August 18, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

God saved my life from Orkar’s bullet

16 feared dead in Kwara cults clashes

•Police arrest 30 suspects

NEWS Page 45

•Ex-military president reflects at 74

NEWS Page 4

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3310 TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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Sultan to Buhari: corrupt officials should go to jail President says nothing will derail anti-graft war Police to recruit 10,000

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HE Sultan yesterday backed President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption battle, recommending jail for treasury looters.

To Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, treasury plunderers do not deserve mercy. They should be tried and jailed, the Sokoto monarch said.

The monarch said: “It is our belief that all those

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WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS EVER RETURN?

From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

found guilty should not only have their entire assets seized and forfeited to government but also face jail sentences.”

It was all at the opening of a National Security Summit organised by the police in collaboration with The Sun Publishing Limited in Abuja. The President said more hands were on the way for the police.

He spoke of a plan to recruit 10,000 to strengthen the capacity of the police to fight insurgency and other crimes.

The summit’s theme is

“Community partnership approach to internal security and crime management”.

Besides, Buhari said his administration was considering Close Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring systems for major cities and towns to address security challenges.

The Sultan was not alone in the support for the anti-corruption war. Former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, publisher of The Sun, also backed the President.

The former governor advised that the anti-graft battle should be targeted at the real culprits and not political

foes.

Speaking of the theme of the summit, the President reminded the police that no matter how well motivated, equipped and successful they think they are, they cannot operate without the support of the various communities.

The President said: “The need for community input to crime management and policing in Nigeria has become more imperative, considering our current national security challenges in which kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, transitional crimes, terrorism and other organised

•LET THE WAR GO ON: Nigerians March Against Corruption Group protesting in support of the President Muhammadu Buhari PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN administration’s anti-corruption campaign at the gate of the Presidential Villa, Abuja...yesterday.

Customs chief Abdullahi resigns President approves voluntary retirement

STORY ON PAGE 11

crimes evolve and threaten our national values and overall progress as a nation.”

To address the challenges, including unemployment, illiteracy, radicalisation, negative peer group influence, substance abuse and erosion of family and moral values, President Buhari restated his promise to empower the youth.

“The Federal Government is planning to employ at least an extra 110, 000 police officers and establish a properly trained and equipped Federal Anti-Terrorism MultiAgency Task Force that will

effectively address the challenge of future insurgency in a sustainable manner.”

On the installation of CCTV systems, the President said: “In order to further strengthen the security of the public space, consideration is being given to the extension of the CCTV Monitoring Systems across major cities and towns in the country while the police accountability mechanism will be strengthened.”

He also spoke of efforts being made to enhance the operational capacity of poContinued on page 4

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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NEWS •Bauchi State Governor Muhammed Abubakar welcoming the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Jean Gough, during her visit to the Government House in Bauchi...yesterday.

Nigeria’s power sector: Huge investment, little result In the past 16 years, the Federal Government tried unsuccessfully to make the power sector play its role as the driver of industrialisation.

Despite the huge funds pumped into the sector, power generation has not gone beyond 4,500 megawatts. EMEKA UGWUANYI and JOHN OFIKHENUA examine the situation

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•From left:Executive Director, African Policy Research Institute, Ambassador Sunday Dogonyaro; Director General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Prof. Tijani Muhammad-Bande; Head of Service, Mr. Danladi Kifasi and Human Resources Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola at the opening ceremony of the "Scenario Planning for National Change" Workshop at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos, Plateau State..yesterday.

ITH over N5 trillion estimated to have been spent on the power sector between 1999 and now, businesses should no longer see public electricity source as alternative rather than the real deal.

The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), its successor companies – the generation, transmission and distribution companies received a chunk of the over N5 trillion. Funds were also expended on the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), which is supervised by a special purpose vehicle, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) Limited.

The NDPHC was created to fast-track the attainment of stable power supply in the country when past efforts failed.

Unfortunately, the corruption the government wanted to avoid caught up with the NIPP programme. The programme was conceived in 2004 and the NDPHC was created in 2005.

In 2007, $16 billion was allocated to the NIPP and used up within four years. The project was engulfed in controversy and litigation because of the alleged unexplained utilisation of the fund. The immediate past administration suspended the NIPP programme dismissing it as huge fraud and drainpipe but after two years, the suspension was lifted and the government continued with the project.

Power Holding Company of Nigeria

•Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) (left) discussing with the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle when he visited Fashola at his Surulere, Lagos home.

•Vice Chairperson, Investors Protection Fund (IPF), Fubara Anga speaking at the IPF news conference in Lagos...yesterday.

With him are (from left)Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema and member of IPF, Umaru Modibbo.

Upon return to democracy in 1999, Nigeria’s power sector was fully public-owned and run through the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). Its funding was mostly from budgetary allocation. Power supply was then below 2,000 megawatts (mw) because of neglect and lack of investment by the past military governments.

Between 1999 and 2000, crude oil sold for about $9 per barrel so there was paucity of fund to finance power projects. This informed the search for fund for power supply, according to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. He said in the bid to provide power for the country, the government resorted to the development of the NIPPs. The ex-President expressed concern that after leaving office, his successor could not continue with the project.

“When we started having money, we started the NIPP. When we said the money we had should be invested in power, my successor didn’t understand; he stopped it,” he said.

He lamented that after he handed over power to the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua, no significant achievement was recorded in the power sector till he died, adding that the situation deteriorated when Jonathan took over in May, 2010.

After his exit from office, the National Assembly initiated a probe into

the $16billion, which the Obasanjo-led administration allegedly spent on power sector.

The Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, explained that the government sold the 17 companies unbundled from PHCN for over $2.6billion. Dikki also said the Federal Government spent N373.17 billion on payment of workers’ entitlements.

Apart from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the Federal Government privatised the successor generation and distribution companies in November 2013, making funding the responsibility of the private investors.

The Federal Government also secured funds for the power sector from different international development organisations and companies to tackle the challenges in the generation, transmission and distribution value chain.

For instance, the development of some projects, such as the Zungeru hydro electric power plant with installed capacity 700Mw was funded by such funds. The Federal Government, according to the former Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, in 2012 spent N162,990,364,379.30 to implement the project.

Seventy-five per cent of the funding is from the Exim Bank of China. The counterpart funding of $309 million was from the Ministry of Power. The project was being implemented by a Chinese consortium, CNEEC-Sino Hydro.

Besides budgetary allocations, there were interventions from different development organisations. For instance, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Ambassador, Godknows Igali, explained that the European Union, JICA and GIZ bankrolled some projects.

In November 2014, the former Minister of Power Prof Chinedu Nebo confirmed that there were several supports from bilateral partners in form of loans, such as $700million from the World Bank, $200million from JICA , $370million from African Development Bank (AfDB), $500million from EXIM China and $1billion from Turkey Projects.

In the transmission segment, the AfDB also released a loan of $100 million to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Last year, it was estimated that the TCN required about $3.7billion to increase power transmission capacity, make the network more stable and reliable, and improve efficiency of electric power transfer by reducing transmission technical losses.

However, while there was no budget for the PHCN in 2013, N5.2billion was distributed to generation and distribution companies as well as to TCN. The money was part of the N13billion intervention fund for critical projects im-

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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NEWS

•Buhari

•Jonathan

plementation, which was for upgrades and major repairs to bridge the gap created by the zero budget for the companies.

National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) The original plan was that NDPHC would also build hydropower dams in the North in the second phase of the NIPP. But currently, there are 10 midsized power plants built under the NIPP programme and they are all gas powered. Apart from increasing the power supply, the plants were meant to take substantial quantity of natural gas as part of government’s efforts to utilise the abundant gas resources and reduce flared gas.

As at May this year, about $11.1 billion had been committed to the project, The Nation learnt. Of the $11.1 billion, $7.1 billion went into the building of the 10 generation plants, $0.5 billion into gas assets, transmission assets got $2 billion, and distribution assets received $1.5 billion.

The NIPP plants were designed to deliver combined installed capacity of 5,453 megawatts (Mw). Eight of the 10 power plants are designed as Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) power plants and the other two as Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power plants. The CCGT power plants can generate power through gas and steam turbines but because of lack of time considering deadline planned for handover of the power plants to private sectors, the completion of the steam turbines might not be realistic and perhaps may be completed by the private sector owners.

For instance, the Alaoji power plant was designed as a CCGT project with a plant capacity of 1,131.4 mw. However, it was expected that by the

•Obasanjo

•The late Yar’adua

handover date, only one of the steam turbines would have been installed.

Therefore, the plant will be available for commercial operation as an 831.3 mw plant. As result of some of these hitches, the NDPHC projected a combined generation of 5153.1mw as against 5,453mw by the time the assets will be handed over to the new investors. However, the projections have been disrupted following some factors ranging from alleged lack of gas supply to the power plants to issues of inability of some of the preferred bidders to make initial payment for the assets they bought. The initial proposed period for the privatisation of the NIPP power plants was mid last year.

According to the NDPHC chief, if not for lack of gas, the Alaoji Generation Company located in Abia State, the biggest of the NIPP power plants would be generating about831.3mw as at mid 2014 while the Benin Generation Company in Ihovbor, Edo State, would have 507mw output. The Egbema Generation Company, Imo State, Gbarain Generation Company, Bayelsa State, Calabar Generation Company, Cross River and Geregu Generation Company in Kogi State would have generation capacities of 380.7mw, 253.8mw, 634.5mw and 506.1mw.

Also Ogorode Generation Company in Sapale, Delta State was expected to be generating 507.6mw, while Olorunsogo Generation Company in Ogun State would have 754mw output. Omoku Generation Company in Rivers State was expected to generate 264.7mw with Omotosho Generation Company in Ondo State supplying 512.8mw.

Olotu noted that seven of the eight OCGT power plants could be up-

graded to CCGT configuration, adding that five of the power plants are either fully or partially operational. But these projections have been stalled by insufficient gas supply and defeat of the Jonathan government.

Other projects undertaken by the NDPHC include the 21.5 kilometre gas pipeline from Creek Town to Ikot Nyong power plant projects, 18km Ikot Nyong-Adiabo 330kV DC lines to evacuate power from Calabar power plant in Cross River State, 13km 132kv DC Adiabo-Calabar 132/33kV substation as well as reinforcement of the Calabar 132/33kV substation with a 60MVA 132/33kV Transformer and bays to accommodate new lines from Adiabo have all been completed.

Transmission and distribution works that were completed or upgraded by NDPHC include the Jos 330/132/33kV Substation, 286km 330kv DC Jos-Makurdi transmission line, new Makurdi 330/132/33kv substation, 222km 330kV DC transmission line from Geregu through Lokoja to Gwagwalada, a 2x150MVA 330/132/ 33kV transformer substation at Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with a further 90km of both 330kV and 132kV lines to interface with Katampe and Apo 330/ 132/33kV substations, 2x300MVA 330/132/33kV transformer Substation at Oke-Aro in Lagos which is now the largest 330/132kV transformer substation in the grid and 150MVA 330/132/ 33kV substation at Asaba in Delta State among others.

In distribution, Olotu said 72 injection substations had been inaugurated, adding that 3,517 completely self-protected 25kVA and 50kVA customer transformers had been installed and 650MVA out of 3,750MVA of 33/11kV Injection substation already in service.

In the last quarter of 2013, seven of the 10 power plants were put up for sale. Government expects to realise $4.3 billion from the sale.

The seven plants marked for sale were those that had no legal issues associated with them while the sale of the remaining three plants would be delayed until litigations against their bids were resolved, the Joint Transaction Board said.

The Joint Transaction Board also confirmed the successful bidders for the seven plants and they include EMA Consortium as the preferred bidder for Benin Generation Company with a bid of $580 million, and the reserved bidder, Index Consortium with a price of $575 million. EMA Consortium was also the preferred bidder for Calabar Generation Company with a bid price of $625 million, as against Nebula Power Generation Consortium, the reserved bidder with an offer of $623.75 million.

Dozzy Integrated Power Limited was confirmed the preferred bidder for Egbema Generation Company with a bid of $415.7 million, while AITEO Consortium was named the reserved bidder with an offer of $392 million.

Seoul Electric Power Limited was the preferred bidder for Geregu Generation Company with a bid of $690.2 million, while YellowStone Electric Limited emerged reserved bidder with $613.1 million.

Ogorode Generation Company had Daniel Poer Consortium as the preferred bidder with a bid of $532.78 million, followed by ESOP Power Limited as reserve bidder with an offer of $510 million. Olorunsogo Generation Company had ENL Consortium Limited as preferred bidder with an offer of $751.24 million while the reserved bidder, Index Consortium, offered $730 million. Also Omotosho Electric Power emerged the preferred bidder for Omotosho Generation Company with a bid of $659.9 million, while the reserved bidder was ENL Consortium Limited with $645.15 million offer. The board chaired by the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, approved the sale of the plants to the preferred bidders following a successful financial bids opening exercise conducted on March 7, 2014.

The sale of Alaoji Generation Company, Omoku Generation Company and Gbarain Generation Company was stepped down pending the resolution of the litigation instituted by Messrs Ethiope Energy Limited against their bids. Shayobe International emerged winner of Alaoji with an offer of $318.7 million and AITECO Consortium as the reserve bidder with $312.5 million offer.

KDI Energy Resources emerged preferred bidder for Gbarain Power with an offer of $340 million while the reserve bidder Azikel Power Limited offered $305.09 million.

Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria The Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria was established by Section 88 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005. On March 16, 2006, the board and management of the agency were inaugurated and mandated to by the Federal Government to pursue aggressive rural electrification. The board and management were directed to facilitate the provision of steady and reliable power supply at economic rates for residential, commercial, industrial and social activities in the rural and peri-urban areas of the country.

But hardly had the agency taken off than it was enmeshed in corruption, and it was suspended before it was resurrected after few years. In 2009, the Federal Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initiated a 156-count corruption charge at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, accusing the then Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power, Ndudi Elumelu, the deputy Chairman, Jibo Mohammed, Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane and seven senior management officials of the agency of corruptly appropriating rural electrification project funds of the

agency. The EFCC accused the suspects of stealing over N5.2 billion and accused the committee of illegal contract award through which the funds were stolen.

The EFCC also accused the former speaker of the House, Dimeji Bankole, and some of his relations of benefitting to the tune of N900 million from the diverted rural electrification funds. They were never charged by the EFCC as the government scrapped the agency.

Annoyed by the misappropriation, Yar’Adua, on June 10, 2009, sent a bill to the National Assembly for amendment of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 repealing the rural electrification agency. The bill was withdrawn after the death of Yar’Adua, and the agency reactivated in toward the end of 2011 by the former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji.

Substantial amount of money had gone into the agency before and after its suspension. The former Minister of State for Power, Hajia Zainab Kuchi, had at the inauguration of the board of the agency said that as much as N16 billion was approved by government for the agency to undertake projects and continue work on the abandoned projects.

Nothing much has happened till date.

Impact of the huge investment A budget analysis called statisense, carried out by an organisation called Slideshare, which covered nine years (2006-2014), showed that the power ministry’s budgetary allocation within the period was N872 billion. The analysis was undertaken to know if the budgets were able to meet the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recommendation, which stipulates that budgetary allocation should be structured 70 per cent for capital expenditure and 30 per cent for recurrent expenditure. Their research showed that the Power ministry had consistently allocated more funds to capital expenditure even surpassing the UNDP recommendation, but noted that Nigerians have not enjoyed commensurate benefit of these allocations.

“Therefore, it goes beyond budgeting to actually make the people enjoy the dividend of democracy,” the report said.

The report showed that the Ministry of power got N78 billion, N105 billion, N140 billion and N93 billion as budgetary allocations between 2006 and 2009 while the percentage recurrent and capital expenditures were 4.33 per cent and 95.67 per cent; 3.70 per cent and 96.30 per cent; 18.18 per cent and 81.82 per cent; and 5.31 per cent and 94.69 per cent r.

Also between 2010 and 2014, allocations were N157 billion, N86 billion, N73 billion, N77 billion and N63 billion respectively while the percentages of allocation to recurrent and capital expenditures were 2.28 per cent and 97.72 per cent; 9.45 per cent and 90.55 per cent; 4.25 per cent and 95.75 per cent; 5.43 per cent and 94.57 per cent; and 5.44 per cent and 94.56 per cent respectively. The report showed that the least percentage allocation to capital expenditure within the period was 81.82 per cent indicating 11.82 per cent above the UNDP recommendation.

Why was there no improvement in power supply over those years? A source said the lack of improvement in output was due to large scale corruption and sabotage.

Also the dramatic improvement being witnessed in the level of power supply in the last two months confirmed there has been high level sabotage. Output has risen from about 3,000Mw to 4662Mw. The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Dr. Abubakar Rasheed Tambuwal, told The Nation that the company can comfortably wheel 4,662mw, adding that it has capacity to wheel to the national grid about 5300mw with assured system stability.

Will the dramatic improvement continue or will things slide? Time will tell.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

NEWS Why we fled Togo, by asylum seekers

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HE Togolese asylum seekers, who besieged the Ikoyi, Lagos Office of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) have been moved to a secure location, it was learnt yesterday.

Their relocation from the front of the NCFRMI’s Office on Awolowo Road, which they turned to a make-shift relief camp, was facilitated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other security agencies.

When our correspondent visited the office yesterday, only about five of the asylum seekers were seen.

•From right: Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, former interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Bisi Akande, APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Widow of Borno State Deputy Governor, Mrs Hansatu Zannah Umar Mustapha when the APC leaders visited the family of the late Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, at his resident in Maiduguri, Borno State...yesterday.

Sultan to Buhari: corrupt officials should go to jail Continued from page 1

licemen through a tailormade training programme that will give them the right civil orientation in their roles as guidance of the constitution.

Speaking on the welfare of police officers, the Sultan said: “We should face the task of reforming and repositioning the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to ensure that our security agencies truly become 21st Century organisations, able to discharge their mandate effectively and efficiently. We should be able to cater for their operational needs and the welfare of their members.

“Institute national integrity plan for the country as soon as feasible, which will refocus our ethical, moral and spiritual energies and the indomitable spirit of our people into building a peaceful, prosperous and democratic country, which shall take its pride of place among the comity of nations.

“The last few years have undoubtedly been trying pe-

Buhari: no pressure will derail war against corruption

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said that no amount of pressure will make him give up on the war against corruption.

He spoke through an address delivered by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, to a group of Nigerians under the aegies of “Nigerians March Against Corruption,” who were at the gate of the Presidential Villa.

Members of the group came on a solidiarity visit to pledge their support for the Buhari administration’s anti-corruption campaign.

The President promised a relentless prosecution of the war with due regard for the rule of law.

According to him, all persons charged with stealing the nation’s resources will have their day in court and that, upon conviction, their ill-gotten wealth will be seized and returned to government coffers. riod for this country. Blood has been shed with impunity and reckless abandon, lives have been lost, livelihoods have been shattered and entire communities have been dislocated. A significant percentage of our population has become refugees in our own homeland.”

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

He said: “I believe it is time for Nigeria to change course. That is why I sought election as President and got elected. As President, I am determined that Nigeria must move away from a course of endemic corruption that was leading us to perdition.

“There can be no question of our willfully allowing anyone to get away with corruption. No matter the pressure and entreaties, the anti-corruption war will continue and all accused persons will have their day in court.”

Describing the group’s support as encouraging, the President reaffirmed his commitment to curbing insecurity in the country and boosting employment opportunities for Nigerians, especially the youth.

He called for the continued support and

He, however, urged traditional and community/religious leaders and the entire citizenry to come together to ensure that the suspicion and mistrust of the past give way to major trust and understanding.

The Sultan spoke about how the Caliphate fought

Continued on page 58

corruption. He said: "As from early stage, the leaders realised that they needed honest people at all levels to be able to establish a decent state. Leaders, according to Sultan Mohammed Bello, are a spring of water and all Continued on page 58

By Joseph Jibueze

One of them, middle-aged Mr Aholou Koffi, said he was a political activist and a member of a political party, the Union Pour Les Forces Du Chargement (UFC), but had to flee Togo to Benin Republic when his life became endangered.

On why they left Benin Republic, he said: “After 10 years, the government refused to recognise us as refugees. The Benin government knows our problem, but they did not recognise us.

“We want to appreciate the government of Nigeria that welcomed and accepted us as Continued on page 58

Bad economic policies to go, says Buhari

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said he will not hesitate to either reverse, or jettison some of the economic policies bequeathed to his administration for as long as such measures will lead to open employment opportunities.

He made the remark at a meeting with representatives of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) who visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Buhari also directed the ministries of Finance, Industries, Trade & Investment, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant government agen-

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

cies to evolve new policies to boost domestic manufacturing before next year’s budget. in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “We are in difficult times economically, but we’ll continue to do our best for manufacturing to pick up. We must begin to behave as if we have no oil at all.

“We will gladly have policy somersaults, if it will mean more jobs, particularly for youths. I campaigned on three major planks - to effecContinued on page 58

16 feared dead in Kwara cults clashes

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O fewer than 16 people were feared dead at the weekend in clashes of suspected cult members in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Though, the causes of the clashes could not be ascertained last night, it was gathered that suspected members of Aiye and Eiye confraternities clashed at an higher institution.

The Police said they arrested more than 30 suspects.

Police spokesperson Ajayi

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin and Wale Ajetunmobi, Lagos

Okasanmi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), who confirmed the arrests, added that 14 had been found culpable after screening.

Okasanmi said the 14 suspects would be charged to court this week.

It was gathered that one of the victims was gunned down during screening of aspirants for a Students’ Union Government's election at the weekContinued on page 58

200 electoral offenders convicted, says INEC chief

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NLY 200 of the over 1,000 electoral offenders arrested in 2011 have been jailed to deter others who specialise in rigging, electoral violence and snatching of ballot boxes.

More offenders, including some ad-hoc staff, will soon face trial because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is waiting for the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to set up a special prosecution team for the 2015 elections.

But INEC still has a back-

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

log of 860,000 suspects who engaged in multiple registration before the 2011 general elections yet to be tried.

Election petitions have reduced drastically from 1,650 in 2007 to 631 in 2015.

Most of the 631 petitions arising from the conduct of the 2015 polls had been disposed of by Election Tribunals – according to INEC Acting Chairman Hajiya Amina Zakari in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abuja.

She said the sharp drop in the number of petitions in

2015 was a testimony to the free and fair conduct of the last elections.

Her words: “In 2011, we prosecuted up to 200 persons; the police have given us a report on that. “ For 2015, a lot more are in police net. Investigations are going on; we haven’t heard about the prosecution yet. “ In fact, some of them are our ad-hoc staff, so, we wait for the report. I know that the last Inspector-General of Police set up a special prosecution team for the 2015 elections. So, we’ll await their report.”

But INEC. still have a backlog of 860,000 suspects who engaged in multiple registration before the 2011 general elections yet to be tried.

A 2013 report by FriedrichEbert Stiftung, obtained yesterday by our correspondent, said INEC lacked the capacity to put the multiple registrants and electoral offenders on trial.

The report said: “Most electoral offenders are also not prosecuted because INEC has less than 100 legal officers

serving the headquarters , the 36 state offices and the Federal Capital Territory( FCT).

And it does not have the capacity and resources to prosecute offences committed in 119,973 polling units, 8,809 wards, 360 federal constituencies, 109 senatorial districts and 774 local government areas.

“It is more difficult to see how legal officers of the commission will prosecute about 870,000 cases of multiple registrations detected by INEC during the 2011 Voters Registration Exercise.

“Because offenders are hardly prosecuted and some get away with impunity on account of their political affiliation, impunity is recycled, people disengage from the electoral process on account of fraud and violence, and the credibility of the electoral process is called to question.”

On election petitions, Hajiya Zakari said: “We have witnessed a decline in petitions by candidates. In 2007, the commission had to cope with over 1,650 petitions, but

in 2011, the number dropped to about 720.

“Our records show that we have 631 petitions arising from the 2015 polls and most of these have been disposed of by the relevant tribunals.

The petitions are reducing because of the transparency and credibility of the electoral process. The free and fair conduct of the 2015 polls has assisted in the drop in the number of the petitions.”

On the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections, Hajiya Zakari said these might cost N1.2 billion.

She said INEC might save cost because it still has some non-sensitive materials in stock.

She added: “Normally, for governorship election, it costs us about N500-N600 million.

This is all-inclusive, including payment of ad-hoc staff and the bulk of our cost is usually the payment of honorarium to ad-hoc staff.

“But we have some savings, we still have left-overs, non-sensitive materials from the 2015 elections and we are not going to procure a lot, we

•Hajiya Zakari

will just concentrate on procuring the sensitive materials Asked to be specific , Hajiya Zainab said: “For Kogi, I am still expecting the budget, but we have done the budget for CVR and PVC distributions, they were approved when there were enough members of the commission.

Continued on page 58

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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NEWS Peterside praises Bayelsa PDP defectors

Military gets kudos for renewed onslaught against Boko Haram

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the military for ramping up the fight against Boko Haram, saying the visible paradigm shift in the battle against the insurgents is yielding results.

In a statement in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the rejuvenated military was now taking the battle to the insurgents, instead of waiting for them to attack.

It described as refreshing and reassuring the fact that Service chiefs had been visiting the battle field in the Northeast, not only to pep up the fighting men and women but also to meet with political and community leaders. ‘’The stepped-up fight against Boko Haram has convinced Nigerians that indeed

‘

The renewed battle has also shown that President Buhari was right in directing the relocation of the military’s command and control centre from Abuja to Maiduguri.

their military is getting its groove back, and can beat the three-month deadline set by President Muhammadu Buhari for the defeat of Boko Haram. ‘’The renewed battle has also shown that President Buhari was right in directing the relocation of the military’s command and control centre from Abuja to Maiduguri. ‘’Watching the video clip of Air Force jets pounding targets in Sambisa Forest, which is the fortress of the insurgents, over the weekend, arouses great pride in the military,’’ APC said.

’

The party said thanks to the purposeful leadership and political will provided by President Buhari, Nigeria’s neighbours are now ready to contribute in full to the battle, with the latest news showing that Cameroon had tripled its initial troops to the Multi-National Joint Task Force to 2,400 troops. ‘’Also, contrary to the lies being propagated by the naysayers, President Buhari’s visit to the United States has reset Nigeria’s relations with that country to the level where military hardware is now being sent to Nigeria to

increase the country’s military firepower,’’ it said.

APC said while the military must sustain its efforts to further degrade the fighting ability of the insurgents, it is important for Nigerians to continue to support the troops so that the monsters, who have killed and maimed at will in the past years, can be defeated once and for all. ‘’We have always believed that the military, which has distinguished itself globally since its first participation in a UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo in 1960, has what it takes not only to protect and defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity but also to win an asymmetrical warfare, such as the one against Boko Haram - under the right circumstances. We are glad that the military is now proving us right,’’ the party said.

•Peterside

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LL Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State Dakuku Peterside has praised members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State for defecting to the APC. Peterside,who spoke to reporters in Port Harcourt, the

NERC to Senate: we can’t abolish fixed charge

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HE Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) yesterday told the Senate that it cannot abolish the fixed charge.

NERC Chairman Dr. Sam Amadi said the National Assembly had passed the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, which mandated the commission to produce a tariff methodology for the electricity market.

He argued that removing the fixed charge would contradict the law the National Assembly made on tariff methodology.

Amadi spoke with reporters in Abuja, noting that tariff making could not be an ex-

•Fixed charged to be proportional to consumption From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

ecutive fiat.

He said: “The National Assembly made the ESPR Act. And the Act said the commission should produce a methodology. Tariff making is a process-based activity. It is not an executive fiat. The reason why the law created the regulator is to give confidence to the market; their decisions are procedural and the decisions are deliberately considered.

“Our decisions are in line with due process. Otherwise, the law should have left the

sector under the control of Ministry of Power the normal way it was with the ministry.

So it will issue an executive ruling. So NERC cannot wake up in the morning and say we have abolished this. That will undermine the law that the National Assembly made.

“Don’t forget that we were created by a clearly legislative-defined mandate. And one of the mandates is to create regulations that are done in a particular way. So we cannot come and say we have abolished fixed charge.

“We will always go

through a process and the process is that before that Senate’s decision, we had commenced a process to remove the fixed charge in a way you understand it, then allowing recoveries to be made as you consume.

“Essentially, we are in line with the decision of the Senate. The Senate’s concern is the fact that people are paying for what they do not consume. And we are in line with the Senate; we are working with the Discos to remove that aspect of the pricing methodology. That is to make

•Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will represent President Muhammadu Buhari at a peace mediation summit on the situation in South Sudan tomorrow in Addis Ababa.

sure that people pay for what they consume and pay fair and reasonable charges determined through a process allowed by the law.

“We don’t think that abolishing a fee that is part of recovery is dangerous for the solvent of the Discos. But through a tariff review, the Discos can remove the fixed charge and find a way to recover those costs through the normal energy charge.”

Continuing, he said: “Communities that are placed on bulk billing should reject it and insist on individual metering. The commission is in the process of completing a public consultation on a proposal to capture the amount an unmetered customer can pay until he or she is metered.

The proposal will also commit distribution companies to strict deadlines for metering of all their customers. In the interim, the commission has abolished connection of new customers without meters.”

Amadi said the commission monitors complaints reported to the Discos monthly, to ensure that Discos carry out their responsibilities.

He noted that NERC, as a result of the monitoring, recently penalised the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company for over billing customers and ordered it to refund the customers.

The chairman added that the company refunded about 32,000 customers, ranging between N5,000 and N15,000 per customer, adding up to over N50 million.

500 Boko Haram victims on UN skill training programme

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HE United Nations said yesterday in Abuja that it had sponsored 500 victims of Boko Haram violence from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states to acquire vocational skills.

UN Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Analyst Matthew Alao said the programme was under the UNDP Livelihood Support Scheme for the zone.

Mr. Alao explained that an orientation programme for the 500 beneficiaries would commence on August 17 at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre in Jos,

Plateau State.

He said the skill acquisition programme was the first phase of intervention by the UN to ameliorate the suffering of displaced persons.

Mr. Alao said the training would cover hair salon skills, tailoring, knitting, catering and decoration as well as GSM repair, shoe-making, leather works and computer studies.

He said the participants would also undertake specialised training on conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

“Five hundred beneficiaries, who are victims of Boko

Haram from three Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe will be placed on a two-week compulsory orientation programme.

“Theywill undergo physical exercise, training, capacity building on mediation, conflict prevention, conflict transformation, social integration, peaceful co-existence for two weeks.

“We received over 2,000 applications and engaged in rigorous screening exercise of which we selected the 500 genuinely needing this assistance.

“We took the successful 500 candidates for a two-week in-

tensive course on mental and physical training.

“We are also going to train them on mediation and conflict transformation as well as business management; after that, we will put then on a six-month to one-year training,’’ he said.

The UN official noted that the intervention was necessitated by the negative effects of Boko Haram insurgency on the Northeast.

“Some of them had means of livelihood, but unfortunately their livelihoods have been cut short because of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“But we want to assure them that for everyone that is impacted in one way or the other, they will be accommodated in phases of the Early Recovery Programme,” he said.

Mr. Alao said the UN would continue to support the displaced persons until peace is restored in the area.

“We have been assisting in one way or the other to see that there is peace and stability in the state.

“One aspect that guarantees peace and stability is by getting the people engaged, particularly the youth and widows.”

Rivers State capital, urged them to imbibe the progressives ideals of APC so that the people of Niger Delta could develop their region.

“Today, the people of Niger Delta stand on the threshold of history. What we do with our lives and our future depends on our choices at the moment. We have come a long and tortuous way in our struggle to draw attention to our peculiarities as a people desperately in need of special attention because of our challenges as an oil-bearing region. Today, our story is changing significantly and we are grateful to the APC and this new administration.

“In less than three months under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, we can see tangible signs that point to a greater tomorrow.

“Apart from the President’s momentous decision to fasttrack the long-expected implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) on the environmental restoration of Ogoniland, we are also witnesses to the dramatic changes at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“For us in the Niger Delta, these are interesting times and we must sustain this momentum by supporting the President who, less than three months in office, did what our son could not do in over five years.”

Motorists hail Ayade for reparing federal roads

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OTORISTS plying the CalabarOdukpani highway have hailed Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade for making the road motorable.

They urged the Federal Government to fix the road permanently.

A lecturer with the Cross River State University of Technology (CRUTECH), Dr James Ibe, expressed satisfaction at the state’s urgent intervention, noting that it was a positive development.

Giving insight into the effort by the state government, the site engineer and Director in the Ministry of Works, Godwin Akeke, said the work was an initiative of the governor aimed at bringing succour to those who ply the road.

“This is the only road leading to Calabar. There have been cases where people spent eight to 10 hours and had to sleep on the road. This is a road that ordinarily should not take more than 30 minutes.

Bothered by what residents go through, Governor Ayade decided he cannot continue to see them suffer so he decided to intervene to put an end to the suffering. ”These are palliative measures. This intervention will cover the Calabar- Itu road. The directive from the governor is that we must keep the road motorable but insisted the intervention must stand the test of time.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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NEWS IDPs welfare is top priority, says Buhari

Wike, PDP, INEC fail to stop hearing of APC’s, Peterside’s petition

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

•Tribunal refuses allegation of petitioners’ fee default

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OR the umpteenth time yesterday, the Rivers State governorship election petitions tribunal rejected request to dismiss the petition filed by the All Progressives Party (APC) and its candidate at the last governorship election in the state, Dakuku Peterside against the outcome of the election.

