterday. I am a semi regular reader of The Nation newspaper.

Re: Parents and Parenting (Thursday, July 28) ‘Parents and Parenting’, that was what I read in the nation of July 28 and I said to myself I must appreciate the writer. Well, I am Patrick and I want to say well done and keep it up.

SLIDING TACKLE

“What we want is to win the SuperCup," for a third consecutive year.

It is a major challenge. We measure ourselves against Madrid, and have a title at stake. They will be two games of high stress, very beautiful and competitive. It will be a great test for the team."

Barcelona winger, Pedro Rodriguez claiming Spanish team, Real madrid will get positive results in Thursday, August 11, 2011 the new season.

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Ronaldo used Mexican surrogate — Nanny C

RISTIANO Ronaldo paid another woman for her eggs, a former family nanny has claimed Cristiano Ronaldo “did a Jacko” by hiring a mystery Mexican to give birth to his son.

And the Real Madrid ace paid another woman for her eggs, the former nanny claimed.

Both women were Mexican, just like the surrogate mother said to have given birth to tragic singer Michael Jackson's son Blanket, nine.

Manuela Silva was hired by Ronaldo's sister Katia to care for her two children.

She also helped to look after his one-year-old son Cristiano Junior.

She told the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha: “Katia read an article saying Cristiano's child's mother wanted him back.

“She said the story was just rubbish because the child's mother was Mexican and didn't even know if it was a boy or girl because she was a surrogate mum.

“She told me the child had two mums, that the eggs came from one woman and the womb belonged to another.”

Manuela said the footballer, 26, and his girlfriend Irina Shayk, 25, dote over the child.

She added: “Cristiano adores and is completely dedicated to his little boy.”

• Ronaldo

ENGLISH Premier League chiefs will decide on Today whether the opening round of fixtures will go ahead as British cities grapple with widespread rioting, a statement said.

Although relative calm returned to London's streets on Tuesday night, outbreaks of violence in Birmingham and Manchester have raised fresh question marks against this weekend's Premier League kick-off.

A

Pedro: Real Madrid’ll be 'more dangerous' this year

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ARCELONA winger Pedro Rodriguez believes Real Madrid will be "even more dangerous" this season, ahead of Sunday's first 'clasico' between the bitter rivals.

"What we want is to win the SuperCup," for a third consecutive year, the 24-year-old told the Barcelona-based sports daily El Mundo Deportivo published Wednesday.

"It is a major challenge. We measure ourselves against Madrid, and have a title at stake.

They will be two games of high stress, very beautiful and competitive. It will be a great test for the team."

The Spanish and European champions face Real, last season's King's Cup winners, on Sunday in the first leg of the SuperCup, at the

• Pedro Bernabeu stadium, with the return leg at Camp Nou three days later.

"We will definitely play very well against them, but it is a clasico, the match in which anything can happen. The dynamics can change, so we have to start off well."

Real finished last season second behind league winners and arch-rivals Barcelona for the third successive year, star coach Jose Mourinho's first season in charge.

SANTOS attacker Neymar has stated that he's going through drastic changes after a year in which he has become one of the most sought after players on the planet.

The 19-year-old attacker, who has continually been linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer, missed out on a spot in Brazil's 2010 World Cup squad, but has since risen to prominence as he guided Santos to Copa Libertadores glory and made his debut for the national side.

"I am going through drastic changes in my career at the moment, but I try not to think about my future and about what could happen. I just want to work hard with Santos and Brazil to continue developing," Neymar said, according to AS. "I'd like people to remain

• Neymar

calm. I'm a person who cares a lot about his career and will always do my utmost on the pitch."

Neymar is part of the Brazil squad that will take on Germany this Wednesday evening in an international friendly.

The attacker has a contract with Santos until the summer of 2015, but has a limited fee release clause of €45 million.

EPL chiefs mull postponement amid violence

Wenger ready to sell £20m Nasri to Man City RSENE Wenger has told the Arsenal board that he is ready to cash in on Samir Nasri and sell him to Manchester City rather than allow the club to lose him for free in a year's time.

City are set to formalise their summer-long interest in the playmaker with a £20 million (€22m) bid and could wrap up a deal swiftly.

Nasri has made no secret of his wish for a transfer to City, where his earnings will be double the £90,000-a-week (€100,000) contract that he had verbally agreed with Arsenal officials six months ago.

The France international is believed to have irritated Arsenal staff with his attitude during pre-season, which has forced Wenger to reconsider his stance of earlier in the summer when he insisted that that the 24-year-old would not be sold.

I'm going through drastic changes in my career — Neymar

Both the Premier League and Football League are to meet on Thursday to decide whether games in London this weekend will go ahead.

"The Premier League and Football League are saddened by the recent incidents of civil unrest and the effect it is having on local communities," a joint statement said. " We a r e i n o n g o i n g discussions with our Londonbased clubs, the Metropolitan Police and statutory authorities in regard to the staging of the coming weekend's fixtures in the capital.

LONDON CRISES

E

Terry, Ferdinand call for calm

NGLAND'S footballers have pleaded for calm across the country.

Their message to the rioters was relayed following the postponement of Wednesday's friendly against Holland at Wembley.

Three Lions skipper John Terry and vice-captain Rio Ferdinand told the FA the squad wanted to make a stand by appealing for calm. And the pair then led the entire squad into a media briefing held by top FAofficials.

They sat and listened to Adrian Bevington, the Managing Director of Club England, read out their agreed s t a t e m e n t . I t r e a d : “ We a r e disappointed the game is off and we understand the reasons behind the decision and support it.

“We have all seen the terrible pictures on the television and the most important thing at this time is the safety of the fans and the general public.

“The whole squad would like to appeal for calm and an end to the disorder that has been ongoing.”

The players hope their message will impact on the kids involved in the street riots spreading across England.

Manchester United defender Ferdinand, who does a lot of community work, gave his views on

Twitter.

He said: “I can't tell the youth exactly what to do but stealing TVs and trainers and burning innocent people's home and shops isn't solving nothing at

all.”

Earlier he had said: “Who wants to see a game of football when our country is in turmoil?”

The FAconsidered asking the influential Ferdinand to hold a solo press briefing but the players decided a joint message would have more impact.

OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...

Serena progresses in Toronto DAY two in Toronto saw a mixed day for the top players as S e r e n a Wi l l i a m s e a s e d through, but Kim Clijsters had to retire hurt.

Former world number one

Williams showed that the lack of a seeding will slow her down as she dominated Alona Bondarenko from start to finish, to reach the second round with a 6-0 6-3 success.

The American lost just four points as she won the first set in 16 minutes and, after Bondarenko kept it on serve to 3-3 in the second, Williams again hit top gear and won the next three games to secure the victory.

Williams remains on course to rebuild her ranking that freefalled after she was sidelined by injury and illness for almost a whole year.

The American has already shown she'll be a force to be reckoned with after capturing the title in Stanford two weeks ago.

43

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

e-Business A decade of GSM revolution As the nation celebrates a decade of GSM t e c h n o l o g y , stakeholders are rooting for improved quality of service and rural penetration, ADLINE ATILI reports

to consider spectrum auctioning and redistribution. NCC also needs to be more zealous in chasing Telcos that charge unfairly. There also needs to be a crackdown on roaming prices.”

H

OW time flies. It seems like yesterday that the Global system of mobile Communication (GSM) was introduced in Nigeria. But it is now 10 years that the GSM revolution swept through the country. The GSM technology, the most widely used wireless technology in the world, with at least 690 mobile network operators offering services in 213 countries has greatly impacted on Nigerian telecom subscribers this past decade.

Before the advent of the technology in Nigeria, there were only about 400, 000 fixed lines and tele-density of 0.4. Despite international initiatives and worthy objectives, Nigeria, with a population of over 120 million, had in 2000 one of the lowest teledensity rates in the world at 0.38.4.

Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr Eugene Juwah noted that the period before 2000 was a nightmare in terms of phone accessibility, affordability and availability.

Apart from a few lines being available to a huge population, the mobile phone was something unaffordable even when you had the money. There was acute monopolistic practice by the then sole national carrier, NITEL, in the face of very weak competition.

Over the last decade, however, Information Communcations Technology (ICT) in its many manifestations has become truly ubiquitous. According to industry data by NCC there are now over 100 million connected lines; teledensity has grown to 64.6 per cent.

Today we live in a world where more people have access to a mobile phone than to toilets or clean water or the electric grid.

Nigeria has established itself as the largest telecom market in Africa during the past few years.

The country’s telecom sector is undergoing speedy transformation on account of explosive growth and rapid infrastructure development.

Liberalisation of the sector along with increased competition among players have brought substantial benefits to consumers in terms of lower subscription rates and enhanced choice.

The outstanding growth in the telecommunications sector has correspondingly created a significant number of new jobs in the economy. Other sectors have also gained tremendously from the ripple effect of the growth in this sector.

Today, the telecom sector is a key contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). From researches, a 10 per cent increase in mobile phone penetration is associated with a one per cent growth in GDP.

•GSM phone factory

The road to GSM revolution In late 1999, the Federal Government decided to prioritise the development of the telecom sector. After the many years of state investment in fixed line telecom had met with little success, the government identified private investment in mobile cellular telephony as the best way forward, in the short term, to boosting teledensity. The government decided to issue four new digital mobile telephony licences by auction.

Five consortia submitted applications and deposits for licences. They included Econet Wireless Nigeria Ltd (now Airtel Nigeria), United Networks Mobile Ltd, MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd, Communications Investments Ltd (CIL) and MSI-Celtel Nigeria Ltd. However, only two of the companies-Econet and MTNsuccessfully scaled through the auction process; three GSM spectrum licences were awarded, the last to MTEL, the mobile arm of NITEL, which was also awarded an operating licence as a National Carrier.

In 2002, a fourth digital mobile Licence was issued to Globacom.

In 2007, a fifth mobile licence (with GSM spectrum) was awarded to Emerging Market telecommunications Services Limited (trading as Etisalat).

Once the market was opened to competition, subscribers grew dramatically from around 30,000 to 150,000 by the end of 2000 and by November 2002, Nigeria had over 1.2 million subscribers.

Following intense competition, telecom services are now available at affordable prices.

Then and now, there has been a rapid shift from voice to data, a rapid shift from analogue to digital technologies and the increasing role of wireless that creates greater mobility for users.

At the moment, besides fibre

optics cables running across the country, there are submarine cables

by Nigerian companies running into the country from Europe and the Americas, with the companies offering services to a number of countries on the continent. Some operators have also deployed LongTerm Evolution (LTE) and 4G for telecom services.

Challenges of the sector Nevertheless, with all these seeming achievements stakeholders said the digital divide that exists in the sector can be bridged through aggressive investments to reach more Nigerians, especially in the rural areas.

President of the Association of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) had argued that though the country has more than 100 million connected lines, there may be no more than 30 million subscribers, calling for more investments to serve the rest of the population.

At a telecom investment summit, Omo-Ettu said: “We are now done with number of connected lines as index of our industry development.

Emphasis should now shift to using the actual number of our citizens who have access to telecommunications as index of planning and developing our market.”

Juwah, said challenges still persist in the telecom sector, even in the midst of the outstanding achievements.

Speaking at an industry forum to celebrate GSM at 10, he said: “Permit me to acknowledge that even as we celebrate, challenges persist in the industry. Quality of service is obviously the biggest of them all.

“What is primarily responsible for poor quality of service is congestion on the network. This explains why a major area of focus by my administration is vigorous compliance monitoring and enforcement of regulations and

directives.

“For this reason we have strengthened the enforcement unit of the commission which only recently, has started to engage in some activities that do not make the operators happy.

“Aside from Key Performance Indicators that we have put in place to ensure that a certain threshold quality is maintained, we are also canvassing regulatory accounting on the part of the operators to ensure that they invest as per the number of subscribers on their network.”

Speaking in the same vein, Managing Partner, Transit IT, Femi Akinyemi noted that the telecoms sector is still being dogged by poor quality of service.

This, according to him, does not bode well for the future of mobile communication and broadband connectivity. He argued that heavy investments in infrastructure would correct this.

He added that NCC should consider auctioning and redistribution of spectrum to effectively manage revolutions in technology.

He said: “We are still lacking sorely in quality of service.

Dropped calls, poor signals in certain locations is still commonplace. The network that lasts the longest will ultimately be the one that can offer up to 99 per cent coverage with quality service at an affordable price, backed with world class customer service.

“The future is data-centric as mobile broadband and smartphones have shown and investment to make the networks deliver the bandwidth required is critical to the future of mobile communications.

“Africa is more likely going to have to connect to the Internet through mobile devices and less

by FibreToTheCabinet (FTTC) so mobile network operators have a key role to play. With the rise in WiMax and 4G, NCC needs to start

MTN: last of the ‘early birds’ MTN Nigeria has been part of the mobile telephone revolution in Nigeria since its inception in 2001.

The company happens to be the ‘last man standing,’ Econet having undergone transformations over the years, to be known as Airtel Nigeria, and MTEL having gone under.

With over 40 million subscribers and more than N900-billion invested on network infrastructure alone, MTN Nigeria has taken the lead in providing world-class telecoms services to subscribers for a decade.

Corporate Service Executive of the company, Wale Goodluck noted that “Ever since our entry into the Nigerian market 10 years ago, MTN has become an intrinsic part of Nigerian social and economic life, offering services that act as a catalyst for fiscal and human development, revolutionising the way Nigerians live, work and play.

“MTN demonstrates its belief in Nigeria not only by investing billions of dollars in infrastructure and facilities, but by investing in areas of need, thereby giving back to society. In May 2005, the MTN Foundation was created to spearhead a robust corporate social responsibility agenda.”

On quality of service, the Telco has promised it will invest an additional $1 billion to upgrade its network in the current financial year for the benefit of its over 40 million subscribers and continue roll out of its fibre optic cable across the country.

Speaking at the MTN @ 10 anniversary event, Chief Executive Officer of the company, Brett Goshen said the impact of GSM services in the country in the last one decade has underlined an all-embracing investment in the sector, stressing that, with investments running into several billions of dollars, MTN has installed the biggest network in sub-Saharan Africa and continues to aggressively invest in Nigeria.

He noted that in 10 years, the company has witnessed unprecedented growth such that had made it an international benchmark for what can be achieved in the telecommunications industry in an emerging economy.

“We have deployed one of the most expansive fibre optic (8,539Km) and Microwave infrastructure (the 1 1,500km Y’ellobahn) in Sub-Saharan-Africa.

“In a dynamic market such as Nigeria, you cannot stop investing if you want to remain the leader.

That is why we are committed to investing an additional $1 billion to upgrade network in the current financial year,” he said.

According to the CEO, the telecommunications company is currently providing telecommunication services to over 40 million active subscribers, with a promise to deepen penetration in the next few years in the rural areas.

44

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

e-Business

MTN pays $5 billion in taxes, levies in 10 years • Restates commitment to quality service delivery

M

TN Nigeria has said it has paid almost N700 billion (about $5 billion) in taxes and levies since commercial GSM operations began in the country in 2001.

Speaking in Lagos at the 10 th anniversary celebration of the company, Chief Executive Officer of the company, Brett Goshen said as a result of the company’s commitment to the economic development of Nigeria through payment of taxes and levies without default, federal and state governments had consistently awarded the company Best Corporate Tax Payer over the years.

He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to investing in network

Stories by Adline Atili

expansion to improve quality of service for the benefit of its over 40 million subscribers.

He noted that investment in network infrastructure to boost service delivery was at the core of the MTN brand, stating that “in a dynamic market such as Nigeria, you cannot stop investing if you want to remain leader.”

According to him, the company had invested several billions of dollars to install the biggest network in sub-Saharan Africa. “At present, we have close to 7,000 base transceiver stations all over the country. We have deployed one of

Bayelsa leverages ICT in governance

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AYELSA State Director of eGovernance Chief McEferson Efere, has said Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools are being effectively deployed in the state to transform and drive governance.

Speaking during a facility tour of eGovernance equipment in the state, Efere noted that all public officials have caught the ICT bug adding that ICT is being used to reinvent the business of government through new ways of integrating information and making it accessible over networks and the Internet.

According to him, the adoption of the initiative, being managed by the Due Process and e-Governance

Bureau, was informed by the desire of the government to enthrone the culture of responsibility, accountability and financial transparency in the state.

To sustain the initiative, he said a sub unit, e-Governance Network Infrastructure Project was established to provide a scalable, reliable, secure, resilient and highly available routed and switched IP communication network. It also provides an Internet Protocol communication network that can adequately support the hardware and software of collaborative applications to drive the e-Government business goals.

the most expansive fibre optic (8,539km) and microwave infrastructure (the 11,500km Y’ellobahn) in Sub-Saharan-Africa. We are committed to investing an additional $1 billion to upgrade network in the current financial year.

“Almost N700 billion has been paid as taxes and levies till date. As a result, our company has consistently won awards for the Best Corporate Tax Payer at both state and federal levels. This is one of the reasons we are the catalyst for the economic development of Nigeria.”

The MTN boss who spoke through the company’s Human Relations Executive, Amina Oyagbola, explained that the company had invested over N5 billion to fund over 20 projects across 292 project sites in all states of Nigeria through its Corporate Social Responsibility vehicle, the MTN Foundation.

The MTN Foundation, Goschen said, was established in 2005 and funded by one per cent of the company’s profit after tax to focus on three critical social areas: health, education and economic empowerment, aimed at improving the quality of lives of Nigerians and fostering sustainable development in the country.

While flagging off MyCustomer Week, which entails a week-long celebration to reward and delight MTN customers, he assured that customers will be given preferential, best-in-class service at all interface points across the country.

•Acting Chief Finance Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Abhulime Ehiagwina; Chief Executive Officer, Mr Steven Evans; Managing Director, Huawei Technologies Nigeria, Mr Hover Gao and Director of Legal Services, Etisalat, Mrs Adeolu Idowu at the signing of a contract agreement between Etisalat and Huawei Technologies.

Govt warns against removal of manhole covers

T

HE Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), has warned against the removal of manhole covers to avoid the stealing of underground telecom cables.

LASIMRA said those involved in such act would face the law, if they do not desist.

General Manager of LASIMRA, Mr Joe Igbokwe said the act is endangering infrastructure and constituting threat to lives and property.

He noted that fibre optics and copper cables owned by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and other telecom operators had long been laid underground across the country, with connecting points for easy access.

The access points, which are lo-

cated by the roadsides, are covered with metal objects, known as manhole covers, through which operators gain access to their cables underground, for purposes of maintenance and routine checks.

Igbokwe regretted that miscreants remove the manhole covers illegally and in most cases, steal the cables or create avenues for others to steal cables and sabotage efforts of telecom operators that own such cables.

He said theft of underground cables was on the increase as a result of exposure of the cables by those who illegally remove and steal manhole covers. The action, according to him, causes distortions in the flow of communications data, which are routed through the cables, and subsequently, affect quality of service in every affected area.

Apart from affecting quality of

service, the removal of manhole covers is also creating undue hardship for motorists and pedestrians alike who make use of the roads often, he added.

He disclosed that government is putting in place adequate security measures to track down those who steal the covers, warning that culprits will face the full wrath of the law if apprehended.

He issued a strong warning to buyers and end users of these covers to desist from such act as the security agencies will track down both the perpetrators of this heinous act and their patrons.

He tadvised the public to be on the lookout for the thieves and miscreants who steal the covers in their areas and promptly report their actions to the Lagos State Ministry of Works, LASIMRA or the Public Works Corporation for immediate action.

GADGET TRENDS Experience a smarter life with the new Galaxy S II

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ORLD’S No. 2 handset maker, Samsung has done it again. This time, the global leader in digital media and convergence technologies is not in the news over a patent infringement lawsuit. Rather, the company is in the news for introducing Nigeria’s first NearField Communication-enabled device, the ultra slim Samsung Galaxy S II the successor to Samsung Galaxy S. NFC’s short-range high frequency wireless communication technology can be used for contactless payments.

It can communicate with existing smartcards and readers and is compatible with existing contactless infrastructure for payment systems.

This phone couldn’t have been launched at a better time; with the country raring to go into the field of mobile payment. You can even scan smart tags on posters or billboards to download the details to your phone with the Samsung Galaxy S II. Imagine being able to open electronic doors simply by holding up the Galaxy S II phone to an enabled-device!

Claimed to be one of the thinnest Android handsets in the market, Samsung Galaxy S II is not only beautifully thin (8.49mm) and lightweight; it is a dual-core smart phone that combines an unmatched viewing experience with incredible performance.

According to Samsung Electronics West Africa (SEWA), Galaxy S II brings to consumers, the next step in viewing pleasure, in ease of communication, in the making of multimedia, in music and gaming entertainment, in business connectivity and convenience.

Galaxy S II at a glance Head, Product Marketing, Hand Held Products, SEWA, Jude Omozegie said the Galaxy S II smartphone boasts a 4.3 inch super AMOLED plus touchscreen display, making improvements in colour gamut with a crystal-clear viewing experience and more vivid colours, stressing that this advanced mobile visual display does not compromise battery performance.

“With an 8MP rear camera with autofocus capable of shooting full HD recording regardless of the surrounding darkness level and LED flash, the 2MP front camera and 1080p video capture allows taking self-portrait.

The phone runs on Android Honeycomb operating system and is powered by Samsung’s dual-core application processor, allowing users to en-

joy the unrivalled merits of multitasking capabilities, super-fast upload and download speed for browsing Websites, videos and apps.

“Moreover, the device comes with 1GB of RAM inside and is powered by a1650mAh battery. The Samsung Galaxy S II adopts an ultra-thin strengthened glass screen, which redefines the new standard of thinness among smartphones. The special check design at the back of the phone is not only fingerprints free, but also prevents such ultra-slim phone slipping away from hands,” he said.

Other specifications of the Galaxy S II include HSPA+ 21Mbps connectivity, complemented by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling connections with device-to-device wireless transfer speeds of Wi-Fi without a wireless access point. The Samsung Galaxy S II comes with support for a wide range of Google Mobile Services, including Search, Maps, YouTube, Gtalk, Gmail, and more, as well as access to the Android Market, from where users can download and install various applications.

According to Omozegie, over 140,000 apps can be downloaded for free in the Android marketplace. The phone is equipped with Game Hub, Readers Hub and Social Hub integrated services. Game Hub provides interesting social games for users to download. With the Readers Hub, users can access hundreds of thousand e-books with the phone’s interactive interface, including newspapers and magazines in different languages.

Additionally, because security is of great concern to smartphone users, Samsung came prepared. The phone has a security solution that enables the protection of mobile data without the need to sacrifice speed and functionality.

Omozegie said: “The phone is the first Android smartphone to adopt powerful encrypted hardware, minimising the use of security software and applying encryption technology to the hardware itself; thereby, greatly accelerating security technology and achieving superior performance. The incorporated Sybase Afaria Mobile Device Management and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync complement the encryption support with their own mechanisms to secure important corporate and personal information.”

NCC open access model to drive broadband

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XECUTIVE Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr Ernest Juwah has said structured proliferation of fibre infrastructure across the country is vital for delivery of true broadband services.

Fibre infrastructure enables transmission of information from one point to the other by sending pulses of light through an optical fibre. Due to much lower attenuation and interference, fibre has large advantages over existing copper wire in long-distance and high-demand applications.

According to Juwah, the global revolution towards adopting a more efficient broadband access has led to the deployment of fibre networks worldwide. Fibre networks, he said, are more cost ef-

fective, have a higher carrying capacity than copper or wireless networks, have greater transmission speeds and provide better quality experience for Internet users who increasingly demand video and file sharing.

Speaking in Lagos at the broadband investment summit organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Juwah said for Nigeria to realise its goal of becoming one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020, it is essential the government takes advantage of the broadband revolution sweeping across the world, by addressing fibre deployment challenges and position the country as an e-economy capable of providing unlimited access to the world and global resources.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

45

e-Business

Production Team: Femi Jolaolu, Lekan Hammed, Yomi Oseni, Ugo Ananaba, Mustapha Sulaimon, Dare Ojo, Lanre Malik Marketing: Adeline Atili, Nkechi Nwabaogu, Kemi Makinde, Lillian Nsi-Enodien, Mariam Adeyanju Edited by: O’seun Ogunseitan

Pls. send Questions to oseun2@gmail.com or text to

080 5511 9009

Varsity researchers join in IT-based quest to reverse mass failure M

OBILE phones may play a major role in the fight to reverse mass failure among secondary school students.

This hint emerged at different meetings between worried interests and leading education scholars and researchers last week The meetings, followed the release of phoneusable secondary school examination practice and tutorial software for free download on the internet.

At the meetings, professional teachers and leading education scholars gave hint of a private sector-driven, multi-dimensional attack of the problems confronting today’s secondary school student in Nigeria, in a head-long hands-on approach.

The meetings were some of the dividends of a national campaign to reverse mass failure of Nigerian secondary school students. It is at the heart of The Nation Newspapers’ leadership of a hands-on-effort to fight the decline of the Nigerian education sector .

At least 18 University teachers and professional educators across the country, have sided with The Nation in efforts to teach digital age students with digital-age tools.

Under plans now being perfected: • Selected mobile phone companies may offer off-line tutorials and examination revision software to Nigerian subscribers.