The Justice Mu’azu Pindigaled tribunal held, in two rulings yesterday, that the joint request by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Nyesome Wike for the dismissal of the petition, was misplaced.

INEC, PDP and Wike had, in separate motions argued on Friday by their lawyers, F. O. Orbih, Ken Njemanze and Emmanuel Ukala (all Senior Advocates) sought the dismissal of the petition on the ground that the petitioners failed to comply with the provision of Paragraph 18(1) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act 2010 by not paying the stipulated fee of N100 for their application for the issuance of prehearing notices (Form TF 007) to parties.

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

They contended that by not paying the fee, the petitioners were yet to ignite the tribunal’s jurisdiction and are deemed to have abandoned their petition, leaving the tribunal with the option of dismissal.

But yesterday, the tribunal upheld the argument by petitioners’ lawyer, Akin Olujinmi (SAN), to the effect that ?application for the issuance of prehearing notice was not part of documents for which a filing fee must be paid as prescribed in the First Schedule to the Electoral Act. The tribunal also held that contrary to the argument by INEC, PDP and Wike, the APC and Peterside validly applied for the issuance of the pre-hearing notice (Forms TF 007 and TF 008) within seven days after the conclusion of exchange of processes by parties.

“There is no defect in the prehearing notice. The tribunal therefore holds that the application filed by the 1st respondent (INEC) is hereby discountenanced and accordingly dismissed,” Justice Pindiga, who read the ruling, said.

The tribunal’s decision yes-

terday is one of such decisions by the tribunal in series of applications filed in the past by INEC, PDP and Wike to prevent the hearing of the petition

by APC and Peterside.

The tribunal has however, fixed tomorrow for ruling on five motions filed by parties to the petition. Two were filed by the petitioners, two by Wike and one by INEC. In their motion filed on July 16, the petitioners want the tribunal to direct that all notices of preliminary objection already filed and yet to be filed by the respondents, should be raised in their final written addresses after the hearing of the petition.

The petitioners, in the second motion filed on July 17, want the tribunal to order INEC to move all materials, used for the conduct of the April 11 governorship election, to Abuja in view of their inability to inspect

them in Rivers State.

The petitioners have consistently accused INEC of working with the PDP and Wike to frustrate their inspection of the election materials despite a subsisting order of the tribunal made on June 11, directing INEC to allow the petitioners inspect the election materials.

Wike, in his motion filed on July 11, is seeking order for stay of execution of the tribunal’s ruling of June 11 granting leave to the petitioners to inspect the election materials, pending his appeal against the ruling.

In his second motion dated August 1, Wike is seeking order striking out all the witness statements on oath filed by the petitioners for not disclosing the full names and identities of the deponets INEC, in its sole motion filed on June 30, wants the tribunal to dismiss the petitioners’ reply to its response to the petition.

•Buhari

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HE resettlement and comfort of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will remain a top priority of the Federal Government, President Muhammadu Buhari said in Abuja on Monday.

He made the declaration after receiving briefing by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Ezekiel Oyebola Oyemomi at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the wellbeing of about 1.5 million people displaced by the insurgency in the North-East must always be uppermost in the minds of those in government.

Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, therefore directed the ministry to always be mindful of the pathetic circumstances of the IDPs, and factor them into proposals for next year’s Budget.

“You must help to improve their situation,” the President told the Permanent Secretary and his team of officials.

Dr Oyemomi briefed President Buhari on the activities of his Ministry as well as the Ministry’s successes and the challenges.

He asked for improved funding for the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the 2016 budget.

EFCC: Insurgents fund activities in Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad, Niger through illicit funds

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HE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday accused insurgents of funding terrorism in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and others through illicit cash.

He added that the laundering of illicit funds from Nigeria to other borders dropped from $9.9billion in 2013 to $807,585,061.70 in 2014.

He said the war against terrorism can only be won with improved financial intelligence gathering by the antigraft agency and other law enforcement agencies.

Lamorde spoke in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a five-day inter-agency training programme on Cross Border Financial Investigation, organised by the United States Department of Homeland Security, for officers of the Nigeria Police Force, (NPF) Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the EFCC. He said: “The EFCC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have in the last few years taken very bold steps to check illicit movement of cash across our borders.

Operatives stationed at major international airports across the country have intercepted millions of dollars in cash, which were not declared to customs by their owners. ”This measure accounted for the significant drop in currency outflow outside Nigeria in 2013, as currency declaration dropped from $9,926,739,648.00 to $1,324,045,617.00. There was a further drop in 2014 as currency outflows recorded an all-

From Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

time low of $807,585,061.70.

“It is not impossible that other factors contributed in forcing the drop. Perhaps this training will offer us an opportunity to determine these other factors that could have been at play.

“Nevertheless, our target is to minimize, if not completely eradicate the incidence of illicit cash movement, bearing in mind the implicit danger to our collective health as a nation.

The EFCC chairman said the only way to tackle terrorism is to deny insurgents of illicit funds.”

He added: “A reputable strategy to fight insurgency is to deprive the insurgents of funds, because there is no dispute that illicit funds movement across borders fuels organized crimes, including terror attacks and insurgency in Nigeria.

The Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy, Maria Brewer said that the training programme will expose participants to new trends and techniques in combating economic and financial crimes. ”Since economic and financial crimes is a global phenomenon, the training will focus among others, on taking away proceed of crime, because when you take away the money, you take away why people do crime,”she said.

The Commander of Narcotics, Alhaji Hamisa Lawal, represented the NDLEA boss.

Highpoint of the ceremony was the donation of a hightech counting machine to the EFCC. Brewer made the presentation on behalf of the U.S. government to assist the EFCC and the country fight corruption.

•From left: Prof. Ayo Olukotun, Prof. Williams, Ohuabunwa and Obi at the book presentation and Ohuabunwa’s 65th birthday PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID celebration in Lagos...yesterday.

Why Nigeria is not great, by Anya •Ohuabunwa advocates regional assemblies

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ORMER Nigerian Economic Summit Group Chief Executive Prof.

Anya Anya yesterday stated that the country has not developed because it relegated its history.

He spoke in Lagos during an interview with reporters, after chairing the public presentation of two books - The Port Harcourt Volunteer and Sam Ohuabunwa’s Paradigm -, written by the foremost pharmacist to mark his 65th birthday.

While The Port Harcourt Volunteer narrates Ohuabunwa’s experience as a young Biafran soldier during the Civil War, Sam Ohuabunwa’s Paradigm are a collection of his thoughts on national issues.

Anya who commended the author for putting his experience in the form of a book, decried the absence of history for younger generations to learn from.

He said: “That he has put the

By Precious Igbonwelundu

experience together is important because it means other people can learn from it.

“The more important thing is that when people put down their personal experiences, when you collate them, it gives you a view of the experience of the society and from that you can write the history.

“A nation that does not have a history and cannot refer to its history cannot learn any lessons.

“That is part of the problems in Nigeria. When we were growing up, history was important but I am sure in your generation history was no longer taught when you went to school.

Anya, who stated that the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was worse than that of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, added that those leading the criticism against the immediate past government were lead-

ing figures in Obasanjo administration.

“The government that has gone has been heavily criticised but that government was not worse than the government that went before it.

“But who are the people leading the criticism? Those who served in Obasanjo’s government.

“And yet they foisted the new situation on us. Please, let us learn to be hesitant and insist on evidence on which to base judgement, that is the only way we can grow,” he said.

At the event were Anglican Bishop, Rev. James Odedeji; former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; former Chairman, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Dr. Christopher Kolade; renowned scholar, Prof.

Adebayo Williams; Chief Executive, Emzor Pharmaceutical, Dr. Stella Okoli, as well as the books reviewers, Prof.

Ayo Olukotun and Prof.

Jamie Onwuchekwa, represented by Dr. Austin Nweze.

Obi, who described the author as a great Nigerian worthy of emulation, spoke on the need for persons entrusted with public funds to have a track record on managing resources.

Ohuabunwa said he wrote the books as part of his contributions to national development, adding that he would not want his children to fight the same kind of war he fought.

He advocated for the return to regionalism, just as he insisted that “de-federating” was the only way for the various regions to discover themselves and then come back together.

According to him, since the nation may not be able to achieve the return to the regions because people have become state - conscious, state houses of Assembly should be abolished and replaced by a regional assembly for each geopolitical zone.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

7

NEWS •Front row: President Muhammadu Buhari (middle); Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa'Ad Abubakar III (second left); Inspector General of Police Mr Solomon Arase (right) and back row: Governors of Niger, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello; Anambra, Mr Willy Obiano; Oyo State Deputy Governor Moses Alake; (behind Sultan is Adamawa Governor Alhaji Mohammed Jubrilla Bindow; Nassarawa, Alhaji Tanko Almakura; Gombe, Alhaji Ibrahim DamKwambo, Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu and Kogi State Deputy Governor Chief Yomi Awoniyi at the national security summit at the International Conference Centre, Abuja...yesterday.

Lagos APC to Shelle: resign for ‘deceiving’ PDP, Lagosians

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AGOS State All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the embattled Chairman of the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Tunji Shelle to resign for allegedly deceiving his party and Lagos residents.

In a statement yesterday, APC spokesman Joe Igbokwe said Shelle should have resigned honourably, having lost the state governorship elections in 2011 and 2015.

The statement reads in part: “All over the world, when a chairman of party becomes a serial loser, he does not need anybody to counsel him to leave the stage for fresh hands, but not Shelle of Lagos PDP. “If he is not blaming party leaders, he turns his searchlight to the opposition and now he is blaming the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The totally devastated Shelle, who has been suffer-

•Party: why Jonathan, Agbaje lost

By Bola Olajuwon, Assistant Editor

ing votes of no confidence since the last elections, told his party members in Amuwo Odofin in Lagos that the former president allowed APC to get away with a lot of illegalities during the last elections, which led to his own defeat.

“According to Shelle, if Jonathan had won the presidential elections, PDP would have used soldiers, police, Department of State Services (DSS), Civil Defence etc to steal Lagos.”

The party said the day Jonathan picked the PDP ticket for the presidential election was the day he lost.

It added: “Jonathan should not have contested in 2011, given the political arrangement put in place after the June 12, 1993 election crisis to rotate power between the

North and the South every eight years.

“There was no way Jonathan would have won with 11 states in Southsouth and Southeast against 25 states in the Southwest, Northeast, Northwest and Northcentral. Two small zones in the Southeast and Southsouth would not have defeated the four big zones of Southwest, Northeast, Northwest and Northcentral.

Even if Southeast and Southsouth voted 150 per cent beyond Mathematics, Jonathan would not have won that election. In fact, the millions of votes Jonathan got were padded.

“In Lagos, Shelle was a living witness to many illegalities PDP and the law enforcement agencies unleashed on Lagosians. PDP illegally set up SURE-P Recruitment Centre at old Toll Gate Lagos and used it to

fleece unsuspecting Lagosians of their hard-earned money in the name of providing jobs for them.”

The statement accused Shelle of waiting until the PDP lost Lagos “for him to tell the world that one man who had dubious courage defrauded Lagosians”.

Igbokwe queried: “Where was Shelle when PDP unleashed OPC illegally on Lagosians one Monday morning from the old Toll Gate to the National Stadium, grounding Lagos, bearing guns, machetes, destroying all APC campaign materials with the help of the police along that corridor, shouting that Jega must go and that the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) and Card Readers should not be used?

“Where was Shelle when Jonathan brought million of dollars and pounds to throw around in Lagos and conse-

Court dissolves Ekiti PDP chief’s 28 years’ marriage

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N Ado-Ekiti Customary Court has dissolved the 28-yearold marriage of the factional Chairman of the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kolawole Idowu Faleye, and his wife, Olajumoke.

Faleye (62), whose faction is loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose, sued Olajumoke (52), accusing her of aggressive behaviour, being unpredictable and uncontrollable as well as fighting.

Their union was blessed with two female children: Toyin (27) and Dupe (24).

Faleye is fighting the bat-

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

tle of his political life in his bid to hold on to the PDP chairmanship. A bitter factional crisis is rocking the state’s ruling party.

Tunde Olatunde chairs the other faction that has 11 State Working Committee (SWC) members.

The court, in a judgment delivered on Monday by its president, Magistrate Joseph Ogunsemi, held that the union had collapsed irretrievably from the evidence available before it.

He held that in the divorce

suit filed by Faleye, the evidence led by the petitioner (Faleye) was unchallenged and incontrovertible as the respondent did not appear in court to give contrary evidence.

The court added that there was no proof of a legal marriage between the couple, describing the union as a “mere cohabitation”.

He ruled that the court had no option than to grant the request for dissolution as sought by Faleye.

Ordering the immediate dissolution of the union, the court ruled that Olajumoke shall have the grace to stay

in Faleye’s house for six months within which she is expected to relocate elsewhere.

The court also ordered the two parties to maintain peace henceforth, adding that Olajumoke has 21 days to appeal the judgment.

The magistrate asserted that the judgment was in line with Order 8 Rule 5 of Ekiti State Customary Court Rule.

Neither Faleye nor Olajumoke was in court.

In his evidence before the court, Faleye said: “I don’t love the respondent anymore. I only appreciate my children.”

quently divided Lagos along ethnic lines, which nearly caused xenophobic attacks in the metropolis?”

The party also asked where Shelle was when PDP candidates were brandishing guns and shooting people in Alimosho, Lagos while APC was busy campaigning.

“Where was Shelle when PDP imposed Jimi Agbaje on the party at Oregun, Ikeja Lagos, which led to massive shootings and stampede?

“Where was Shelle when his PDP left the campaigns to win elections and resorted to shooting APC members in the Island?” the statement asked.

It noted that the Lagos PDP introduced dangerous ethnic politics in the state, which was not enough to make Agbaje the governor.

It added: “Did Shelle see all the hate campaign PDP and its agents ditched out in the bid to tear President Muham-

madu Buhari down and yet the man ran away with victory. Shelle may not know this, most of the campaigns advertorials PDP pushed out to sell Jonathan ended up being used to sell Buhari. The campaign worked heavily for PMB instead of Jonathan.

“Lagos APC insists that Shelle should stop crying over spilled milk and face realities. Old ways will never open new doors. PDP has played their last card in Nigeria and Lagos and it will take years for this party to rise again in this country.

“Excuses and excuses can never help Shelle and PDP. Ambode defeated Agbaje with more than 150,000 votes, even with their illegalities, money politics and ethnic politics.

“This is a lesson. Let Shelle resign and give way for a fresh hand to help the party.

This is the path of honour.”

Ondo residents lament ‘erratic power supply’

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ESIDENTS of Ondo South Senatorial District have decried the epileptic power supply to the area’s six local governments.

They have sent a Save our Soul (SOS) message to Senate President Bukola Saraki, copies of which were made available to reporters yesterday in Akure, the state capital.

The concerned electricity consumers blamed authorities of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for the poor power supply.

In the letter signed by Mr. Kayode Fakuyi, the residents lamented the hazard constituted by the poor power supply, noting that the economic and

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

social lives of the people were being affected by the development.

Fakuyi, who chided the authorities of the BEDC on their attitude to the plight of the residents, said: “Many of the communities have experienced blackout for over one year while some areas have been subjected to over two years of darkness.

“The six local government areas in Ondo South, including Okitipupa, Odigbo, Irele, Ilaje, Ese-Odo and Okeigbo, are seriously affected and the BEDC claimed that its unlawful action was necessitated due to huge outstanding debts.”

Ambode pledges to embark on local council reforms

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AGOS State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has pledged to embark on local government reforms aimed at restructuring the state’s 57 local governments and development areas to be more responsive to the people’s needs.

The governor spoke during a parley with members of Community Development Associations (CDAs), Community Development Councils (CDC) and others.

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

Ambode said the intention of his administration was to give governance back to the people in line with his objective to run an all inclusive government.

He added that his administration’s commitment to make community governance the springboard for economic and social development in the state prompted the establishment of a Ministry of Local Govern-

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

ment and Community Affairs, which has thus placed community development in the heart of its policy formation.

Hailing the efforts of the over 3,100 CDAs and CDCs in the 57 local councils, the governor used the occasion to announce the appointment of the Chairman of the State Community Development Advisory Council, Alhaji Tajudeen Adeniyi Quadri, as a Senior Special Assistant on Community Development Affairs.

He added that Quadri’s over 20 years’ experience in the movement will come handy.

The governor revealed that his administration would create a platform to recognise excellence in self-development efforts of the communities and reward same though provision of grants, assistance and other support through the local governments and council development areas.

He said the drive to ensure an unprecedented level of

community development could not be left to the government alone, hence the need for the CDAs and CDCs to be alive to their responsibilities.

“The government alone cannot provide all community needs as of date, the people have to be mobilised to ‘doit-themselves” to complement government efforts, rather than replace same.

“It is this ‘Self-help or Community Development Approach’ as a veritable tool for

•Ambode

sustainable development advanced by this administration that I now urge you to embrace”.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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NEWS Suspected ‘ritualist’ dies in his room in Ondo

Process of selecting new Ooni begins

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•Aspirants jostle for intention forms

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HE process of selecting a new Ooni of Ife will begin today with the sale of intention forms for aspirants in the next ruling house.

Two ruling houses are in contention for the throne. They are the Giesi ruling house and the Lafogido ruling house.

Though Giesi ruling house is the favourite for the throne, any of the ruling houses can produce the next Ooni, if its candidate is preferred by the Ifa oracle.

The media claimed that many aspirants were jostling for throne, but The Nation learnt that none of them has been officially registered as an aspirant as at press time yesterday.

A source close to the Giesi

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

ruling house said yesterday that an intention form has been designed by the committee handling the selection process.

The source added that the forms would be made available by 12:00 noon today for collection by intending aspirants.

Each form, according to the source, will cost N100,000.

The process of obtaining forms, the source added, will last for about two weeks, after which a screening would be conducted for all aspirants.

Qualified aspirants would thereafter be handed over to the kingmakers for final selection through Ifa divination.

So far, no fewer than 10 aspirants have made their intention known verbally in the Giesi

ruling house.

In the Lafogido ruling house, a committee had earlier been set up to conduct meetings with aspirants before they are presented to the kingmakers.

The committee is named Central Working Committee.

It is not clear if intention form will be sold or even designed.

A source in Giesi family, however, assured that the ruling house would produce the next Ooni because it would ensure that only credible and acceptable candidates were put forward.

•The late Oba Sijuwade

After the demise of Oba Adesoji Aderemi in 1980, Giesi and Ogboru ruling houses contested for the throne.

But the then Prince Okunade Sijuwade, who hailed from Ogboru ruling house, made it ahead of the Giesi candidate.

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ceased for more than a month.

The source alleged that he had turned the house to a mini hospital, where he used to performed abortions.

Another source said around 11am on Sunday morning, his wife raised alarm about the incident.

Other residents stormed the man’s room after breaking the door, where they met him naked on a chair.

Efforts to speak with the wife proved abortive, because the family and friends prevented her from speaking to reporters.

Confirming the incident, police spokesman, Mr. Wole Ogodo, said the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for proper investigation.

•Obasanjo, Olubadan, others intervene From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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ESIDENT doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan yesterday suspended their 105-day-old strike.

This came following the intervention of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Olubadan-in-Council and other eminent personalities and associations.

The UCH Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Temitope Alonge, last week, urged the resident doctors to call off the strike.

He assured them that the hospital’s management was already looking into their grievances.

President of UCH branch of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) Dr. Luqman Ogujimi and its secretary, Dr. Anthonu Ude, made the suspension broke the news to reporters.

They said the association agreed that the strike be suspended last Friday at a congress held by members.

The association said:”Our members are hereby directed by the emergency general meeting of the ARD, UCH, to resume back to their duty posts 8a.m. on Monday, August 17, 2015, while negotiation continues.

“The congress took this decision on the August 14,2015, following the intervention of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, medical elders, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (UCH), the good people of Ibadan and more importantly for the sake of our patients. It is our hope that the UCH management will keep its side of the bargain.”

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

Fatola, noted that “IkareAkoko needs fervent prayers to ward off evil machinations”.

He said the commercial town had witnessed a bloody bank robbery, which claimed about 25 lives.

Fotola said the development has brought untold hardship to its residents while economic activities were on zero level because of the attack.

The Chairman of Akoko Northeast Local Government, Alhaji Azeez Almam, visited the affected traders to sympathise with them.

He urged them to always put off electricity before going home.

The Iyalaje of Ikareland, Mrs. Risikatu Mohammed, who was accompanied by Iyaloja of Iboropa, Mrs. Iyabo Alo, visited the scene of the fire incident and urged wellmeaning citizens to assist the victims.

Ex-Rep to Fayose: stop attacking Buhari

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Honour for Ondo APC chief From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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HE spokesman of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC), Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, is to be honoured with Honorary Doctorate Degree at the 10th year anniversary of the Commonwealth University, London (London Graduate School, Dubai).

The event will hold later this year in Dubai with a leadership summit that will attract people from across the globe.

Adesanya will be honoured in recognition of his contributions to the promotion of democracy and rule of law.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

UCH resident doctors suspend strike

N50m property destroyed in Ondo market fire OODS worth N50 million were destroyed during an inferno, which gutted Lennon Jubilee Shopping Complex at Ikare-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko Northeast Local Government in Ondo State.

Witness said the inferno razed about 10 shops.

The shops were said to have been stocked with expensive textile materials, wears, computer sets, accessories and substantial amounts of cash.

One of the victims, Mrs. Mary Olaniyan, who lamented her lost to the fire, stressed that her life depended on the burnt shop.

The trader urged the state government and wealthy Nigerians to assist the victims.

Efforts to speak with senior fire officer in IkareAkoko were futile, but a source linked the inferno to electricity spark.

A community leader, John

THIRTY-YEAR-OLD suspected ritualist mysteriously died in his room in Ondo State at the weekend while trying to perform a rite.

The incident occurred at Igbalaye Street Akure, the state capital.

He was found dead in his sitting room with one bottle of gin, one bottle of disinfectant, a knife and two dead fowls.

His body has been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure for further examination.

The suspected ritualist, who was said to be an auxiliary nurse in a hospital, allegedly locked himself inside his sitting room during the ritual activity, which eventually led to his death.

A source in the house revealed that they had been suspecting the activities of the de-

•STEPPING OUT: Outgoing Comptroller-General of Customs Abdullahi Dikko Inde after he visited the Presidential Villa in PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN Abuja...yesterday. Story on page 11.

MEMBER of the Seventh House of Representatives, Bamidele Faparusi, has called on Governor Ayo Fayose to stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari and face the primary assignment of governance for which he was elected.

Faparusi, who represented Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti East Federal Constituency between 2011 and 2015, warned the governor to “stop dragging Ekiti’s name in the mud” with undue and unwarranted criticisms of Buhari.

In a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the former lawmaker said governance was suffering under Fayose’s watch, claiming that the standard of living of the people has plummeted since the governor came

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

to power last year.

Faparusi was reacting to Fayose’s latest outburst against Buhari in which he alleged that he was aware of what he called “sinister plots” to destabilise his government because of his “strong and truthful stands on national issues”.

Fayose had, in his allegation, vowed to continue to speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored, challenging the president to “tread cautiously”.

But Faparusi wondered that Fayose whom he accused of intimidation, coercion and harassment of the opposition could now turn around and accuse the president of plotting to destabilise his government.

Tribunal: INEC tenders 70,000 documents in Isiaka, Amosun suit

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday tendered before the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta over 70, 000 documents used during the last April 11 governorship election in Ogun State.

The electoral materials some of which were packed in over a dozen “Ghana-mustgo” bags, were ferried into the court premises in four Hilux Pick-Up vans marked (PRESIDENCY) FG 66 - U01, FG 67 U01, FG 68 - U01 and FG 70 U01.

The documents were ten-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

dered based on court subpoena at the request of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Gboyega Isiaka.

They were certified true copies of Voters’ Register Record; result sheets, incident forms and original copies of ballot papers used in nine local governments councils, where the results were being challenged

by Isiaka.

The local governments are Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Odeda, Ewekoro, Ifo,

Obafemi-Owode Sagamu and Remo North.

Isiaka is challenging the declaration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun as winner of the April 11 governorship polls by INEC. The INEC materials used for the polls were brought to the court by its Deputy Director, Head of Department, Electoral Operations in Ogun State, Samuel Ogunjemilua, who also tendered them.

Ogunjemilua was asked to appear before the tribunal, following a writ of subpoena dated August 12, as applied for by Isiaka’s counsel, Adetunji

Oyeyipo (SAN). The request was granted by the court.

The subpoena ordered INEC to produce, bring and tender the documents used in areas where results are being challenged before the tribunal.

A schedule of documents brought before the court showed results from 1, 626 polling units and 820 incident forms.

Other documents included 70,024 sheets of Voter Register, 1,913 results sheets, including EC8A and EC8B, and others.

Before the documents were tendered, the counsel for Amo-

sun, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), opposed the documents being tendered by INEC official without swearing an oath.

“If he is to tender, he is duty bound to comply with what he has been brought to court to do; nobody can take the court for granted,” Fagbemi argued.

Counsel for APC and INEC George Oyeniyi and Oluwadare Ogunnaike - aligned with Fagbemi.

They posited that the subpoenaed should swear like every other witness before tendering any document.

But Adetunji Oyeyipo disagreed, citing the decision of

the Court of Appeal in Olaniyan Vs Oyewole (2008) to buttress his position.

But the tribunal chairman, Justice Henry Olusiyi, anchoring his ruling on Famakinwa Vs University of Ibadan and Akanno Vs. Nigeria Army, 2008, held that the subpoenaed should be taken for his title.

He added that he (the INEC official) is neither competent nor be compelled to be sworn or affirmed.

The tribunal adjourned till today for the petitioner to tender more documents at subsequent sittings of the tribunal and for continuation of trial.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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NEWS

Accusations as Bayelsa PDP’s crisis worsens • Acting chairman under fire •Defectors will come back to PDP, says forum

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HE crisis in Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has worsened, following the defection of its Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd), and many others to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Inokoba led about 2,000 PDP members to the APC on Saturday at a mega rally at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, the state capital.

But a scathing statement on Inokoba and the defectors, credited to PDP’s Acting Chairman Serena Dokubo, was said to have pitted PDP members against the acting chairman.

Dokubo said Inokoba was suspended on alleged corruption and anti-party activity.

The acting party chairman described the defectors as spent forces without electoral value.

From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

But a group in the state’s PDP, Bayelsa Great House (BGH), condemned the statement ascribed to Dokubo.

It accused him of instigating and deepening the party’s crisis.

BGH’s Chairman Ebinimi Owei and Secretary Victor Woyinkuro said Inokoba took the right decision by leaving “confused persons, liars, greedy and desperate politicians in the PDP under the Restoration Government for the APC”.

They urged Dokubo to explain when and in which court of competent jurisdiction Inokoba was judged and found guilty of being a questionable character.

Owei, for instance, accused Dokubo of being envious of the “sterling qualities of Inokoba”.

The BGH’s chairman described the

defected PDP chairman as “a seasoned administrator and one of the finest the PDP has produced so far”.

He advised Dokubo not to drag his age through the mud because of cheap politics.

Owei accused Dokubo of doubling as an acting chairman of PDP and an employee of the Judiciary Commission.

The BGH chief reminded the party chairman that Governor Seriake Dickson, during a PDP meeting at the Government House on July 30 attended by Acting National Chairman Uche Secondus; National Secretary Dr. Abila acknowledged that Inokoba did not steal the party’s money.

He said: “We implore Serena Dokubo to face reality because PDP Bayelsa is sinking every moment he engages in lies, deceit and other cheap political propaganda. Sam

Inokoba’s qualities cannot be bought or destroyed by anyone.”

On the description of the defectors as yesterday’s men, Owei reminded Dokubo that politics was a game of numbers, adding that the PDP was finished under his watch.

He said: “We, therefore, state that Governor Dickson should hold Serena Dokubo and Fynman Wilson responsible, if he fails the governorship election, which is very clear.

The PDP is never an Ijaw party.

“It was Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who empowered Isaac Adaka Boro, our foremost activist; in 1996, (the late Head of State), Gen. Sani Abacha gave us a state called Bayelsa and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua gave us amnesty, the peace we are enjoying today.”

Also, another group, the PDP Unity Group (PUG), said the defectors would return to the PDP.

At a separate media briefing in Yenagoa, PUG’s Coordinator Mrs. Marie Ebikake noted that the defectors would return the moment the ideals the group was pursuing were achieved.

She hoped that the souls and spirits of the defectors, despite their reasons for dumping the PDP, were still with the party.

Mrs Ebikake said the shouting of the PDP slogan, instead of the APC’s by Inokoba at the APC mega rally last Saturday, was an indication that the souls and spirits of those who left the party were still with the PDP. She said: “Whereas the defectors have a right to their actions and some of their claims against the PDP may be true, the PUG is relentless on a mission to right the wrongs within the party, and there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Rivers APC, REC disagree on detention, others From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

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HE Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dame Gesila Khan, have disagreed on political activities and the REC’s detention.

APC, through the Secretary of its Media and Publicity Committee, Godstime Orlukwu, yesterday in Port Harcourt, declared that Dame Khan was a victim of her devices.

The party noted that the REC’s claim that she was detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for two weeks was the figment of her imagination.

But the REC insisted that she and other INEC officials were putting in their best and not taking sides.

She expressed surprise at her alleged arrest and detention by the DSS. The party said: “The APC believes the DSS that Dame Khan was never detained. Rather, the DSS invited her for questioning, having been convinced that her actions and deliberate inactions constituted a serious threat to the security of Rivers State and, by extension, that of the country.

“Dame Khan’s decision to be evasive, in order not to release the materials used in the last elections to the APC and to avoid complying with the tribunal’s orders on inspection of electoral materials, were deemed to be grave, capable of negatively affecting the peace, tranquillity and security of the state and nation.

“She was making one excuse or the other to avoid complying with the orders of the tribunal.

“The APC will like to challenge Dame Khan to show evidence that she was detained overnight by the DSS, let alone two weeks, as she is claiming.

“If Dame Khan complied with the law, why should INEC’s national headquarters in Abuja send a task force to Rivers State to deliver the materials, as ordered by the tribunal?”

APC said it was convinced that the REC’s latest assertions were aimed at currying public sympathy and drawing attention away from her alleged deceit before, during and after the March 28 and April 11 general election.

The party added that such antics would not exonerate the REC, an indigene of Bayelsa State, and her cohorts from their electoral sins in Rivers State.

Dame Khan said during the presidential election, three national commissioners were in the state; same during the governorship poll.

The REC said three INEC’s administrative secretaries are currently in the state.

‘I’m not losing sleep over 2016’

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DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said he is not losing sleep over next year’s governorship election.

He expressed confidence that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be defeated at the poll.

The governor said he stopped worrying about the election because the alleged conspiracy of the PDP, the police and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been smashed.

Oshiomhole, who addressed reporters in Benin, the state capital, said he would defeat the PDP, even at the wards of their leaders.

The governor carpeted the party for kicking against the

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

$75 million World Bank loan the state planned to take for development projects.

He said his administration resorted to the loan because the PDP had liquidated the country and pauperised the states.

Oshiomhole said the election of President Muhammadu Buhari came at the right time to stop the continued looting of the treasury under the PDP. The governor said his administration had paid N20 billion from the state’s N25 billion bond.

According to him, the loan would be paid before the end of his tenure.

•The protesting workers...yesterday

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CTIVITES were yesterday paralysed for hours at the Ibadan, Oyo State headquarters of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) when members of the three labour unions in the institute staged a peaceful protest against its managment.

They decried what they called the continued stay in office of the institute’s Director General (DG), Prof. Olufemi Taiwo.

He is expected to have retired on August 16.

But Prof. Taiwo described the protest as politically motivated, saying the union leaders were pursuing a hidden political agenda.

Prof. Taiwo held a meeting with members of the Management yesterday morning, an incident that irked workers.

After the congress of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising members of the three unions, the workers staged a peaceful protest to the main gate of the institution. They carried placards in which they called for Taiwo’s immediate disengagement, following the expiration of his tenure.

The workers also accused the outgoing DG of traumatising workers during his regime, wondering why he was still staying put after the expiration of his tenure.

They described the manage-

NISER workers protest against DG •Institute’s chief: Action politically motivated From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

ment meeting he held as null and void, saying he has ceased to be the DG. They called on the National Planning Commission, which is the supervising commission, to direct Taiwo to hand over to another person, preferably the institute’s Director of Administration in accordance with civil service rules.

In their three-paragraph letter to the Secretary of the NPC, a copy of which was made available to The Nation, the JAC, comprising the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) were unanimous in their demand for Taiwo’s removal.

The three-paragraph letter by Comrade Ayo Egunjobi (SSAUTHRIAI), Wole Famoriyo, (NASU) and Muyiwa Babatimehin (ASURI) and addressed to the National Planning Commission reads in parts: “the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of

in-house unions of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) use this medium to bring to the notice of the Secretary to the commission that the tenure of erstwhile DG, Prof. Olufemi Taiwo, ended on August 16, 2015.