• Many Nigerian newspapers may similarly distribute free multimedia discs containing many hours of television-viewable video tutorials and software-based practice tests.

• Nigerian secondary school students will have phone-based unified examination practice tests and interactive educational games.

• Nigerian secondary school teachers will have comprehensive video and data disc

...mobile phones and video discs to the rescue

By O’seun Ogunseitan

based teaching-aid packages to improve their knowledge of the subjects they teach as well as regular and cost-effective refreshers on their teaching skills. This will reduce the cost of providing training for teachers, while making their training and retraining, an all year-round event.

• A Nigerian secondary school teachers portal may be developed to offer free blog and forum-type tutorials to teachers who will have free access to download tutorials and teaching-aid tests, as well as sit periodic examinations which will attract a Certificate of Proficiency in the subjects they teach.

• A Nigerian secondary school student portal may be developed to offer free blog type tutorials to students who will have free access and • Education tools researchers in several Nigerian Universities will study and monitor the students, using any of the many learning-aid tools, in a bid to find a correlation between the use of the learning aids and the success of the students in

examinations.

Leading Nigerian Educational tools and

methods researcher, Professor Peter Okebukola, has taken up the gantlet.

Okebukola successfully ran a similar decline reversal program for Nigerian university teachers.

Results of Secondary school leavers’ examinations in the country have been getting progressively poorer over the last 20 years.

States such as Osun and Ekiti which hitherto led such examinations in the past now record failure rate as high 90 per cent.

Experts hinted that the continued use of yesterday’s analogue blackboard and chalk techniques to teach today’s digital age students, is largely to blame for the recurring mass failure in Nigerian secondary schools.

The Nation Media Databank has led a campaign for the digitalisation of teaching and learning in Nigerian schools, as a panacea to the recurring mass failure of secondary school students and the general decline in education standards in Nigeria.

It was to this end that the Databank created the flash-based examination test and practice tutorial software which he named Fashola.exe, as a model e-learning software tool and aid for Nigerian secondary school students.

Free e-Learning software download link at

www.facebook.com/pcuser2user

43,742 phone users have used Open Market

™

Have you?

‘... there is definitely a disconnect somewhere when students who master their parent’s mobile phones and other intricate devices easily, fail in regular

examinations...’

- Prof Peter Okebukola

The software which runs on virtually every type of computer, uses answer options and answers to past examination questions, to teach the principles of the particular subject. The Databank has a database of more than 500,000 past questions of secondary school leavers examinations in the country.

The Databank’s Questions library include Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination questions and answers spanning the last 31 years.

Last week’s release by The Databank, of practice test and tutorial software for University of Lagos 2011-1012 Post -JAMB Unified Tertiary Matriculation (UTM) Examinations, is a comprehensive last-minute software-based revision tutorial for the practice questions in three subjects released two weeks ago with the University’s post-UTM Examination forms.

It follows closely on the heels of the acclaim for Fashola.exe, Nigeria’s first Free elearning software, by students and other young Nigerians who downloaded that software from the internet last April. Fashola.exe was released to garner support for the reelection of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos. That release, also on the auspices of The Nation, was sponsored by former secondary schoolmates of the Lagos governor.

The newsoftware provides answers and explanations to all the answers and answer options the authorities of the University of Lagos expect its admission applicants to prepare with.

The University of Lagos practice questions are on three subjects, Mathematics, English Language and General Knowledge.

A new multimedia disc-based teaching technology, developed in Nigeria by multimedia e-learning software programmers at The Nation Databank, is being used to produce a special video and data disc which will teach Mathematics on video, playing on regular home television screens, using home video players.

The same disc which will carry thousands of pages of tutorial texts and books, including dictionaries and encyclopaedia, is expected to be made available shortly.

The University of Lagos has the largest number of admission applicants in Nigeria. It has space for less than 14,000 of the 114,000 applicants, suggesting that nine of every 10 of its applicant students must fail and be refused admission.

More than 1.5 million candidates sat last month’s UTM Examination. But only about 400,000 candidates who passed the examination are qualified to sit Post-JAMB UTM ex-

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

46

e-Business Matters e-Rising Segun Oruame segun@segunoruame.com

I

F there is anything the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Eugene Juwah has come to be closely associated with since assuming office last year, it is his ultimatum, some weeks back, to telecom operators on poor quality of service (QoS). This regulator desires to put some sanity in an industry that has gained notoriety for congested networks and the consequences to consumers including massive cases of call drops, disappearing and undelivered SMS. Juwah’s ultimatum was the result of field tests the NCC carried out on some base stations which findings were as shocking as they were annoying. Of the 100 base stations tested, about 30 per cent were heavily congested.

It was shocking because congested base stations would mean that operators cannot fulfil their obligation to deliver services that meet the basic standard for QoS as demanded by law. It was annoying because for every failed or dropped call made, consumers paid the penalty. In all cases, consumers appeared to be the defenceless pawns.

For the NCC, it was time to apply the stick. Operators must decongest their networks immediately as interim measures while they work at building more base stations in the long term.

Achieving both the short and long terms solutions pose a very serious challenge that the NCC itself has severally acknowledged.

This acknowledgement has tended to portray the NCC as being weak and unwilling to do its duty to protect the consumers.

Consider these facts: Since the liberalisation of the market about a decade ago, Nigeria’s telecom industry has grown exponentially by 23 per cent in dollar value in 2008 and generated $8.4bn in overall telecoms service revenue.

Since 2008, it has increased to 5.7 per cent rate from $8.42 billion in 2008. It is expected to tip at $11.14billion by 2013. Even this projection is conservative. Total phone subscription currently stands at over 90 million and is expected to climb over in the 100 million very soon.

This bright outlook has several blights including the absence of transmission backbones occasioned largely by the failure to turn NITEL around into a major carrier; erratic power supply forcing operators to deploy their own alternative and expensive power source; increasing acts of vandalism by criminal elements and even government agents wanting to assert local laws; insecurity and rising cases of attacks against telecoms personnel on duty at remote locations and then the more disturbing misfortune of multiple taxation operators are forced to

Why quality of service is everyone’s business contend with at the federal, state and local government levels.

All these have connived to ensure operators fail to deliver good quality of service. There is also the crude instinct to survive and prevail against rising competition which underscores operators’ unwholesome tendencies to run all sort of promos to get consumers connected to their networks or to get them to talk more on networks that have already exceeded their capacity by well over 40 per cent.

But a congested network hurts consumers as much as it hurts operators. Ultimately, talk must crash in terms of quality and the tendency to use the network reduces; thus profit is reduced in a way that could potentially slow down the ability of operators to expand their networks. This is why QoS demands a holistic approach to resolving it. It demands looking at the entire spectrum of the industry to recognise the problems that undermine the ability of operators to deliver on their QoS obligations and to help

them resolve those problems.

Because telecom operators are perceived to be super-rich, all sorts of taxes are imposed at every level of government in a way that turns taxation to punitive or retrogressive action and not progressive or positive attempt to empower government to meet its developmental goals. When telecom operators fail to meet such financial impositions, they are forced to close down major components of their operations particularly within local government jurisdictions.

As recent as a week ago, a major operator had its workplace in the eastern part of the country shut down together with the critical operation within that site. Local government officials had obtained a court order allowing it to invade the premises of the operator over tax and levy related issues.

When the site was closed, that part of the country was disconnected from the national network and for consumers, no more services could be delivered. Consumers will not know what has happened. It is the operator that must bear the brunt of being a failure to its consumers and

‘A congested network hurts consumers as much as it hurts operators’

to a government that was using court injunction to perpetrate an illegality.

Why do we want to conveniently forget that erratic power supply eats away the ability of operators to perform well just as the same problem has eroded our capacity to live a good life in our offices and homes? Frequent power failure means operators must divert critical funding that should go into connectivity infrastructure into building and maintaining their own power systems. We also must remind ourselves that the inability to get NITEL working again is a national catastrophe. It means that mobile operators must build their own transmission infrastructure. Money that could have gone into building last mile points have gone into building long distance connection trunks because there was carrier to rent from. How do we expect to get robust QoS in the absence of support infrastructure for biological and corporate citizens?

Quality of service is not just an operator challenge, it is a problem all stakeholders particularly, government must determine to resolve. When the NCC shows understanding and appears to be weak, it is because it knows that the burden of QoS ultimately lies with all of us. And all of us must resolve it.

Glo 1 makes inroad into oil

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LOBACOM’S international submarine cable the Glo 1 has signed on a number of major oil companies, signalling increasing preference for the cable as bandwidth provider of choice.

Its customer list includes Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Total ELf, Chevron, Agip, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Exxon Mobil and TransOcean.

Head of Glo 1 Enterprise Solutions, Folu Aderibigbe, in a statement said the most recent of the deals was the one signed with ExxonMobil. According to the terms of the contract, Glo 1 will provide the oil major high-speed bandwidth link that will connect its offices in Lagos and the United Kingdom.

“Our network solution will provide ExxonMobil seamless connectivity for running data applications, voice communications

Starcomms offers MyPad in promo

• Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, being registered by a Globacom SIM registration officer at his palace in Onitsha.

Airtel talent search registration begins

A

IRTEL Nigeria has begun registration for aspiring and talented young Nigerians to begin their attempt at stardom at the Under-17 football talent hunt programme.

According to the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Airtel Rising Stars is an Africa-wide programme that will provide a platform for upcoming soccer talents, male and female, under the age of seventeen to showcase their skills to leading scouts, coaches and have an opportunity to further their football ambition.

He said: “Boys and girls who are talented and have a passion for football can now see their dream

come true as they will get a chance to brush up their skills and display their prowess before leading football coaches and trainers and possibly scouts in the country.

“The journey, however, begins with getting registered. Registration forms are now available at our Airtel shops, dealer outlets and Youth Sports Federation (YSFON) offices in Nigeria.”

He said the skill tests and regional contests will take place across eight locations in the country: Lagos, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Ibadan, Benin and Port Harcourt.

The best teams from the regional contest will then compete in the na-

tional finals in Lagos. Further selection will see the very best stars going to the Institute for Sports Science in South Africa for training and development, along with other Airtel Rising Stars winners from other countries in Africa.

He added that prizes would be awarded players in the competition for: top scorer, best captain, best goalkeeper and most valuable player. The winning team, he said, will receive cash prizes and gold medals. Additionally, the first runner up team will be rewarded with cash prize and silver medals, while the second runner up team will win cash prize and bronze medals.

and video transmissions between its Lagos and UK offices,” Aderibigbe said.

Glo 1 had last month announced a 10-year deal with SPDC to provide the company connectivity between its operational hubs in Lagos and the Niger Delta. Glo 1 is also providing other oil companies that have signed on to it a range of domestic and international connectivity solutions.

Aderibigbe “We are pleased to be worthy partners with these companies. Given how critical the oil and gas industry is to the economy of our country, we are proud to be playing a role in the growth of the sector. It is a vote of confidence on Glo 1.”

He assured customers of excellent communications network and cost-effective voice, data, video and e-commerce services across Africa, Europe and the rest of the world.

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TARCOMMS has launched a promo that will enable more people to own MyPad, its topof-the range tablet.

In the promotion which will last for six weeks, Starcomms MyPad, complete with free i-zap Internet router that can connect as many as five users, as well as three months free Internet access, will now cost N60,000 instead of N74,000, the regular prize.

Mypad works on a 2.1 Android operating system, which gives the best of processing speed. The tablet is exquisite and its attractive appearance keeps users on top of their social game in terms of style.

It features a lot of entertainment applications for music and games and is already packaged with free

downloadable games. It has a wider screen and a 10GB memory expandable to 64GB, 2 USB and LAN ports, an HDMI out and a 2.0 mega pixel Webcam.

According to the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Logan Pather: “We decided to run this promo as a result of our commitment to meeting customer needs with the latest available technology and services to keep them in tune with modern trends.

“MyPad has embedded functional applications like Skype, Yahoo, YouTube, MSN, Yahoo Messenger and Facebook. Mypad is not only useful for data communication needs of customers but is a statement of style and power.”

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THE NATION

NATURAL HEALTH E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

‘Refer patients to hospitals’

Jobelyn gets international rating J

OBELYN has been okayed as the most powerful natural antioxidant in the world.

This is the report from Brunwick Laboratory in the United States.

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent.

Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When the chain reaction occurs in a cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell.

When the chain reaction occurs in a purified monomer, it produces a polymer resin, such as a plastic, a synthetic fiber, or an oil paint film.

Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions. They do this by being oxidized themselves, so antioxidants are often reducing agents such as thiols, ascorbic acid or polyphenols.

In summary, free radicals have been implicated in over 90 per cent of diseases in the human body and, so far, extensive research has concluded that anti-oxidants are capable of arresting or even stopping

From Dele Anofi, Abuja

T

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

these diseased conditions.

Chief Executive Officer, Health Forever Limited, Mr Olajuwon Okubena, said there are many things in the market, presented to consumers. “We hear of super antioxidants, artificially manufactured pills with ORAC values in the thousands. ORAC is defined as the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), which is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities in biological samples in vitro. The higher the ORAC, the higher the antioxidant rating. But these are not natural and some of these claims cannot be verified. Natural antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, oranges, berries and spinach, but often at low levels.

“Though the focus on antioxidants only gained ground in the past decade, for centuries past, a singular grass plant has been used in some parts of Africa as remedy against a wide range of human diseases. African tribal culture has long touted the extract for its value in helping people who struggle with anemia, heart disease, joint pain, and poor immune system response. That grass plant is Sorghum bicolor.

Sorghum Bicolor is a grain long known for its high nutritional value. But only a special traditional extract of the leaf sheath draws out the plant’s incredible health benefits,” he said.

He, added that there exists in nature, hundreds of species of Sorghum Bicolor, but only a single particular specie possesses enough antioxidant value to successfully battle a wide range of diseases and even arrest the aging process of the human cell. This specie of Sorghum Bicolor has been proprietarily processed into the product known as Jobelyn which has been scientifically proven to possess the highest ORAC value of

any known natural antioxidant plant or fruit.

“How can a single herbal ingredient help with such a broad range of conditions?” Olajuwon explained: “Jobelyn has demonstrated selective COX-2 inhibition, providing effective reduction in inflammation without the side effects of common prescription medications. Further connection can be drawn from the fact that all the diseased conditions that Jobelyn addresses look unrelated, but they actually have two major factors in common. They are all tied closely to underlying states of cyclical inflammation and oxidative damage.

Expand NHIS coverage, expert urges

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MEDICAL expert, Prof Sam Ohaegbulam, has called on the Federal Government to make the National Health Insurance Scheme functional so that all patients could access medicare irrespective of their financial status.

Speaking at a book launch, entitledDevil at Bay, at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Prof.

Ohaegbulam, explained that when the sick could access medicare, death rate would drop, stressing that some patients who could not afford simple drugs die.

He noted that the much-talked about national Health Insurance scheme only exists on paper.

Ohaegbulam, who is the Medical Director of the Memfys International Hospital for Neurosurgery, Enugu, raised an alarm on the high rate of patients in the country.

Statistics released by the Hospital, show that over 700 patients have been diagnosed to have hydrocephalus (excessive water in the head) since its inception in 2002. Of this number, only about 400 of the patients went for surgery while others could not afford the minimal operational cost of surgery.

He lamented that the prevalence rate of the ailment had risen within the past 10 years, perhaps owing to the availability of better diagnostic facilities for detection.

The medical icon said hydrocephalus surgery in Nigeria

From Chris Oji, Enugu

costs between N150,000 and N300,000, while patients needed to cough out at least N1 million do it abroad due to transport and treatment costs.

Ohaegbulam, further explained that after the surgery, the patients’ medical condition needs frequent follow- up-monitoring for life, as it requires a shunt (tube) implantation, which is prone to such complications as infection, blockage and other risk factors, even as he noted that prevention of the ailment was difficult, except the option of early detection to avoid brain damage.

In answer to a question on what

hydrocephalus is, the renowned professor of Neurosurgery said: Our bodies produce a clear colourless fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that circulates inside and around the brain. Normally, we produce about 500cc of this fluid daily to continuously replace the one that is absorbed. There is a delicate balance, therefore, between the rate of production and the rate of absorption, if the balance is upset either by increased production or diminished absorption, an excess of this CSF fluid accumulates in the head, resulting in hydrocephalus (big head).

The neurosurgeon, also

identified infections such as (Meningitis), bleeding, stroke, brain tumours, head injury and other factors as some of the major causes of hydrocephalus ailment, pointing out that it could be present at birth while acquired hydrocephalus occurs after birth.

“This is why it is important to watch very carefully the people who have had these conditions to detect it from the outset of the complication. Many patients, especially children, who were successfully treated for meningitis or head injury, may subsequently die from unrecognised hydrocephalus that might develop long after the original disease.”

HE Federal Government has urged traditional medicine practitioners to refer their patients to the appropriate centres for proper diagnoses and medication.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate stated this when he received the Nigerian Association of Traditional Medicine Practitioners led by its President Prof. Omon Oleabhiele.

He said considering the number of people seeking treatment from the traditional medicine practitioners, it is imperative for the practitioners to refer them to a well- designated hospitals for any disease that cannot be treated with traditional medicine.

In a statement by the Deputy Director, Communication, Mrs. Boade Akinola, the minister pointed out that health is a sector that needed multi-dimensional approach and traditional medicine practitioners also have opportunities to contribute their quota.

He, however, assured the delegation that the ministry would continue to collaborate with traditional medicine practitioners to have sustainable quality health care system.

Earlier, the Leader of the delegation, Prof.

Omon Oleabhiele, said: World Health Organisation (WHO) report indicated 80 per cent of Nigerians receive treatment from traditional medicine practitioners.

He, however, regrettedthat the h i g h i l l i t e r a c y l e v e l , among traditional medicine p r a c t i t i o n e r s who c a t e r f o r about 120 million Nigerians prevent the assemblage, documentation and preservation of medicines and components used by the traditional doctors for further researches .

He urged the government to establish an institution where the practitioners can interact and exchange ideas as well as acquire more skills.

61 students receive training at Natural Medicine Agency

S

IXTY-ONE final year students of the Plant Science Department, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, have received practical training at the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency.

They were taught practicals during an excursion to the agency in Lagos. This includes courses on ethno-botany, potentials of medicinal, aromatic and pesticidal plants and potential of natural medicine.

According to the DirectorGeneral of the agency, Tamunoibuomi Okujagu, their tour will enhance the understanding and knowledge of natural medicinal plants, their

By Wale Adepoju

usefulness and natural medicine practice.

He said these exposures would make the most of the learning experience of the students, adding that previous tours were identified as the main contributory factor to their outstanding performance.

Okujagu said sound knowledge of plants and animals would ensure capacity building in the department. “OOU requested the excursion following the outstanding performance of two of its students that did their industrial training (IT) with the agency in last year.

“The NNMDA is the best place

to receive training on ethnobotany. One hundred and 10 IT students, youth corps members, a few PhD students and several traditional medicine practitioners were trained by the agency in the past. They were exposed to the practical aspect of the related subjects taught in school.

Okujagu said those who have passed through the agency participated actively in the biweekly seminars conducted by the agency and were made to present scientific seminars relevant to their courses before a scientific audience before the expiration of the training.

He charged the students to be good ambassadors of the department and their school, adding

that the agency would not relent in its effort to ensure that students were trained during the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Okujagu said: “The learning experience of those trained in the agency also entails field work, during which samples of medicinal, aromatic and pesticidal plants (MAPPs) are collected and treated for use in the agency’s herbarium. They also learn about tissue culturetechnique (TCT) at the National Centre for Genetic and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Ibadan, Oyo State.”

He said other universities were collaborating with the agency in the research and capacity building, among others.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

NATURAL HEALTH

Dr Clark offers electrocution cure for disease (1) Whenever the wife of my friend who is suffering from depression telephones me again about his condition, I will, very likely confidently tell her….” I believe he has worms in his brain”.

Worms? Yes, worms in the brain!

Heel spurs and pain

D

IDN’T this column report a few months ago, in the series on detoxification, that an American hospital discovered a baby tape worm somewhere in the brain of a gentleman who had persistent headaches which seemed to defy all medications?

I am about seven years behind the reprint of THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASE, by Dr Hulda Regehr Clark Ph.D.,N.D.,whose thoughts began to feature in this column from last week. She believes worms in the brain cause depression and autism. She says also, that liver flukes, dangerous parasites, exist in the livers of all cancer suffers.In 1988, she discovered a devise as perfect,if not better , CAT scan or MRI [Magnetic Resaonance Imagery] .The invention is a simple machine which she encourages everyone to build at home. For this reason, she generously provides information,including technical diagrams, for making it .I have asked two electronics engineers to make some for me.It works on the principle that: Everything, dead or living, produces energy, energy moves from its source in waves to as far as it can.

Energy produced by various living or dead entities varies in intensity or voltage,that is power. Thus, the voltage or frequency of energy produced by anything is peculiar to it.

Dr Clark’s machine generates frequency across a wide bandwidth. If it is switched on to a particular frequency and a person holding the handles hears a resonance of that frequency through a hearing device in the machine, it means there is an organism in that person’s body “ broad casting” the resonating frequency.

If one holds on to the frequency machine while it is generating a frequency higher than that resonated from the parasite within the body, one would not hear the resonance after some time.

Dr Clark tested this “ with salmonella bacteria and Guardia and Herpes that I carried chronically.” She said that three minutes after, she retested herself but “could no longer find them in my organs” As her book added: “ I repeated and repeated. Were they really dead?

Maybe they were just numbed or were suddenly hiding. But symptoms were gone too. My herpes symptom stopped tingling. It was simple and unbelievable.”

It took Dr Clark three weeks to determine safety of this electrical treatment in humans… “Five volts for three minutes at the specific frequency” Thus, in 20 minutes (three minutes at six different frequencies) a while family could get rid of this parasite, she says. What of cancer, Scourge of modern life?. Dr Clark replies: “ Cancer cases showed that in a few hours the universal cancer marker, orthophospho-tyrosine, could be banshished from their bodies by killing this same parasite. Incurable HIV lost their virus in a few hours, too. Laboratory testing for HIV came back negative!Most cases of pain got immediate relief if I could identify the correct one’ and have its frequency found by the next office visit. This seemed to be absolute proof that living things had an essential high frequency output of some kind of energy” It shouldn’t be surprising to any-one familiar with the politics of medicine that a discovery such as this doesn’t get well pulblicised: It may run mainstream medicine out of business!

Bioradiation Dr Clark has merely planted the principle of bioratiat in a machine to help people get well faster. Everything, as this column said two weeks ago, is energy and radiation. In essence, a Dr Clark would say, “every living creature broadcasts its pretence like a radio station, the sun or the stars.” If the sun were to “ broadcast” at a higher frequency, we’d all recast or turn to death on earth.”

And when we successfully empty herbs to heal, it simply means the frequency of the herbs “ broadcast” destroyed the frequency of the germ or pathopen against which we lob it. That’s the principle behind the “ laying of hands” and faith healing. It is endenced in the Biblical miracle of the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, who tapped healing power by touching the garment of the Lord Jesus.

It was such power in the Lord that brought the dead Lazarus back to life, raised the Centurion’s daughter and, in the case of the widow’s dead daughter raised by the prophet. Dr Clark,relying on her discovery and experience, addresses the causes and treatment of many diseases different from current popular perspectives, as the following examples show.

Pain

Dr Clark would rather die than suffer unrelievable excruciating pain. But his pain therapy does not cover such pain as that of “broken bone, twisted ankle, bee sting, misaligned vertebra or stretch trauma un leg muscles or arm muscle.

His focus is on ‘’pain that is in your organs and refuse to go away,,. In this class is the pain of ‘’arthritis, headache and floe of the ‘’foot hip, chest .She believe inch pains are caused by parasites and pollutants. But pain-causing parasites aren’t large like worms or amoebas or viruses ,the sap :they are bacchanal. Ordinarily, the calls won’t let them in. But they gatecrash when the cell doors open for to let in food and wastes out Seen with bacteria are pollutants of all kinds, leading to a yet inconclusive debate on which got in first or attracted the other. Dr Clark suggests a Four-step plan to deal with excruciating pain.

1. Identification of parasite’s organ 2. destruction of parasite 3. Identification of pollutants, and 4. elimination of pollutants Her recipe for pain elimination of course, is electrocution of pain-causing bacteria using the frequency- generating machine TOE PAIN The toes get the least supply of blood, sap Dr Clark, and are a storages for uric acid when the kidnap fail to eliminate all of it through urine. Uric acid is a by product of pureness which are by

products of protein metabolism. In people who do not have the enzyme uricase uric acid is not soluble in the blood and forms sharp crystals often as sharp as glass fragments, hence the piercing pain it causes.

Also found in the toes is HIPPURIC ACID .This acid is made by the liver when it detoxifies benzoic acid , a common preservative.

Accumulation of uric acid and hippuric acid is sought by bacteria which them feed on them to profligate. This scenario is worsened by poor blood circulation but it can be improved by taking 1 capsule of Cayenne, sap Dr Clark. Bacterial accumulation in the acidified toes causes the tissue to fight back with inflammation, and inflammation causes pain. Where these acids have accumulated but pain is not felt as yet, it is possible that bacteria have not yet found their way there, or their population is too small to provoke inflammation.