“Sir, in line with due process, Prof. Taiwo should have handedover the administration of the institute in the last working day of his tenure to the most senior professor pending the process of appointing a substantive/acting director-general in accordance with the conditions of service of the federal research institutes, their colleges and allied institutions which can follow later.

“In view of this, the JAC would continue to appreciate the intervention of your good office in the promotion of industrial peace and harmony in the institute.

“Please accept the assurances of the union’s highest regards as we await your response.

Thank you sir.”

But, Taiwo, in a telephone interview with The Nation, said the union leaders were being sponsored by some of their colleagues who are interested in his position.

He added that he was not des-

perate to hold on to the position but that he was yet to receive instruction from the NPC on the next step to take after the expiration of his tenure on Sunday.

He said: “My letter of appointment in 2011 says I was appointed for four years, and that it was renewable for another term of four years. I completed the first term on Sunday.

We were awaiting directive from the NPC on what to do.

“There are clearly three options: renewal of term, appointment of another DG or an instruction to hand over to somebody for temporary leadership pending the appointment of another DG.” He said when he did not receive any instruction from the NPC, he contacted the Permanent Secretary of the commission on Sunday but that the latter pledged to contact the Vice President for advice.

On the allegation of denying workers of welfare, Taiwo explained that his administration wanted to establish Staff Welfare Centre but that the unions opposed it. He said they wanted a revolving loan scheme, which requires a government policy to operate.

PDP protesters seek Ojougboh’s removal as Southsouth vice chair HERE was a protest yesterday at the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the continued stay of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as the party’s Southsouth vice chairman.

Protesting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, New Peoples Democratic Party Reformation Coalition said the continued stay of Ojougboh as the party’s

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From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

Southsouth vice chairman would destroy PDP. The group’s National Coordinator, Danelsi Momoh, said they were at the secretariat to protest against the activities of Ojougboh.

Momoh called on the party national leadership to curtail the activities of Ojougboh, which, according to him, was aimed at hijacking the party

for his personal interest.

He said if the activities of Ojougboh in the Southsouth was not checked, it would weaken the operations of PDP. The coordinator also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate politically-motivated killings in the country, especially in the Southsouth.

“While we salute President Buhari’s commitment to

bring corrupt politicians to book, it is apt that all cases of politically-motivated killings are investigated.

“The characters responsible for running the armed gangs that carried out the killings are brought to book,” he added.

The group, according to Momoh, also called on Ojougboh to step aside from his position until investigated.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

‘When modular refineries are operated, they would be refining smaller quantities of crude oil, create jobs, and help grow the economy’ •Former Commander of JTF, Major-General Emmanuel Atewe

SON reduces substandard goods by 50%, says Odumodu From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

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HE Standard Organi zation of Nigeria, SON, disclosed that the organization has in the last four years reduced the level of substandard goods in the country from 85% to 45%, though still lamenting that the organization has not done enough.

The Director General, Standard Organization of Nigeria, Joseph Odumodu disclosed this during a one day round table with Civil society organizations and presentation of operation flush in Abuja, stating that though the agency has done so much in the last four years but more needs to be done.

He said, “The zero tolerance policy for substandard products will focus on complete elimination of substandard goods in the country with the use of conformity assessment schemes such as SONCAP in guarding our shores from influx of inferior goods.

“E-product registration established a data base of all SON- certified products in the country whether locally made or importer. A certified product is one that has passed the standard test by SON. Any product that has not been recognized in the SON e-product registration database will attract operation eflush attention.

“Operation e-flush will remove substandard products from both the supply chain and the demand chain, it will clear distribution chain of deficient products through constant inspection of goods purchased by wholesalers and retailers.

“Retailers who peddled uncertified goods will have their stores closed down and the uncertified goods seized by the SON inspection officers.”

Odumodu said the key message here is ‘don’t stock, don’t sell’ stating that the agency is pleading with wholesalers and retailers alike to patronize only manufacturers and importers whose products Steve-registered.

• From left: Chairman Plastic Sector of Nigeria Dr.Bashir Abdullahi, President Muhammadu Buhari, Managing Director Jacobs Wines Ltd.Dr. Frank S. Udemba Jacobs and Vice President Lagos Zone Rev.Isaac Agoye after the meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria with the President at the State House PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN. Abuja yesterday.

Bonga spill: ‘Shell to pay $3b to affected communities’ T HE National Oil Spill Detection and Re sponse Agency (NOSDRA) has directed Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) to pay $3.6 billion to affected communities of Bonga oil spill.

NOSDRA’s Director-General, Sir Peter Idabor, in a letter to the oil firm, said that the agency imposed a sanction on the company in 2014 for the damage done to the natural resources and means of livelihood by the spill since 2011.

In a statement issued in Abuja by the Head/ Deputy Director, Public Affairs Unit in Abuja, Idabor, said the

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

company did not make any attempt to provide relief materials for the shoreline fishing communities with respect to the acute and chronic impact of the crude oil on the environment.

“Despite the fact that the incident was caused by equipment failure and the admission by the then Managing Director that 40,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Atlantic Ocean, no attempt was made by the oil company to provide relief

materials for the shoreline fishing communities with respect to the acute and chronic impact of the crude oil on the environment.

“NOSDRA DG, Sir Peter Idabor, has directed SNEPCO to pay the sum of $3,600,191,206.00 or its Naira equivalent as compensation and administrative costs for failure to effect clean up on the impacted site within the stipulated period, as provided in the agency’s Act and Regulations.

“NOSDRA in 2014 issued a notification of sanction to the

oil company with regard to the Bonga spill incident but it has yet neither paid compensation to the affected shoreline communities nor provided relief materials to them, as directed by the Agency and the House Committee on Environment.

“Meanwhile, by virtue of the latest reminder on the notification of sanction on the spill incident, NOSDRA has directed SNEPCO to pay the said fine and compensation, or face the legal machinery available to the Agency to ensure its compliance,” it said.

Lagos Inland Revenue board moves against firms with false addresses

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HE Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), has urged corporate organisations in the state to update their operational addresses, or face prosecution.

The Head, Distrain Unit of LIRS, Mrs Ajibike OshodiSholola, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the ultimatum stemmed from recent discoveries about companies with fake operational addresses in the state.

She identified false addresses as a major challenge encountered by LIRS operatives responsible for the sealing of organisations that failed to pay tax.

According to her, about 50 per cent of the addresses submitted by some organisations are non existent.

She said that LIRS projected revenue from most of the corporate concerns with fake addresses were lost annually and unaccounted for by the

service.

The taxes of the companies that are not realised will invariably affect and reduce the government’s earnings from taxation, she said, adding that companies should not, because of fear of the amount the government may give them to pay, continue to give false addresses,” she said Meanwhile, four companies were sealed by the LIRS over N39.33 million tax evasion in a state-wide tax enforcement

drive last week.

Mrs. Oshodi, who also led the enforcement team, said that the four companies were shut on August 11, adding that the affected companies’ tax liabilities were for between 12 months and five years.

“The tax liabilities of the companies are from 2005 to 2010 tax audit year,” she said.

She said that the enforcement drive would continue until tax-payers exhibit full compliance with tax laws.

Buhari accepts Abdullahi’s resignation from Customs

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R E S I D E N T Muhammadu Buhari on Monday accepted the resignation of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi.

Abdullahi is billed to proceed on his voluntary retirement from Tuesday, August 18.

The Customs boss had earlier written a letter dated August 3 to the President notifying him of his desire to proceed on voluntary re-

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

tirement from Tuesday.

President Buhari’s approval of Abdullahi’s request was dated August 14 and personally signed by the President.

In the letter, the President thanked the NCS boss for his services to the county in the last six years.

The President’s letter, titled “Voluntary retirement from the Nigeria Customs Service” read: “Dear, Alhaji D.I. Abdullahi. I

write to acknowledge the receipt of your letter Ref. No. NCS/ADM/HQ/P. 35802 of 3rd August, 2015 conveying your decision to voluntarily retire from the Nigeria Customs Service with effect from Tuesday, 18th August, 2015.

“I note with appreciation your services to this nation, especially as the ComptrollerGeneral of the Nigeria Customs Service in the last six (6) years.

“Accordingly, I hereby approve your voluntary retire-

ment from the Nigeria Customs Service with effect from 18th August 2015.

“I wish you the very best in your future endeavours.

“Yours sincerely, Muhammadu Buhari.”

The Nigeria Customs boss had in his letter to the President thanked him for the confidence and trust reposed on him since he (Buhari) was inaugurated on May 29.

Stressing that he would be six years in office as the Comptroller-General of the

• Dikko

NCS by August 18, he recalled that on assumption of office, he articulated sixpoint agenda which he vigorously pursued.

FAAN gives debtor-airlines seven days ultimatum

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

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ORRIED by the huge debts owned it, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), yesterday gave a seven-day ultimatum to all debtors, including airlines and concessionaires to pay up..

The final demand notice according the spokesman of the authority , Mr Yakubu Dati will expire on Monday, August 24, 2015 .

He said FAAN at the expiration of the notice will pursuant to a presidential directive be compelled to take necessary measures to recover the huge debts .

In a statement yesterday Dati said : “All affected debtors have earlier been communicated with details of their respective indebtedness to the Authority.

“The affected debtors where in doubt, are advised to liaise with the Authority’s Credit Control Department at its Headquarters for reconciliation of their accounts within the period of this Notice.

“At the expiration of this notice, the Authority would, pursuant to a Presidential directive, be compelled to take necessary measures to recover these debts.

“FAAN is self sustaining and cannot meet its responsibilities within the burden of these huge debts.”

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Engr Saleh Dunoma has paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Deputy General Manager/ Head of Department , Corporate Affairs Department, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Mr Chris Ishiekwene.

Mr Ishiekwene died on Saturday August 1 , 2015, after a brief illness.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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BUSINESS NEWS Stallion Group wins Nissan Global Award for Nigeria

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ULTINATIONAL conglomerate Stal lion Group has won the 2015 Nissan Global National Sales Company Award for its outstanding achievement in Nigeria. The award recognizes Nissan’s growth in the Nigerian market, whilst reinforcing its growing industrial footprint. Stallion is Nissan’s exclusive manufacturer and distributor in Nigeria.

It may be recalled that Stallion established Nigeria’s first automotive assembly facility in partnership with Nissan as a pioneering initiative in April 2014, pursuant to the Federal Government’s announcement of the nation’s new automotive policy late in 2013.

Since the launch of Nigeria assembled Nissan vehicles, four models are being assembled in the country creating significant employment, with the local human resources undergoing extensive training from global automotive experts from Nissan’sinternational auto plants.

The thriving partnership with Stallion has resulted in Nissan meeting the needs of Nigerian customers through expanding product range and countrywideretail network. The new Victoria Island showroom was the eleventh Nissan outlet in the country - a demonstration of Nissan’s long-term commit-

ment to increase brand visibility in Africa’s most populous country.

Sunil Vaswani, Chairman of Stallion Group, said: “Together with Nissan we are seeking to complement Nigeria’s ambitions to become the region’s automotive hub.We are providing a comprehensive range of passenger, commercial and recreational vehicles, and are currently engaged in a dynamic program of new model introductions.”

He added: “Stallion is investing into developing an integrated value chainfor its brands in the country, thereby acting as a catalyst for Nigeria’s automotive eco system.”

Managing Director and President of Nissan South Africa, Mike Whitfield, said: “We have worked side by side with the Stallion Group to achieve what is a very encouraging increase in our share of the key Nigerian market.Within Nissan we have a strong desire to make a full and lasting contribution to rebuilding automotive industrialisation in Nigeria and to play an important role in the growth of the manufacturing sector.

“I would personally like to congratulate the entire Stallion NMN team on a job well done. I am confident we will maintain this great momentum going forward.”

Whitfield concluded.

Jim Dando, Nissan General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “We’re well placed in the Sub-Saharan region to meet our customers’ needs through an expanding model range, retail network and an evolving industrial footprint in Nigeria building cars ‘in’ Africa, ‘for’ Africa.

Fasehun, Adams, Dokubo, others unite against NNPC • Demand pay for services rendered

By Precious Igbonwelundu

• NNPC GMD Emmanuel Kachikwu

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ACTIONAL leaders of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun and Otunba Gani Adams, as well as other beneficiaries of the controversial Pipeline Security and Surveillance contracts, who met at the weekend called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay their outstanding fees by the end of the month, or face legal action.

NNPC on June 15, terminated the contract awarded under President Goodluck Jonathan to various ?private security firms to safeguard pipelines against vandals..

The companies are New Age Nigeria Limited (Fasehun); Donyx Global Concept (Adams); ATEF Ni-

geria Limited (Asari Dokubo); Galery Security Services Limited (Bibo Ajube); Bajeros Nigeria Limited (Joshua Machiever); Close Body Protection Limited (High Chief Omo) and Izon Ibe Security Limited.

In an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, they claimed that they had a three-month contract with the NNPC, from March 15 to June 15, which they delivered on but are yet to be paid.

They alleged that the NNPC has refused to pay its indebtedness to them, insisting that they are demanding their entitlement and not a handout or favour.

They debunked claims that President Jonathan was the one who gave them the contract in order to secure his re-election, adding that due process was followed between them and the Management of the NNPC, before the contract was awarded.

While noting that they in-

curred losses ranging from death of personnel, injuries, as well as borrowed ?money from the banks to execute the contract, they insisted that weekly reports and monthly meetings were held with the NNPC. ”It should be known that the contractors had valid and duly signed contract agreements with the management of the NNPC to protect the pipelines for a period of three months.

“Up on till now, the public perception of the NNPC Pipeline Security and Surveillance job was that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave the job to the contractors on the platter of politics. But nothing can be farther from the truth than this.

“Therefore, for the purpose of clarity, it should be noted that the contract was signed between the contractors and the management of the NNPC, an agency of government, as a way of finding lasting solutions to the incessant problem of pipeline vandalisation across the country.

“The terms and agreements

of the contract were formulated and drafted by the management of the NNPC and was duly signed by all the parties, including the contractors and the legal department of the NNPC after several meetings and consultations.

“It is also necessary for the public to know that, against widely held belief that the contract was terminated by the Federal Government, it should be noted that the contract indeed ran its course, which was a period of three months, starting from March 15, 2015 and ended June 15, 2015.

“It is our belief that the contract agreement between the NNPC and the contractors is a public document and therefore can always be accessed by any member of public.

“At the same time, what we are demanding from the NNPC is for it to redeem its own part of the contract agreement and should not be seen as a favour and handout to any individual.

• From left: Divisional Head, Corporate Banking Fidelity Bank Plc., Adeyeye Adepegba, Guest Lecturer and Governor, Anambra State, His Excellency, Dr. Willie Obiano and Executive Director, Fidelity Bank Plc., Chijioke Ugochukwu at the Distinguished Guest Lecture Series of the School of Media and Communication Arts organized by the Pan- Atlantic University...last Thursday.

NERC chair accuses judges of frustrating reforms the suit.

HE Chairman of the in electricity sector “When the court feels comNigerian Electricity pelled to grant such orders, it Regulatory Commis-

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sion (NERC), Sam Amadi has accused judges of working to frustrate Federal Government’s objective of ensuring an efficient and competitive private sector driven electricity industry.

Amadi, who noted that the judges lacked knowledge of the sector’s intricacies, accused them of abusing their powers of “judicial review” by handing out not well thought out injunctions, capable of defeating government’s objective and discouraging investment in the nation’s electricity sector.

The NERC chair said these in a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, dated August 7, this year. The Vice President and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power were copied the letter, which The Nation obtained at the weekend.

• They grant ‘seeming reckless, inconsiderate injunctions’ From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Amadi, who argued that NERC, by its establishing statute, enjoys some level of independence in its operations, urged the judges to always exercise restraint and defer to his commission in the exercise of its quasi legislative and judicial powers, particularly as it relates to the fixing of tariffs.

“MY Lord, permit me to bring to your notice a subtle threat that can undermine the success of the power sector reforms. This threat is in the form of an increasing spate of seemingly reckless and inconsiderate interim injunctions that have been issued against the commission and electricity distribu-

tion companies at the instance of consumers, who have not made out clear case meriting such intervention by the court.

“Without challenging the powers and competence of the court to issue these injunctive reliefs, it would appear that the issuance of such injunctions against legitimate business operations of licensed electricity companies is not well considered.

“They do not seem to have fully considered many principles that have been laid down by the courts on how to manage such delicate situations.

For one, far-reaching injunction should not be granted against a party who has not been notified of the application pending the determination of

should endeavour to make the return date early enough to allow the respondent be heard on time so as to avoid damaging its legitimate business. This is more so in a regulated business where every aspect of the operation of the business is regulated by law,” he said.

Amadi cited an instance where a court recently granted an order of interim injunction against NERC and 11 distributing companies from disconnecting electricity supply to them and from charging them higher tariff as contained in the MultiYear tariff Order 2012 (MYTO2) and adjourned to September 2015.

He said his decision to write Justice Auta was to seek the establishment of “a possible judicial policy of restraint” which protects the right of electricity consumers to justice without undermining the viability of the nascent electricity market.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

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e-Business

Frustration, anger greet telcos' SIM deactivation

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HEN she left Aba early Monday morning last week with her three kids to holiday with their grandparents in Ikotun, a Lagos suburb, the children were full of excitement that they will be rejoining their grandparents they had not seen over the past three years.

Their daddy is based in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, so, the children, in turns, called their dad's number using their mum's mobile phone when they were about to board the bus for the Lagos trip.

The 35 year old mother and beautician who identified herself simply as Omolabake recalled that as the journey progressed, the family kept in touch via the mobile phone; giving update, from Aba to Onitsha to Benin, to Ore and finally to Berger, Lagos where they chartered a taxi to take them to the waiting warm hands of their grannies in Ikotun.

The joy of the family was however rudely snapped when they woke up the following morning and as usual, tried to call their daddy, an assistant pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, for the morning prayers. Daddy could neither got across to them, He became apprehensive; all manner of thoughts running through his mind. Then it occurred to him to try grandma's number. That provided the elixir as he was able to establish contact with his kids.

She said: "When I called and was told by my operator that my line had been barred and that I could neither make nor receive calls, I thought it was one of those gimmicks they use each time they bite more than they could chew and begin to experience congestion on their network. L continued until a neighbour told me I should go to the nearest experience centre of my mobile network operator (MNO) to update my biometric and personal information. I registered this card about two years ago and I have been using the line consistently. The experience was hell for me and my family."

Mr. Pius Oluwasuyi had a bitter tale to tell. An engineer, he had concluded a multimillion naira business deal with a client and was awaiting a call from the client to bring the last batch of documents that would precede the signing of the contract papers. When the client called his line and couldn't get across to him, he too became worried. Thank God he had his wife's number as an alternate no on his letter-head paper, he probably would have missed the job.

"It would have been a monumental disaster had I lost the contract. I would have become richer anyway because I would just have instructed my lawyers to file court papers for damages because I did not receive any prior notice from them that they will disconnect me. I did my SIM card registration from one of their agents, so if there are problems, how am I to be held liable for something I did two years ago? That is rubbish," he said.

According to him, the MNOs send no fewer than 20 unsolicited text messages everyday, advertising one product or services on the network. He added that some of them even go to the extent of calling their customers, advertising one product or the other (telemarketing). "So what stopped the operators from also sending SMS or calling their customers about the impending deactivation? We are the basis for their being in business. If we do not make calls, they will all close shops," Oluwasuyi said.

The experiences of Omolabake and Oluwasuyi are but very few of what subscribers have been going through the NCC directed them to deactivate numbers that suffered one form of irregularity or the other.

President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Lanre Ajayi said the reasons advanced by the NCC for the exercise was justifiable, adding that no responsible government anywhere in the world folds its hands and allow unscrupulous elements unleash terror its citizens.

Like Oluwasuyi, he said the MNOs should have been courteous enough to inform their customers about the impending deactivation. "I feel the operators ought to have notified customers that have been using their numbers about the directive of the regulator so that they could prepare for it.

It is bad they didn't do that because it was no fault of their customers that there were irregularities in the registration," the

ATCON chief said.

A meeting among Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Department of State Service (DSS), the network operators and the NCC had been convened at the NCC boardroom in Abuja, which took cognizance crimes committed against members of the public either by kidnappers, terrorists, robbers and threats to lives, through the use of unregistered SIM cards across all the networks. NCC Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, who attended the meeting issued a statement which had read: "Seven days' notice is hereby given for deactivation of all invalid/improperly registered SIM cards; these include all SIM cards without or improperly captured facial pictures and or finger prints. Affected subscribers (are) to be notified to regularise their registrations (by their MNOs)".

The meeting had also resolved that henceforth, all registrations must conform to the Data Dictionary, Technical Specifications on

finger prints and facial images and the business rule agreed by all stakeholders. all registration records must be validated before sending to the Commission; thus eliminating all invalid records that does not conform to new registrations and indicate same in the monthly reports sent to Commission; operators will be held liable for cases for cases of pre-registered SIMs. "The Commission and all operators are to embark on vigorous public enlightenment on the need/ desirability for subscribers to register their SIMs, as well as the dangers of selling /buying pre-registered SIMs," NCC observed.

According to the regulator, more than 120 million SIM cards have been registered and transmitted to the Central Database by the operators, lamenting that the validation exercise showed a preponderance of unreliable data in terms of incomplete and/ or inaccurate demo-

‘It would have been a monumental disaster had I lost the contract. I would have become richer anyway because I would just have instructed my lawyers to file court papers for damages because I did not receive any prior notice from them that they will disconnect me. I did my SIM card registration from one of their agents, so if there are problems, how am I to be held liable for something I did two years ago? That is rubbish’

graphic and / or biometric data.

It said the issues relating to unreliability of data essentially borders on the operators' failure to ensure compliance with the formats and specifications that were jointly developed and agreed to by the NCC and the MNO before the commencement of the exercise in 2011.

As at September last year, about 45 per cent of the total number of registered SIMs, at that time, were deemed invalid for reasons of invalid portrait image, invalid fingerprints, invalid portrait image and fingerprints, and incorrect/ inaccurate demographic data (name, address,and others).

Since the invalid records were returned to the operators in September last year, NCC said, for correction, less than 30 per cent of the invalid records has been resubmitted.

These resolutions were part of the ongoing efforts by government to nip in the bud the incessant occurrences of threats via telecommunications networks and the danger they portend for psyche of the citizenry, the regulator added.

With the deactivation came the rush to reactivate the SIMs. When The Nation visited the experience centre of the operators, large number of people with frustration written all over their faces were seen. Like a typical banking hall before the deployment of information technology (IT) tools, long lines of queues were noticed.

One of them, Waheed AbdulKareem, said he had registered the line before and has been using it for about a year.

He said: "I have been using my line without problem; I use the line basically for internet purpose. I was shocked when I discovered on Wednesday night that my line had been deactivated. This has cost me a lot because I have not been able to go online since morning and I have over 1000 mobile data on the line."

Another subscriber, Abiodun Adewale said he had registered his SIM card twice and was therefore surprised that his line was barred on Wednesday.

Adewale however, described NCC ultimatum as a good advancement saying it would help to curb the problem of fraud from those who use phones to gamble innocent persons asking for money or personal details.

Airtel said it has blocked the mobile telephone lines of all customers yet to register their SIM cards as directed by the NCC. Its Director, Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Emeka Oparah in a telephone interview said subscribers are supposed to get their SIMs registered before use. When he was asked why the carrier did not notify their customers before the rude deactivation, he said there too many subscribers.

Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs at MTN, Quasim Odumakin however said the telco had been sending messages to its customers to walk into the nearest experience shop to regularise their SIM registration. He said in view of the huge number of subscribers currently on the network of the telcos, the seven-day deadline appeared too short to make any appreciable impact.

A senior officer at the NCC said the decision was taken primarily to address the security situation in the country. He said the directive to the telcos to clean up their data was conveyed to them since 2012, adding that a reminder was also conveyed to them in October last year.

According to him, the MNOs have kept footdragging on the implementation of the directive, lamenting that the irregularities in the system have allowed criminals to use the networks for the perpetration of their criminal activities.

"The network of the mobile operators has been abused by criminals that hid under the anonymity provided by irregular SIM registration to continue to perpetrate the heinous crimes against defenceless women and children. It was also discovered that SIM was also being used by these unscrupulous bloodthirsty elements to detonate bombs. So if users are properly registered, the anonymity that prevents them from being apprehended by law enforcement agencies will be removed. Imagine a situation where only one person registers over 200 SIM cards with different images, some copied from calendars. So, it is that bad ," he said.

The NCC and the telcos are however on the same page on the issue of reactivation of the lines deactivated, stressing that all they needed to do was walk to the nearest offices of their service providers "to do the needful." •Additional reports by Olatunde Odebiyi

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

e-Business

NCS: Data harmonisation by MDAs ‘ll enhance Buhari’s anti-graft war

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HE Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has thrown its weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that all Federal Government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) that collect biometric data to harmonise the collection and usage of biometric data instead of duplicating efforts.

It said this development will not only assist the president in his efforts to fight graft in private and public services but will also lower the cost of governance as the government moves to fully embrace electronic or e-governance.

Its President, Prof Sola Aderounmu, said the directive by Mr. President is not only welcome but it’s also an imperative considering the huge cost implication biometric exercises have caused taxpayers in the past especially in terms of cost of data acquisition, cost of personnel, cost of storage of acquired data and cost of making such data available. This is in addition to the general inconveniences to citizens who repeatedly have to queue long hours for registration.

“In view of this, as the umbrella organisation of all information technology professionals, interest groups and stakeholders in Nigeria,

Stories by Lucas Ajanaku

we agree with this cooperative model of data acquisition that is vested in one agency of government is important and laudable. It is a right and fundamental step towards a true egovernment society and will assist in the fight against crimes when agencies draw data from the same database,” he said.

NCS recalled that the body at its 11th International Conference and 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) two years ago had come out with far reaching decisions on the place of e-governance in the management of the economy.

“NCS believes that e-government, when properly deployed is able to deliver continuous optimisation of service delivery to the citizens thereby engendering the attainment of the Vision 20-20:20 of the Federal Government; and that in deploying e-government services, it is imperative to embrace cooperative model of governance which brings together the government, the governed, the civil society, professional bodies and other relevant stakeholders; “We wish to affirm our support for this directive. We however wish

•Prof Aderounmu

to emphasise on the need to evolve enabling technology and legal framework for storing, protecting and making available the data acquired and to safeguard the privacy of citizens’ personal identifiable information (PII) such that the data are not in any way used for adversarial purposes. NCS is ready and willing to render technical assistance and support in the monitoring of the capability deployment of this enviable project,” the president said.

UBA deploys CLIREC software

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O consolidate its leadership position and safeguard its vast assets, the management of United Bank for Africa [UBA] has approved the implementation of a-stateof-the-art accounts reconciliation software, CLIREC, across all branches in Nigeria and global operations in 17 countries.

CLIREC which will enable the bank reap the rewards of efficient banking operation, is from the stable of Precise Financial Systems [PFS], a software provider.

The application will run in the bank's operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia, Benin and Cameroon. Other countries are Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Gabon, Chad, Congo DR and Mozambique.

In a statement signed by deputy MD of PFS, Philip Ayeni, CLIREC gives UBA control of its internal systems, particularly as "it concerns the reconciliation of Electronic Funds Transfer [EFT] transactions". CLIREC brings to UBA a culture of timely, accurate and reliable accounts reconciliation system.

The application, he informed, provides UBA a completely stress-free method of staying in control of all reconcilable accounts across the organisation while optimising its human resources.

He said: "The software integrates all classes of reconciliation efforts in the bank: primary departments and regions managing the accounts, control and audit reports requirement, users access to the system irrespective of location or responsibility and direct in-

•UBA MD, Phillips Oduoza

By Tolulope Lawani

terface of the platform with the bank's core banking application for data integrity and accuracy."

He explained that the company's solution would be the foundation of accurate accounts reconciliation in the banking sector, adding that its wealth of experience in the financial industry backed by strong local service "is an asset to organisations in Nigeria and Africa".

Union Bank has also gone live with the auto-reconciliation application after a successful implementation of CLIREC to handle the bank's EFT, settlement accounts, NOSTRO and Internal Accounts.

Aside UBA and Union Bank, 12 other banks have already implemented CLIREC while about 46 public sector institutions, oil companies, telecommunications companies, manufacturing outfits, airlines and logistics are also running the application.

Online platform, www.passion_africa.com makes its debut

• From left: Regional Operations Director, Lagos, Airtel Nigeria; Oladokun Oye, Oba of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi; Secretary, Coronation Committee, Sir Ayodele Elesho; and Zonal Business Manager, Lagos Central, Airtel Nigeria, Alex Utethe, during Airtel’s courtesy visit to the monarch in Lagos.

‘Ignorance responsible for careless e-wastes’ GNORANCE about the dangers people on the street to be dismantled disposal’ inherent in untidy disposal of for profit.

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electronic or e-waste has been identified as one of the major reasons e- waste continues to be a common sight on the streets and dump sites across the country.

Some traders in Computer Village, Ikeja who spoke with The Nation said they do not know that improper handling of e-waste could pose health hazard to the safety and health of human beings and the environment.

One of the traders who deals in Central Processing Units (CPUs) in

By Modupe Elegushi

the popular market, said when a CPU goes bad and its electrical contents removed, it is assembled and used to package another one.

The trader who simply identified himself as Mr. Ike said some of the parts that can no longer be used which serve as secondary raw materials are given to those who will take them for recycling while the discarded parts are left outside for ignorant

Another trader, Mr. Chibuzor who sells laptops and fairly used computers, said most of the wastes are assembled so that officials of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) could cart them away for safe disposal.

Others, he said, are taken away by scavengers who move around the streets with their bags and a sharp metal with which they could dig metals that may have been buried under the earth's surface.

Etisalat urges youth to embrace digital market

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TISALAT, Nigeria's most innovative and youth-friendly network, has encouraged Nigerian youths to look beyond their present circumstance and break any limitation that may be standing between them and their dream, so that they could play in the emerging digital market.

Its Head, Marketing Communications, Gerald Osugo, gave the ad-

vice when the telcos team visited and inspired a group of youths undergoing Information Communication Technology (ICT) training at the Paradigm Initiative Network (PIN) Centre in Lagos, in commemoration of this year's United Nations International Youth Day. While stressing that the rewards within the ICT space are remarkable, Osugo noted that Etisalat has been at

the forefront of youth empowerment by promoting initiatives that help them reach their full potential.

"Etisalat has developed several platforms that are geared towards adding value to the youth. Last year a young Nigerian won the Etisalat Prize for Innovation when he came up with an innovative ICT solution called Exammate which helps students to study for examinations," he said.

Determined to make young people innovative, inspiring and share ideas on issues relating to them, a new website, www.passion_africa.com has been launched.

Its Chief Executive Officer, David Atilola, said the website is aimed at creating a network of positive and informed young people that will give resourceful stories that are ever interesting.

He said: "We want to create a platform where students and young people can express themselves and report what is going on in their communities. We also hope to create a campus chapter in all Nigerian campuses where we have at least one person who will be reporting what is happening in their school. So many issues are ongoing in the campuses that are unknown to the outside world because youths are still underreported. We want to focus more on reporting issues related to young people and our target audience is undergraduates and graduates who are already working and can still influence young people.

"The whole idea is that we identified a vacuum in the media. Most news media focus more on politics, business, entertainment and other things but there is really no platform to discuss

By Olatunde Odebiyi

or tackle issues related to young people and students, I can't really point to a website, newspaper or magazine that are really reporting issues concerning students or youths, so we want to fill that vacuum and also get students that can report "The unique thing with us is that we are not copying what others have been doing, there are so many media organisations going online, this is why we are not reporting news, many online platform are reporting news, most bloggers report news, but our uniqueness is that we want to fill a vacuum, report activties about our young people, how they are influencing fashion, culture and making impact in their society. We are reporting and writing stories that will influence and make impact in the society."

He added that with the platform, the expectation is to build a network of young people who will be motivated to take positive actions in their community, not just sitting down to make complaints about our leaders, but rather to create young people who will write about issues affecting them and will be journalists themselves and report about issues in their communities.

CallPhone enhances airtime purchase AN IT firm that plays in the convenience channel space, CallPhone Ltd, has unveiled a solution that will ease the process of buying airtime for voice calls and data services.

With the solution, the firm has simplified air time purchase, offering value added service to enable customers access products of major telcos including MTN, Glo,Airte, Erisalat and Visafoen with ease.

CallPhone Ltd started about three years ago to offer convenience channel to the public to enable them buy airtime at any time of the day through a platform called www.easypaypadi.com. On this website, its teaming customers buy airtime with any bank debit card.

It also offers other value-added services including bill payments such as DSTV, electricity bill payment and others to customers on our channel.

"At the end of transaction, your mobile number is credited with the

amount of airtime bought and bank account debited. The process has been simplified for customers where transaction can be completed within one minute, says its executive chairman," its CEO, Ugochukwu Duru said.

Its website accepts all Nigerian banks issued card, and has been described as most exciting by customers who has used the platform.

"Another channel that we have made available for our customer is the use of short code *174# to buy airtime.

“The procedure is that we first register a customer. The customer makes deposit into our bank account and his wallet is loaded.

“From his/her wallet, the customer can load airtime to his mobile phone or his family or friends' mobile number, any time any day. We are in the market to make life simple and easy for our customers," Duru said.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

e-Business

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Nigerian, other carriers seek more spectrums

FAST-growing appetite for cellphone data among Nigerian consumers will see network operators ask for more radio spectrum in coming weeks at the World Radio Communication Conference.