Dr Clark offers a four-step (1) electrocuting all the toe tissue l cleaning up the kidnap with a kidney cleanse formula, 3, cleaning teeth cavitations i.e. cavities left in the mouth where a tooth or teeth were pulled, and 4, cleaning up the liver with a liver cleanse formula.

The next leg of this therapy is to alkalise the blood and body, taking food supplements such as calcium and magnesium, a mixture of sodium and potassium bicarbonate. Ask your pharmacist, or chemist or simply inductively add sea salt to potassium glutamate.

It is not possible to cover the entire spectrum of Dr Clark’s views on all kinds of pain and diseases in one column. So, I suggest that anyone who is so concerned about his or her health should obtain a copy of her book (ISBN I-890035-07-7) through the following contact: www. Newcenturypress.com meanwhile, I find four selects under sting to review today , being common Nigerian complains : food pain, heel spur, prostate problems and infer fertility.

Foot pain, swelling

The causes may be as simple as tight shoes or the reduction of blood circulation due to blockages in the blood vessels. Some people are unable to walk one or two electric poles without complaining or stopping to rest their feet. If the feet do not get enough blood and oxygen for extra work and cannot pass their wastes on, they would be filled with acids and “cry”. A cayenne capsule taken with food now and then does help. Blood circulation. One young university undergraduate is testifying to this. For many years that I’d known her, she always complained of either breast pain, irregular or ceasing menstruation, an unsightly abdomen and the breast line. Two weeks ago, I gave her cayenne capsules to swallow with meals, emptied one unto her mouth and probiotic ( 10 billion cells/ capsule) to either insert deep vaginally or mix into an olive oil gel and, using the long finger, deliver deep within before sleep at night.

Three days later, she reported symptoms of oncoming menstruation, the first time in four months, and two days after she told me she was discharging dark, smelling, chimps of deoxygenated blood, breathing deeper and better and experiencing relief from an abdominal pressure that had been her problem for years. It is one possible reason she didn’t enjoy sex with her boyfriend and lost him in marriage to another woman.

Cayenne improves all kinds of circulation disorders, including memory loss and dementia. But when the foot and ankles are swollen, a little more bodywork is called for. Dr Clark links the condition to kidney and adrenal dysfunction. Some doctors rely on a formula to distinguish between heart and kidney/ adrenal driven edema, as this condition is also called. If it occurs in the night and is seen on waking up , it’s the kidney and adrenals. If it happens after or during a walk during the day, then the heart can’t bring blood up from the foot, either because the non- return values in veins are weak or damaged or due to some other cause(s).

What to do. Dr Clark says parasites are disturbing both organs from controlling blood and salt balance in the body. In particular, the kidneys could be firmly crystals which are limiting blood and fluid flow through them making less water and salt leave the body. The solution is a kidney cleanse tea therapy, electrocution of the parasites using the frequency machine balancing the urine pH to 6.0 and taking a supplement 500 mg of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5); three times daily for reversal weeks. Other physicians would, in addition, suggest Chanka piedra to crush the crystals or stones. 1 start most days with a dropper or two of colloidal silver in a glass of water . It kills bacteria and viruses in the bloodstream and the urinary system

e-mail: femi.kusa@yahoo.com or olufemikusa@yahoo.com

Suddenly, feels grows longer, thicker, won’t fit good old shoes, and is painful when it bears the body;s load A heel pain may be due to a heel spur, which is caused by deposits of uric acid and various phosphates uric (deposits) occur when the body cannot liquefy and excrete them urinally. They are end products of purines which come from proteins in the diet. The phosphates in heel spurs harden uric acid deposits, making them hard to dissolve. Petrol is literally added to fire if oxalic acid crystals join them. These ones are pointed like pins or daggers and produce those sharp, stabbing pains in the foot when the body rests on it.Quite naturally, bacteria are attracted to this site to eat up the crystals. In the end, they create their own damage through poisoning , inflammation and pain. So , they have to be eliminated and the crystals dissolved through alkalimation and avoidance of the predisposing foods.

Phosphates are plentiful in soft drinks, red meat, carbonated beverages,spinish, pumpkin (ugwu) grains such as rice, breads, tea (not herb tea), cocoa, fish bone etc . The body tries to neutralise it by combining it with calcium as calcium phosphate(caH2 po4) dicalcium phosphate (ca3Hpo4) otherwise the acid phosphate would burn the kidney. As more calcium molecules troop out of the bones and teeth to cage incoming phosphate, the bones and teeth are weakened unless the calcium losses are compensated. I took a break from the last sentence tom pump three droppers of AQUALYTE into a glass of water and drinks, one hour taking colloidal silver- Acqualyte is colloidal calcium, an easily absorb form of calcium, and about 80 micronutrients from the se4a.I say this to emphasis the point often made that health doesn’t come by chance; it is worked for, budgeted for and paid for. Should the bones and teeth become washed off, one could become a skeletal and dental wreck. I have eaten too many guinea fowl eggs (protein and acid uric acid) in this its season, and have been feeling heel pain in the right foot and some pains in the waist.Attrack, they say, is the last from of defense!

Prostate problems Until the new illumination by Dr Clark, I have followed the protocol of checking acidosis , improving alkalinity, checking free radicals and improving oxidation, improving colon health, supplying essential fatty acids and checking the 5- Alpha Reeducates Enzymes, among other therapy goals years ago, only men as old as 60 had prostate problems. And these were unfortunately associated with the aging process i.e. Something must kill a man. But with young men falling in few, sexual explosion came under suspicion. There some sense in this young men don’t take their eyes off anything in body hog. Yet they little know that about 80 percent of the zinc in their body is stored in the prostate gland where a defiencency activates the 5-Alpha Reductase enzyme to stimulate excessive prostate tissues growth.

This, of course, leads to prostate enlargement (prostatitis) or cancer- more of this another day. Today, Dr Clark has the floor and says metal, especially nickel poisoning is the underlying cause of all prostate problems, including cancer. “Bacteria cannot live in the prostate without nickel being present.” He says, taking pains to explain how, feeding on nickel, they detoxify the environment of the urine and droppings of animals Nickel cannot be sufficiently prevent in the body to attract bacteria, as sugar does ants, unless we feed on nickel-rich foods or we suffer nickel pollution , and goes on to say: “ You can cure your prostate problems with the simple tactic of stopping nickel pollution of your body .

Notice that you get a fresh attack after accidentally using metal cutlery in a restaurant or eating mayonnaise –style salad with a metal spoon stuck in it. It might be wise to take a histidine capsule ( about 500mg) on a day for three weeks when this happens.Histidine is a nickel chelator. Taking zinc is helpful too (60 mg two times a day for amonth). Possibly the nickel was poisoning the zinc enzymes. Prostate problem of all kinds clear up when the bacteria are zapped, the kidney cleaning is done, dental clean up is done, and the bowel programme is followed.

Dr Clark warns that “ our spoons, fork and knives are made of nickel,” and that food reacts with this metal loosening it. “ When you smear the knife over your bread, this film comes off and you eat it. If you were to put the knife in your mouth , now , you could taste the metal. You would later wash the knife but not before you have eaten enough nickel to supply all the bacteria in your body with the daily allowance of their essential element. Even plant keeps their nickel levels very low. But due to pollution of animal feed with it even a hen’s egg now has 3 mcg/100 gm of nickel in it.

To produce a nickel polluted egg, the chicken must be polluted.

Dr Clark stretches nickel pollution beyond the prostate gland to the skin (allergies), breast,(breast pain), ovaries and testes (hormonal problems and infertility)and the scalp(baldness). When nickel attracts bacteria to the urinary tract, the signals is the smell of ammonia in the urine as the bacteria feeds on urea. They digest urea by breaking it down into two ammonia molecules, using an enzyme,urease, which is activated by nickel!Dr Clark makes me worry about the upsurge of stainless steel cutlery and other household utensils on the Nigerian market. They come from china .He sap stainless steel contains three percent nickel. These ones from China may have more. A few years ago Europe rejected dinner plates from China. They were cheap and hardly breakable .The secret: more than the allowed amount that lead, a poison, for hardening. The stainless steel products on the market are too cheap for comfort in this regard. Nickel is used to harden gold. So status conscious people who wear gold –strap watches or gold tooth crowns need be careful. Ditto nickel in jewellery Dr Clark warns that “the skin oils dissolve nickel from jewellery/sometimes learning your skin with a greenish black colour, and transport into your body’ and adds: ‘’don’t wear metal jewllery. Earring posts should be replaced with all plastic types.

Mental zings should be replaced. After lowering your total blood nickel levels and your prostate disease is only a memory, you might notice scalp hair returning to sparse areas’’ The review of Dr Clark’s THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES continues next week.

Tel: 08034004247, 07025077303

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RAMADAN NEWS Lawmakers call for tolerance, peace

A

CTION Congress of Nigeria (ACN) members of the House of Representatives, Hon. Muniru Hakeem, Dr Samuel Adejare and Morof AkinderuFatai have urged Moslems to imbibe the qualities of Prophet Mohammad in this fasting season and beyond.

Adejare, a Christian, spoke at the Ramadan Programme he organised for his Muslim constituents in Agege, Lagos where he also inaugurated his free GCE coaching classes for students.

He advised the beneficiaries to pay attention to their studies irrespective of the fasting period, stressing that both endeavours are not in conflict. He also advised them to seek the face of Allah as they study for the examination.

Adejare enjoined the youths to shun negative tendencies during and after this solemn season, reminding them that they would reap divine reward, if they walk in the way of Allah.

He also asked faithful in Lagos State to pray for Fashola Administration to enable it perform better than his first term.

Urging Muslims in all the parts of the country to reflect on the national journey from the amalgamation of 1914, Akinderu-Fatai, who repre-

By Emmanuel Oladesu

sents Osodi/Isolo Constituency 1, said Nigeria need, increased patriotism, love and sacrifice to survive as a nation-state.

He said: “I urge our brothers and sisters in Islam to utilise this crucial moment to seek the face of Allah as our country faces a lot of socioeconomic and political challenges. The key to stability is democracy based on the doctrine of justice. When we pray for our leaders at this time, we also pray for ourselves”.

The legislator asked Nigerians to engage in soulsearching, saying that the spate of violence both at domestic level and public life, is embarrassing.

Akinderu-Fatai said the economic problems have led to the multiplicity of social vices in the country, urging religious leaders to use their pulpit to call for calm and harmony.

He added: “What we read in newspapers convey the impression that there is no peace in homes and neighbourhoods. Children are murdering their parents in cold blood. People are missing everyday. Wives and husbands engage in feuds, which lead to loss of lives.

Mothers are throwing their

children into wells in broad daylight. There is shortage of peace everywhere and security is past tense’.

Hakeem, who distributed free GCE forms to 120 students yesterday at Isolo, asked them to be serious with their studies, adding that, as they read their books, they should remember to honour Allah with good behaviour.

He said: “This is a special month. All good Muslims must observe this season with reverence and commitment and submission to Allah, the most compassionate.

I learnt that some of you are shunning lessons because you are fasting. It should not be so. As you learn, you should pray. Pray, seek the face of Allah and shun evil, now and always”.

Hakeem emphasised that the best form of education is religious instruction, adding that it is superior to the advantages of schooling.

The legislator also called on his constituents to use pray earnestly for peaceful local council elections in Lagos State in October. He said: “We should pray for the entire process, the leadership of our party, particularly our overall leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and for good candidates to emerge and win the elections”.

Indomie fetes three million Muslims

F

UFIL Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie Instant Noodles has announced plan to feed 3 million Muslims across the nation.

A release by its Public Relations Manager, Temitope Ashiwaju said the company is identifying with Muslims during the 30 days fasting period as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative by serving Indomie meals during ‘Iftar’(Evening Break) at various central mosques across the country.

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

Ashiwaju said Indomie believes strongly in connecting with its consumers through varied engagement platforms and that the month of Ramadan provides such unique opportunity to connect with and engage the Muslim consumers “We have identified several central mosques across the country where freshly prepared Indomie will be served freely at the time of breaking the fast at each of these mosques on a cycle ba-

sis, as in one mosque per day and thus in a week, we cover the identified mosques of that city and the cycle continues,” he said.

He stressed that the council of Imams in the various locations across the country have given their support to ensure the success of the exercise and the Imams of each mosque will supervise the distribution of freshly prepared Indomie to members during the Iftar.

The exercise, he said, is expected to last throughout the 30 days Ramadan season.

Terrorism, Boko Haram alien to Islam, children, especially the HE Mudir of Markaz says cleric their females, moral rectitude so Islamic and Arabic In-

T

stitute, Lagos, Sheik Habeebullah Adam, has urged Muslims to use the flexibility of the religion to overcome contemporary challenges facing them.