Mobile phones, tablets and other wireless devices are the main drivers of internet traffic in the country and Africa - all of which is putting pressure on existing spectrum allocations.

Corporate Services Executive at MTN Nigeria, Akinwale Goodluck described spectrum as the oxygen of the telecoms industry, adding that its availability enables operators to offer superior services to customers on the network.

Business Day quotes Director for Spectrum and Public Policy in Africa for GSMA, Mortimer Hope, as explaining that the appetite for spectrum also extended to the aeronautical industry. The industry requires additional spectrum to enhance its plane-tracking methods.

The rise in mobile phone trends such as the Internet of Everything (IoE) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which includes machine-to-machine services, has also given growing impetus to the call for extra spectrum allocation.

Nigeria had on two occasions, postponed the licensing of the 2.6gigahertz (GHz) spectrum which Director, Spectrum Administration and Control, at the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Austin Nwalune said would have aided the realisation of the ambitious objectives of the National Broadband Plan (NBP).

Globally, spectrum is considered a

By Lucas Ajanaku with agency report

precious and finite resource. Radio frequency comes in different bands and is used in the provision of services in broadcasting, mobile phone networks, fixed telecommunications, satellite broadcasting, shortwave radio services, defence and aviation. The shortwave radio frequency is used for, among others, two-way radio and Wi-Fi connections.

Africa will lobby for spectrum allocation in the sub-700megahertz (MHz) UHF band, which offers superior geographic coverage which will be a clincher in connecting rural communities.

Mr Hope said they would also press for more allocations to mobile in the 2.7-2.9GHz and 3.6-3.8GHz bands.

In addition the state, its continental counterparts, cellphone operators and regulators will ask for access to the 13501518Mhz L-band spectrum frequencies.

However, Africa's quest to access 3.63.8GHz (C-band) spectrum, which is used in satellite broadcasting, may encounter opposition among service providers in this space because of possible interference.

A GSMA report released this year estimated access to C-band spectrum for mobile services would decrease marginal costs for operators and could lead to lower prices for cellphone broadband.

The communication conference is held every four years and is hosted by

the International Telecommunications Union, which, among its other functions, administers spectrum.

This year's edition takes place in Geneva in November. Different states that attend are grouped into regions and treated as such at the event.

Mr Hope said countries in the African Telecommunications Union had held preparatory meetings in the past year to come up with unified proposals.

He said the urban capacity demands on the continent and the need to give city dwellers access to high-speed cellphone broadband had highlighted the need for higher frequency spectrum.

This, he said, was also coupled with the requirement for lower frequency spectrum, below 1GHz, to provide wide-area cellphone broadband coverage that was more suitable for rural areas.

But which spectrum went where and to whom would only be determined in Switzerland.

Mr Hope said once the decision was made, policy makers and regulators would then start the process of licensing the spectrum.

Satellite providers admit the C-band is vital for financial transactions, e-learning and telemedicine but say it cannot be shared with network operators.

Intelsat interim MD for Africa sales Rhys Morgan said this was because sharing C-band had the potential to cause "excessive levels of harmful interference" and might preclude future use of this band for satellite services.

•From left: Mabutho, Mrs Theo-Obodo, Chima Igwe and Chris Obasi, General Manager, Details Nigeria Limited during the launch of MultiChoice Certified Installers in Lagos.

We 're tackling service quality, says MultiChoice chief

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N a bid to improve the quality of DStv installations, and offer superior after-sales services, Pay services provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, has said it has identified the issue indigenous skilled manpower as one of the factors that must be addressed to ensure superior customers experience on its services delivery platform.

It said it has therefore trained and accredited 500 installers that will join the existing base of installers and be responsible for new installations, as well as the provision of maintenance services to existing subscribers.

As part of measures to improve service quality, it has also introduced tricycles that have been stocked with high quality installation equipment. Upon completion of their training, the installers will be handed the tricycles to ease their travel logistics.

Its General Manager, Marketing, Mr. Martin Mabutho who spoke in Lagos, said the introduction of the tricyclescheme is MultiChoice's way of stretching its economic empowerment drive by engaging Nigerian youths through a private sector entrepreneurial scheme. "We are helping to create a

By Tolulope Lawani

new pool of expertise through these MultiChoice trained satellite television installers and engineers which will consequently grow the nation's economy" Mabutho said.

Mabutho said the tricycles will be used by a selected team christened Elite Installers, adding that the first recipients of the pilot phase of the nationwide scheme are six but before this year runs out, more beneficiaries will be selected from major cities across the country.

In addition, he said 125 installers in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt have undergone a refresher training course this month. The six beneficiaries of the tricycles are Stanley Nwachukwu, Ameen Adesola, Micky Joe, Tope Adeogun, Ibrahim Akinsemohin and Chima Igwe.

"This initiative is aimed at providing the best service to our customers. We train and certify installers, and also ensure that they are equipped with high quality installation tools that will guarantee reduced hitches and minimise repeat installer visits to our customer's

homes,” he said, adding that the six were selected based on their diligence and commitment to duty.

Mr Mabutho also urged new and existing subscribers to make more use of the self-help options and convenient payment options such as Paga, Quick Teller and ATMs to resolve DStv issues and payment challenges quickly.

Besides the tricycles, each accredited installer will also get a well-equipped tool kit to enable them provide quality installation to subscribers. As part of MultiChoice's continuous quality assurance drive, the installers' tool set includes a tablet PC that will enable them send real time post-installation reports which will allow the validation of the overall quality and technical integrity of installations.

Assistant Director, Monitoring, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mrs. Ijeoma Theo-Obodo, praised MultiChoice for organising the training programme. "Broadcast technology is ever evolving and for MultiChoice to keep up with broadcast quality and standard, there is the need for training programmes of this nature" she said.

GADGET REVIEW

ZTE Axon Pro TE's Axon Pro delivers flagship performance less than the standard flagship cost. It even outdoes the iPhone 6 Plus$299.00 at AT&T for audiophiles. Yes, there's a price you pay: The ZTE Axon is a bit heavy and runs a bit hot. But with the Axon, the OnePlus Two, and the Moto X Style in the market, it's clear that you no longer have to pay for a top-notch unlocked smartphone.

Z

Physical features, call quality The Axon Pro is a bit of a boat, but the problem isn't its size; although its arty top and bottom grilles make the phone unusually tall, thin bezels keep it narrow for a device with a 5.5-inch screen. Overall, the phone measures 6.06 by 2.9 by 0.37 inches (HWD). The problem is that it's heavy, at 6.3 ounces. That's even more substantial than a serious phablet like the 6.2ounce Samsung Galaxy Note 4Free at Amazon ZTE avoids making the same mistake that Asus recently made with the Zenfone 2$299.00 at Amazon, though, by investing in premium materials.

The Axon is made of a warm, smooth gold, silver, or dark blue aluminum, not cheap-feeling matte plastic. Like on many Android phones, there's a permanent, touchsensitive home button below the screen, with invisible back and multitasking buttons that you have to memorize, on either side. The 5.5-inch, 2,560-by-1,440 LCD screen has rich, well-balanced colors.

The Axon Pro expresses attitude through its grilles of little triangles, which highlight places ZTE wants you to notice: the top and bottom of the phone, which make it look like the Axon has dual stereo speakers (it doesn't), the Volume Up button, and the area between the cameras. It's not a huge statement, but it's a welcome one because it keeps the phone from feeling generic. You can recognize it. It doesn't look just like everything else.

Call quality is good. The earpiece adapts to surrounding background noise like some of the best high-end phones do, always feeding you clear voices at what sounds like a reasonable volume. Noise cancellation in the mic is aggressive and can make your voice sound robotic if you're trying to talk through massive construction noise, but it works, and you can be heard on the other side. The speakerphone isn't very loud, but it's fine for in-car use, and transmissions through the speakerphone sound clear.

The Axon Pro uses Qualcomm's leading-edge MDM9625 modem, the one that's in the iPhone 6$199.00 at Verizon and the Nexus 6, and so it has every band a U.S. GSM user could want, although it does not have Sprint or Verizon support. It has T-Mobile's Band 12 and AT&T's download-accelerating Band 29, along with AT&T carrier aggregation and useful international roaming bands like 3 and 7. LTE signal and speeds on AT&T's network in New York were excellent in my tests.

There's also the usual array of other flagship wireless networks: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC, etc. WiFi speeds were about on par with the Samsung Galaxy S6 when tested at various ranges. The 3,000mAh battery should provide solid battery life; we're still testing it, as we ran into problems with AT&T provisioning during our

battery test which were not the fault of the phone itself.

Android, performance The Axon runs Qualcomm's notorious Snapdragon 810 processor at 2GHz. Like most of the Snapdragon 810 phones we've seen so far, it runs warm: multi-tasking a few games, the earpiece settles in around 102 degrees, about seven degrees warmer than the Samsung Galaxy S6. Unlike the LG G4 for Verizon, though, the phone didn't throttle or reduce its screen brightness when churning intense tasks.

The 4GB of RAM on board here is great to have. I loaded two very heavy games, Asphalt 8 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted, and was able to freely flip between them, the browser, email, and Google Play without losing my place in the game. (Android shows when it runs out of RAM by quietly quitting apps in the background and restarting them when you try to switch.)

The Axon Pro benchmarked quite differently than the LG G Flex 2$49.99 at Amazon, which has a similar processor. That surprised me. It got higher scores on the Antutu and Geekbench system benchmarks, but a slightly lower score on the PCMark benchmark, which measures work-related simulated applications. Its processor was noticeably slower than the Galaxy S6, but much faster than less expensive unlocked phones like the Alcatel One Touch Idol 3$279.99 at Amazon and the Asus ZenFone 2. It also promised fine gaming performance, with 35 fps on the GFXBench T-Rex test.

The Axon Pro runs Android 5.1.1 with ZTE's own UI skin over the top.

The most notable change is that if you swipe up from the bottom of the screen, you get four semi-useful pieces of information: the music track you're playing, your favorite contacts, a step counter, and Yahoo! Sports headlines.

I don't love this, because it's not configurable. Android's all about configuration, and it's totally unclear to me why one of my four quick-access bits of information should always be Yahoo! Sports.

That's a bit of a premonition that unfortunately, ZTE couldn't keep its hands off of those sweet bloatware dollars. As a result, the Axon Pro sticks you with three apps you can't delete: Argus, a fitness and step-counting app; the aforementioned Yahoo! Sports; and RockMyRun, which generates streaming playlists that you're supposed to run to. They should be deleteable. They aren't.

I'm going to have a little proportionality here. ZTE's bloatware indulgences are nowhere near as bad as what we've seen from Huawei or Asus. But it's a disappointment when compared with Motorola's clean approach to Android.

Multimedia Multimedia is one of the Axon's strengths. The 32GB device has just a touch under 24GB free after its default software load; alas, there's no microSD card slot.

The Axon supports high-fidelity audio, thanks to its AKM AK4961 DSP chip. According to the manufacturer, the AK4961 can decode 192KHz/24bit stereo files; ZTE has used it before in the Nubia Z7.

•www.cnet.com

17

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS TRANSPORTATION

E-mail: ynotaderibigbe@gmail.com

The death of three train roof top riders last Monday in Lagos has underscored the need to stop the deadly practice by many commuters. But the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) is short of trains to promote safe and affordable public transportation, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE.

• Passengers atop a train in Lagos

Train roof riding remains attractive despite deaths T

IME was 8.00 p.m penultimate Tuesday. The train driver had barely applied the brakes when hordes of commuters, all men, swarm round the already filled train and made their way to the roof of the coaches.

Within minutes, the roof tops of the 16-coach long train, had filled.

People hung on all available spaces, including the train’s engine room and generating set compartment.

That night, the Railway Police Command, arrested 58 of these illegal riders. The Acting Area Commander of the NRC Police Command, Ebute-Metta, Lagos Mainland, Mrs Sarah Mangue, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), later confirmed that over 400 commuters made it to coaches’ rooftops to Agege, before their ride was busted in an operation led by Ishaku Agwum, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

Though the suspects had been reduced to a sorry state when they were eventually paraded, events soon proved that they were lucky to be alive. Three of such riders died last Monday. They fell to their death from where they were hanging on the train, at the same spot in Agege, where a similar arrest was made a week earlier.

Their death has again underscored the question: why do people choose to die so cheaply?

A world-wide phenomenon, rooftop riding is identified as a preserve of the poor, the majority of who opted for the illegal and risky ride because they do not have the fee for a more decent ride.

Deadly option Though accepted as the “usual,” in developing and low and middle income countries, this life-threatening travel has been a long standing culture that many living in Lagos and parts of Ogun State seem to enjoy.

Investigation by The Nation showed that there is no difference between the train’s morning and evening shut-

tles, which are the heaviest in passenger traffic and the ubiquitous Molue, the ubiquitous Lagos Yellow mini buses, which are gradually being phased out by the government.

The Ijoko-Alagbado-Iddo bound trains the first of which leaves at about 6am, as well as the Iddo-AlagbadoIjoko trains the first of which makes a return at about 5pm, are usually filled to the brim. On many occasions, the train, the only cheap means of transportation from Ijoko would be filled before getting to Alagbado, with many who can’t find a seat hanging at any available space, either at the door or at the gang way for the bumpy ride.

Though, the morning shuttle does not usually record roof top riding for fear of arrest by the NRC Police Command, all hell is usually let loose on the return journey as largely scruffylooking area boys, suspected to be returning from Lagos Island where they ply their trade usually take over.

Before the train would hit Mushin station, from Iddo, the coaches would have been filled, making it difficult for everyone on board to even have a space to breathe. Yet each stop means more passengers would come in, such that every little space left, even at the coaches’ joints were taken up.

More anxious commuters soon spill over to the outer spaces, latching on the engine’s corridor while others who are bolder find their way to the roof.

Incidentally, though roof riding is said to be associated with some level of poverty, in Nigeria, there were exemptions. Some of these roof riders actually had valid tickets, but rode on the roof largely because of lack of space, stuffy coaches or outright choice for more unfettered freedom.

Mrs Anthonia Amola, a Lagos Island trader and regular user who lives in Ijoko, said it’s not all the passengers riding on the roofs that don’t have money to buy their tickets. “Many of them actually have valid tickets which they purchased from the railway stations, but prefer to sit on the roof of the train to catch some fun because the spot of-

fers them unlimited freedom to do so many other things,” she said.

The coaches are extremely inconvenient for passengers. They are usually over-crowded and stuffy, so people usually decide to climb the roof top or hang around the gang ways or available spaces along the engine corridor to catch fresh air.

Mrs Amola’s position was corroborated by some of passengers of the most recent arrest who claimed they have valid tickets, yet found their way to the coach roof.

A world of drugs The roof top is a world open to the daring and the bold. Only the courageous dare to risk their lives in a bumpy ride in which they may have nothing but the rolling air to hold for stability.

To gain inner stamina and “chase away fear,” the roof top offers a home where Indian hemp and hard drugs are offered for sale and shared by patrons.

Once filled, like the coaches, the roof top offers an immunity into which “the ticket masters or the Police dare not venture. It is not unusual to see intruders pelted with stones or water sachets.

“Dem no born anybody well to attempt to dislodge these riders. These hoodlums fit throw them down if they (the Police) dare,” another young commuter said in pidgin.

Really, habitual rooftop riders are averse to any intrusion into their “world”. Two years ago, a photo journalist, late Tunde Ogundeji, was beaten to a pulp at the Ikeja train station, when he attempted to take a picture of some of these riders.

Poor enforcement The Police said they would not be intimidated by any group of hoodlums in maintaining sanity and law and order on the train. The fact that the practice is prevalent only at night, after official hours, the Police claimed is an indication that these riders are equally afraid of being

caught on the wrong side of the law.

Though no reliable data of arrests are available, investigation showed that no fewer than 500 men, whose ages fall within the active population of 26 and 46 years, have been arrested and prosecuted in the last five years.

For a menace that is said to be a growing concern to the Federal Government and the NRC management, the figure is said to be “very low in, comparism to the crime.”

This development is said to have continued to fuel the bravado with which more riders hitch an illegal ride on the train’s roof.

NRC District Manager Mr Akin Osinowo said the practice is not new, for him, though illegal, “it has gone to show how receptive people are to our services.”

Osinowo said the practice which is more pronounced in metro Lagos is symptomatic of the fact that the demand for train services far exceeds supply. “NRC is a cheaper and faster means of transportation, a development which recommends it for more patronage by the low and middle income people for whom the second class coaches are deployed.

Ways out Osinowo said it was in response to the need to provide more services and entice more people to embrace the train that the Corporation deployed the First Class Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) coach on the route.

According to him, rooftop riding is prevalent especially in the popular category because most of the stations on the Lagos Districts are porous. He said: “Ninety percent of our stations are porous giving easy access to hoodlums and all shades of characters to gain access to the train.”

To curb this, he canvassed the intensification of raids by the Police Command, regular enlightenment campaigns and abatement announcements in the media and the blockage of all porous areas through which the safety of all the station’s

platforms are being compromised.

The NRC’s Director Press and Public Relations, Mr Abdulrauf Akinwoye, said the management would continue to think outside the box in its onslaught against the menace.

Akinwoye who said “no normal person would opt to ride on the roof of a coach” said the raiding of trains would be intensified especially at night, while more enlightenment campaigns would be embarked upon to further educate well- meaning Nigerians to eschew this dangerous practice.

The Commissioner of Police of the NRC Command Pius Imue, said the Police is already reviewing all arrangements to plug all loopholes militating against the safety of all train commuters.

Imue, who resumed at the Command last March, said his findings also confirmed that these riders use hard drugs and smoke hemp on the rooftops, adding that these illegal and criminal acts would no longer be condoned by the Command under his watch.

Among other strategies, Imue said would be regular and sustained unscheduled raiding of all stations especially at night, when these people think we have closed and the erection of very low hanging barriers along the train route to prevent any rider from having any respite on the coaches.

“The construction of low barriers along the rail lines especially entry and exit points of all our stations would prevent illegal riders from having a place on top of the trains. When any rider sees that he could be hit by the low barrier and fall to his death, he would think twice before hitching a ride on the coach,” Imue added.

The Police chief said though anyone has the right to commit suicide, none would be permitted any longer to do so within the train’s territory as everything possible would be done to preserve the lives of all commuters patronising the nation’s railway.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

18

THE NATION

BUSINESS MARITIME

e-mail: maritime@thenationonlineng.net

Car smuggling booms at Idiroko border S

MUGGLING, especially of vehicles, seems to have gone up at the Idiroko border in Ogun State.

The seeming success recorded by smugglers, The Nation learnt, is traceable to the porousity of the border, with numeous bush paths, unlike Seme, which has clearly defined roots and a clear waterway.

Smugglers have taken advantage of the numerous undefined and unmanned routes to ferret cars across to the Nigerian end of the border, beating Customs officers in the game.

A visit to the area at the weekend revealed a lot of routes used by smugglers.

Despite the efforts of the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, to boost the morale of his officers and men, smuggling through these routes has remained unabated.

When The Nation visited the area about 6 pm last Friday, some smugglers were moving about 30 vehicles from Owode-Idiroko to Alapoti, Apena, Ketu-Adie-Owe and Atan – all in Ogun State.

The Customs’ Public Relations Officer, Ogun Command, Usman Abubakar, said officers and men of the command were doing their best to stop smuggling.

“I don’t know the area (Alapoti and Apena) you referred to in your statement. But you will agree with me that our border is porous. We are trying our best to bring to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum in our command, Abubakar said, adding: “Last month, we destroyed over 10,000 cartons of smuggled poultry products and 100 cars were seized by our officers from smugglers using unapproved routes.”

Usman also invited this reporter

• ‘Unfriendly import policies fuel illegality’

• Some of the smuggled cars.

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

‘When The Nation visited the area about 6 pm last Friday, some smugglers were moving about 30 vehicles from Owode-Idiroko to Alapoti, Apena, Ketu-Adie-Owe and Atan – all in Ogun State’ Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda Maritime Correspondent

to visit him in the office for an interview.

But another Customs officer, who does not want his name in print, said some smuggling flashpoints had been identified in the bush and other illegal routes in the state.

“With this information you have given to us, we will commence in-

tensive and aggressive patrol in the areas to nip the activities of smugglers in the bud.

“Despite our efforts to control the illegal activities of the smugglers, you must also realise that several factors directly or indirectly have encouraged smuggling, one of which is what the smugglers called unfriendly import policies of the last administration.

“Smuggling of cars, rice and other essential commodities through the illegal routes may continue to flourish, unless the Federal Government reduces the import duty and surcharge on these items.

“Some of the importers who used the ports of neighbouring countries did so to evade Customs duty. That is the major reason they patronise the ports of neighbouring countries. For

NPA acquires new tug boats

Shippers to Buhari: reposition maritime

• LCM deepens Lagos Channel to 13.5 metres

T

HE management of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) has acquired two 60-tonne bullardpull tug boats with computerised engines to ease business in the Lagos Pilotage District.

With the deployment of the boats, the NPA has increased its fleet in Lagos to 15 – eight tug boats, three pilot cutters and four mooring boats – in response to stakeholders’ complaints of tugs insufficiency in the ports.

The Managing Director, Lagos Channel Management (LCM), Mr. Danny Fuchs, told The Nation that the tug boats, MT Uromi and MT Majaiya, are the strongest in the country. Each of them came with twin fire fighting pumps, which cover 300 metres and over 600 cubic meters per hour of water and foam.

Until their acquisition, the biggest tugs in Lagos had capacity not beyond 45-tonne buller pulls, while the biggest in Port Harcourt pilotage district, was not be up to a 50-tonne. And unlike the MT Ohafia and others before it, the new tug boats are slimmer and narrow bridges (wheel house), inclined exhausts, meaning that they could get closer to large ships without hurting either the ship or themselves, this makes them highly effective in doing their jobs. At full throttle, they can do a speed of at least 14 knots, either forward or backwards.

“The Uromi and the Majaiya are 2810 model and they are very powerful tug boats; 60-tonne-bullard-pull boats each. They are the biggest in Lagos.

“They have been commissioned and they have begun work.They

provide Lagos with the most modern and best technology in the world. The engine, a MTU, as I told you, is one of the strongest in the world. They have German engines. They are already working 24/7. The two new built are usually devoted to the extra big ships sailing in, while the other tugs are devoted to the smaller vessels sailing in or out. It is part of the super-efficiency gains that Lagos is enjoying.

“With the two new-built, Lagos has eight tug boats, three pilot cutters, for the movement of the pilots to meet the arriving ships, at the Fairway Buoy; and then four Mooring boats for the movement of NPA officials from Marina to Harbour Masters, and for other logistics. That brings everything to a total of 15,” he explained, expressing his joy that the towage management company, the Landfall, has preoccupied itself with capacity development.

“Today, the Landfall alone has employed more than 200 local staff. And we are training and re-training them.

We have a ratio of 1:10. About 10 per cent of staff are expatriates. And even most of the expatriate are simply coming and going.They don’t stay here all the time.

He continued: “The Landfall is working in the light of international standards. And that explains why we need to bring in only certified captains; which we mostly cannot find here.

“Most Nigerian staff are good. But it is not all of them that have good papers. So, we bring in those without good papers; merge them with those expatriate with good papers; and then

we begin to train and retrain those without good papers. They soon become very good. You can understand why our staff are, therefore, in high demand.

“It is not a one night affairs - we send them for mandatory training. Our pool is highly and enviably stocked.’’

“We treat our staff with much respect. The 200 Landfall staff are working according to the condition of service, as internationally required- in respect of the boats; and as agreed between the unions and the management. We respect each party’s view,” he said, noting that his organisation’s training programme for seafarers had begun to yield results.

“Five years ago, we started with 40 cadets, 20 engines and 20 decks. And because there was no good institution that can prepare the cadets in Nigeria for the STCW exams. We spoke with many marine consultants who advised that the best place was Ghana Regional Maritime University. So, we sent all our cadets there. They learnt the theories there. And come here for practice. It has been a theory-practical, theory-practical and, they were going back and forth.

“But, today, we have produced seven engineers who would soon be upgraded. We have also produced five decks. Of the five decks, three are already master mariners.

“As for the depth of the channel, we promised that we are not going to have anything less than 13.5 meters depths, even at the lowest tide; and I can assure you that more than 80 per cent of the channel meet this requirement.’’

example, some car importers still prefer to discharge at the Cotonou Port where they pay little as duty and try to smuggle the vehicle into the country. They are trying to avoid the payment of the 35 per cent duty imposed by Jonathan’s administration.

It is the same with rice that go to the Cotonou port.

A clearing agent, who works at Idiroko border, Mr Adejare Sylvester, told The Nation that Idiroko border has become the hub of smuggling.

The Federal Government, he said, loses billions of naira as smugglers are exploiting the auto policy to bring in used vehicles into the country.

“Since the Federal Government introduced the new auto policy the rate of smuggling vehicles through unapproved routes around Idiroko border has increased.

“Whereas we have 84 approved border control posts across 4,000 square kilometres, there are well over 1,400 illegal routes across the country, which are not manned. This has great economic and security implications for our nation.’’

Adejare blamed the high rate of smuggling on high duty rates of cars, saying that Customs duty and charges should be reviewed downward by the administration to stop cargo diversion and end car smuggling.

“Unless this is done, the Federal Government would continue to lose huge revenue while car smuggling will continue to thrive at this border with the numerous illegal routes that surround it.

“Smuggling can never be eradicated anywhere in the world. The major duty of Customs officers is to suppress it. Customs officials are not God or superhuman and they are not allowed to use their guns arbitrarily or overreact because everybody is presumed to be innocent until the person is caught,” Adejare said.

• President Buhari

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to reposition the maritime industry.

The Shippers Association of Lagos State said Buhari should tackle the high cost of cargo processing at seaports, which, it said, is caused by the multiple charges on imported goods.

Speaking in Lagos, the association’s President Mr Jonathan Nicol, listed the five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) and the one per cent Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) charge as some of the charges.

The others are the 35 per cent Automobile Levy and the Common External Tariffs levy.

According to him, these charges on one consignment affect ship-

pers’ profit.

The shippers urged the Federal Government to cut the costs to make business easy at the ports.

They also urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to assist to solve shippers’ problems.

The shippers’ boss said the government should think about the huge investments in building seaports as well as maritime prospects in the next 20 years to attract more cargo.

Nicol also suggested that plans must be made by the government to secure and promote the local industries, the manufacturing sector and the shippers.

He noted that it was the duty of the government to encourage private entrepreneurs toward sustainable contributions to developing the economy.

“When you add the costs of generating power in a factory with salaries, these costs cannot be by-passed whether you like it or not.

“You must provide power for your factory and you must pay staff salaries,” he said.

Nicol said the bottlenecks at the ports were the reason the government’s appointed the Council as the economic regulator, adding that the Council was aware of some of the problems.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

19

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Treasury Single Account •Buhari’s master-stroke against pervasive public sector sleaze?

A

LTHOUGH it came without the typical fuss or drama as would ordinarily be expected, it is nonetheless a potentially lethal dart at one of the major sources of corruption in the public sector. We refer to President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to open and operate a unified Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all government revenues, incomes and other receipts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

No government agency is left out of the loop: fully funded organs of government like ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and foreign missions are in; so also are the apex bank, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the National Shippers Council (NSC).

Also affected are the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). Not left out are partially funded establishments like teaching hospitals, medical centres and federal tertiary institutions.

The rule applies to the extent that they maintain in the CBN, sub-accounts linked to TSA, which the accounting system would be configured to allow them access

to funds, subject to their approved budgets.

According to the president, the measure was aimed at promoting transparency; and ensuring compliance with sections 80 and 162 of the 1999 Constitution. We may well admit that the current exigencies under which revenues have plummeted across the board have made it imperative.

It goes without saying that the extant fragmented system is fraught with too many abuses to lend to remedy. Under the extant regime, funds belonging to government are diverted to purposes other than for what they are meant; even the ordinary business of placing government funds in banks have become huge avenues for patronage and corruption across the board. Add these to the huge expenditure outlays of some agencies and parastatals – many of which are known to dwarf those of many states in the federation – what we have is multiplicity of fiscal fiefdoms – all removed from the strictures of formal parliamentary control.

We couldn’t therefore agree more with the president that the issues involved touch as much on the principles of transparent and accountable governance, as it is on the law of the republic. The law requires that all revenues be captured apriori; the same law grants the power to authorise all public expenditures to the parliament – through relevant appropriation laws. Nowhere does it admit of the practice under which agencies and parastatals could determine and spend what they pleased for whatever reasons,

before remitting the balance.

At this time, we do not deny that the effects of the TSA on the agencies would differ across the board – all depending on the nature of their operations. Notable examples often cited are the NNPC and the FIRS. On NNPC, the argument is that numerous activities and cash obligations of the corporation are such that the TSA would ill-serve them. On FIRS, the argument dwells on the existing incentive structures, put in place to ensure optimal performance of the service.

Still, we find none of these requirements incompatible with the operation of TSA. Another way to look at the matter is to inquire whether these operational issues cannot be captured within the framework of the larger national budget; after all, the essence is to bring transparency into the conduct of government business.

The challenge really is to bring efficiency, sophistication and speed to the operation of the national budget. So, with the current state of technology, that should not be difficult to achieve.

‘The challenge really is to bring efficiency, sophistication and speed to the operation of the national budget. So, with the current state of technology, that should not be difficult to achieve’

Like a scam

•Was National Hospital, Abuja, hoaxing or merely horsing around when it booked a surgery it could not perform?

I

T ought to be the number one public hospital in Nigeria. Situated right in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory, the National Hospital, Abuja (NHA) which began operation about 16 years ago, is a specialist facility that boasts some of the best medical professionals — Nigerians and expatriates.

According to the hospital’s website: “Our strength lies in the use of state-ofthe-art technology in a clean, conducive and patient-friendly environment, using highly skilled and motivated staff who see their employment here more as a vocation than a bread basket.”

It is on account of the foregoing that we are taken aback by a recent report in a national newspaper in which a housewife accused the NHA of an action that could pass for a scam.

In the report, one Mrs. Stella Adepegba

‘We aver that it is not enough to merely make a refund to the patient/victim, if indeed her story were true. The NHA is a major national institution and a medical one at that where matters concern life and death. The hospital’s management must investigate this issue thoroughly and ascertain whether there are other cases in other departments’

had accused the NHA of charging her the sum of N50,000 for a surgery procedure it had no immediate capacity to carry out.

According to Mrs. Adepegba, she had visited the hospital in May and after many weeks of evaluation she had been slated for hysteroscopy procedure on June 25, 2015. On this day, she was made to pay the fee and thereafter, wheeled into the theatre for the operation.

However, after waiting in the theatre for hours without any sign that the procedure would begin, it took a technician who happened by to inform her that the hysteroscopy machine had been dysfunctional for over two years and was yet to be repaired as far as he knew. The technician was indeed bemused that she was billed for the procedure in the first place.

He further revealed to her that another patient had paid for the same treatment two years earlier and had been parading the hospital for so long. In fact, she was made to visit every month to find out whether the machine had been repaired.

Up till last June, she neither got treated nor was a refund made.

In like manner, Mrs. Adepegba who said she was shocked by the ‘treatment’ she received at a premium national health facility like the NHA, requested for a refund since June 29. But as at last week, she was yet to get a positive response; instead, she was being given the run-around.

“Since I submitted the letter (June 29), the National Hospital, Abuja, has refused to refund the money. My husband… went to their finance department, and they said they could not find the letter again. He also

made a written complaint to the Chief Medical Director, but the money has not been refunded till date. This made me to conclude that the hospital has been scamming Nigerians by collecting money for medical procedures it lacked the capacity to do”, Adepegba lamented.

Not even the communications unit of the hospital has a plausible response to the allegations above. The unit merely acknowledged awareness of the matter and noted further that, “the finance department has been directed to fast-track the refund of Adepegba’s money.”

We aver that it is not enough to merely make a refund to the patient/victim, if indeed her story were true. The NHA is a major national institution and a medical one at that where matters concern life and death. The hospital’s management must investigate this issue thoroughly and ascertain whether there are other cases in other departments. It must make full and proper restitution. Beyond, that, it must also ensure that patients who have been denied medical attention as a result of this seeming official chicanery are availed due medical attention.

NHA management must take into cognizance the fact that it may be held culpable, should the medical conditions of these diagnosed but mismanaged patients go awry. They will not stand exonerated until the now-delayed proposed procedures have been successfully carried out.

Finally, the NHA would need to straighten its processes; it would need to manage its dented image and reclaim its face over this matter, wouldn’t it?

Establishment of whistle blowing bureau

S

IR: The past 16 years in the history of Nigeria can aptly be described as years when greed, fiscal indiscipline, undeterred misappropriation and daylight looting of public funds in all the three tiers of government, money laundering, oil bunkering, flagrant abuse of power, unchecked stealing of the nation’s crude oil and establishment of petroleum refineries abroad by public office holders, scams of all sorts, flaunting of stolen wealth with impunity by politicians, public office holders and their cronies nationwide, power recycling and social vices such as kidnapping and cultism became the order of the day.