Sheikh Adam, speaking at the 25th NTA/MKO Abiola Ramadan lecture held at Tejuoso, Lagos, said terrorism and other forms of violence being exhibited by Boko Haram are unislamic.

Adam who spoke on Islam and Contemporary Challenges said those who kill in the name of religion are uninformed.

“Islam abhors terrorism because the same religion has taught us life is sacred. But it is regrettable that some Muslims take pride in terrorism. Islam has taught us that if a soul is killed, more than one soul has been killed and if a soul is saved, more than one soul has been saved,” he said.

“Muslims should concern themselves with scientific discoveries such as going to the moon, making vehicles, going to the space. Some of us ignore acquisition of knowledge under the pretext that they want to go heaven.”

Regretting that Muslims

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

were not rising to modern challenges, he urged them to embrace knowledge irrespective of wherever it is coming from as long as it would be beneficial to mankind and does not antagonise their religion.

“Those who acquire knowledge are not even using it. If you go to all sectors, how many Muslims do we have there? Does it mean that there are no knowledgeable Muslims? Boko Haram is not Jihad.

Rather it is bringing Islam backward,” he added.

He enjoined women to give their female children sound moral education, saying that religion without morality is a nullity.

“I urge our women to give

that they can be good wives and build their homes. Religion and morality must blend.

But sometimes, we misconstrue the teachings of our religion.

“Islam is not stagnant. It is not retrogressive. Rather it is progressive and flexible and it should be practiced as such.

If we use the flexibility of our religion very well, we will overcome all contemporary challenges,” he said.

Recalling that all religions and prophets had at one time or the other faced various challenges, Adam, a member of the Al-Azar Academy for Islamic Research, Cairo, said it was appalling that some Muslims take pride in terrorism when it is evident that their religion places much emphasis on sanctity of life.

NACOMYO holds lecture

T

HE National Council of Muslim Youth Organisation (NACOMYO) Awori Division will hold its annual Ramadan lecture on Sunday.

The lecture entitled Terrorism: Jihad or Reaction to SocioEconomic, way forward in a growing economy like Nigeria will be delivered by Mr Tohir Adeosun, a lawyer.

The lecture expected to be chaired by Alhaji Nurudeen Oyetunde, is to examine the series of problems in the country including corruption, and proffer solutions.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

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MONEY LINK

Panic withdrawals subside in nationalised banks THE number of customers’ making withdrawals in the three new banks seemed to have reduced by yesterday compared to Monday.

The Nation visited MainStreet Bank in Ikotun, Keystone Bank in Allen Avenue Ikeja, and Enterprise Bank at Oshodi and found that the panic withdrawal that followed the revocation of their licences on Monday had reduced.

One of the security men who asked not be named at Enterprise Bank said, “the crowd has reduced compared to the previous day when people trooped in and out to

By Collins Nweze and Samuel Akintan

see if their money was safe.”

Many of them only came to make enquiries and left afterwards, without making withdrawals, as the bank staff reassured them that the bank is not distressed as the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has assumed ownership of the bank.

A customer at MainStreet Bank, who gave his name only as Segun, said he was not worried about the safety of his money because government has assured that the banks

Enterprise Bank recapitalises with N111b ENTERPRISE Bank Limited has been fully recapitalised by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) which has injected N111billion into the bank.

The bank said in a statement that it has fully refunded N60 billion injected into the bank when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervened in the defunct Spring Bank Plc in 2007 and 2009.

The balance of the funding is left in the bank to support business development and other fi-

nancial requirement.

As a result, the bank now fully enjoys a level-playing field and can compete favourably with any other bank in the banking industry without any disadvantage.

The bank is in a position to meet all its obligations.

Customer confidence has equally increased and there has been no run on the bank since the transformation of the bank from Spring Bank to Enterprise Bank Limited.

funds, to avoid a run.

The operating licences of Afribank Nigeria Plc, Bank PHB Plc and former Spring Bank Plc were revoked by the CBN last week.

The apex bank said the three banks did not show the necessary capacity and ability to recapitalise within the September 30th deadline.

It subsequently handed the banks to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), before the banks were sold to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), which in turn established bridge banks in their stead.

are strong. He said he needed to follow up with development in the bank to be sure that he did not face same incident that occurred in 1992, during which National Bank was liquidated, saying his sibling lost N77, 000 in the bank after it was liquidated.

Similar observations were made at branches of Keystone Bank, Ogba; Enterprise Bank, Ladipo among others.

An employee of Keystone Bank who asked not to be named, said the bank is trying to enlighten the customers about the safety of their

•CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi Lamido

Bank CEO outlines initiatives for manufacturing sector

GROUP Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bank Plc, Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, has identified initiatives necessary to promote the growth and sustenance of the Nigerian manufacturing sector.

Durosinmi-Etti, who noted that finance remained a pivot in initiating and sustaining investment, said access to finance by the sector could be achieved by deepening the financial markets.

Presenting a paper titled, “Finance: Catalysts for promoting and sustaining the manufacturing sector” at the 2011 Business Luncheon of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State chapter, said contrary to the requirement of long term funding for the real sector, the bulk of the funds in

the financial sector are short term in nature.

He therefore called for sustenance of the reforms in alternative markets, such as the capital and bonds markets, with a view to enabling them bridge the long-term funding gap.

Besides, the bank chief called for efficiency in the management of intervention funding initiatives like those set up by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industry and the others, in deploying specialized funding to certain sectors.

Durosinmi-Etti, also canvassed

respect for covenants so as to instill confidence in investors and assurance of the safety of their investments.

If this is done, it would improve the country’s sovereign credit rating and lower risks attributable to the economy.

Noting that while the reforms of our trade, investment and tax laws are critical, the banker, said an improved political climate and continuous collaboration between regulators and operators in the financial sector need to be sustained to create a conducive atmosphere for investment.

‘Banking, capital market reforms should be sustained’ THE ongoing reforms in the financial services sector should be sustained to enhance Nigeria’s economic growth, analysts have said.

Managing Director, SNS Consulting, Adebanjo Adebayo, said although it would be imperative for the country to address other major hurdles that could undermine its eco-

nomic success, but meddling with the autonomy and independence of organs of Central Bank of Nigeria and Securities & Exchange Commission could endanger the economy.

“Frustrating these champions of reform could easily lead to suboptimal economic performance and be counterproductive,” he said.

The Managing Director, IRIS Consulting, Richard Obire, said the Nigerian economy has underperformed its resource potential, market size and peer-group and therefore needs to be resuscitated through constructive reforms as is being done in these key sectors.

He said, there is a wealth illusion

in the country, especially in the public sector. This is based on a false premise that oil prices and revenues are an increasing function of time, that oil revenue only increases and never declines. “Following from this is the misconception that natural wealth is equivalent to produced wealth. In my interaction with pub-

FGN BONDS

DATA BANK

Tenor

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES OBB Rate Call Rate

7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 10-8-11 SYMBOL GLAXOSMITH FLOURMILL DANGSUGAR FIDSON HONYFLOUR JBERGER LAWUNION NEM MAYBAKER FCMB

O/PRICE 24.40 80.00 10.27 1.68 3.99 47.50 0.50 0.50 3.85 5.82

C/PRICE 25.62 84.00 10.78 1.76 4.18 49.50 0.52 0.52 4.00 6.00

CHANGE 1.22 4.00 0.51 0.08 0.19 2.00 0.02 0.02 0.15 0.18

LOSER AS AT 10-8-11 SYMBOL CCNN SKYEBANK OANDO ETI PRESCO NASCON UBA AIICO UNITYBNK RTBRISCOE

O/PRICE 8.00 5.60 33.74 13.77 7.50 4.30 4.52 0.62 0.62 1.46

lic officials, there is an entrenched view that oil price shocks are temporary whilst oil prosperity and peaks are normal,” he said.

He made reference to 2008 when oil prices declined sharply, resulting in revenue gaps, internal and external balances, saying government had no anticipatory plan to fall back on.

C/PRICE 7.60 5.32 32.06 13.09 7.13 4.09 4.30 0.59 0.59 1.39

CHANGE 0.40 0.28 1.68 0.68 0.37 0.21 0.22 0.03 0.03 0.07

Amount Sold ($)

Exchange Rate (N)

Date

450m

452.7m

450m

150.8

08-8-11

250m

313.5m

250m

150.8

03-8-11

400m

443m

400m

150.7

01-8-11

EXHANGE RATE 30-05-11 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD NGN GBP

147.6000 239.4810

149.7100 244.0123

150.7100 245.6422

-2.11 -2.57

NGN EUR

212.4997

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

Bureau de Change 152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

(S/N) Parallel Market

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NSE CAP Index

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N)

05-08-11 N7.484tr 23,399.44

08-08-11 N7.345tr 22,963.11

% Change +1.86% +1.86%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

(S/N)

153.0000

DISCOUNT WINDOW January ’11

February ’11

July ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

8.75%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 10.2%

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 117.62 1,586.00 0.81 1.00 0.98 1,586.00 9.61 1.39 1.87 8,827.74 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.16 1,576.75 0.78 1.00 0.97 1,576.75 9.14 1.33 1.80 8,557.73 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 04 MAR, 2011 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 24, MAY, 2011 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous

Current

04 MAR, 2011

07, MAR, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

57

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 10-08-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 12 13

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 0.50 1,000 500.00 7.13 1,197,050 8,917,476.00 1,198,050 8,917,976.00

AIR SERVICES Company Name AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 69 71

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2.23 6,000 12,720.00 6.50 848,994 5,584,379.96 854,994 5,597,099.96

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 10 10

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1.39 195,993 272,430.27 195,993 272,430.27

BANKING Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC FINBANK PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC. OCEANIC BANK INTERNATIONAL PLC SKYE BANK PLC. STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 210 88 32 35 134 777 12 998 75 14 64 144 30 112 35 4 30 580 3,374

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 6.00 10,195,445 59,393,982.16 4.00 6,536,807 25,756,370.92 2.73 3,074,182 9,034,589.84 6.00 1,305,050 7,820,199.90 1.67 11,574,694 19,378,076.28 10.15 15,289,563 156,975,381.75 0.50 200,555 100,277.50 11.64 61,218,564 724,593,048.64 9.20 4,731,953 43,043,662.98 0.70 660,040 462,028.00 1.15 6,735,475 7,745,796.25 5.32 16,242,474 86,409,961.68 1.36 2,072,860 2,805,776.25 9,705,946 41,735,567.80 4.30 2.09 557,582 1,165,346.38 0.59 210,205 124,020.95 0.70 1,404,822 1,038,813.25 12.30 14,190,514 171,250,570.35 165,906,731 1,358,833,470.88

BREWERIES Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 62 7 157 226

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 228.00 148,685 32,787,217.04 6.10 74,291 430,887.80 82.49 1,272,022 104,993,802.36 1,494,998 138,211,907.20

BUILDING MATERIALS Company Name ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 50 18 28 36 132

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 20.00 387,771 7,569,771.64 7.60 396,308 3,011,940.80 120.00 204,127 23,736,154.34 42.01 181,314 7,395,771.30 1,169,520 41,713,638.08

CHEMICAL & PAINTS Company Name BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC DN MEYER PLC NIGERIAN-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 14 1 2 24

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 9.34 116,823 1,042,188.24 28.00 27,750 741,665.50 1.38 10,000 13,200.00 10.53 946 9,469.46 155,519 1,806,523.20

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 14 14

Manufacturing stocks are safe havens as equities’ shed N503b

M

ANUFACTURING stocks have largely resisted the gripping recession at the Nigerian stock market, as seven consecutive days of price depreciation shaved off about N503 billion from market capitalisation of the equities market.

Indices provided by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and private investment companies showed that manufacturing firms largely constituted by food and beverages companies have sustained positive year-to-date returns even as the overall average return for the Nigerian market rose to 9.83 per cent yesterday.

The NSE food and beverages index rebounded from 771.58 points on Tuesday to 782.97 points yesterday, the only exception in a market that saw all other five key indices closing at new lowest points.

The All Share Index slumped to 22,335.75 points yesterday from 22,519.32 points, while the aggregate market capitalisation dropped from N7.203 trillion to N7.145 trillion.

The NSE 30 Index, which tracked the 30 most capitalised companies, slipped from 999.76 points on Tuesday to 990.12 points. The NSE Banking Index declined from 303.93 points to 298.75 points.