There is no doubt that the establishment of Federal Bureau of Whistle Blowing (FBWB) will play a significant role in the actualisation of the promise of Mr. President to Nigerians on his inauguration day towards ensuring equitable distribution of the nation’s wealth that has continued to remain in the hands of a negligible percentage of Nigerians in the past 16 years.

Without mincing words, Nigerians both at home and in Diaspora will actively support this idea coming against the backdrop of the statement made by a one-time Chairman of EFCC, Chief (Mrs.) Farida Waziri, while delivering her keynote address on Monday, September 28, 2009 at a workshop in Kaduna on transparency and accountability in the public service. She said: “The extent of aggrandisement and gluttonous accumulation of wealth that I have observed suggests to me that some people are mentally and psychologically unsuitable for public office. We have observed people amassing public wealth to a point suggesting ‘madness’ or some form of obsessive compulsive psychiatric disorder.”

In addition to the establishment of Whistle Blowing Bureau nationwide, there is also a need for the establishment of Forfeited Assets Management Commission (FAMC) with offices in all the 36 state capitals and the Federal Capital Territorory, Abuja.

• Odunayo Joseph Mopa, Kogi State

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: In Olakunle Abimbola’s write-up on the antics of our esteemed Senator Godswill Akpabio, on page 21 of The Nation of Tuesday, August 11, 2015, he forgot to add the axiom that those whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. Akpabio is a child of providence, who happened on his state at the threshold of ceding oil wells, hitherto property of Cross River, to Akwa Ibom State. Finding himself awash with petro-naira, he quickly fell victim to the aura and lure of power.

To achieve conquest, he invested his first term in massive and gigantic infrastructural and social development, and erected the building blocks and efforts at self-glorification. That done, Akpabio spent much of his second term at total transformation to a deity who can do no wrong. So, calling him Akpabio the infallible is apt.

The effort to play god led him into collision with most of his predecessors and other prominent sons of his state. With billions in federal allocations pouring into his state, Akpabio ventured into the national arena and became the darling of the PDP; and, I think, its major financier.

As a child of event/opportunity,

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Akpabio and crying wolf: A rejoinder Akpabio also found favour at Aso Rock, the citadel of federal might in Nigeria. Its occupant, our South South son, GEJ, another person who rode to power on the wings of divine luck and the doctrine of necessity, needed support to prosecute his second-term ambition.

Godswill Akpabio and Nyeson Wike, among others, got drafted as generalissimos to muscle and compromise everything, laws, institutions, security agencies, indeed Nigeria, to retain GEJ at the Villa to complete “our term”.

Then it was time for the 2015 general elections. GEJ was unrelenting in telling us that his second-term ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, yet under his watch, the South South zone had the most election-related violence. Local and foreign observers had easy consensus that Rivers, Akwa Ibom,

Cross River and Bayelsa states posted for the world a canvas of blood, broken limbs and demolished or burnt houses, all for Jonathan.

To confirm that our son Akpabio has really arrived, he is now a distinguished senator and regardless of ranking, minority leader of our 8th Senate and leader of the PDP. On that platform he addressed aggrieved workers at the PDP National Secretariat in the company of Secundus, their interim Chairman. To demonstrate that those gods want to destroy, they first make mad, Akpabio spoke rather recklessly. He spoke before thinking. Hear him: “We can no longer run to the Villa for cash, so we don’t have the wherewithal to maintain that large number of Secretariat workers”. The Itse Saga Advisory Committee on anti-cor-

Ogun should reintroduce emission control

S

IR: In November 2012, some stakeholders in Ogun State, including officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), and Tricycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (TORAN), called on the state government to reintroduce emission control to curtail the increasing air pollution in the state.

Studies have shown that vehicular emission accounts for more than 50% of air pollution, followed by industrial discharges. Most of the air we breathe in has been polluted by vehicular, gaseous and industrial discharges.

Most people don’t really know the dangers of air pollution and it is the responsibility of government to constantly enlighten the people on

the damage to human health caused by air pollution.

Emission control is not new in the state. Its abuse and mismanagement led to its cancellation. But there is a need to reintroduce it to save the masses from untimely death. The emission-control scheme should not be limited to transporters and industrialists in the state, but should be extended to those who use generators for their day-to-day activities as these also contribute at least 40% air pollution.

Though the Constitution stipulates that “The state shall protect and improve the environment,” all efforts can’t be left to the government alone. The citizen is constitutionally also expected to “make positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress and

well being of the community where he resides.”

I commend the Ogun State Ministry of Environment, Parks and Garages Development Board (PAGADEB), and Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), for organising Environmental Sanitation Advocacy seminars in the past. It is time for the Ogun State government to look inwards and proffer a lasting solution to the high level of air pollution in the state.

I hope that with proper state-designed enlightenment programmes, the people will know what to do, and what not to do in preventing air pollution.

• Ademola Orunbon, Federal Housing Estate, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

ruption does not need to look far to know where the alleged Jonathanapproved $1billion withdrawal from the ECA, can be found.

Akpabios rant about the activities of the DSS in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states demonstrates in bold relief the surfeit of educated illiterates in our lawmaking chambers. Having lost the Presidency, their cash cow as confessed, the PDP resolved to capture Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, by all means. They reasoned that these oil rich states and their petro-naira are crucial to their 2019 calculations, if the PDP is to ever regain relevance. So they threw caution to the wind in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections. But in the exercise of im-

punity and execution of the urge to win, the PDP and its candidates forgot to cover their several indiscretions and the malfeasance that gave them ‘victories’.

Aware and afraid that these indiscretions will not stand judicial scrutiny at the Election Petition Tribunals, the PDP and INEC officials in these states resorted to violence, complicity and defiance of the Electoral Act, among others. This scenario of brazen breach, contempt and violence necessitated the transfer of the Tribunals for Rivers and Akwa Ibom states to Abuja. Also in the interest of the rule of law and peace enforcement, the DSS was invited to the two states to enforce compliance with lawful orders, within the ambit of the law and due process. Having gotten used to the illegal application of our security agencies, like in the Ekitigate scandal, Akpabio is in difficulty to wean himself from our sordid past.

Akpabio’s crocodile tears and crying wolf need our pity.

• Pat O. Ubi mni 08037010550

Buhari’s search for men and women with clean hands

S

IR: President Buhari has attributed the delay in the formation of his cabinet to scarcity of men and women of integrity.

Obviously there is a paradigm shift in the polity as the change campaign that ousted the Peoples Democratic Party from the centre is steadily manifesting itself in the country.

Buhari knows that Nigerians accepted his candidature and voted for him due to his record of integrity, discipline, and perceived sincerity of purpose despite his opponents’ ploy to discredit his person.

But he cannot do it alone; he needs honest and dedicated individuals to execute the ‘Project Rebuild Nigeria’.

He has repeatedly said that no unclean hand will work with him!

They should be men and women of integrity laden with commitment to his course and be ready to take responsibility; they should be personalities that will match their

behaviour with values and are prepared to take correction - because often failure leads to success.

Buhari’s men should be people who can initiate good ideas that will better our lot and work with time because we can no longer wait to see, feel and enjoy this moment of ‘Change’.

As the nomination, selection, screening and collation continue, I urge the President to increase his pace. For how long will Nigerians have to wait? The President should be cautious; he needs to weigh his options and priorities.

As he continues with his search for good men, he should note that part of the attributes of excellence is flexibility. Jesus Christ told the man that called him a good man: “... No one is good-except God alone.”

• Gbenga Olajobi Babcock University, IlishanRemo, Ogun State.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

21

COMMENTS

H

year reign in imperial Russia, OLY FATHER, Matthew Hassan Oritsejafor is to President Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Jonathan, who ended PDP’s 16Sokoto, may be cooking a proyear political hegemony in fane broth that may well smudge his Nigeria’s federal democratic frock. republic.

When that broth is done, we may witNow, down in history, ness the merriest push at selfRasputin appears a penumbra. demystification in the history of global To many, he was the very devil.

Catholicism!

To others, he was a court saint, That is hyperbole, of course. But not a Olakunle undone by peer envy. To yet few have wondered why the goodly lordbeek1@gmail.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) Abimbola others, he was the dialectical priest was so cavalier at leveraging his grey, between the fierce pull of integrity on Jonathan-era opacity, the black and white. But the hisunconscionable sleaze from which has torical consensus: his spiritual near-emptied the public till, and caused influence, particularly on the nationwide anguish.

Empress, aided the doom of the Yet, all the holy priest could volunRussian monarchy, though he teer, from his August 13 bully pulpit on When Fidel Castro made his famous prediction — a virtual would be murdered before the Romanovs and their monarchy impossibility that nevertheless just came to pass — that the television, was harangue President Muhammadu Buhari to joined him in the grave.

United States would re-open relations with Cuba only when forget the alleged humongous graft and “move on”, because Pastor Oritsejafor has outlived the Jonathan Presidency — America had a Black president and the Catholic Church had a of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s “spectacular” deed praise the Lord! Ripples wishes him many more years yet in Latino pope, he probably had in mind the stinging rebuke of of losing election and stepping down! Pray, was Jonathan the Lord’s vineyard.

Liberation Theology to Catholic orthodoxy’s secular failings. supposed to veto voters’ will?

Yet, not even the most fanatical of Oritsejafor adherents would An intra-Catholic protest movement had, in the 1950s, started Father Kukah was so imperious on behalf of his do-gooding deny his influence in the Jonathan presidential court; the arms in South America. But it was not until 1971 that the Peruvian National Peace Committee (NPC), now self-transformed into purchase scandal that involved the pastor’s private jet, and priest, Gustavo Gutierrez, coined it a name, via his 1971 work, National Peace Council. That body, of eminent Nigerians, CAN’s orchestrated campaign, under Oritsejafor’s presidency, A Theology of Liberation.

Liberation Theology accused the Church midwifed the testy peace before, during and after the general to turn the presidential election into a Christian Vs Muslim of siding with the mighty and powerful, against the poor, meek elections; and closely guided the peaceful transfer of power plebiscite. and gentle, the Biblical beloved of the Christ Jesus. Other from the defeated President Jonathan to opposition candidate, After all of these, the pastor would coolly stroll into Aso proponents of this thinking included Spain’s Jon Sobrino, Gen. Buhari, for the first time in Nigerian history — kudos!

Villa, with other NPC members, and the Father would have us Uruguay’s Juan Luis Segundo and Brazil’s Leonardo Boff — all Indeed, every Nigerian should salute NPC’s patriotism. believe the lobby is altogether selfless? Excuse me!

Latinos from continental Europe and South America.

Still, securing peace anchored on justice is one thing. PushGen. Abdulsalami Abubakar too! No doubt, the former head Such near-heretical soil hardly nurtures a pope? Yet, today ing for peace founded on fraud is another. of state has done well for his country. Quite sensibly, he hurPope Francis from Argentina (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) is If the Jonathan-era NPC earned due praise for pushing for riedly ended military rule. sovereign of Vatican City; and Barack Obama is US president peace founded on justice (an election loser should surrender But the Army Arrangement (apologies to Fela) they put in — a tribute to the inevitability of truth and justice, no matter power, shouldn’t he?), the Buhari-era NPC risks ringing conplace since 1999, with President Olusegun Obasanjo at the helm, how secular overlords of orthodoxy — and political bosses — demnation for pushing for peace of the graveyard. Or how had so alarmingly decayed that President Jonathan was only a play the game. From Father Kukah’s rather arrogant intervendoes one situate Father Kukah’s rather quaint crusade to gloss fall guy, even if he, through his fecklessness, more than contion in a suspect cause, there appears but a thin line between over serious regime fraud, simply because the regime head tributed his own quota to the crash. the two! quit power after sound electoral rejection?

Indeed, in his sacred passion to save Jonathan’s neck (hardly The bitter irony though is that Nigerian Catholicism, since Might the holy father then be Nigeria’s 21st century equivaa crime), Father Kukah conveniently forgot the NPC electionthe dawn of the 4th Republic in 1999 and indeed throughout lent of the Pardoner, in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, time derring-do was as much do-gooding to save the polity, as the jungle of military rule, had been nearest to telling truth to whose pouch bustled with papal indulgences, hot, fresh and it was an establishment rally to forestall sinking with Jonathan. power — and resonating with a longsuffering public — on a smoking from Rome? And by that, he already secured, for the For all his famed polemics and brilliance, Father Kukah is no consistent basis (witness Anthony Cardinal Okogie, retired Jonathan regime looting gang, some celestial pardon, mass iconoclast but only an elite purifier and stabilizer. But again, Archbishop of Lagos).

That much cannot be said of the bulk of cry for justice and national anguish be damned? that is no crime. the Pentecostals, with their prosperity preaching and equal In his holy rail against a sacred presidential duty to retrieve NPC is welcome to its self-defined historic role of stabilising opportunity influence peddling; and the resultant ultra-closeallegedly stolen funds, Father Kukah somewhat betrayed the the Nigerian polity. But it must guide against morphing into ness to any government in power.

Catholic Church’s historical nemesis of suspect fidelity to the a historic nuisance: a bastion against draining off the dross of Which leads to the next point: had Father Kukah carefully xstate, no matter how profane its cause. roguery and robbery, that put Nigeria in this sorry pass. rayed his NPC membership, he would perhaps have been more In the final analysis, President Buhari must take his historic nuanced, strutting his holy violin with reckless abandon, for ‘President Buhari must take his historic the “stop-the-probe-of-looters” orchestra. Take Pastor Ayo duty of cleansing Nigeria directly to the people, whose shoes duty of cleansing Nigeria directly to the Oristejafor, sitting Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) painfully pinch; and not some manipulative elite, whose comfort zones are assured. also in the NPC delegation to Aso Villa. people, whose shoes painfully pinch; and president, From the Kukah holy show on TV, it is all but clear that even With all due respect to the good clergy, Pastor Oritsejafor not some manipulative elite, whose somewhat reminds the historical-minded of the Russian priest, the cleanest of this regnant establishment might just be too filthy for a new Nigeria where everything works. Yet, Buhari Gregori Rasputin. Indeed, what Rasputin was to the doomed comfort zones are assured’ must strive to save this elite from itself.

Nicholas II, the last czar that ended the Romanovs’ over 300-

R

epublican ipples

Kukah cooking poisonous broth

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OING by the objective of this piece, one of the articles I wrote some six years back could be described as the first of a two-part piece. The article, titled ’Options before the opposition’, came at a time the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not only in control of affairs in Nigeria, it also held five of six states in the Southwest by the jugular.

Osun, the then ’State of the Living Spring’ was one of them.

While the grip lasted, Osun State was not only regarded as PDP’s world, the party’s word was also law. At the helm of affairs were impertinently capitalistic and haughty hawks in whose eyes progress was measured only by what went into their pockets. Emergency democrats of Hitlerian antecedents hijacked power and the best they could offer was the mortgage of the state’s fortune for thirty shekels of silver.

A strange amalgam of contradictory traits, PDP became law onto itself, eloquently ridiculing humanity with blatant contradictions and comical sincerity. The ’do-ordie’ party ruled the state with titillating indignation and it was as if tomorrow was a thousand years away.

Nothing, as the saying goes, lasts forever! Like a brokenwinged bird that could no longer fly, PDP lost power in Osun State and its fortune immediately took a nosedive.

Trends turned and fates twisted: the ‘Power’ party not only lost in terms of men and materials, its loss also became the gain of the new party in the saddle. But, unlike the wasteful son who, when he came to himself, penitently went back to his father, PDP’s attempt at seeking righteous repentance after a downward spiral and crash has in the course of years past taken some dangerous twists, the latest being an incautious haven in the ’financial crisis bedeviling the whole of the federation which Osun State is part of.’ Regrettably, rather than treat the current salary challenge as a national crisis which demands collective prayers and efforts to resolve, PDP has seen it as an opportunity to blackmail Governor Rauf Aregbesola as well as discredit whatever dividends of democracy his administration has delivered to the people. For instance, interrogating the debt status ofý other states in Osun’s situation in relation to monthly deductions from their Federation Account allocations would have led us into why they are also in salary default to their workers. Peradventure, its outcome would have allowed for an appropriate classification of their governors either as prudent or reckless managers of resources - as Aregbesola is being unfairly labeled.

“Politics”, according to Henry ‘Groucho’ Marx, ”is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” Recent events in Osun State tend to have confirmed the worrisomely volatile nature of politics which Mao Zedong once described

Osun: Options before the ruling party

By Abiodun Komolafe as war without guns. As a matter of fact, that PDP as the main opposition party now blames others for its misfortune is not any surprise. After all, Nigeria’s ’Five Majors’ blamed the ten percenters for that unforgettable insult on our national psyche while Yakubu Gowon and his band blandly blamed Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi for what eventually befell his (AguiyiIronsi’s) gang. Olusegun Obasanjo blamed ’Unknown Soldiers’ for the murder of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and, when he again failed as president, he simply asked us to take our case to God. When Olusegun Agagu lost at the Tribunal, he attributed his loss to the work of some invisible hands in government, even when he was an integral part of that government. PDP blamed Card Readers for its woes at the 2015 general elections while Goodluck Jonathan, its presidential candidate, blamed unfriendly friends for his inability to keep a promise. Remember Godsday Orubebe?

He blamed his embarrassing outbursts on frustration!

But, the opposition’s inherently defective and incurably incomprehensible distractions notwithstanding, it is a transparent fact that Aregbesola’s name remains untainted; his record, impeccable; and his popularity, unswerving. Unlike others who have drunkenly adapted to the exigencies and the contingencies of living in denial, the governor is a man of demonstrable accomplishment who sees the salary challenge as an unfortunate pass which would soon ”smoke off in the state”. Little wonder he has set timelines for the completion of most of the outstanding projects initiated by his administration. For example, the Akoda-Gbongan-Ede Road is expected to be completed before the end of next year while the airport project at Ido Osun will become a dream-come-true before his second term expires. He has given his word that Osogbo will attain its promised world class capital city status while the School Feeding Scheme will not be sacrificed on the altar of wicked politics.

In any case, these are trying times for the ruling party in Osun State. Understandably so! We also know that the race to 2018 actually began the day 2014 governorship election

was won and lost. And with an opposition party as desperate for power as PDP, docility in whatever shape or form on the part of the ruling party is not always a viable option. In other words, while we concede that the opposition reserves the right to remain ignorant and blindly agreeable, its penchant for mischief should neither be underestimated nor its capacity for treachery overlooked. Also, while APC, as it is presently constituted, may be a collection of sincere and strange minds; and that it may take some time before the wheat is separated from the chaff, events on our hands present a lucrative opportunity for holistic evaluation of possible roles played, in particular, by fifth columnists and ‘enemies within’ as this will go a long way in repositioning the party.

This brings me to the all-important issue of internal democracy. For APC to remain the party to beat in Osun State, especially within the context of the Nigerian sociopolitical landscape, it must continue to be guided by the fundamentals of democratic tradition. For a fact, we should not delude ourselves into thinking that crushing the drama and the trauma of the Justice Oloyede-compliant ambush automatically translates into the suppression of the opposition’s penchant for devilish logic. No, not at all! Since they aren’t unsophisticated in their agenda, PDP and its agents have only temporarily switched into a ‘retreat and restrategize’ mode! This is the more reason why some suggestions as canvassed by Jacob Adekomi and Obisesan Daramola at a summit recently organized by Osun Legislators’ Forum on how to move the state forward may not all be wished away. Gleaning one or two lessons from aftereffects of Bisi Akande’s downsizing of the state’s workforce in the early 2000s may also be helpful at a time like this. The culture of internal democracy and involvement of younger blood in the scheme of things are equally essential ingredients of democracy which the ruling party must continue to embrace.

•Komolafe wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State.

‘For APC to remain the party to beat in Osun State, especially within the context of the Nigerian socio-political landscape, it must continue to be guided by the fundamentals of democratic tradition’

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

COMMENTS “

A

S we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

—Donald Rumsfeld, former US Secretary of Defence during a news briefing on February 12, 2002 about the lack of evidence linking Iraq’s Saddam Hussein with the supply of WMD to terrorist groups.

Former president OlusegunObasanjo’s visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, August 8, 2015 was promptly reported by the nation’s media. It was almost instantaneously reported by the various social media platforms. But Nigerians did not know that the immediate past president of the republic, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had gone to also see his successor on Thursday, the day before Obasanjo’s visit. Jonathan’s visit to Aso Rock, reportedly made at night, was also reported to have been facilitated by former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar who is the chairman of the 2015 Elections Peace Committee. News reports also had it that Jonathan’s attempt to see his successor was not particularly smoothsailing as Abubakar himself had to rally other arrowheads in the nation’s power centres to intervene for the former president before the Aso Rock gate could be opened. If true, it shows the ultimate futility of power.

As if given a report that the visits of the godfather and his godson (now estranged) may not have yielded the result(s) they expected, the following Tuesday, members of the 2015 Elections Peace Committee ‘invaded’ The Villa to meet with President Buhari. In what can now be referred to as a stampede, in less than five working days, Buhari had received three former Chiefs of State either individually or within a group, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’adAbubakar III, who is also the spiritual leader of the nation’s Muslim faithful and other high profile individuals in the committee. Although it may not have been expressly and officially stated, Nigerians do not need to be told that the rush to The Villa was on account of Buhari’s vow to kill corruption before it ‘kills’ Nigeria.

Perhaps the best way to look at the sprints of these major power centres to Aso Rock is to situate their convergence on the ‘Rock’ (in quick succession) within the context of the epigraph above. The epigraph

A

FTER a long wait, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently emerged like a lion that regurgitates its prey, a prey many had thought it would masticate and pass out as a distasteful waste. The man in the eye of the storm, former Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro, is not really new to such trials. He had gone through battles with spurious allegations before. His career would have been torpedoed in the past but his strong character and record always saw him through.

When the petition from a staff member of his Police Service Commission against him landed on the table of the ICPC Chairman, many did not give him a chance. Today, after 80 days of “thorough investigation” by ICPC, the verdict of the investigators clearly exonerated Okiro from any untoward criminal offence but was directed to correct some administrative lapses that had made many to queue behind the petitioner waiting to hear that Okiro is sanctioned and probably prosecuted. ICPC noted in its two page verdict that “the investigation has not revealed any criminal infraction against the person of Okiro”. It is the criminal aspect of the investigation that really appeals to Nigerians, knowing the mood in the country today, where every Tom, Dick and Harry is posing as the righteous one while only those in leadership positions are the evil ones in the society.

Okiro as a leader, like many others like him and those coming up, should bear the brunt of such unfortunate ordeal whenever it

‘The question now is: what should be done to sanction people who throw baseless allegations against top public servants simply because the mood in Nigeria at the moment is that of dealing with corrupt public officers?’

Buhari and his August visitors

By Femi Odere encapsulates the relationships (mostly convoluted) that exist between the various power centres that these people represent on the one hand, and the relationship between President Buhari and these power centres on the other. The ‘third hand’ is the relationship between the Nigerian electorate yearning for change as an emergent power centre—represented by Buhari—and the entrenched, elite power centres in the country responsible for the sorry state of the country and her people. Buhari’s emergence through the democratic process has revealed the gory state of the nation, and the debilitating, suffocating stench in which Nigerians are mired, no thanks to the most vicious corruption that the world probably has never known, that Buhari himself may be wondering by now if Nigeria has not already been ‘killed’ by it now that there are things he knows that the visitors to the ‘Rock’ now knows he knows. These are the “known knowns.”

It would have been foolish on the part of these power centres not to have sought audience with a man who, not only deliberately, unrepentantly and unapologetically stands apart from these power formations in which they are either individually or collectively a part of (a man who has also long been suspected that he may one day be their nemesis), but a man known for his pathological disdain for corruption that some of them deliberately fed, nurtured and injected with massive dosage of steroids that mutated the monster into a “HYDRAPUS” (a hydra-headed monster and octopus combined) as aptly coined by WS. They do not need to be told that the “shit has hit the roof” when a president of the most populous country in Africa blurted, and in exasperation in faraway United States, that the monies in the accounts of these corrupt elements in our midst was “mind-boggling.” For Buhari, whose country is already known in the international community to have taken

corruption as a way of life to have made this damning declaration must have sent serious shock waves to the corrupt but very powerful class in the polity, hence the marathon race to The Villa because the things they believed Buhari did not know—the “known unknowns”—have become the “known knowns.” Thanks to Buhari, the hapless Nigerian public now also knows that a minister carted away more than $6 billion within four years.

Buhari must be reminded that the power centres’ ‘pilgrimage’ to the ‘Rock,’ most probably to wrest concession from him not to go the whole hog, or at least give some people, if not some on the entourage, some slack in his war against corruption, are among a group of very powerful people that tried in his previous attempts—even in the last presidential election—everything humanly possible to shut him out of the presidency even by foul means.

Jonathan’s reply when Buhari unveiled some of the earth-shaking corruption that took place under his watch – which he claimed he was hearing about ”for the first time” - was the most irresponsible statement to have been made by a former president.

Hardly did he realize that the statement, in itself, was a serious indictment on his leadership. But we are relieved that Buhari was reported to have also told the former president in no unmistakable terms that “all looted funds must be returned to the nation’s coffers.”Just as that statement was another testament to the fact that Jonathan’s thoughts and utterances, if not his approach to governance, were far below the office he was saddled with, one is not fooled that what was inherent in the statement was his intentional refusal to acknowledge what he knew; the “unknown knowns”, that psychoanalytic philosopher SlavojZizek says is the fourth category of Rumsfeld’s declaration that he either deliberately left out or wasn’t aware of.

Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah’s statement in the aftermath of the 2015 Elections Peace Committee’s meeting with President Buhari that they “are concerned about [the] process”

because the Buhari administration “is no longer a military regime” was most insidious and a dead give-away that the meeting with the Nigerian president had nothing to do with Nigerians’ collective desire to stamp out corruption after all. One may want to ask the Bishop if Buhari had arrested anyone on account of what he now knows—from the fool-proof evidence supplied by the international community— about these corrupt elements. He should also be asked if the president had thrown anyone in jail without any trial. One then wonders what would have warranted this unfortunate comment if not to intimidate and/or blackmail the Nigerian president. A committee imbued with strong moral values should not have allowed some of its members, most especially Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, to attend the meeting with the president on account of his passive involvement in a morally despicable and illegal attempted gun-running with the use of his private jet. The Buhari presidency represents the very first time in the nation’s democratic history that Nigerians have a government of the people and for the people.

But the sad and unfolding irony is that the “by the people” component that gives democracy its name and meaning is what seems to be the reason why the battle line is slowly but surely being drawn to prevent this component from happening. This phenomenon has further been exemplified by this recent rush to Aso Rock just as the war of attrition currently underway at the National Assembly, most especially in the Senate, is another testimony. Buhari can use all the support he can get from those Nigerians whose future had long been mortgaged by these corrupt elements who are ready to fight with all the ‘weapons’ at their disposal. It’s now time to be vigilant more than ever.

• Femi Odere is a media practitioner. He can be reached at femiodere@gmail.com

‘Thanks to Buhari, the hapless Nigerian public now also knows that a minister carted away more than $6 billion within four years’

Was Okiro crucified?

By Onyemachi Igbozuruike comes their way and should not be deterred or discouraged from offering themselves for service. Such stone throwing at leaders is expected; but it is becoming rampant in our society and must be checked. I was just wondering if an allegation would not emerge against the ICPC chairman one of these days for not turning in the verdict of guilty that some accusers expect any time they throw empty allegations at people in top positions.

This is what the society is gradually turning into, breeding evil whistle blowers. In this particular case, the petitioner had alleged that Okiro squandered all the N350 million vote approved by the Presidency for the purpose of monitoring the 2015 general elections, by staffers of the Police Service Commission.

The petitioner did not stop at that but further alleged that an approved foreign trip for Okiro was not even embarked on and that he pocketed the entire flight ticket money and allowances. A critical look at the ICPC report that took 80 days to write clearly shows that even the ICPC was surprised at their findings. They too must have thought that Okiro would be nailed by the weight of the allegation by his staff.

But there are worrisome aspects of the ICPC handling of the Okiro case. It is unfortunate, for example, that the report of ICPC on the matter only got to Okiro after it had been circulated to the media. Then, the ICPC report, having concluded that there was no criminal infraction against the person of Okiro still directed the former IGP to “refund” the said balance of N133, 413,845.99 which the report said is domiciled within FCMB, noting that it should be remitted to the Federal Treasury through the ICPC recovery account number. The question to be asked is: which money is ICPC talking about? The same money that Okiro in his submission during interrogation disclosed that the balance was handed over to the Police Service

Commission Accountant and was deposited in the Commission’s account with FCMB, or is it any other money embezzled?

It is surprising that ICPC could not inform the public that the said FCMB account it directed Okiro in its report to remit the balance of the money to is the same FCMB account operated by the Police Service Commission and that the money ICPC is directing Okiro to pay into FCMB is the same money Okiro had earlier directed PSC accountant to deposit at the same bank. If this clarification had been made, the confusion that Okiro is to refund money would not have arisen in the first place. Is it that the writer of the report got confused or was it deliberate mischief? The word “refund” connotes that the person being addressed was in possession of the alleged stolen money which therefore means that he is to remit the money in his possession by handing it over. Since the ICPC must have gone through the whole documents and exonerated Okiro of doing any wrong as he directed the Accountant of the PSC to pay the balance of the approved money into the FCMB account of the Commission, what does it mean to say that he should remit the same money in question into the same account where the money already is? Is this not confusion? See why the Oresanya report said the ICPC is a deliberate creation to cause confusion and should either be scrapped or merged with the EFCC. In truth, Okiro spent out of the total money for the purpose it was approved for , but also directed the Police Service Commission accountant to lodge the balance of the money with the Commission’s official bank which is the same FCMB that ICPC is referring to.

That being the situation, since ICPC was sure that Okiro did not tamper with the balance of the money, why was the Commission not forthcoming in the way it explained the outcome of its investigation?

In the report, the Commission noted that Okiro was investigated for alleged

“corruption, abuse of office and fraudulent act of swindling the Police Service Commission to the tune of N275, 525,000”. It is very unfortunate that after coming to the conclusion that “the investigation did not reveal any act of criminal infraction”, the petitioner who set out to tarnish the image of such a top public servant will be left to quietly go home without any sanction. It is obvious that Okiro has proved to be a man of integrity. Many of those wishing that he be crucified would have misappropriated the balance of the money, if they were in Okiro’s shoes. It is interesting to look at the issue of air ticket that was not utilised, which the petitioner also tried to make an issue of. Here, there are two foreign trips; one to Dublin and the next to Florida for the purpose of attending security conferences approved by the Presidency. It is on record that the petitioner had alleged that Okiro never attended any of the conferences, but the ICPC was shocked when it saw Okiro in clips from NTA that covered the Dublin conference. As for the Florida trip, he had tendered cogent reasons why he could not immediately attend and the Commission noted in its report that it would cross check “if the presidency approves of the application by the Chairman to utilise the Florida ticket later “. Even at this point, it is clear that the whole petition is another mischief targeted at dealing with a top public office holder to settle scores. The question now is not whether at the end Okiro was crucified, because he was not crucified. The question now is: what should be done to sanction people who throw baseless allegations against top public servants simply because the mood in Nigeria at the moment is that of dealing with corrupt public officers? What should be done to false accusers of public office holders as in the case of the petitioner against Okiro? The Police not only frown at false informants; the law provides for their prosecution too.

• Igbozuruike wrote in from Abuja.

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our country today needs big ideas to solve the problems that we have

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E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has introduced what some see as stringent conditions for petitions against judges. Petitions must be received within six months of the act complained about and must be accompanied by a sworn affidavit on oath, among others. Failure to meet the time-limit will result in the petition being dismissed, unless an extension is granted. Some lawyers have praised the new regulations, saying it will prevent frivolous petitions against judges. Others see it all as a way of shielding judges from scrutiny. JOSEPH JIBUEZE writes.

NJC goes tough on frivolous petitions C

orruption in the judiciary remains a daunting challenge. It under mines the rule of law and the judiciary’s ability to guarantee the protection of human rights. Judicial corruption victimises those who do not have the means to play by the rules set by a corrupt system.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) is vested with powers to discipline erring judges. It sanctioned no fewer than 64 judges between 2009 and last year, according to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), who is the NJC chairman, Justice Mahmud Mohammed.

In most cases, it is through petitions to the NJC that judges’ wrongdoing is reported. However, there have been instances where frivolous petitions are written against judges. When such petitions are found to be baseless, the petitioner is usually never sanctioned after a judge’s integrity has been questioned.

Some of the complaints against judges have been found to arise from judgments, which ought to be appealed against. There have also been reported instances in which petitioners fail to turn up.

On frivolous petitions, the immediate past CJN Justice Aloma Mukhtar said soon after she assumed duties, the NJC received 139 petitions, of which 106 were “vexatious and baseless” and only 33 “worthy of attention”.

To address such issues, the 2014 Revised Judicial Discipline Regulations of NJC has been launched. Under the new rules, writers of frivolous petitions risk a jail term because all petitions must be accompanied by sworn oaths. This means that a petitioner who lies against a judge can be charged with perjury.

Some of the new provisions

INSIDE:

Petitions must be sent within six months of the act complained against or it will not be treated. However, a petitioner can appeal to the CJN for an extension of time.

Rule 4 reads in part: “(1) A complaint must be made within six months of the event or matter complained of; provided that a complaint relating to a continuing state of affairs may be made at any time while that state of affairs continues or within six months from when it ends. “(2) Subject to this regulation, a complaint made outside the time limits set in paragraph (1) must be dismissed by the Council upon report to the Council by the Secretary to the Council. “(3) The Secretary shall notify the person making the complaint of the dismissal not later than 30 days of such dismissal.”

Rule 5 reads in part: “A person who is refused an extension of a time limit under paragraph (1) may make a representation to the Chief Justice of Nigeria/Chairman of Council, asking the Chairman, within 14 days of being notified of the refusal asking him/her the request, for an extension of time.”

Rule 7 provides for a committee which

NHRC partners NEMA on IDPs -Page 37

•Scale of Justice

does a preliminary assessment of petitions to determine whether or not they meet the requirements stipulated in the rules. The Secretary to the NJC or the sifting committee can, at that stage, reject a petition.

The Regulations also provides that the petition must be accompanied by a verifying affidavit, be type-written, must be signed by an identifiable person and must bear traceable address of the complainant with his or her phone number.

Rule 7(5) (A) reads: “A complaint must be signed by the complainant and accompanied by a verifying affidavit deposed to by the

Benue begins probe of funds’ use, assets lease -Page 37

complainant before a court of record.”

Lawyers hail new rule Lawyers, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), welcome the new rules. For Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN), the CJN and other NJC members should be commended for the initiative.

He said one of the consequences of new rules is that petitioners must be sure of their allegations against judicial officers before filing petitions.

According to him, the implication of false accusation contained in sworn affidavits is perjury; which in itself is an offence punishable under the law.

“So, frivolous petitions against judges would be minimised. Again, petitions will no longer be used to blackmail judicial officers when they are being considered for appointment or promotion; as is the case these days.

“One other significant benefit of the new regime is that once petitions are filed, they cannot be withdrawn without the leave of the NJC or the CJN. “In all, I believe that the new rules will enhance and institutionalise discipline in the judiciary rather than stifle it,” Nwobike said.

For George M. Oguntade (SAN), a regulation of this nature is long overdue and is certainly a welcome development.

He said the judiciary, as an organ of government, plays a vital and indispensable role in ensuring everyone lives under the rule of law.

“Judges are, therefore, highly regarded in the society and are placed on a very high pedestal such that they are able to do their work free from influence.

“Allegations against a judicial officer have ramifications upon the rule of law and the society and therefore not to be made lightly,” Oguntade said.

According to him, a trend has developed where litigants and their cohorts utilise allegations against judges as an instrument of blackmail and abuse of judicial process to achieve their objectives.

Even more worrisome, Oguntade said, is that the petitions are sometimes penned by individuals and entities using pseudonyms and non existent addresses. And where petitions are found to be frivolous, no sanctions are meted out to the petitioner.

“By the time these allegations are made and published, irretrievable damage has been done to the judge concerned and indeed the judiciary while the petitioner would also have accomplished his objective.

“In most cases, the petitioner will fail to appear to substantiate the allegations and even if he does and it is found unmeritorious, no sanction follows. The man is at liberty to go and prepare the next petition with total impunity.

“The regulations will, therefore, operate to ensure that only genuine petitions are presented and where it is found to have been improperly presented, the law will take its course.

“A would be petitioner will have to think twice before taking the course of action knowing he may end up in jail as a perjurer. This can only be to the benefit of our judges and the society,” Oguntade added.

Activist-lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa said since allegation of corruption or misconduct against a judicial officer is a very serious matter involving very grave con•Continued on page 26

Should CLE recognise NOUN’s law degree?

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NJC goes tough on frivolous petitions •Continued from page 25

siderations and consequences, it is a matter that should be elevated from the realm of frivolities, malice and envy, or of mere speculation and rumour.

To him, anyone who feels that there is enough evidence to back up allegations should be courageous enough to depose to the facts constituting such allegation on oath.

“This innovation by the NJC is thus highly commendable and should be supported by all well meaning stakeholders in the judicial sector.

“Given that the career, name, reputation and destiny of a judge are all involved, no measure taken to secure the credibility of such endeavour may be considered stringent or technical,” Adegboruwa said.

He recommended that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), through its various chapters, should be incorporated into the process of cleansing the judiciary of corruption.

“To this end, petitions can also be submitted to the local chapter of the NBA in the jurisdiction where the judicial officer concerned is presiding. The distance of the NJC itself, in far away Abuja, may constitute a discouragement for potential complainants,” he said.

Lagos lawyer and Principal Counsel, Auxano Law Consult, Mr Chijioke Emeka, believes the revised Regulations came at the right time because judges have become endangered species in the hands of frivolous petitioners.

“Yes, there may be some bad eggs out there but many times the petitions are simply exercises in witch-hunting,” he said. “For example, a Judge should not become a subject of a petition to the NJC merely because he ruled against someone. But that has become the practice. I suggest more measures, like security for costs, should be added to damnify those who write very frivolous petitions,” Emeka said.

According to him, a judge should not be labelled bad merely because he erred in law or fact.

“The Old Rule is still ‘de fide et officio non recipitur quaestio, sed de scientia sive erro juri sive facti’ (“the honesty and integrity of a judge cannot be questioned but his decision may be impugned for error of fact or law or mixed law and fact” – Bacon Max rep 17).

“The NJC should even tighten the noose against petitioners who write against judges merely because they lost. A judge has the right to see law or facts differently from a petitioner or his lawyer.

“Only Judges tainted by moral turpitude especially corruption should be petitioned against. A very prominent lawyer once asked the Supreme Court for assurance that it would be impartial. That was wrong. Another popular lawyer deposed that a judge usually assigned certain types of cases filed by him to himself and they always ended against him. Again, that was wrong.

“Judges are engaged in very difficult assignments. They need protection too. Good and honest judges should not be smeared merely because they reached an unfavourable decision. Errors of Law or Fact should be appealed against and not petitioned

•Mohammed

•Alegeh

ters. To him, there should have been sanctions for writing frivolous petitions rather than making the process of sending them in cumbersome.

“I agree with the fact that sometimes petitions or complaints against Judges are occasionally frivolous and baseless but honestly these are very rare cases and in my candid opinion cannot reasonably justify the imposition of stringent measures. ý “For instance, how can the format of a complaint of corruption against a Judge affect the substance of the issues? Again, what happens to a layman who has genuine complaints against a Judge but is unable to afford the services of a counsel?” he said.

Ofuokwu said considering the enormous due diligence that must be carried out before a case of corruption can be established against a Judge, the time limit of six months should be extended to one year.

“I cannot see the CJN being generous with the rule on extension of time. It is our hope that this new regulation is not a calculated attempt to shield corrupt Judicial Officers.

“Judges must have an unquestionableý and impeccable character which must at all times be subject to public scrutiny. To put a clog in the wheel of judicial integrity is simply a pointer to the fact that somebody somewhere is afraid of the outcome of judging the judges,” Ofuokwu said.

Adegboruwa said it is also important for the NJC to have independent monitors and assessors because when infractions do occur, considerations of religion, consanguinity, tribal affiliations, among others, all work to silence potential complainants.

NBA’s intervention

But we hear everyday of indolence and corruption. A progressive way of attacking these problems is through our branches. Lagos Branch, for instance, can do a sample of lawyers and come up with five judges that NBA can go into their courts, obtain and review their judgments

Lawyers who feel the procedure is stringent or stressful have the option of sending their complaints through the NBA, which set up a committee to monitor the judges and report corrupt and lazy ones to the NJC. The committee is to liaise with local NBA branches through which lawyers can submit their complaints where they have evidence that a judge has been compromised, has delivered a judgment that has no basis in law, or exhibits laziness by sitting late, among others.

NBA President Augustine Alegeh (SAN) said the association would then send a formal petition to the NJC after reviewing the complaint or questionable judgment.

“We do not have the power, wherewithal or statutory authority to appoint investigative agencies to probe judges. But we hear everyday of indolence and corruption. A progressive way of attacking these problems is through our branches. Lagos Branch, for instance, can do a sample of lawyers and come up with five judges that NBA can go into their courts, obtain and review their judgments.

“If you go court, and it does not sit; and another man goes to court and he feels that the judgment was obtained by influence – both of you are unhappy with the system. But people will not understand that the man who did not sit is doing as much damage to the system as the man who is corrupt. Indolence, ignorance and corruption are cankerworms. We must attack them together.

“If we hear that a judge does not sit at 9am, it will eventually show in his judgment. If the Bar in Lagos are aware, the help we are seeking from our lawyers is let the branch send one of its officers to go to that court religiously everyday.

When he leaves the court he will file an affidavit, that he had been sitting in the court till 11 am and the court is still not sitting. By the time we pile all that up, the association then does a letter, attaches all of these documents and sends to the NJC. “The only way to know if a judge is corrupt is to look at the judgment. Read it, and the corruption will come out to you from the judgment,” Alegeh said.

or its leadership, warning students not to allow themselves to be used by any individual who may have vested interest in the Orhii’s investigation.

Sheu said NANS is committed to efforts by the NAFDAC chief to rid the country of fake and counterfeit drugs, saying that such effort were already yielding results in most tertiary institutions.

“We support and encourage the EFCC in its effort and anti-corruption activities. We only wish to state that such should be devoid of bias

or undue politics in order not to destroy the international reputation Nigeria has enjoyed globally through the activities of NAFDAC in waging war against drug counterfeiting, drug abuse and unwholesome consumption of food, beverages and other dangerous alcoholic contents.

“We strongly believe that any genuine effort to investigate corrupt practices, particularly, as the case may be in NAFDAC, such must be all inclusive and should not be seen as an exercise to witch hunt the director general alone,” he said.

•Oguntade

•Nwobike

against. Let petitions concentrate on dishonest acts. Every step by the NJC to see to this is right,” Emeka added.

may discover what happened in his/her case several months or years after the event.

“For instance, if he discovers that the judicial officer was compromised in the matter, it will be absurd to deny that petitioner the right to complain when he discovered what happened. I am not unaware of the provisions in the rules for extension of time by the chairman who incidentally is the recipient of the petition.

“It would amount to NJC covering up or shielding the judicial officer if the victim/ complainant is told that his complaint is statute or time barred.

“Furthermore I think NJC should also include in its Revised Guidelines the right of a petitioner to be furnished with the response of the judicial officer complained against.

“This is in consonance with the rules of fair hearing. I believe that issue of time bar or limit should be deleted from the Rules just as Fundamental Rights Enforcement Rules 2009 removed the issue of time limit which was then in force in the old rules of 1979,” Ngige said.

A constitutional lawyer Mr Ike Ofuokwu said imposition of stringent measures for sending petitions to NJC will not help mat-

Need for improvement There are those who are of the view that such stringent procedure could discourage persons with reasonable cause from writing petitions against judges when the judiciary is generally believed to be hampered by widespread corruption.

While some lawyers welcome the Regulations, others think there are flaws in it. To Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN), the revised guidelines will curtail the habit of the writing of frivolous, vexatious or unsubstantiated petitions by faceless, anonymous or disgruntled elements against serving judicial officers who are often helpless when such petitions are eventually dismissed by NJC. “To that extent, the NJC intention is altruistic,” he said.

However, he said there are still some grey areas that need to be fine-tuned. Ngige does not think it will be in the interest of justice to introduce time limit in the writing or sending of petitions to the NJC as a complainant

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‘ NANS to EFCC: Be fair in NAFDAC D-G’s prob

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RESIDENT, National Association of Ni geria Students (NANS), Tijani Usman Sheu, has said the investigation of the Director-General of National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration (NAFDAC), Mr. Paul Orhii, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be devoid of bias or politics.

At a news conference in Lagos, Sheu dissociated the union from a protest by some students, claiming to be NANS representatives, staged against the NAFDAC chief at the EFCC office in

By Adebisi Onanuga

Ikoyi.

The NANS President said the union is not against the probe of the NAFDAC helmsman or any other agency but cautioned that the exercise should not be politicised.

He advised those he described as unscrupulous elements not to drag the union into the probe.

Sheu said NANS did not contemplated or decide to protest against either the NAFDAC

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LAW PERSONALITY

Mr. Benson Iwuagwu is the Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Nigeria, a group involved in the welfare, restoration and rehabilitation of prisoners. Called to Bar in 2002, he underwent pupilage at Falana and Falana Chambers in Lagos. Iwuagwu tells Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU how to improve the condition of inmates, among other issues.

Wanted: Millennium Goals for prisons What is Prison Ministry all about?

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RISON Ministry is the gamut of com passionate psycho-social support and assistance extended to a person in incarceration; expressed in multidimensional and multidisciplinary programmes and projects that help resolve the spiritual, mental, emotional and physiological dilemma, deprivations and trauma of the prison inmates, victims, their relationships and community. Overall, prison ministry aims for the reformation, rehabilitation, reintegration and restoration of all those involved in and affected by crime and its aftermath.

How do you appraise the impact or effect of Prison Ministry in the country?

The impact of Prison Ministry is enormous.

Prison Fellowship Nigeria comprises of hundreds of churches and ministries, has its inaugurated chapters in 26 states in Nigeria, conducting daily prison visitations in aid of tens of thousands of men, women, boys and girls, including children held in our prisons.

In a forced isolation such as imprisonment, nothing is more precious than a visit from the outside, more so, by total strangers who come in the name of love. In the words of a ranking Prison Officer, “without you people coming around and doing what you are doing to support us in taking care of the inmates, I do not know what this place will look like”. That our prisons are congested, is a notorious fact.

So also, is the fact that, the Nigerian Prison Service is under funded. The over 50,000 men and women, including children held in our prisons have needs, ranging from food to toiletries, clothing, education, medical, material and legal. Most have been abandoned by outraged relatives and forsaken by a sanctimonious society, it is Prison Ministry practitioners that intermediate; to give the inmates a sense of self worth through sharing with them the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ, compassionate visits, family liaison, provisions and counsel. Whilst the government and society maybe content that the offender has been confined, the more serious question is, “What happens after incarceration?” Prison ministry helps to repair the harm caused by the crime of the convicted person in prison, beginning with relatives and victims of the crime, to make return of the convict after sentence, a possibility.

How can government, individuals and organisations key into this vision and project?.

Effective prison ministry is all encompassing, with room for everyone who is minded to lend a hand.

The government is the bedrock of our collective social relationships; it must be mindful of the fact that, prisoners come from and will return to the society after their prison term. So, custodial conditions must be both humane and complementary to reformation.

Discriminatory laws must be abrogated, the present situation where one is statutorily excluded from employment by reason of having been in prison, is most unfair, inhuman and counter productive. It’s akin to “biting the nose to spite the face”. It consigns the poor ex-prisoner to a life sentence of stigmatisation and ostracisation from meaningful socio-economic life, while fueling re-

cidivism to our collective hurt.

How do you think the government would key into this mission?

Governments should proactively extend all ongoing Millennium Development Goal projects, in health, education, socio-economic empowerment et al, to the prisons. Cognisant of the fact that imprisonment does not take away the constitutional rights of prisoners, beyond what the law prescribes in sanction.

For individuals and organisations, empathy is key. The present social attitudes of discrimination and stigmatisation must be discouraged. That done, it becomes easier to reach out to either give your talent or treasure in support of credible prison ministry organisations, like Prison Fellowship Nigeria that have proven and ongoing intervention programmes in the prisons across Nigeria, to assist in the reformation, rehabilitation and re-integration of prisoners, victims (primary and secondary victims, particularly children, who neglected become street children and then miscreants). Corporate organisations should make specific provisions in their CSR budgets to sponsor offender, victim intervention programmes in and outside the prisons.

Which aspects of our laws do you think we need to amend to meet the challenges of criminal justice administration in the country?

With all due respect, I think the fundamental philosophy of our criminal justice system is largely flawed. It is, in my humble opinion, yet premised on the medieval principle of “the Kings Peace”. What is our definition of crime?

Who are the parties in a criminal charge? It is axiomatic that, justice is not just about “out comes” but very importantly, about the process. This fact is underscored by the fact that, once there is a failure in compliance with critical rules of procedure, the subsequent outcome has often been held to be a nullity.

The Criminal Justice Administration Act, 2015 is very significant, particularly with respect to regulating, arrest, accused statement, charge and detention, non custodial sentencing options et al. The fact, however remains: “ Once the premise of an argument is wrong, the conclusion will be irremediably unsupportable” Until we begin to see crime as “ a violation of individual rights and relationships, resulting in harms and hurts”, we may not arrive at the kind of justice envisaged under the social contract. We should go from “retribution and deterrence” to, “reparation and restoration”, otherwise, our prisons will remain congested with neither society, offender or victim satisfied that, justice has been served. The nebulous concept of state in criminal justice must be modified to reflect the “Proper Parties” to include the victims of crime; and the aim of justice, cannot only be punishment and just desert but “ healing the hurts and harms caused by crime, in ways that meet the needs of the offender, healing the harms done the victim and restoration of social harmony”.

Restorative justice and not Retributive justice, is the way to achieve a better sense of justice for every offender,victim and society.

What is the “Onesimus Project” all about, what are the benefits and how do we keep it

going?

“Life Recovery Pre-release Empowerment Programme” a.k.a “ The Onesimus Project”, is a partnership programme between Prison Fellowship Nigeria, Covenant University, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the Nigerian Prison Service; which aims to break the vicious circle of recidivism, through pre and post release mentoring of inmates who have six months to the end of their prison term. The curriculum of the programme includes spiritual care giving, sharing the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ, equipping them with business, entrepreneurial and vocational skills. The programme further deals with personality and psycho dysfunction challenges that predispose to crime and criminality. Each partner – Covenant University, SMEDAN, PF Nigeria deals with its area of specialty within the programme curriculum. Each inmate admitted is assigned a mentor for a period of 18 months – six months pre release and 12months post rerelease; the mentor plays the role of friend and family liaison, counselor and guide.

Upon release, in appropriate cases, they are provided temporary accommodation, assisted to plan and decide what to do and given venture seed money. The Onesimus Project has enormous psycho-social impact on the inmates that have gone through it, with full compliments of matriculation and graduation.

Recidivism rate among the project graduates is about 20 percent , against the general average of about 68 percent. We are however, a long way from our programme ideals, largely because our post release component is lacking in resources for effective follow-up, venture startup seed money and personal development of the programme graduates.

We solicit first, for attitudinal change from members of the public towards returning exprison inmates. A welcoming environment for the returning ex-prison inmates is critical; then support in cash or kind. Individuals and organisations can volunteer to provide support for post release housing, skill and vocational training, apprenticeship venture seed money.

People are calling for the strengthening of the anti-corruption agencies through legislations to give them more bite, what is your reaction to this?

The problem is not with the laws but with the men! What values do we hold dear as a people? Again, who do the politicians represent, how fair and equitable do they deal?

Looting of the public is a reaction to suspicion of the viability of the Nigerian project and doubt in the fidelity of the other parties insurgency in North East, Niger Delta and the Biafran jingles. Visit our prisons, how many “rich men, women or their loyalists” do you find there? The rich is getting richer, the poor getting poorer, the system is simply oppressive on many sides. How will the laws work?

Give me a sense of belonging, participation and ownership premised on commonly shared values, then my allegiance is sure.

National institutions, including the anti-corruption agencies, are built on common values and fidelity, unperturbed by the manipulative colouration of tribe and religion, most often deployed by our politicians and tech-

•Iwuagwu

nocrats. When there is suspicion and doubt in a relationship, cheating and evasive conduct becomes the norm. We have more than enough laws to deal with corruption, if we deal with the reasons for suspicion and lack of fidelity in the Nigerian project.

What are the challenges of the ministry and, how can its vision be integrated into the administration of Criminal Justice in the country?

We have enormous man and material challenges. Prison Ministry is involved with lives of tens of thousands of men, women and children. It rubs off on family cohesion, safety, security, our productive capacity and social civilisation as a nation. It requires empathy, patience and commitment. We do not have enough volunteers, a lot of people are interested in going to preach in prisons or just casual giving but often not ready for the long haul, which is what is required in prison ministry. Specialist volunteers, logistics support, infrastructure and committed funding remains daunting. We are addressing this, in part, through developing programmes that are partnership friendly, reaching out to corporate organisations to allocate part of their CSR budgets to support prison-related programmes and projects.

What is your mission in relation to criminal Justice reform on criminal justice reform?

Part of our mission is to offer counsel and support, in the development of a criminal justice system that is holistic and restorative in its outcomes, cognisant and respectful of the needs and rights of the offender, victims and society; in pursuit of this justice ideal, Prison Fellowship globally advocates the Restorative Criminal Justice System. Here in Nigeria, it is taken, that Lagos State is the leading light in many respects; its court system is evolving to meet the justice needs of the people. You have the Citizens Mediation Centre, Office of Public Defender and the Multi-Door court system; to complete the loop, Prison Fellowship Nigeria has signed a five year Memorandum of Understanding with Lagos State Ministry of Justice, to do a Restorative Justice Pilot Project, which foundations have been well laid by the state in the administration of criminal justice law, 2011.

We hope, upon a successful pilot to advocate for its nation wide application through appropriate Legislation at the National Assembly.

Bauchi to review anti-poaching laws

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•Abubakar

HE Bauchi State government has vowed to review its anti-poaching laws. It has also partnered with Czech Republic to develop its tourism and agricultural potentials.

A statement by the Director of Press, Government House Bauchi, Ibrahim Sani, quoted the Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar as saying during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the partnership will focus on wild life conservation and anti-poaching measures in the state based on global best practices.

“ Governor Abubakar, who led a government delegation to the Czech Republic, held series of meetings with technical partners where several important issues and decisions on the partnership were discussed.

“The agreements focused on development of the famous Yankari Game Reserve and Sumu Wild life as well as other conservation potentials of the state.

“On agriculture, the state delegation to the Czech Republic held wide consultations with establishments that include officials of Ministry of Agriculture where assurance was made

on cooperation and assistance to the state and indeed Nigeria at large. These include how to develop the state small and medium scale farming using affordable and easy to maintain methods where Youth and other Stakeholders would be involved.

“The Bauchi State delegation was also at the Department of Tropical Agriculture, Life Sciences University Prague, Czech Republic to discuss on cooperation with the Bauchi State University in areas of Lecturers and Students exchange programme as well as establishing Faculty of Agriculture among others.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

LAW PERSONALITY

Arbitrators seek institutions in Africa

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RBITRATORS have called for the establishment of institutions to administer arbitration in Africa.

They spoke during an international conference at the African Union (AU) Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where stakeholders met to discuss the role of arbitration institutions in the development of alternative dispute resolution.

Among those present were former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) and Head of the Department of Commercial Law, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) Prof. Paul Idornigie (SAN).

The conference examined why arbitration references involving at least one African party are not administered by institutions in the continent. Participants agreed that there is a need to interrogate this and find answers to it, so that arbitrations generated

by Africans are resolved by African arbitrators and practitioners.

The conference was organised by Dr. Emilia Onyema, an arbitration specialist with SOAS University of London and coconvened by Judge Edward Torgbor of Kenya. The AU Legal Counsel’s Office cohosted the conference with SOAS while the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (ICAMA) (Abuja), Foley Hoag LLP (Washington D.C), Stephenson Harwood LLP (London) and Lagos Centre for International Arbitration and Concilliation (LACIAC) sponsored the event.

There were panel discussions by chief operating officers of various arbitration institutions and users of arbitration in the continent. The conference started with a short welcome address by the General Counsel of the AU, Prof Vincent Nmehielle, in which he referred to the need to set up a Pan-African Arbitration Court for Africa and an African Institute of Arbitration for training in arbitration. The conference welcomed the suggestions, implementation of which will need to be fleshed out and possibly led by the African Union Commission.

Following Prof Nmehielle’s opening remarks, Dr Onyema set out the purpose of the conference as articulated in her discussion paper and stated above, the first panel discussions was from the following regional arbitration institutions: Arbitration Foundation of South Africa (AFSA/A)

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By John Austin Unachukwu

Alternative Disputes Resolution Mechanisms ( ADR) of South Africa, Lagos Regional Centre (West Africa), Kigali Centre (East Africa), and the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Laws in Africa (OHADA). This panel was chaired by Ms Alexandra Meise.

The second panel discussion was from the following national institutions: Ghana Arbitration Centre, Lagos Court for Arbitration Centre (LCIA), Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (MIAC) (Mauritius), Addis Ababa Chamber Centre, and Zambia Centre for Dispute Resolution.

This panel was chaired by Chief Bayo Ojo, (SAN) of ICAMA (Abuja).

The two panels discussed the nature of the services these institutions offer and each institutions unique service. Both sets of institutions administer domestic and international arbitration references, organise trainings and create awareness of arbitration in their respective domains. Ms Bernadette Uwicyeza of Kigali noted the interesting outreach service the centre offers to businesses to create an awareness of arbitration.

She stated that the centre is beginning to see a change in the behaviour of businesses who now more frequently seek information on the use of arbitration from the centre. Ms Deline Buekes of AFSA/ADR Africa mentioned AFSA recent agreement to set up an Africa/China joint arbitration centre in both Shanghai and Johannesburg to which she invited other institutions in Africa to participate.

This “super” institution will administer arbitration of disputes emanating from Africa/China business relationships. Mr Aka of OHADA CCJA noted their relationship discussions with both the Lagos Regional Centre and Kigali Centre. He also noted that though OHADA (since 2008) had expanded its official languages to four (French, English, Spanish and Portuguese), the texts of OHADA laws were yet to be translated into the other languages from French but assured they will be translated.

Mr Ikatari of the Lagos Regional Centre stated the willingness of the Centre to invite more Africans onto its panel of arbitrators.

•Ojo

•Idonigie

Ms Megha Joshi of the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) centre noted the LCA small claims scheme specifically set up to help aspiring arbitrators gain experience of arbitration. Mr Duncan Bagshaw of LCIAMIAC mentioned the affiliation of the centre with the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and how this has impacted on the credibility of MIAC but also noted that such affiliation is not a fundamental requirement for a centre to thrive.

Mr Emmanuel Amofa of Ghana Arbitration Centre (GAC) mentioned the independent nature of the GAC and the role of the Ghana ADR Act in the operation of the centre. From the Addis Ababa Chambers, Mr Yohannes Woldegebriel noted the growth of the centre’s domestic caseload and made a clear link with the increase in construction activities in Ethiopia for this year-on-year growth. Finally Judge Charles Kajimanga, as chair of the Zambia centre noted that since USAid funding for the centre ran out and training services were divested to the Chartered Institute of arbitrators, Zambia branch, the centre has basically remained inactive for lack of funding though it acts as appointing authority. Participants noted the refreshing opportunity of hearing from the various centres on what they do and expressed the need for better collaboration

among the institutions.

The third panel was chaired by Prof Paul Idornigie of NIALS and was composed of arbitration practitioners who had used these and other international arbitration institutions. These users critiqued the services of the arbitration institutions and shared from their experience, ideas on viability and sustainability of African institutions. Panellists were from Uganda (Jimmy Muyanja), Ethiopia (Leyou Tameru), London (Kamal Shah and Stuart Dutson), Ivory Coast (Jimmy Kodo) and Kenya (Kariuki Muigua).

The panel agreed that African institutions must have rules that are fit for purpose and are continually updated, keep costs down and be well equipped to meet the needs of their users. Dr Muigua kicked off the session with a clear list of various physical infrastructures which African governments need to implement for the states to attract international arbitration with seat in the continent. Some of these were security, funding of various governmental institutions, health facilities and their maintenance. Mr Jimmy Muyanja told an interesting story of the view of the Ugandan press on arbitration a decade ago which clearly showed the lack of understanding of arbitration and its relationship with the courts.

Firm, India to hold business forum

LEADING commercial law firm, Perchstone and Graeys, and the IndiaNigeria Business Forum (INBF) will hold a business forum from September 10 to 11 with theme: Challenging the Levers of Emerging Economies: Rigs to Chips.

The forum is the second in the series by the firm in collaboration with the Federation of India Chamber of Commerce (FICCI).

Addressing a press conference in Lagos last week, a Senior Partner at Perchstone & Graeys, Kunle Ajagbe alongside Tosin Alabi and Ayokunle Ogundipe respectively, said the forthcoming forum, which will take place in Mubi India will focus on Information and Communication

By Adebisi Onanuga

Technology (ICT) and how it can be harnessed to widen the space of commercial opportunities and deepen the exchange of best practices between Nigeria and India.

According to them, the conference is expected to serve as a platform to boost investment opportunities for ICT in Nigeria and raise the level of best practices operators, policy makers and the business communities.

Agbaje listed the speakers to include, Mr. Bismarck J. Rewane, one of Nigeria’s leading Economists, and Managing Director Financial Derivatives Company Limited.

He is expected to speak on the financial

architecture to support FCT”.

“This year’s theme takes account of the strides India has recorded in ICT and how it has established itself as a global ICT leader.

This is, of course, coming at a time when Nigeria’s rebased GDP indicates that about 10percent (or $50 billion) is attributed to ICT. In view of the fact that ICT is an indispensable enabler to all sectors of the economy, from all indications, its share contributions to national GDP is likely to witness a steady upswing.

“In practical term, this will mean more jobs, skill acquisition and transfer, and overall positives for Nigeria. We rightly believe that there are obvious synergies which can be built between both Nigeria

and India around ICT and this is partly what informed the initiation of the INBF as a private sector platform through which businesses from both countries can explore new opportunities.

“The first day will be devoted to a conference plenary session discussing broad policy issues and will feature sessions on matters of broad ICT Policy and financing. The attendees will be hosted to a cocktail later that evening. The second day will be dedicated to exclusive networking and business to business (B2B) matchmaking in which companies and business leaders from Nigeria are invited to network with their Indian counterparts, sharing competences and creating new commercial opportunities.”

Class ‘85 Lawyers to honour Appeal Court Justices, Onadeko, others

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•Ngige

AWYERS who graduated from the Ni gerian Law School three decades ago, will on Sunday, in Abuja, honour some of their members who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession.

A statement from the Class Chairman, Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) says: “ The high-profile “2015 Annual Reunion Dinner & 30 Years Call to Bar Anniversary” of the Class of 1985, Nigerian Law School which holds at Ballroom 1, Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotels & Towers, Abuja on the sidelines of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference will see the class bestowing awards on the Special Guest of Honour, Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro, the first

member of the class to attain the exalted position of Justice of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“Aside from Justice Okoro, five justices of the Court of Appeal who are also members of the class will have their place in the sun at the event. These include Hon. Justice Mohammed Mustapha, JCA; Hon. Justice (Dr.) Mudashiru Oniyangi, (JCA); Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Shuaibu, (JCA); Hon. Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, (JCA) and Hon. Justice Fred Oho, (JCA).

“The “teacher of the class,” longest serving academic staff of the Nigerian Law School and now its Director-General, Mr. Olanrewaju Onadeko; former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Bashir Albasu and, former Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser, First Atlantic Bank Plc Dr.

Nechi Ezeakor are among the Guests of Honour to receive awards at the event.

“Other honorees are, former Legal Adviser/Company Secretary and Executive Director at Zenith Bank Plc Dr. Charles Mekwuny ; Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Emmanuel Aremo and, Director, Incorporated Trustees, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Hajia Shafii Sarat.

Chief Ngige (SAN) stated that “while the Dinner would be chaired by the class leader, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the chief host is Sir Patrick Nwankwo-Ikwueto, (SAN).

It is recalled that the class held its last reunion dinner at the NBA Annual General Conference at Calabar which has remained a reference point for similar events in the legal industry.

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON NORTHERN STATES

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

Many predicted long ago that Nigeria could eventually fry in its abundant oil, whose dwindling value is now threatening almost everything in the country. Thankfully, a miner shows a path out of the woods. YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU reports

PAGE 29

INSIDE Ilorin varsity hospital discharges heart surgery patients

PAGE 30

Again, bulldozers draw tears

•The miner with his workers on site

inset: Some solid minerals

A miner’s transformation manual

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N industrialist, miner and former governorship aspirant in Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Usman, is not the only one disturbed by Nigeria’s dwindling oil-induced fortune.

But he is one of those with a concrete ideas on how the nation can overcome its woes: solid minerals and agriculture. He said the switch from oil to solid minerals would bring about the real change President Muhammadu Buhari promised.

“Nigeria has been, in the last two, three decades, battling with...mass unemployment; she lacks enough money to run her own annual budget,” said the miner who is popularly called Dan China.

“The value of the naira keeps crashing against the dollar, government cannot generate employment for her skilled and unskilled youths, thousands of graduates come out of the universities every year without a job and so on.

“For several decades, we have abandoned agriculture and solid minerals with hope that crude oil

‘We have hope in solid minerals and agriculture. I will advise the government of President Buhari to make sure the change he promised to bring on the nation should be total, total in the sense that he should shift the focus of the country’s revenue from crude oil to agriculture and solid minerals’ alone was enough to give the country economic independent, but so far we have seen that revenue from oil cannot take us anywhere, we still remain poor as a country, government cannot feed its citizens, talk more of housing them, we have virtually become a hopeless nation with our crude oil.

“But, we have hope in the solid minerals and agriculture; I will advise the government of President Buhari to make sure the change he promised to bring on the nation should be total, total in the sense that [he should shift] the focus of

the country’s revenue from crude oil to agriculture and solid minerals. This country is not lacking in gaming lands, and not lacking in solid minerals. We have comparative advantage in solid minerals over many countries of the world.”