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 3.13 83,000 248,700.00 83,000 248,700.00

No of Deals 6 1 7

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 3.41 57,665 206,440.70 0.50 20,000 10,000.00 77,665 216,440.70

CONGLOMERATES Company Name A. G. LEVENTIS (NIGERIA) PLC PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 3 61 85 66 45 260

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1.99 5,000 9,500.00 40.99 139,571 5,455,725.38 1.00 7,260,240 6,851,933.68 38.00 364,237 13,553,845.59 27.50 220,756 5,955,438.66 7,989,804 31,826,443.31

The NSE Insurance Index also slipped from 149.81 points to 147.09 points, while the NSE oil and gas index slipped from 275.46 points to 269.71 points.

Indices provided by FSDH Securities, showed positive year-to-date return of 2.34 per cent for manufacturing stocks as against negative returns of 25 per cent, 13 per cent and 22 per cent for banking stocks, insurance stocks and petroleum-marketing companies respectively.

But the stock market appeared to be gathering momentum for a recovery. Technically, the NSE ASI appeared to have built up support on a feasible support point of 22,347.41 recorded on the 22nd of July, 2009.

Though, NSE ASI broke be-

The All Share Index slumped to 22,335.75 points yesterday from 22,519.32 points, while the aggregate market capitalisation dropped from N7.203 trillion to N7.145 trillion

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 10-08-11 N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. STACO INSURANCE PLC UNIC INSURANCE PLC. UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

41 1 9 1 2 1 166

No of Deals 5 16 21

No of Deals 9 9

No of Deals 3 3

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2.09 116,000 242,440.00 116,000 242,440.00

No of Deals 97 97

No of Deals 17 65 160 89 28 10 43 16 62 1 1 492

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 45.00 10,708 466,131.45 17.00 356,283 5,811,597.78 10.78 5,268,690 53,796,789.85 84.00 1,128,627 93,496,948.44 4.18 1,241,805 5,042,080.16 1.70 4,529,412 7,700,000.40 4.09 465,298 1,919,894.30 43.00 120,977 5,126,074.90 400.00 255,638 102,198,000.30 0.50 1,000 500.00 0.63 500 300.00 13,378,938 275,558,317.58

HEALTHCARE Company Name EVANS MEDICALPLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 13 18 23 1 2 58

No of Deals 4 5 9

No of Deals 2 2 4

No of Deals 1 8 9

No of Deals 8 8

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 0.95 1,040 988.00 1.76 1,089,047 1,831,599.04 25.62 119,185 3,040,159.70 4.00 238,869 893,349.14 9.52 100 905.00 1.47 11,000 16,170.00 1,459,241 5,783,170.88

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 6.51 380 2,473.80 4.32 161,185,600 696,321,788.00 161,185,980 696,324,261.80

Company Name LONGMAN NIGERIA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 72 8 1 7 1 14 2 2 4

Value of Shares (N) 3,136,931.08 3,136,931.08

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 0.50 13,630,916 0.52 380,800 14,011,716

Value of Shares (N) 6,815,458.00 198,016.00 7,013,474.00

No of Deals 3 25 7 35

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 2.02 20,000 1.15 832,982 0.50 118,530 971,512

Value of Shares (N) 40,400.00 954,466.26 59,569.00 1,054,435.26

No of Deals 47 47

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 2.09 744,595 744,595

Value of Shares (N) 1,482,192.15 1,482,192.15

No of Deals 1 11 32 23 9 26 99 14 215

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 0.50 100,000 67.22 42,732 32.60 124,464 5.20 542,519 18.32 16,485 156.50 49,845 32.06 370,052 203.32 8,324 1,254,421

Value of Shares (N) 50,000.00 2,728,865.52 4,070,076.59 2,750,028.86 287,003.85 7,417,942.34 11,863,867.12 1,655,030.30 30,822,814.58

PRINTING & PUBLISHING

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 0.50 200 100.00 5.70 42,889 237,949.26 43,089 238,049.26

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 0.50 370,833 186,181.72 370,833 186,181.72

No of Deals 14 6 20

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 5.00 2,186,418 4.39 21,277 2,207,695

Value of Shares (N) 10,930,468.70 90,737.86 11,021,206.56

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 18.15 12,329 12,329

Value of Shares (N) 212,712.75 212,712.75

REAL ESTATE Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

ROAD TRANSPORTATION Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 0.50 38,460 38,460

Value of Shares (N) 19,230.00 19,230.00

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 0.57 30,986 30,986

Value of Shares (N) 17,662.02 17,662.02

TEXTILES

INSURANCE Company Name AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CORNERSTONE INSURANCE CO. PLC. CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC.

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 0.87 3,604,246 3,604,246

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. FORTE OIL PLC MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name STARCOMMS PLC Sector Totals

Value of Shares (N) 432,600.00 432,600.00

PACKAGING Company Name NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 0.91 489,000 489,000

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Company Name DEAP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND TRUST PLC NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC Sector Totals

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name CAPITAL HOTEL PLC TOURIST COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

8,121,007.28 25,000.00 943,341.10 11,550.00 1,000.00 2,550.00 16,386,773.25

MORTGAGE COMPANIES Company Name ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC Sector Totals

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NIGERIAN BOTTLING COMPANY PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC TANTALIZERS PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

16,222,248 50,000 572,290 23,100 2,000 5,100 26,254,614

MARITIME Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 2.66 70,375 187,197.50 49.50 166,086 8,192,446.22 236,461 8,379,643.72

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC Sector Totals

0.52 0.50 1.69 0.50 0.50 0.50

LEASING Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

CONSTRUCTION Company Name COSTAIN (WA) PLC JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

low this point yesterday, it still pointed a reasonable wedge to the market free fall.

Volume of shares transacted yesterday moved up to 406.486 million valued at N2.658 billion in 5,365 deals, as against 401.979 million shares worth N2.963 billion exchanged in 5,192 deals posted on Tuesday.

Despite the negative overall pricing trend, the market showed a significant sign of recovery at mid-week, with improved number of advanced stocks, as well as a reasonable drop in the log of losing ones.

The high drop by the market capitalisation reduced from a three digit figure to a double digit yesterday.

Glaxo-SmithKline Consumer led the gainers table with an increase of N1.22 to close at N25.62 followed by Flourmills, Dangote Sugar, Fidson and Honeywell Flour with price increases of N4.00 to close at N84.00, N0.51 to close at N10.78, N0.08 to close at N1.76 and N0.19 to close at N4.18.

On the losers table, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) led the losers table with a drop of N0.40 to close at N7.60 followed by Skye bank, Oando, ETI and Presco with price drop of N0.28, N1.68, N0.68 and N0.37 respectively.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

COMPUTER & OFFICE EQUIPMENT Company Name NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. OMATEK VENTURES PLC Sector Totals

By Taofik Salako and Tonia Osundolire

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 0.59 5,854,813 3,454,339.67 2,162,200 2,139,450.00 0.99 0.50 4,000 2,000.00 2.60 170,360 440,825.20 0.50 6,964 3,482.00 1.14 1,006,604 1,153,731.50 0.50 121,035 60,517.50 0.50 1,200 600.00 0.52 52,700 27,379.00

Company Name UNITED NIGERIA TEXTILES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 2 2

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS Company Name ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Sector Totals Overall Totals

No of Deals 31 31

Quotation(N)Quantity Traded 13.09 949,552 949,552 5,365 406,485,942

Value of Shares (N) 12,451,631.29 12,451,631.29 2,658,408,357.50

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FOREIGN NEWS RIOTS IN UK

Volunteers mobilise to reclaim UK streets J UST hours after thugs left cars and buildings burning and streets littered with shop-window glass, thousands of volunteers from across the UK have arrived

with brooms to reclaim their streets.

In London, Birmingham,

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Honda CRV 2008......................................................1.3 million.

Toyota Avensis 2002..............................................500,000.

Nissan Pathfinder 06 model....................................1.3 million.

Toyota Landcruiser 2009.........................................1.8 million.

Mecede Benz GL450 4Matic 2007..........................1.7million.

Infiniti FX35 04 Model...........................................1.2 million.

Toyota Hiace {18 seater} 2006..............................700,000.

Toyota Sequoia 2005...............................................1.2 million.

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PUBLIC NOTICE UPLIFT FOUNDATION This is to inform the general public that the above named organization; UPLIFT FOUNDATION , has applied to the CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, CAC, ABUJA, for registration under PART C, of the COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 1.

Mrs. Reni Folawiyo 2.

Mrs.Morenike Ransome-Kuti 5.

Prince Gbolahan Dada 3.

Mrs.Yinka Blackshear 6.

Dr.Sola Oyebola 4.

Mrs.Olufunso Amosun 7.

Dr.Segun Oshin AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1) To initiate, promote and support various poverty alleviation programmes and projects that will uplift the welfare of people at all levels of society.

2) To organize various forms of empowerment schemes that will encourage people to be self-reliant and self-sufficient.

3) To organize skill acquisition programmes and trainings that will facilitate self-engagement and personal productivity.

4) Eradication of poverty through financial literacy programmes, education and career guidance, research and training, promoting policy development regarding welfare rights.

5) To enhance and promote by means of public lectures and professional advice towards economic welfare and development of rural Communities.

ANY objection to this registration should be forwarded to the registrar CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, CAC, ABUJA, within TWENTY EIGHT (28) DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: THE SOLICITORS

PUBLIC NOTICE THE CHURCH OF GOD (SEVENTH-DAY) The general public is hereby informed that the above name Church have applied for change of trustees to corporate affairs commission, Abuja as follows: OLD TRUSTEES ARE: (1) Robinson Dibia Orukwowu (2) Thompson Nwagbraho Egbekwu (3) Bethuel Ahiagbako Ogbuku (4) Noah Digbu Okese (5) Nelson Okwo THE NEW TRUSTEES ARE : (1) Elder Joseph Okolie Aboh (2) Elder Alfred Mdubi Ubi (3) Elder Jackson Egbo Ogaluzor (4) Elder Sunday Nwanna Okwuikpo (5) Elder Chinonye Dugger Orukwowu.

Any objection to the above should be forwarded to Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGN: ALEXANDER AGILIEBU (ASSISTANCE GENERAL SECRETARY)

Manchester and Wolverhampton, crowds gathered at meeting points publicised on the social networking website Twitter.

In Manchester more than 200 had arrived at Piccadilly Gardens first thing and were quickly sent out to clean-up the city.

Thousands commented on Twitter how the outpouring of community spirit had left them amazed, proud and, in many cases, in tears.

In Wolverhampton around 100 people who had formed an impromptu group called RiotCleanUpWolv turned up at Queen Square to help the council.

As street cleans had completed the bulk of the cleaners the volunteers asked shopkeepers if they could be of assistance in cleaning up their premises.

Council Leader Councillor Roger Lawrence, said: ‘It is heartening to see the many volunteers who have turned out this morning to assist in the clean-up operation and I thank everyone who has been involved.’

Others said the cleanup showed the Blitz spirit was alive and well 70 years after towns and cities were bombed during the second world war.

Paul Carew, local service manager for Manchester City Council, said he was “overwhelmed” by the response.

‘There’s a lot of young people here. There was a lot of young people out last night, giving them a bad press, but the people who turned up today are the true citizens of Manchester really.’

Jordan Wilson, 23, a digital account executive, said his boss at Manchester marketing company Push On had given him paid time off to volunteer.

T

HE Prime Minister David Cameron has said the “fightback” is under way, after cities in England suffered a fourth night of violence and looting.

Cameron said every action would be taken to restore order, with contingency plans for water cannon to be available at 24 hours’ notice.

On Tuesday night, unrest spread to cities including Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Nottingham and Birmingham.

Three men aged 21, 30 and 31 died when they were hit by a car in Birmingham.

Haroon Jahan, Shahzad Ali, and Abdul Musavir were taken to hospital but died from their injuries.

Mr Cameron said the deaths were “truly dreadful” and offered his condolences to the men’s families.

The men, from the Asian Muslim community, were run over and killed as they protected property.

‘Rioters will be fought’ Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood has appealed for calm, telling a community meeting it was important people did not take matters into their own hands.

Earlier, Mr Cameron said police had the legal backing to use any tactics necessary to bring the rioting across England under control, including using baton rounds.

Speaking after a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee, he said: “This continued violence is simply not acceptable, and it will be stopped.

But president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), Sir Hugh Orde, ruled out using water cannon or baton rounds for now, saying the tactics were not suited to the current unrest.

16,000 policemen to stop looters

F

RESH violence flared around the United Kingdom last night as police were braced to use plastic bullets for the first time on the British mainland in a belated bid to reclaim the streets.

After three days of humiliating mob rule, senior officers finally acted to halt the

feral thugs responsible for the orgy of violence, arson and looting.

Stung by public outrage and political anger, the Metropolitan Police cancelled all leave and flooded London with 16,000 officers – nearly three times as many as were deployed on Mon-

day night when mobs ran amok – and promised tougher tactics.