Usman is not a new convert to solid minerals. In 2011 when he ran for governorship on the platform of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), he promised to govern the state, if he won, without partaking in the sharing of federal allocation.

Asked how he would perform the

magic, he said, “It is simple. I will explore the solid mineral deposits in Bauchi State to generate revenue enough to sustain the state. Rather than going for federal allocation, Bauchi will have the capacity to give loans to the federal government.”

Alhaji Usman said he has been involved with solid minerals for 18 years and can speak authoritatively on it.

“Foreigners have cheated the country for too long in the name of mining. My advice to President Buhari is this: he should give priority attention to solid minerals and agriculture. If Nigeria begins to mine her rich mineral resources, in just two years it will stop borrowing money or begging for foreign aid and assistance, the nation will then attain economic independence.

“I have made many rural people rich by involving them in mining activities. A local labourer who works with me on site earns more than a graduate in Nigeria. I can take you to a village where you will not find one single civil servant •Continued on page 30

PAGE 31

Buhari and industrialisation

PAGE 36

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

THE NORTH REPORT

Ilorin varsity hospital discharges heart surgery patients UTHORITIES of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) have discharged Aishat Jubril, 15, and Kamalat Balogun, 7, two weeks after their successful open-heart surgery, a first in the hospital.

The corrective operations were performed two weeks ago by doctors from the Cardio-Thoracic unit of the hospital alongside a medical team from Apollos Pediatrics Hospital, India.

At a discharge ceremony organised by the management of the UITH headed by its Chief Medical Director (CMD) Professor Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, Ahishat and Kamalat were full of life, a sharp contrast to their pre-operations frail look.

Olatinwo hailed staff of the hospital for their dedication to duty, thanking God for making the exercise a success.

The CMD said, “We thank you all for this feat. We particularly thank Almighty God for His support to us. Nobody is inferior or superior among all those who contributed to the success of today. You all gave your best care possible to the patients.”

He thanked the parents of the discharged patients for their confidence in the medical team as-

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From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

sembled by the hospital.

Olatinwo said wealthy Nigerians should support the government in providing affordable healthcare services to Nigerians, noting that the aim of the hospital was never to celebrate individual achievement but to sensitise members of the public with similar health challenges that the corrective surgeries could now be successfully done in the country.

“We can all contribute our quota to this mantra of change. Let those with the wherewithal come to the aid of those in dire need so that we can all live together in peace and good health,” he added.

Announcing the feat earlier, the CMD said between five and 10 will benefit from the programme in the next round of surgical operation fixed for October and November.

The CMD said that the hospital ventured into the “open heart surgery programme” because of its recognition of cardiovascular diseases as the number one cause of non-communicable diseases death nationwide.

Said he: “Specifically, common indications for Open Heart Surgery such as congenital heart disease are common in our environment occurring in about 1 in 100, 000 live births and when left untreated are a cause

‘Common indications for Open Heart Surgery such as congenital heart disease are common in our environment occurring in about one in 100, 000 live births and when left untreated are a cause of early childhood death or disability’

•Prof Olatinwo, with the discharged patients of early childhood death or disability. Many of the affected children are from poor families who cannot afford the huge cost of care outside the country.

“The hospital management decided to move the Hospital into this new realm of service delivery to give

succour to the helpless patients in the society and contribute our quota to reversing the current trend of medical tourism to hospitals outsde the country and end the associated capital flight.

“The success of this programme was made possible by the invaluable sup-

port of the federal government through strategic allocation and prudent use of our internally generated revenue, careful selection of the right teams, the contributions of our staff in cash and in kind, and the generous support of many philanthropists in the society.”

Plateau council chief makes big promises HE newly appointed Chairman, Management Council of Shendam Local Government in Plateau State, Miskoom Alexander Naantuam has said he will make the council the envy of others in the state.

He spoke at Government House, Jos shortly after being sworn in alongside 16 other caretaker chairmen.

Naantuam said, “I had wished to rule my own local government so that I will use the opportunity to really transform [it], and now that I’ve got the opportunity, I will make

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From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

real my dream.

“I was a councilor in the local government for more than four years; that gave me the opportunity to know the basic challenges and potentials of the local government and since then I had wished that if I am asked to manage the affairs of the local government I will change the fortunes of the locality.

“Now that God has made my wish to come to light through this appointment, it is time to execute my

dream and vision to my local government, I will make sure I create a peaceful environment for development to take place in all sectors.

“Basically, the governor that gave us the appointment has told us in clear terms that the All Progressives Congress-led administration in the state is on a rescue mission considering the neglect suffered in the past, hence I will go with that sense to rescue my people from poverty and under-development; it is obvious that our people are deprived.”

A miner’s transformation manual •Continued from page 29 there, and if you look around you can see a house of N5m built by my labourers from what they earn from site. I mean Nigerian can engage her massive unemployed youths through mining and that will automatically resolve the is-

sue of youth insurgents, because there will be no idle youths for terrorists to recruit.

“It is on record that several nations in Europe were developed with the proceeds of tin mining from Jos alone during the colonial days. This implies that with 70 percent of tin and columbite left by the

colonial masters in modern Plateau State, we can develop the entire country.

“You can’t even compare the value of oil and the value of a kilo of tin. I want the federal government to do a survey of the cost of a barrel of fuel and a kilo of tin, then we will realise how much we are

•Internally displaced expectant mothers with dignity kits presented to them by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Borno State

losing for not exploring our own solid mineral resources. Nigeria has the largest deposit of silver than any other country in the entire world. The price of silver today is 10 times that of gold. A country like Sweden is making heavy funds from iron ore, but the iron ore deposit in Sweden is just one tenth of the deposit of iron ore we have in Nigeria, especially in Kogi State. I will advise President Buhari to revive Ajaokuta Steel Company; that is the economic lifeblood of this country.

“Sweden is already making huge profits from her iron ore deposits, what is Nigeria waiting for? Nigeria can boast of large gold deposits in Niger State, Kebbi, Zamfara, Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi and Nasarawa. Many did not know that Nigeria has more gold deposits than Ghana does.”

Usman cautioned, however, that when President Buhari switches the nation’s focus to solid minerals, great care ought to be taken to ensure that foreign miners do not unduly take over the industry because, as he said, they know no better than indigenous ones.

He said, “They will use our resources to create industries in their countries and get their youths employed at the expense of our own youths so we need to use our Godgiven resources to create jobs for our youths.

One practice that is so prevalent at the Federal Ministry of Mines and Power is that the ministry is fond if issuing mining license to top politicians and traditional rulers who does not know anything about mining, they ended up selling the mining liven e to foreigners to

•Alhaji Usman come and exploit the country’s resources.

He said, “There are three Chinese companies mining in Bauchi State, and they make at least N80 million everyday mining tin and columbite. If I think about it I feel like weeping for this country, we are already losing our solid mineral resources to foreigners.

“Today, Nigeria is buying a bag of cement at the price of N2,000 but we have the largest deposit of limestone in this country. If we mine our limestone alone, we will buy a bag of cement for N300 in this country, we can export cement to all African countries in the next two decades. There is no state in Nigeria that does not have valuable solid mineral resources in commercial quantity. The prosperity of this country lies in solid minerals.”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com

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The sight and sound of bulldozers are as familiar as the destruction and tears they leave behind.

GRACE OBIKE reports on the latest demolition in the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT’s) suburb

•Structures pulled down in Jikwoyi

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Again, bulldozers draw tears OU could say they are the scourge of residents of the

less glitzy parts of the nation’s capital. They have torn down homes, shops and what have you in Nyanya, Kubwa, Apo, Dutse and several other areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

And everywhere the bulldozers went, confusion, tears and questions followed.

So it was in Jikwoyi where residents were going about their business when the monstrous motorised machines rolled into view and promptly started pulling down homes and shops.

Several residents claimed the notification for demolition was only given for shops but when the bulldozers came, they took down houses, rendering a lot of people homeless.

Tears have been flowing Some claimed that not only were they not given prior notice of the demolition but that some people were still indoors when their houses were being demolished and that some others were not even home to move out their belongings.

Most of the residents said they duly bought their land from indigenous Abuja people, adding that some of the bulldozers’ victims had lived in their houses for over 15 years.

Mr Mike James said, “They just came to our area and began demolishing our houses without giving us any form of notice, we have taken them to court and we hope to be compensated. My friend just completed a N5m house and was so excited to pack in with his family when they just came and demolished his house like that.

‘My friend just completed a N5m house and was so excited to pack in with his family when they just came and demolished his house like that’ “Yes, they said that the land belongs to a General and we are supposed to evacuate his land but, at least, they should have given us adequate notice to find alternatives; we did not intentionally encroach on the General’s land, it was sold to us by natives and some of us have

been living here for over 15 years, no one told us anything about the General when it was being sold to us,” he concluded.

Many residents have since been lamenting the fact that they have now found themselves homeless and most of their livelihood taken

56 bags of Hemp impounded T

HE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has impounded 56 bags of cannabis or Indian Hemp, calling it a major breakthrough in its fight against criminal activities.

FCTA Permanent Secretary Mr. John Chukwu, an engineer, made the disclosure after his meeting with the FCT Task Team on City Management.

He said that the task team discovered the drugs at a depot dur-

From Gbenga Omokhunu and Grace Obike

ing its covert operation at TuraBura, behind Apo Roundabout in Abuja.

Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule’s revelations were contained in a press statement.

In the document, Sule quoted Chukwu as saying that the drugs were kept in a bunker by the suspects but were uncovered by mem-

bers of the task team.

He stated, “The Permanent Secretary revealed that the Task Team discovered the hard drugs in a depot during its covert operation at Tura-Bura, behind Apo Roundabout. ”The FCT Administration is gladdened by the proactive activity of the Task Team for this major discovery which would go a long way in reducing crime in all its ramifications in Abuja and environs”.

He said, “These 56 bags of can-

nabis and sundry hard drugs seized by the FCT Task Team will surely have positive multiplier effects on the fight against criminal activities in Abuja because most crimes are committed under the influence of hard drugs”.

“He disclosed that the cannabis and sundry hard drugs were surreptitiously kept in a bunker by the suspects but was uncovered, thanks to the vigilance of mem•Continued on page 34

away from them.

They said it is difficult putting themselves together. Some of them have been squatting with family and friends since the demolition.

Some others protested at the National Assembly the day after the demolition, urging lawmakers and demanding justice and compensation after they claimed to have filed a suit against the FCT Development Control and the Nigerian Army for molesting them when they tried to protect their properties.

Linus Uboyi, a tenant in one of the demolished buildings, lamented: “My rent had not expired, it was still remaining two months and I was actually looking forward to renewing my rent in the house because I enjoyed living there.

“No one told me of any notice from development control although our house and several other buildings had been marked with the usual X, which is a common mark for demolition; we did not take it seriously because everyone knows that the fact that a house is marked does not mean that it will be demolished.

“I wish they had given us proper notice, maybe I wouldn’t have renewed my rent, or I would have gotten somewhere else to pack into instead of being disgraced in this manner.

“I don’t know anything about a court case and nether will I embark on protesting over a property that •Continued on page 34

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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ABUJA REVIEW

UK award for Down Syndrome crusader

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OWN Syndrome awareness crusader in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs. Sandra Nwugo has been recognised by a United Kingdom-based nonprofit organisation, Paceworking International.

Nwugo was celebrated for her advocacy and also for taking care of people living with the condition.

Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome. It is an ailment that is typically associated with physical growth delays, facial features and mild intellectual disability.

The event also featured the recognition of United Nations’ Ambassador, John Fashanu and other personalities.

It was part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the organisation.

Nwugo was also honoured with the Excellence in Business & Support of Community Projects award, while Fashanu was made a Down Syndrome Charity Ambassador.

Nwugo has become quite popular for her humanitarian projects, which include the establishment of Esther Zion Orphanage in Abuja, engineering human capital development through her Femaz Microfinance Bank, leading media campaigns for support to vulnerable children, among others.

“I am short of words,” she said, “but one thing I can say is that I am grateful to Paceworking for this award. It can only spur me to do more. Supporting children with Down Syndrome is my own way of fulfilling my passion of providing for the needy. I have been supporting them for the past one year, but I didn’t look over my shoulder to see if anyone noticed.

“I never thought I would be recognised this way. I run an orphanage and these are the kind of things I love to do. I gave financial support to the caregivers of the children to be able to provide them with some basic necessities like medicines. I never thought I would be recognised this way.”

She went further, “My motive was just me doing what I know how to do and what I think is the right thing to do. I don’t think they are getting the best of what they should be getting. I have been to some orphanages and I see the children are not properly kept. Not even looking healthy. That was my motivation to

‘Supporting children with Down Syndrome is my own way of fulfilling my passion of providing for the needy. I have been supporting them for the past one year, but I didn’t look over my shoulder to see if anyone noticed’ set up my own orphanage, so that I can show others how to take care of these children.”

Nwogu, who runs a microfinance bank, Femez Micro Finance Bank said she is dependent on profits from her business as well as supports from her husband and father to run her charity projects. “I also appeal to my customers and people around me to help with the projects. My challenge is that people think I am foolish taking care of children who are not biologically mine, but God in heaven will reward you and replenishes you.”

United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Fahsanu while presenting the award to Nwugo, said: “The issue of Down Syndrome is something that must be brought up and put on the agenda for the new government especially because it is still considered a kind of taboo in Nigeria. We need to understand that it isn’t something for witches or wizards but is a challenge any child could be exposed to.”

He said recognitions and efforts like Nwogu’s provided the right opportunity and platform to educate the public about the challenge.

“This is when we start public campaign and enlightenment for children with this challenge,” he said, adding that “Such recognitions are new now, but when you have people who are ready to support organisation’s like Sandra’s, it makes you smile and encourages other people. He said he was looking to getting grants from organisations across the world. The challenge is awareness; where there is no awareness, there is no support.”

•Members, House of Reps, Taofeek Adaranijo (left) Dapo Lam Adesina and Ayodeji Joseph after the House Session at National Assembly PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

Anglican Communion seeks closure of substandard schools

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HE Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to shut down substandard private schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In an open letter addressed to the President, Bishop, Diocese of Kubwa, Anglican Communion, Abuja, Rt. Rev. Duke Akamisoko said schools are operated in kiosks, flats or rented shops.

A copy of the letter made available to The Nation stated that, “We have noticed that private schools ranging from primary, secondary and tertiary are being opened and run in unapproved structures and facilities within the FCT. “But contrary to the approved guidelines, schools are operated in rented shops, kiosks, flats, among others which lack standard facility.

In addition to this, it has been observed that teachers being recruited by such schools are not qualified.

This no doubt has an attendant effect on the innocent pupils, parents and the nation at large.”

Stories by Olugbenga Adanikin

While calling on the President to look into the operations of the Directorate for the Inspectorate of Education in the FCT, the clergy noted that the department seems to be relenting in its statutory obligation of approving, monitoring and supervision of private schools.

The bishop, who is also a former National Treasurer of Christian Association of Nigeria CAN noted that the education guidelines are very clear as to structures and environment where a school should be opened and run.

However, he expressed displeasure at the spate which the guideContinued on page 36

Bulldozers draw tears Continued from page 31 does not belong to me, so now I’m simply squatting with my church member and will hopefully get a place for I and my family.”

Authorities of the FCT Development Control on the other hand denied the accusation, saying that it is impossible for them to embark on demolition without giving adequate notice to residents.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) Kalu Emetu, explained to Abuja Review that the Jikwoyi demolition was embarked upon as a result of encroachment and the deliberate takeover of plots which the residents had no title right.

“One of the mandates of the Department is to give approval to intending developers drawing.

When such approval is about to be given, it is also the duty of the Department to ensure that such plot does not have any ecunberance and where such exist, it beholves on the Department to remove such, and that was what happened at Jikwoi a suburb of Abuja.

“One important thing to note is that before any demolition exercise, the Department ensures that it exhaust all the notices as prescribed by the Urban and Regional Law and

that of FCT Act of 1999. There are three notices: Stop Work, Quit Site, before the Demolition. It is only when Demolition notice is issued that you begin to hear such defaulters weeping up sentiments everywhere.

“A period of 21 days is given after the first notice while a minimum of 10 days is also given after the second notice. The law does not make it compulsory for the Department to give any day, the demolition can start as soon as the demolition notice is issued. All these notices were exhausted in November, 2014,just as the exercise could not be carried immediately because of the elections.ý” He also added that “In the case of Jikwoyi on the 12th, there were many reasons why the Department had embarked on the demolition exercise. The area had a planned lay out but occupied mainly by people who do not have any title to any of the plots. With this, many built on right of way, some on water ways, many built under high tension thereby exposing many to danger.

Some genuine developers who had drawing for approval had progressed and gone to court and obtained order for the Department remove most of the houses that were seen as illegal structures.”

56 bags of cannabis impounded Continued from page 31

•Togolese refugees at the main gate of The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons in Lagos

bers of the Task Team.

“While commending the members, Engr. Chukwu seized the opportunity to challenge the Task Team to rededicate itself to an onerous task of riding Abuja of all environmental nuisances and criminal activities.

“He called for cooperation and understanding of all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory in the Administration’s bid to make Abuja crime-free. The Permanent Secretary also enjoined the residents to always assist security agents by providing information about criminal hideouts and of suspicious person (s) or movements to the appropriate authorities in order to nip in the bud their nefarious activities.”

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ABUJA REVIEW

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HE 47th Annual National Conference of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) will hold in Abuja in October.

The yearly conference is the flagship event on the Institute’s annual calendar. HR practitioners and non-HR delegates from within and outside Nigeria will gather to update their knowledge, enrich their network and proffer solutions to topical issues of relevance to contemporary business and the national economy with special emphasis on Human Resource Management.

The CIPM Annual National Conference presents an atmosphere of learning, inspiration, networking, collaboration, and engagement and remains the best and biggest HR Conference with leading HR practitioners and line managers in private and public sectors in West Africa.

This year’s theme is tagged ‘GO BEYOND’.

The CIPM President / Chairman of Council, Anthony Arabome at a pre-conference briefing, said: “The current business climate and global economic environment is transforming the human resource function, hierarchy, responsibilities, and skill levels to meet the new demands of a volatile marketplace and a diverse workforce. Human Resources is coming into a new state of being — Going beyond the norm to revolutionising current

F

Personnel managers to hold conference roles into strategic partnerships that focus on tight alignment to business goals.

“The HR Business Partner model and the general upscaling of HR is becoming the accepted way to go in addressing the immediate and future needs of the organization, and is poised to dramatically transform who we are and how we function within the executive ranks. Becoming more strategic not only means losing the transactional and broadening business acumen, but having a complete understanding of all aspects of the organisation to provide a more consultative role to the CEO and department heads.

“This transformation is changing the very structure of human resources. Creating a team of passionate HR business partners and strategic executives who understand all facets of the business and its marketplace can help to guide and influence corporate strategy, and develop a high performance workforce that is more competitive, productive and efficient. But first HR roles and responsibilities must change — and the way we deliver HR to the business must change as well in defining the new HR. It must move beyond business as usual! ”The third objective of the Annual National Conference is to pro-

Perm Sec urges support EDERAL Capital Territory (FCT), Permanent Secretary, for Fed Govt Mr. John Chukwu has resi-

dents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to support the President Muhammadu Buhari-Federal Government to enable it achieve its goals in the territory.

The Permanent Secretary made this call when some elders of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) visited him.

Chukwu, an engineer, stressed that the call has become necessary to ensure that Buhari administration gets the necessary support, understanding and cooperation of all Nigerians in order for him to change the country for the better.

The Permanent Secretary said this is a new dawn and therefore the partnership and support of all the citizenry with the change mantra of the government is paramount.

He assured that the government recognises the rights and privileges of all Nigerians residing in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary further stressed that Abuja is real, noting that it is today the seat of govern-

By Gbenga Omokhunu and Grace Obike

ment, housing Mr. President, all organs of the government as well as members of the diplomatic community.

He said, “I admonish all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to also support the security agencies to continue to maintain peace and security of the entire 8,000 square kilometres of the Territory by living in peace, providing useful information and reporting any suspicious movement and person (s) to the security agents in order to nip any security breach in the bud”.

Speaking earlier, the President of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA), Pastor Jeji Danladi thanked the Permanent Secretary for the warm reception accorded his team.

He pleaded with the Permanent Secretary to carry OIDA along in the developmental strides of the Federal Capital Territory.

‘Creating a team of passionate HR business partners and strategic executives who understand all facets of the business and its marketplace can help to guide and influence corporate strategy, and develop a high performance workforce that is more competitive’ vide members with the opportunity to contribute to public policy and advocacy in the areas within our professional calling. This informs the choice of the Institute’s conference theme for its annual conferences especially as the Conference not only aims to draw national attention to the themes selected but goes further to harvest contributions of members to the task of providing solutions to the specific issues as will be ultimately published in the communiqué to be issued at the end of the 3-day conference.”

The 47th edition of the annual national conference, which is scheduled to hold at the International Conference Centre Abuja from the 14th to the 16th of October 2015, will feature 4 Plenary Sessions, 10 Master Series Sessions, HR Clinics, HR Best Practice Awards, Health & Lifestyle Talks, Free Cancer and Eye screening, a fun filled Gala Night and world-class exhibitions that would host both Nigerian and international exhibitors. In addition, this year, CIPM is introduc-

ing the HR Optimization Award alongside the HR Best Practice Awards to recognize and reward HR Initiatives which have impacted on business operations and solved key organizational problems, thus reinforcing HR’s presence at the table through impactful contributions as a Strategic Business Partner. This award will run concurrently with the ‘HR Best Practice Awards’ exercise as you know it and organizations can choose to participate in either both Awards or select a preferred Award type.

All of these high level plenary sessions and technical masters’ series would be facilitated by renowned speakers, experts and Senior HR Leaders. Each of the sessions will be geared towards shared learning and proffering contemporary solutions to the challenges arising from the Conference theme.

These solutions will help in shaping policy direction in the private and public sectors of the economy thus contributing to sustainable national development.

The Gala night presents an exciting networking platform and social interactions under a less formal atmosphere with lots of music, dance, food and entertainment.

Exhibition at the CIPM Conference provides exhibitors with exposure to key customer audiences (National and International leading HR Practitioners/ decision makers) in order to launch new offerings, collect high quality sales leads, build brand awareness, cultivate customer relationships and offer immense and wide-ranging opportunities for sales and marketing of the various products and services. This year’s exhibition would host both National and international exhibitors and would hold in the Abuja Hall of the International Conference Centre with standard cubicles that will last the duration of the conference.

The Grand opening plenary session tagged GO BEYOND: The New Agenda would be delivered by FARIDA NANA BEDWEI (Senior Software Architect, Rancard Solutions) and UGOCHUKWU OMOEGU (Principal Consultant, Joseph Consulting and Mentoring Ltd).

The First Plenary Session tagged VISIONARY LEADERSHIP would be facilitated by Dr. THOMAS SCOTT WEIR – The author and founder, Emerging Markets Leadership Center Dr. Weir specializes in senior executive leadership and is credited with the breakthrough discovery of Leading and Succeeding in the Emerging Markets, a business approach that assists leaders in making sense of complexity, diversity, ambiguity and youthfulness in first generation corporate societies.

‘Lack of policy implementation ruins education’

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STAKEHOLDER in the education sector has said the lack of proper implementation of policies is damaging the sector.

The founder, and Director, AlHikma International Academy, Alhaji Abudulrazzaq Ahmad was speaking at the second graduation and price-giving ceremony of the school.

He said, “The policies are not well implemented; we have curriculum and other things, they are reviewed but not implemented; we have Inspectorate Education, but they don’t go to school to really inspect most of these mushroom schools.”

Speaking further, Ahmad said, “Education in this nation has some percentage of decay and that is simply because of corruption, but now we are beginning to see how the

By Gbenga Omokhunu

change is also going to blow in the education sector.”

The director lamented that a lot of things have come to stay in education which he said must be flushed out as a matter of urgency in an effort to improve the quality of education in the country.

Continuing, he said, “We see children leaving for higher institutions when they are not ripe to be in the tertiary institution, we talk about children that are underage, children between 15, 16 and 17 leaving secondary school because their parents can afford WAEC and NECO, even right from SS1; this is degrading, this is not ideal because their brains are not mature enough.

“What they can assimilate at a particular point in time becomes a problem, and from there they can no longer compete favourably; what next, they join cultism, bad gangs because they cannot come back home to tell their parents that they cannot cope, this is the essence of decay.”

The award of best students in science in the senior cadre went to Fatima Umar Hong, Zainab Abdussalam, and Nana Fatima Saliu, while the award of the best students in the humanities went to Arabo Nazeef, Abubakar Naja’atu, Ibrahim Idris.

The award of the Junior Cadre went to Zakiyya Abubakar, Adamu Jawa and Abdulbasit Jibrin, among others.

•Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam (middle) with Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima (right) and the Shehu of Borno Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi in •Some more Togolese refugees at the main gate of The National Commission for Refugees, prayers for the repose of the soul of the late Deputy Governor of Borno Alhaji Zanna Mustapha when Gaidam visited to condole with Shettima in Maiduguri Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons in Lagos

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ABUJA REVIEW

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has not only declared his intentions to fix the economy; he is also intent on industrialising the nation.

Besides making promises in that direction during his election campaigns, he specifically directed the Federal Ministry of Defence a fortnight ago to produce a plan for the establishment of a modest military industrial complex for the local production of weapons to meet some of the requirements of the armed forces.

He declared that it was unacceptable for Nigeria to continue to over-depend on other countries for critical military equipment and logistics.

Seeing the products being manufactured by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) last Thursday, President Buhari was not in doubt that the Agency could be exploited to realise his desire for local weapons’ production and industrialisation of Nigeria.

In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President directed NASENI to immediately explore ways of working with the Defence Industries Corporation, Kaduna, towards manufacturing of the light weapons it has designed.

The President had observed that unless the Agency’s inventions were adopted and further developed by manufacturers, the country and ordinary Nigerians will not enjoy the fruits of its good work.

“Looking at your work…, the laboratory equipment, the weapons designs…., these are things that can save us resources if you can coordinate with existing specialist agencies and work together,” Buhari had told the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Professor Mohammed Haruna.

Buhari’s directive to NASENI also included production of other equipment and implements that will largely secure and fast track Nigeria’s industrialization, lessen dependence on other countries and reduce capital plight.

In the area of power generation, President Buhari after seeing samples of small hydro power and turbines, 15 KVA transformer, Gordian AVR stabilizer, pole-mounted transformers, solar rechargeable lamp, solar inverter, solar street light and propeller hydro-turbine, charged NASENI to publicize its works and collaborate with state governments towards electrification of their states.

The Agency’s agricultural products including integrated cassava processing plant, mobile cassava grater, rotary dryer, seed oil expeller, fruit milling machine, deep well hand pump, and manual drilling rig, also largely fit into the

•Continued from page 34 lines are being violated by operators of private schools in the territory.

“This act cannot be far-fetched from the act of corruption which Your Excellency has vowed to get rid of.

“We therefore pray your Excel-

Buhari and industrialisation President’s planned agricultural revolution in the country.

For the area of education, the President has also directed the utilization of the scientific kits being produced by NASENI for intervention in the education sector.

The Agency, which is manufacturing mobile science and integrated science laboratories equipment known as the science kits for primary (PSK) and Junior Secondary Schools (JSK), was said to have also designed and produced wood master for woodworks and for teaching woodwork in technical schools.

It was said to have also set up Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centres in nine universities under the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) states sponsored by Skill ‘G’ and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

NASENI, in the area of transportation, was also said to have designed and manufactured the first made in Nigeria motor cycle (NASENI - M1), first made in Nigeria tricycle both passenger and cargo models (Keke NASENI) and the necessary motor and motorcycle spare parts.

It is also planning, through collaborations with relevant foreign organizations, to pioneer the establishment of manufacturing plants for aircrafts, armoured vehicles, CNC machines, electric transformers, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Electric Vehicles (EV), and their component parts and accessories.

Speaking with State House correspondents after making presentation to President Buhari, Professor Haruna said: “He directed that we must collaborate with rel-

From the Villa

By Augustine Ehikioya

evant MDAs to ensure that there is synergy. Other MDAs such as Defence, Ministry of Trade and Investment to liaise with us such that the technologies that are mature in our system, SMEs can be supported to take them to the market.”

“So many other directives were given that will ensure successful industrial revolution of Nigeria.”

He added Nigerians definitely are praying that all these desires and plans will manifest and they will depart sharply from some of the moves toward industrialization by the immediate past former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

The administration, which spoke so much about local production of Made-in-Nigeria cars, appeared not to have advanced beyond the drawing board.

Apart from the then Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, who drove around with such locally assembled jeeps, they were never available in large quantity for Nigerians.

It is really hoped that with these new moves, Nigeria, in no long

time to come, will be technologically developed and meet up with nations like Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Presidential citation for CDS The new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin must be a very lucky man.

Besides been appointed to the new position on the 13th of July, 2015 based on merit without lobbying for it, he had the special privilege a month later, on 13th of August, of having his citation read by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, before decorated with his new rank.

While none of his predecessors can be remembered to have got such honour before been decorated with their ranks in the past, General Olonishakin, was singled out for such citation among his other three service chiefs who arrived with members of their families for decoration with their new ranks at the Coun-

Anglican Communion seeks closure of substandard schools lency to use your good office to direct the appropriate department to act promptly so as to save the falling standard of our education before it is too late. We suggest that you direct the directorate of educa-

tion in the FCT to swing into action identify the concerned schools and close down such with immediate effect.

“The FCT is expected to be a model to other 36 states of the Fed-

eration. The onus however, behooves on the administrators of education in the FCT to sit up and ensure that due process is followed; standard and regulations are strictly complied with,” he stated.

cil Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Thursday.

President Buhari rose to the occasion to fill in the gap and disconnect created by the Master of Ceremony (MC) at the brief event.

The MC, who ought to immediately proceed to reading the citation of the CDS after making opening remark to kick start the function, hesitated as he sought for President Buhari’s permission to proceed with the ceremony.

But noting the abnormal silence that ensued in the Chamber and to save the day, President Buhari, who also had a copy of the citation, ended the long silence as he stepped in immediately to read the citation of the CDS. Even though as a military officer he was standing at alert and his straight face not showing any sign of gladness when the President reel out his citation, Olonishakin’s heart that morning must be filled with joy for the honour.

He was decorated with his new rank before other service chiefs’ citation were read by the MC. The Service Chiefs, who did not enjoy having their citations read by the C-in-C, included LtGeneral T.Y. Buratai - Chief of Army Staff, Vice Admiral IbokEte Ekwe Ibas - Chief of Naval Staff and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar - Chief of Air Staff.

But they were all decorated with their new ranks by President Buhari assisted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the officer’s wife.

Akamisoko added that if the dreams and aspirations of the President is to be realized, the standard of education should not be compromised.

Earlier, the Communion had commended the renewed anticorruption move of the new administration.

He urged the President to persist in eradicating corruption completely from the country.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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LAW & SOCIETY Being text of a paper delivered by Wahab Shittu at a Continuing Legal Education Seminar by Falana & Falana’s Chambers in Lagos.

What’s wrong with Administration of Criminal Justice Act?

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AM being called upon to critically appraise the Admin istration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, a legislation that has far-reaching implications for all the stakeholders in the administration of justice including policy makers and the citizens generally.

Concerns According to one commentary ‘The criminal justice system seems to have lost its capacity to respond quickly to the needs of the society to check the rising waves of crime and bring criminals to book. It is therefore necessary to vigorously strive towards improving the efficiency of criminal justice administration. This entails an urgent elimination of unacceptable delays in disposing of criminal cases. It is also necessary to collaborate with the judiciary in stipulating what would be regarded as ‘reasonable duration’ for hearing and determination of criminal cases. It is also desirable to engage in continuous and systematic evaluation of the performance of our criminal justice system in the light of best practices elsewhere.

Furthermore, close attention ought to be paid to the following questions: ·Whether objections and arguments with regard to the charge and jurisdiction, which unduly delay the commencement of the trial on the merits could be countered or limited. ·Whether the powers of judicial officers to curtail irrelevant or unduly protracted cross-examination and testimony should be extended. ·Whether any other provisions relating to criminal procedure and the law of evidence should be amended in order to obviate unnecessary delays and abuse.

Consequently, it is necessary to also examine closely proposals regarding: ·Restricting the right of interlocutory appeal in criminal matters; ·Non-Transfer of Investigating Police Officers.

It is also necessary to review, strengthen and reposition the Federal Ministry of Justice as a major priority if this new law is to be effective.

The objective of this exercise would be to promote effi-

ciency and boost the morale of staff of the Federal Ministry of Justice at the Federal level and at the level of the states.

The performance of each of the Departments and Parastatals should be evaluated with a view to ascertaining their potentials, problems and prospects. Ostensibly at the end of the exercise, each department and parastatalof the justice sector ought to: •Have a mission statement •Develop a set of core values •Develop a clearly articulated vision •Identify and declare key result areas including: •Challenges • Strategic goals • Key Result indicators • Strategy • Programme of action • Premier projects The ultimate goal is to create a more proactive and efficient mechanism for service delivery and project implementation. One of the major outcomes anticipated by the anticipated review efforts is the establishment of a strategic plan, which will embody the foregoing components.