Stop and search: Police detain three alleged rioters in Enfield as part of last night’s crackdown However last night there were disturbances in Manchester, where a Miss

Selfridge shop was set on fire, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Nottingham. There was also trouble in Enfield and Eltham in London.

In Salford, youths smashed shop windows in the shopping centre and looted businesses.

‘My boy’s death not a race issue’ devastated father says HE devastated father of one of the men killed in a hit-and-run incident in Birmingham last night has appealed for calm in city this evening.

Tariq Jahan, the father of

T

PUBLIC NOTICE SOLOMON I, formerly known and addressed Solomon Ugo Nwoba as now wish to be known and addressed as Solomon Ugo Rizzi Nwoba. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

NNAMANI I, formerly known and addressed as NNAMANI CALISTA NDIDI now wish to be known and addressed as OKAFOR CALISTA NDIDI. All former documents remain valid. IMT, NYSC and general public take note.

NWABUEZE: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NWABUEZE LYNDA GRACE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OBIANUKO GRACE LYNDA. All former documents remain valid. UPE School, Achi Oji River L.G.A, and general public take note.

CHUKWUEDE I, formerly known and addressed as MISS BLESSING NNENNA NGOZI CHUKWUEDE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. NGOZI NATH NWOBODO. All former documents remain valid. The general public take note.

ANICHEBE I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ANICHEBE EMILIA UCHENNA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. EZE EMILIA UCHENNA. All former documents remain valid.

ESUT, NYSC and general public take note.

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OMOLERE I, formerly known and addressed as OMOLERE RUTH OLOLADE OLUWABUSOLA now wish to be known and addressed as ODERINDE RUTH OLOLADE OLUWABUSAYO. All former documents remain valid. IMT, NYSC and the general public take note.

victim Haroon Jahan, 21, made a statement on a street in the city asking for people to come forward in the search for justice and said that the issue was not related to race.

Mr Jahan said: ‘We lost three cherish members of our community taken in a way no sister, brother, father should endure.’

‘Today we stand here to plead with all the youth to remain calm, for our communities to stand united.

‘This is not a race issue. The family has received messages of sympathy and support from all parts of society.’

He called on people to ‘respect the memories of our sons’ by bringing a stop to violence.

Visibly emotional, Mr Jahan said: ‘I lost my son.

Blacks, Asians, whites - we all live in the same community.

‘Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this? Step forward if you want

to lose your sons. Otherwise, calm down and go home please.’

Following his statement, there was a very minor disturbance involving a group of men, but Mr Jahan again got to his feet and said: I’m mourning my son.Grow up.

Go home.’

As Mr Jahan spoke, the Prime Minister described the apparent killing of the three men as a ‘truly dreadful incident’ and offered his condolences to their families.

Mr Cameron added: ‘I know that the police here in Birmingham, here in the West Midlands, are working night and day to get to the bottom of what happened and bring the perpetrators to justice.

‘We rely on the police to keep our communities, to keep our country, to keep our shops and homes safe.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Jahan told how he performed CPR on his dying son, after a hit-and-run driver mowed down the three men who were ‘protecting their community against rioting and looters’.

He said his hands and face were ‘covered in blood’ as he tried to save the life of 21year-old son.

Clearly in shock and pleading for an end to the violence that has swept across cities and towns, he said: ‘I miss him dearly but two days from now the whole world will forget - no one will care.’

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘Tensions are already high in the area.

‘It’s already bad enough what we are seeing on the streets now without other people taking the law into their own hands.’

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TOMORROW

IN THE NATION

‘Most of them drop out of school relying on social welfare allowance given to them by the state that is barely inadequate to sustain good living, or opting for other lowly jobs that will give them quick money or sometimes be involved in money spinning criminal acts imbibed from gangs that eventually introduced them to drugs and booze that ruined their lives’ MOBOLAJI SANUSI

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM VOL. 6, NO. 1,849

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

T

HOSE who claim that the line between death and life is thin may not be wrong, after all.

Some men die, never to be seen again, except in dreams and conjectural calculations, yet they live on, their good deeds standing as solid testimonies to the immortality of their spirits. Spiritualists, in fact, do not see death as the end. To them, it is a mere transformation, which signifies that the dead has completed his mission here and has moved up to take on higher responsibilities. In other words, dying is like a dramatic change of costume in a drama. Didn’t the great bard say “all the world’s a stage?”

On the contrary, many there are who, bloodied and bludgeoned by the vicissitudes of fortune, are just alive but not living. To them, there is no good weather; all are harsh. Some slip into depression and just end it all. Yet, there are those who love life and seem to have all it takes to stay here for long, yet they end up some kind of tragic heroes, never to be forgotten. They become subjects of heroic tales, legends and parodies.

Consider the case of the business giant, the late Chief Moshood Abiola. He still grabs the headlines. The historic June 12, 1993 election, which he won, has become the thermometer of our democratic health.

That election, needless to say, was crudely annulled by the military for no sane reason.

Abiola died mysteriously on July 7, 1998, after rejecting a proposal that would give him freedom in exchange for the death of his mandate. His birthday is August 24, just 12 days away.

Abiola’s death’s anniversary was a celebration of the heroic end that was his lot. The Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, led other activists to lay a wreath at his grave. And now, Hamza al-Mustapha, who is being tried for the murder of Alhaja Kudirat, the late Abiola’s wife, has been singing like an Ibaka, the ever blathering bird.

Many have felt the accused is hiding under the legal immunity he has to hurl invectives at revered people. They speak of tales told by a fool, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing (apology to the bard, again). Some are just laughing. Others are angry that the al-Mustapha show attempts to swerve off the main issue – the murder of an innocent woman on a Lagos street in broad daylight. Who ordered the assassination? Why? Who ran the killing machine that enabled the late Gen. Sani Abacha to rule with an iron fist?

But, many have been wondering how Abiola would have taken it all, were he to be alive. It is easy to guess, considering his well known mannerisms and speeches.

RIPPLES FED GOVT PLANS 7220 MEGAWATTS POWER GENERATION BY DEC–News

GBENGA OMOTOSO

EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK

gbenga.omotoso@thenationonlineng.net

al-Mustapha: MKO reacts

•The late Abiola

Consider a reporter’s phantasmic meeting with the chief: Reporter: Good day sir. Abiola looks at the reporter, smiles broadly, his cheeks betraying some lovely dimples. He stretches out his right hand to grip the reporter’s, shaking him firmly in that ‘long-time-no-see’ manner.

Abiola: How’re you aburo (young man) and what can I do for you? I’m a bit busy today. I’m travelling.

Sir, could you shed some light on what actually happened after the annulment of the June 12 election?

Simple. I….I..I…I won that election. Clean and clear. But a clique of backward officers felt it was not time for our people to have democracy. They conspired to cancel the election, but I keep on wondering how you can kill the will of 14 million Nigerians.

Can you abort a pregnancy when the baby is already born? No. So, I resolved to fight it out. And I sent them a clear message that “nobody will tell a blind man that the market is over; when he no longer hears any noise, he’ll pack and go home”.

Why didn’t you use your well known influence to get the military to restore your

I

DECEMBER 2020?

N 2003, the Federal Government adopted the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). It aimed to reduce inflation, facilitate access to credit for businesses, and create jobs in their millions. The manner of its adoption was fanciful and joyfully played with acronyms such as the state version of NEEDS, which it called SEEDS, and local government version called LEEDS. Like other fanciful terms such as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it was worth your job as an analyst or consultant not to roll NEEDS, SEEDS and LEEDS on your lips with dexterity whenever you were called upon to discourse upon the usually intractable Nigerian economy. Of course, notwithstanding the sweet analyses and word creation, few jobs not worth a statistician taking the trouble to remember were created.

After many years of rising unemployment, inflationary pressure that neither agrees with

mandate? Afterall, General Ibrahim Babangida is believed to be your friend.

Thank you. (He frowns). You see, the lesson of it all is that you never understand these people, no matter how close you are to them. And it is deliberate. They themselves don’t seem to know what havoc their actions could cause, until they see the result.

The other day that I had an encounter with some Air Force boys in Ikeja, I reported to their boss, a man I counted to be a friend and a gentleman. You know what he said?

He said the boys were mad dogs. I was angry. And I…I….I …I. I told him off. I said any dog that has no respect for its owner is, indeed, a mad dog that deserves not to live.

Yes. As for Ibrahim, well… I don’t deny my friends. I have known him for long. But, remember, I once said that with a friend like him, nobody needed an enemy. I expected him to stand firm, but he said the boys mounted pressure on him and threatened to bring the roof down on everybody. And I said, ‘okay’. Why shouldn’t a General be able to withstand pressure from his subordinates? General, indeed! (Hissing) But, sir, we learnt you were asked to forget your mandate in exchange for your freedom and that… (Abiola cuts in, frowning again, his voice rising).

It’s true they told me that they had agreed to let me go home. I asked them to read my speech, the Epetedo Declaration, Enough is enough. I had given them enough time to clear the mess, which they created; they never did. How can I forget the mandate freely given to me by 14 million Nigerians, including soldiers? They even said I could participate in a fresh election, but I told them that a student who has passed an exam so well does not need to repeat it. No. They said they had an agreement with the prodemocracy community, but I told them, ‘If you want to shave my head, surely you need my presence. Any attempt to shave my head in my absence is an exercise in futility’. I am the custodian of that mandate, which I was not going to betray. And the Yoruba say if you give a ram to the masquerade, you give the ram together with the rope.

Not so? So, you can’t ask me to return home

without my mandate.

Considering all that has happened, wouldn’t it have been better, if you had gone home to your family and business?

No. That…that…that …that is not the spirit. I made it clear right from the beginning of the struggle that one of three things would happen: I had never been president ; I had never gone to prison and I had never seen death . So, aburo, no regrets.

A man who is afraid of fighting will never claim his father’s title. I, Moshudi Abiola, will fear nobody. All powers belong to the Almighty Allah. Besides, my people say Iku ya j’esin (Death is more honourable than shame).

Gen. Abacha’s CSO al-Mustapha has been charged with conspiracy in the murder of Alhaja Kudirat. He has been saying people were bribed to forget about you.

What do you expect? Here is a boy who has been in custody for over 10 years. Can he still be himself? I used to know him. He didn’t show any trace of a monster, but power got into his head and he became a tin god destined for destruction. It is not strange for such a man to seek a way of dragging people down with him, but I assure you he won’t succeed. Our people are smart, you know. What he has failed to realise is that ‘If the bucket is full of water, a single hand cannot carry it to the head’.

He said he has a recording of all that happened during your detention till the very end.

You see, the poor boy shouldn’t be allowed to lose focus and tell tales. The charge is clear. The music has changed, the dancer must step to a different tune. I warned them against those illegalities.

They said they annulled that election. Haba!

You do not take the extreme measure of killing a newborn baby just because the midwife is bad. No! Thank you sir.

Thank you, aburo.

Anarchy in UK

T

HE scenes were unbelievable. Kids tearing down facades of high street shops, looting and setting them on fire.

They said it was because a young man, Mark Duggan, was shot dead by the police. So many businesses that represented decades of sweating and planning were suddenly brought into ruin, their owners in tears.

Compared with those violent British youths, our “area boys” are pleasant . Has Britain outlived its glory? The army of the jobless keeps growing; taxes are up; many are homeless and there is so much anger in the land of Her Majesty. Is this Britain’s version of the Arab Spring? Not quite. But this seems to be a prelude, the final warning, before the showdown. Viva Britain!

•For comments, send SMS to 08057634061

HARDBALL

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

The million jobs utopia

ministries such as his that are saddled with the job of creating employment. Giving a breakdown, according to some reports, the minister said the Bank of Industry would create one million jobs, while the Ministry of Trade would create two million jobs.

Under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the originator of NEEDS, SEEDS, and LEEDS, which promised to create millions of jobs, the programme gradually yielded to rigor mortis until it was embalmed somewhere in some civil service files. Will the Aganga programme be any different? Will the unresponsive Nigerian economy this time uncharacteristically yield to the enthusiasm and optimism of the Ministry of Trade? The chances of creating one million jobs, let alone three million, in three years or even five is very slim indeed, given the nature and structure of our economy and the indiscipline we have become famous for. But you never can tell. Perhaps hope will this time triumph over reason and ability.

nor responds to official figures, and worsening restriction of access to credit, the Goodluck Jonathan presidency has begun to romance with another set of fanciful figures on employment. It is not known yet whether the Jonathan presidency will come up with fresh acronyms of its own, given the FG’s boundless felicity with that lexical task, but so far the brain trust put in charge of the new job creation magic is the Ministry of Trade and Investment under its minister, Olusegun Aganga. According to the minister who spoke during a three-day retreat by his ministry in Abuja, three million jobs will be created in three years. In other climes, he argues, it is

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E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO

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