In making the new law effective staff motivation of the Justice Ministry is also critical.

There is need to develop staff motivational strategies. These include: Training of staff Regular Seminars are to be organised with Resource persons invited from within and outside the Ministry; There is also need to interact closely with the lawyers through regular meetings and brain storming sessions convened to discuss on-going cases; Provision of Equipment including Internet Access and E-mail facilities should be treated as a matter of urgency.

Ultimately the focus is to make the judicial sector more transparent and accountable.This is because the trend all over the world is to make judicial institutions more transparent and accountable. Consequently, it is necessary to guarantee: · The establishment of a central database in the office of the Federal Attorney General to collect, analyse and disseminate vital and up-to-date justice sector statistics from the federal judiciary and the judiciaries of the 36 states of the federation. With this new law at the press of a button, the

•Shittu

Attorney-General should be able to provide the public with information on how many cases are in court, types of cases, say murder cases and other criminal matters including, commencement dates, number of adjournments, etc.

Expectedly, the Federal Ministry of Justice should convene a periodic justice forum that would examine the statistics from each state/judiciary in the light of benchmarks and core values to be determined ahead by a Justice Forum.

All stakeholders in the justice sector namely Chief Judges and other heads of judiciaries and their nominees, Attorneys-General of all states, chairmen/nominees of the Nigerian Bar Association, court registrars, justice ministries, the police, the media, NGOs and the Legislature should be participants in the Sensitization Forum.

Expectedly, annual returns on the Administration of Justice should be readily available for public scrutiny. This would disseminate vital statistics from the justice sector. It is not sufficient to merely ask judges to file monthly returns.

In addition, these returns should be analyzed and used as a basis for planning and evaluating the success of reform measures.

The expectation is that performance will be guaranteed in five key result areas including: Crime, safety and security; Access to Justice; The legal profession including (legal education); Human resources development and Funding administration of justice.

NHRC partners NEMA on IDPs

•Alh. Sidi (left) and Prof. Angwe

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HE National Human Rights Commission (HNRC) has partnered with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to address the challenges faced by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

NHRC’s Executive Secretary Prof. Bem Angwe disclosed this when the Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Sanni Sidi and his management staff paid a courtesy call on the Executive Secretary at the Commission headquarters in Abuja.

Prof. Angwe praised NEMA for responding promptly to the plight of some displaced persons in Abuja.

He said: “NEMA is fighting an armed conflict called the wars of the 21st century, these wars are fought by non-state actors who cannot be identified and most often easily mix with the civilian population therefore making it difficult for the military who are doing their best to identify and eliminate them “The concept of NEMA was not to manage this form of armed conflict against Nigerian state, this task is overwhelming but at no time have we heard NEMA crying out and

By John Austin Unachukwu

complaining. Today every Nigerian is concerned about the condition of vulnerable people in the country.

“Most people who are not IDPS are claiming to be one, taking advantage of the IDPs situation, but every Nigerian is entitled to some welfare by the government. Government has a duty to ensure that every Nigerian does have shelter over his head, food, etc. so we must protect Nigerians, we must protect Nigerians who are in IDPs condition, we must also protect ordinary citizens who are not IDPS Prof. Angwe stated: “We have agreed that on August 19 August 2015, stakeholders in all the states will converge and hold Stakeholders meeting at the conference hall of NHRC in Abuja to discuss the challenges of the IDPS, the states must put in place a mechanism that protects the 310 Centres and NHRC has monitors in the 10 states mostly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

“This is not adequate a number to cover all the IDPS in these states, the commission has a situation room, for all

IDPs monitors to transmit all their findings directly to NHRC so that we cover and monitor development on IDP camps.

“These are periodic assignments as they visit the IDPs once or twice a week, this is not a situation this country is used to, suicide bombing is alien to our culture. We need to send this dragon called suicide bombing away from our society. We believe that one day God Almighty will put all these in a bottle and bottle up the dragon “We have IDPs in Abuja, Benin, so, how many houses will the government rent in order to meet the needs of these people in order to balance Human Rights with humanitarian needs. We are going to work with you and give support ;as it is a national problem, it must be addressed and all institutions involved with conflict must stand up.

NEMA and the Human Rights Commission must collaborate to achieve great result “There is no job that is better than that of fighting for humanity because it has a direct reward from the creator.

You find yourself a ticket and passport to eternity because no amount of money will compensate for this selfless service”.

Prof. Angwe praised the DG NEMA for the waening signal he gave the country over floods, “ we have to be prepared so that we support the efforts of government in addressing this challenge. Assistance must be rendered in a coordinated manner” Prof. Angwe stated.

In his speech, Alhaji Sidi thanked the commission and stated that they were on a courtesy call to the Executive Secretary and the commission He said: “NEMA is saddled with the responsibility of disaster management,Insurgency and Terrorism management is new to the agency though it is now a global phenomenon Thanks to Prof. Angwe for his support and contributions to the Committee on National Disaster Management because of the threat of insurgency and terrorism, a fact he felt he should come and brief the commission on.

“The socio-economic activities in the affected states have been paralysed, more than 1.5 million people are currently displaced from the states. In Boronu, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue and other affected states” “NEMA has been responding to the needs of the displaced Nigerians and wants more presence of Commission’ staff in the formal camps where things are happening to enable Commission get daily reports of what is happening, especially as it relates to human rights, your presence in the camps will strengthen the system we have in place” Alhaji.

Sidi stated.

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LAW & SOCIETY

Why I resolved to teach law, by Osinbajo

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ICE President Yemi Osinbajo at the weekend revealed what inspired him to become a law teacher; it was after watching Prof. Akin Oyebode in action.

He disclosed this at a dinner organised in his honour by the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, held at the Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island.

Osinbajo, a professor of Law, told his audience Prof. Oyebode persuaded him to be a good teacher by his conduct, adding that he resolved to become a law teacher after observing the renowned international law professor when he taught some Sociology students law.

He said: “Prof. Oyebode was my inspiration to teach well. I always saw myself as an advocate. He persuaded me just by his conduct. I made up my mind to teach law after observing him in a class where he taught some Sociology students law,” the Vice-President said.

Appreciating the faculty for honouring him, Prof. Osinbajo noted that it was a great thing to be honoured by friends and colleagues.

“I really feel honoured, thank you all very much, God bless you, you also would be honoured better than this in Jesus mighty name.

“We have a great tradition of intellectual liberty-ability to argue and to disagree without being disagreeable and I think that’s one of the great traditions of our faculty, the Faculty of Law. “Our faculty has always been a place of ideas and our country today needs big ideas to solve the problems that we have,” he said.

At the event were Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola; former Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oye-IbidapoObe; Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahman Bello, represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics and Research, Prof.

Jide Alo; Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Akinola Ibidapo-Obe; Prof.

Taiwo Osipitan (SAN); Justices Ellen Morenkeji and Lawal Akapo, and Pro-Chancellor, University of Benin, Senator Effiong Bob.

By Precious Igbonwelundu

Others included former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Prof. Oluwole Smith (SAN); Adetola Kazeem (SAN); Dele Adesina (SAN); Mike Igbokwe (SAN); O.A. Omonuwa, and former Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, among others.

Earlier in his remark, the Vice Chancellor said the school supported the faculty to honour Osinbajo because it is always a good thing to appreciate, acknowledge and identify with success.

For Oyebode, Osinbajo’s nomination as the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not come to him as a surprise, giving the strides he recorded as AttorneyGeneral of Lagos State.

He recalled how two of his sons, who were taught by Osinbajo would narrate how he usually came to class without index notes, but would teach for three hours off hand, to the excitement of his students.

He said: “As a student, he was a bit reserved, but very perceptive.

The way he discussed issues, you will be left in no doubt that he is a master in the making.

“It didn’t come as a surprise to some of us that he became a teacher. Anyone privileged to listen to his lecture will know he is a man of the hour.

“I want to salute you as Vice President. You are a proud alumnus of the Faculty of Law and a distinguished lecturer, who has become a role model for the leading generation.”

The Dean of law, Ibidapo-Obe noted that Osinbajo’s position as Vice President signaled fundamental change in the history of Nigeria, adding that even the international community has expectation and strong confidence in the present government.

While extolling Osinbajo as one of the best products of the faculty and the university, he highlighted

•Prof Osinbajo (second right), Aregbesola (second left), Banire (first left) and Prof. Ibidapo-Obe.

•Adetola-Kazeem

•Prof Oyebode

•Chief Olanipekun

some of the qualities that have stood him out.

Similarly, the former Vice Chancellor, Oye-Ibidapo-Obe expressed hope that with Osinbajo as Vice President, Nigeria will be among the first 20 nations by 2020.

He noted the the Vice President has 21 attributes that stand him out, recalling how Osinbajo developed the Department of Public Law when he was the head.

Ibidapo-Obe urged the university to create a link on its website that will talk about the Vic “He has the midas’ touch, anything he touches succeeds. He is also multi-

tasked. He can do many things at the same time and do them well.

“We have donated our best and finest to the nation; our own loss is the gain of the nation.

“To every Nigerian out there, I say keep on doing what you know to do. Put in your best, without expecting any reward. Somewhere, somehow, someday, the Almighty God will reward you. Because he (osinbajo) was doing his work diligently without expecting any reward, he’s not a typical polictician, but from nowhere, he was located and positioned as number two in Nigeria. It is just a reward for his

hardwork,” said Osipitan.

Bob described the Vice President as an epitome of humility, resourcefulness, integrity and excellence.

He said: “It’s good to honour somebody that deserves honour and the Vice President deserves to be honoured not only by the University of Lagos community, specifically the Faculty of Law where he spent most of his years in teaching.

“He is an epitome of humility and resourcefulness. A man of integrity and excellence, that’s why the faculty has decided to celebrate him.

SEC petitions NJC against judge in N11b BGL suit

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HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has peti tioned the National Judicial Commission (NJC) against Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos over his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for judges.

In the August 3 petition, it was alleged that Justice Saidu has not shown impartiality in handling the case between BGL group and the commission.

Pointing out that the whole BGL vs SEC episode is being closely monitored by large domestic and foreign institutional investors, the commission urged the NJC to investigate the judge’s conduct.

The petition signed by the SEC Director General, Mounir Gwaizo was copied to President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Anastasia Mabel-Nwaobi.

SEC had scheduled sittings of the Administrative Proceedings Committee (APC) for August 4 and 5, 2015 to hear cases related to investor complaints against BGL which alleged fraud totaling up to N5.8

By Adebisi Onanuga

billion. An official statement posted on the SEC’s corporate website however announced that SEC was “postponing” the sittings due to an ex parte court order issued by a Lagos Federal High Court.

Not happy with the court order, SEC had petitioned the NJC against the trial judge, explaining that its decision was borne out of deep concern that judges were being used to undermine its clear regulatory authority as outlined in the Investments and Securities Act of 2007.

“If the judges continue dishing out ex parte orders restraining SEC from protecting investors, future offenders will employ tricks from BGL’s playbook by approaching the courts to get injunctions in a bid to avoid accountability. On the other hand, if the SEC is allowed to appropriately sanction BGL and its executives for all infractions committed by them, a clear signal would be sent to the entire market that there shall be no sacred cows but only zero tolerance for wrongdoing”.

The petition outlined investors’ complaints which SEC has been receiving against BGL since 2012, its detailed investigations of BGL’s

activities and establishment of an interim management team to ascertain the financial health of the company and protect unsuspecting investors who might unknowingly continue to conduct business with BGL. The petition also gave details of BGL’s offenses, including questionable investments in unlisted/ illiquid securities (in one instance investors’ money was recklessly risked in a firm already declared bankrupt).

SEC had alleged that BGL was in a bad financial state and posed significant risk to investors, its customers and the entire market.

“It was sustaining losses of about N48 billion for five years in a row and faced liquidity challenges making it unable to pay about N11 billion of investors’ funds that had matured. And in the latest list of Debtors to First Bank Plc published in a national daily on August 4, 2015, BGL Securities is indebted to First Bank to the tune of N1.64 billion which matured since July 31 st , 2012.

“With these obvious red flags, one wonders why any judge would be interested in aiding and abetting such an operator to continue participating in the capital market and endangering

other market participants. Justice Saliu Saidu rather seems to be comfortable performing this task. On 27 th May 2014, he granted an ex parte motion filed by BGL restraining SEC from suspending BGL or investigating its activities. He refused to hear SEC’s motion on notice seeking to vacate that order, even when it came up for hearing on 11 th June 2015. First, Justice Saidu adjourned the matter till 19 th June 2015 and then to 9 th July 2015. Yet on 29 th June 2015, he was willing to hear BGL’s ex parte motion to abridge the time within which SEC could respond from the 7 days granted by the rules to just 2 days. Amazingly, those prayers

by BGL were all granted on the same day. According to SEC’s petition against Justice Saidu, this action contravenes Rule 2(5) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers which frowns at repeatedly granting ex parte applications”, it alleged.

The commission said that when its case finally came up for hearing on July 9, 2015, Justice Saidu yet again refused to hear it, claiming that the case was not “ripe for hearing”.

Yet on the same day, after SEC’s counsel left the court premises, he decided to hear the

case and struck it out.

SEC stated in its petition that its counsel conducted searches on the Federal High Court records and found no trace for the mysterious order bearing Justice Saidu’s signature. The petition equally flashes the spotlight on one Justice Mohammed B. Idris Kutigi of the Federal High Court, Lagos who issued the latest restraining order It will be recalled that when SEC set up an IMT to investigate further of the allegation and engaged the services of forensic auditors, the BGL Group obtained an ex-parte court order f r o m the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, presided over by Hon. Justice M. N. Yunusa on 30th April, 2015 ordering the forensic auditors to vacate the premises, the SEC even though has an order from the IST complied.

It said it has become very obvious that BGL seems to have hatched a well calculated antic to manipulate the judiciary to avoid answering for its actions.

It said this explained why the commission took the decision to report the matter to higher authorities who can strengthen the rule of law by investigating and punishing any wayward judicial officer.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

39

LEGAL OPINION

Should CLE recognise NOUN’s law degree?

•Continued from last week

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E was appointed Justice of Court of Appeal of Gambia and later Chief Justice of Gambia. On leaving Gambia, he was, the same year, made Justice of Seychelles Court of Appeal. He was later elevated the President of the Court. While on foreign service, Justice Ayoola performed as Justice of Nigerian Court of Appeal. He was later promoted to the Supreme Court of Justice. He was given other prominent assignments. Abiodun Fanore and Joseph Onyekwere The Guardian Tuesday September 6, 2011. What of the prominent lawyers who made great leaps to stardom by Correspondence Course?

Correspondence Course: Due honour must be accorded Chief Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) , referred to as “the Grand Commander of the Legal Profession”. He was debarred from attending secondary school because of fund. As epitome of brilliance, he wrote and passed the then LokojaOndo Diocesan examination for secondary education. He was overall second best pupil. By his excellent performance, he was offered admission to commence studies from form 3 at Christ School, Ado-Ekiti. But he could not make it because of wherewithal. But he made up his mind to succeed in life through education. He therefore enrolled for correspondence studies. He was successful. He obtained Cambridge School Certificate, G.C.E. Ordinary and Advanced Level Certificates of London University, B. Sc Economics of London University and L.L.B. Law with Honours of London University, all by Correspondence or Private Study.

He was called to the Bar in England in 1963 as member of the Lincoln Inn, London, and became a registered member of the Bar of England and Wales. He is considered the most outstanding member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He holds the honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Commander of the Order of the Niger. He is a Fellow of many instituions; former Pro-Chancellor of University of Lagos. His distinguished achievements in that institution are yet to be rivaled. He was awarded the Best Pro-Chancellor in Nigeria. He has to his credit many works, articles and lectures. He was awarded “Queen Victoria Commemorative Medal” in Oxford, United Kingdon. He was declared “the African Man of the Year” by All African Students Union. His achievements are too numerous to list, a legal luminary of outstanding brilliance. (The Guardian, Tuesday January 24, 2012 p.84).

We shall not fail to list the late distinguished Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (JSC) , who at the Apex Court was

By Dr Ogunyiriofo Okoroh

addressed by his colleagues as Socrates and Lord Denning of Nigeria, because of his erudition. He was a man of impeccable character and ingenuity. By Correspondence and Home Study, he worked hard to obtain his B.A. Degree in History from University of London and worked as Assistant District Officer before proceeding to study Law. His first Degree was B.Sc. Degree in Economics from the famous Achimota College in the then Gold Coast, now Ghana. He later studied Law, and was called to Bar and became the first Chief Judge of Imo State. This late icon later became Supreme Court Justice. He was chairman of the Human Rights Violation Investigation Committee, known as Oputa Panel.

Let us imagine that the English Bar at Lincolns Inn refused to admit the above Nigerians who studied by Part-Time, as External Candidates or

by Correspondence Course, and the then Nigerian Law School refused to admit them for Vocational Training, because of their mode of studying, and no other Law School in the world did; the landmark, distinguished contributions these men have made to the nation could have been extinguished for ever.

It may not be foolhardy to speculate that there are many Nwabuezes, Ayoolas, Kutis, Odesanyas, Eliases, Cokers, Okafors, Babalolas, Oputas etc who are presently law students of NOUN or who have graduated from NOUN, currently stretching out their hands from the pit of proscription, crying to be liberated from the clutches of relegation; pleading in tears to CLE and BB to admit them into Nigerian Law School to enable

•CLE Chair, OCJ Okocha

them apply their potential to model their Seniors or even excel them. The prayer of most African elders is that their children should be greater than they are.

However, some people may argue that the legal luminaries that stretch from the 1950s to late 1970s can not be compared with the present generation in terms of having basic educational foundation, commitment and dedication to private reading, self control, high aspiration etc.

Hence, they may not feel concerned about NOUN law students. Well, this may be a case of hasty generalisation, an imaginative fantasy. It is not unusual for an old generation to underrate the preceding generation.

But the pricking question is whether the previous generation provides the new generation some of the opportunities they were provided. For instance, do the current elders who presently occupy position of power and authority in education and beyond accord the respect, dignity, welfare benefits they received during their own time to the preceding generation?

This nation accorded the current top policy makers in government Governors, some former presidents, and their Vice, Pro-Chancellors, Vice Chancellors of Universities, Rectors of Polytechnics, Provosts of Colleges of Education, the Military brass of overseas trainees, so much lavish welfare benefits, luxurious accommodation, scholarships, bursaries, loans, free tuitions etc while they were studying. Most of them interested in public jobs got them while they were rounding off their studies in the tertiary institutions.

•To be continued next week

•Law School DG, Olanrewaju Onadeko

‘Case against NIIA not struck out’

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MEDIA research and consult ing firm, Delphi Media Con sulting Nigeria Limited, has said its N25 million suit against the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) has not been struck out.

Delphi sued NIIA and its Direc-

By Joseph Jibueze tor-General over alleged plagiarism and misappropriation of sponsors’ funds for hosting an International Brainstorming on Migration in West Africa.

Its lawyer Mr. Godfrey Ndubuisi, in a statement, debunked claims

that the suit has been thrown out.

He said the claim was an attempt to mislead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the public, and was aimed at influencing the case before the Federal High Court.

“Our client is prepared to pursue its cause to a logical end,” Ndubuisi

Top 100 Lawyers for launch at conference

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HE compendium on the firstever nationwide ranking of eminent lawyers in Nigeria is to be unveiled at the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Abuja.

According to the editor Nigeria’s top 100 lawyers Mr. Emeka Nwadioke, all is set for the unveiling of the compendium.

“This is very heartening for all of us, moreso as tremendous work has gone into the listing. The research has been painstaking in our efforts to ensure that the work is as up-todate as possible. I dare say, it is a collector’s item.”

The full list of the 100 top lawyers features leading litigators, transactional lawyers and lawyers in the

academia who have shaped the legal industry over the years. They include acclaimed litigators such as Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN) and ‘new kid on the block,’ Mr. Adeniyi Adegbonmire who was listed prior to his recent inclusion among lawyers to be conferred with the coveted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com For comments: 08033054939 (sms only)

Buhari and the absence of drama

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), has denied Nigerians,the commonest attribute, of our political office holders. While his predecessors held sway, Nigerians were consistently treated to a lot of melodrama. But under PMB, the more the day go-bye, the less you hear or see. His best sound bite so far, remains, ‘I belong to nobody, and I belong to everybody’. A bit controversial, was his advocacy while in United States, that those who voted massively for him, and defended their votes, would benefit more, than those who gave him,paltry votes. Beyond a few more offerings, PMB prefers taciturn, to the garrulity of his predecessors.

PMB,also, seems to abhor swagger. I recall the early days of President Olusegun Obasanjo (OBJ), with his combative spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe, in tow. OBJ, loved to overawe,every of his audience. If he is called upon to make a speech, OBJ would trust up from his seat, as if he just discovered that a dry gun powder, was wired to his chair. He would stretch out his arms, collect his flowing agbada, and with a slight bow, move like the sound of thunder, to the podium;first to dramatically clear his throat,many times, before making his speech. So, part of the narrative of that era, was what one can describe as,the presidential surge.

President Umaru Yar’Adua, unfortunately, did not live long enough, to develop,a signature swagger. So, what of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ)? Compared to OBJ, GEJ was a languid figure. Yet, nobody will forget the drama of a new couture, as one more national dress, was added to the menu. Despite the harassment from the press, GEJ rode through, with his Niger Delta hat and caftan. Also, there was the offerings of trepidation, whether in movement or in speech, which soon became a trade mark of GEJ. What many viewed as a signature of weakness, many have interpreted,as the melodrama of deceit; as GEJ dealt, a sleight of deceitful hand, to many of his political opponents.

But the real miss, is the drama associated with the weekly meetings, of the federal executive council; after which two or three ministers,smile into the cameras, to real out tens of contracts, awarded for billions or trillions of naira. With false solemnity, the officials would for instance, inform Nigerians, that the federal executive council had awarded a contract, for the construction of a standard rail line, to run from Lagos to Kano, and that the contractors would soon mobilize to site. Perhaps,as events have recently shown, most of the exercise was more of a fluke. So, in vain did the beneficiaries of the contract wait to see the bulldozers, plonk the earth, for the announced project.

One of such severally awarded, and re-awarded contracts, is the famous second Niger Bridge, and the Enugu-Onitsha expressway. Nobody, will forget the performance by OBJ during his infamous groundbreaking ceremony, for the second Niger Bridge. As events subsequently showed, the process was orchestrated to give his political son, Andy Uba, then elected as governor of Anambra state, even when the position was not vacant; something to boast about.That ground, was again re-broken by GEJ, in 2011, with the information released that what OBJ did previously, was a fraud; as there was no file in the federal ministry of works, to evidencethe earlier ground-breaking ceremony.

Interestingly, by 2015, as GEJ’Sfailed re-election campaigns approached, he againrealised that the grounds of the second Niger Bridge, at Onitsha, had hardened again; and there was the need to re-break it, even if for the drama, and the entertainment of the people. So, pronto GEJ headed to Onitsha, and when he was reminded by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, of his previousperformance, four years ago; he confessed that he cannot remember,his exact lines. But, the drama must go on. So, on primetime news, a footage of sand dunes, poles and pipes were showcased as evidence, forany doubting Thomas, that the drama of performance was ongoing at the Niger Bridge,in Onitsha.

Perhaps, in deference to the style of PMB, the anti-corruption agencies have been less dramatic in performance, than they were, during the OBJ days. While the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has suddenly rediscovered its fangs, it has resisted the temptation, todisplay it, to excite the public. Even the drama of their inactive years, under GEJ, particularly as it affected high profile former political office holders, has given way to a more professional performance, under PMB. With the promise by PMB, that those who looted our treasury, would soon face the music, let’s see whether we would go back to the days of drama.

Interestingly, even the laid-back Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), has suddenly become active. As former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, and his Police Service commission members would attest, the ICPC is no longer, a toothless bulldog. But luckily for him, he was indicted in an era of less drama, as he did not suffer the humiliation experienced by his former colleague, in office and corruption scandal, Tafa Balogun. If Okiro and his co-culprits would without further promptings, return the millionsof naira they allegedly shared, then who would deny PMB, the accolades of performance.

As the days go by, Nigerians would realistically judge for themselves,whether PMB is truly,a ‘Baba Go Slow’, as many have adjudged him; or he is merely a more methodological president, than his predecessors. While the lack of drama, may actually be impinging on the offer of excitement ingovernance,whichNigerians are used to; it is hoped, thatPMB would compensate, with a better performance.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

40

LAW REPORT

Staff policy guidelines is not a contract of service BEFORE HER LORDSHIP HON. JUSTICE O.A OBASEKI-OSAGHAE DATED: July 13, 2015 SUIT NO. NICN/ LA/232/2014 BETWEEN: 1.

ADEMULEGUN GBENGA COSMOS and 219 Ors.

AND UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC DEFENDANT JUDGMENT The claimants filed this originating summons on the 22nd May 2014 against the defendant seeking the following reliefs:

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DECLARATION that by the contract of service between the claimants and the defendant as stated in clause 3.8 of the Union Homes Savings & Loans Plc Staff Policy Guideline of July 2007, the employment of the claimants with the defendant can only be terminated on grounds of acts of misdemeanor such as refusal to comply with lawful order or instruction, disclosure of confidential information to unauthorized persons, conducts that are inimical or tarnishing to the image of the defendant, unsatisfactory performance of duties and any other actions detrimental to the defendant company.

2. A declaration that the termination of the appointment of the claimant on grounds not stated in contract of service as stated in clause 3.8 of the herein before stated Staff Policy Guideline of July 2007 is in breach of contract and is unlawful.

3. A declaration that by virtue of the contract of service as contained in the Staff Policy Guideline, in the absence of cases of dismissal for misconduct or termination for misdemeanor, or termination due to redundancy or resignation by the claimants, the claimants are to remain in employment until retirement when they attain 60 years of age or 35 years of service whichever comes first.

4. A declaration that by virtue of the contract of service as contained in the Staff Policy Guideline, the claimant’s termination of appointment not based on clause 3.8 of the Guideline is a termination arising from redundancy as in clause 8.11 of the Guideline.

5. An order that the claimants be paid their salaries, emoluments, entitlements and other benefits up to and until they attain the contractual retirement age of 60 years or on the attainment of 35 years of service as duly computed.

6. In alternative to prayer 5, an order that the termination of the appointment of the claimants is and be deemed a redundancy exercise pursuant to clause 8.11 and that the appropriate redundancy benefits as stated in Clause 8.12 of the Guidelines be properly calculated and paid to the claimants.

7. An Order that: (i) On the determination of the employment of the claimants in accordance with the terms of employment, the gratuity and terminal benefits of the claimants be computed based on the gross pay of the claimants in line with the Union Homes Staff Policy and Staff Provident Fund/Gratuity Pension Scheme and the age long practice of the bank. (ii) The properly computed terminal benefits of the claimants be immediately paid to them. (iii) The claimants’ entitlements under the Legacy Pension Scheme be immediately paid to the claimant or to the claimants nominated Pension Fund Administrator.

8. A declaration that the loans and facilities obtained by the claimant from the defendant as staff at staff rate cannot be terminated, revoked or recalled until the claimants leaves the services of the defendant as is stated in the conditions of service by retirement or resignation and as is contained in the Staff Policy Guidelines and not otherwise.

9.The cost of this suit including Solicitor’s fees assessed at ¦ 10,000,000:00 The claimants have raised the following questions/issues for the determination of the Court: 1. Whether the defendant can terminate the employment of the claimants outside the

provisions of the terms and conditions of the contract of employment as is contained in the Union Homes Savings & Loans Plc Staff Policy Guideline of July 2007?

2. Whether the claimants and the defendant are bound by the terms and conditions of the contract of employment as contained in the Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc Staff Policy Guideline and other expressly documented terms?

3. Whether the claimants are entitled to the reliefs as claimed.

The originating summons is supported by an affidavit sworn to by the 1st claimant to which is annexed Exhibits A1-17, B, C1-17 and D and a written address. The defendant entered a conditional appearance on 12th June 2014 and filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection on the 4th July 2014 praying for an Order dismissing the action on the grounds that: 1. The claimants’ counsel herein lacks the instructions to institute the suit; 2. The issues herein set out by the claimants for the determination of this Honourable Court are triable issues which are disputed by the parties herein.

3. The defendant’s dispute the applicability of the Defendant’s Staff policy Guideline of July, 2007 to the employment of the claimants and; 4. This action is an abuse of court’s process.

Also filed along with the objection is a counter affidavit to the Originating Summons sworn to on the 4th July 2014 by Princewill Abumere Head of Human Resources of the defendant to which is annexed Exhibits UH1, UH2, UH3, UH4, UH5A & 5B, UH6A & 6B and a written address. The claimants’ filed an address opposing the preliminary objection on 23rd September 2014, a further and better affidavit in support of the Originating Summons and a reply on point of law was filed on 23 rd December 2014.

Counsel to the parties were directed to argue the preliminary objection together with the originating summons. They adopted their written addresses.

The facts upon which the claimants’ have premised their questions for determination and the reliefs sought are as contained in paragraphs 4 to 9 of the affidavit in support of the originating summons. To briefly state the facts, the claimants’ state that they were employed by the defendant and the terms and conditions of their contract of service is as contained in their letters of appointment and the defendant’s Staff Policy Guideline of July 2007. That between the years 2012 and 2014, the defendant terminated their appointment and has not paid their terminal benefits nor remitted their contributory pension and non contributory legacy pension to their respective Pension Fund Administrators.

The position of the defendants is contained in paragraphs 5 to 17 of the counter affidavit.

It has stated that some of the claimants are still in its service while some others voluntarily disengaged from its service and some terminated on account of acts of misconduct. The defendant states that the Staff Policy Guideline is an unsigned document and is not applicable to the claimants’ contract of service. That its relationship with the claimants is governed by the contracts of service entered into and signed by the claimants; and that gratuity paid to the disengaged employees was correctly computed based on its Staff Pension Fund/Gratuity & Pension Scheme.

Learned counsel to the claimants on issue 1, submitted that the defendant cannot terminate the appointment of the claimants outside the provisions of the terms and conditions of the contract of employment as is contained in Staff Policy Guideline (Exhibit B) which embodies and regulates the contractual relationship between the parties.

He referred to Clause 3.8 of the Policy He submitted this provision did not give the defendant the right or authority to terminate the appointment of the claimants without any reason as shown in Exhibit C1.

He submitted that the claimants and the defendant are bound by the terms and conditions of the contract of employment as contained in the Staff Policy Guideline Exhibit B and any other expressly documented term citing Babatunde v Bank of the North [2012] 206 LRCN 61 at 84 and AG (Rivers) v AG (Akwa Ibom) [2011] LRCN 23. That Exhibit B applies to all categories of staff including the claimants. That the defendant did not comply with the provisions of clause 3.8 as no act of misdemeanor was disclosed against the claimants. He submitted that parties to the contract are bound by the terms of the contract freely entered into citing Union Bank v Ozigi [1994] 3 NWLR (Pt. 333) 385, UBA Ltd v Penny Mart Ltd [1992] 5 NWLR (Pt. 240) 228 at 234, National Salt Co. v Innis Palmer [1992] 1 NWLR (Pt. 218) 422 at 426. He submitted that the court is to interpret the agreement giving it the ordinary meaning without more. Counsel submitted that parol evidence cannot be admitted to add to, vary or contradict a written instrument. He submitted that the defendant is not contractually authorized to terminate the claimants’ appointment outside the provisions of Exhibit B. Counsel argued that the combined effects of clause 3.6, 3.8, 8.8, 8.11 and 8.12 is that the permanent appointment of the claimants can only be terminated for misdemeanor, or redundancy which has financial benefits arising therefrom. It was his submission that the premature termination of the appointment of the claimants did not arise from the misdemeanor and is therefore a termination due to redundancy which attracts the financial benefits arising therefrom. He submitted that the claimants are entitled to all the reliefs as claimed referring to S.P.D.C v Olanrewaju [2009] 171 LRCN 255 at 278, S.S.C Ltd v Afropak Ltd [2008] 164 LRCN 36 at 58. He then urged the court to enter judgment in favour of the claimants.

The defendant’s preliminary objection is supported by an affidavit sworn to by Adedunmade Onibokun of counsel. Learned counsel raised two issues: whether the claimants’ action is an abuse of court process; and what is the appropriate order for court to make in the instance that this action is an abuse of court process. He submitted that Order 3 of the Rules of Court stipulates that every action shall be commenced by complaint and did not provide for commencement by way of originating summons. He submitted that where a statute mentions specific things, those things not mentioned are not intended to be included

citing Osahon v Federal Republic of Nigeria [2003] 16 NWLR (Pt 845) 89 and Abacha v FRN [2006] 4 NWLR (Pt 970) 239. He further submitted that the issues set for determination are triable issues which are disputed and as such this action cannot be properly brought by originating summons.

It was his contention that the defendant’s Staff Policy Guideline 2007 is not a legal document that can be considered as a deed, will, enactment or instrument in respect of which an originating summons can apply citing Ministry Internal Affairs v Okoro [2004] 1 NWLR (Pt 853) 58. Counsel submitted that the suit was not initiated by due process of law and that this is a feature which prevents the court from exercising its jurisdiction.

Learned counsel submitted that this suit is an abuse of the process of court citing Saraki v Kotoye [1992] 9 NWLR (Pt 264) 156 at 188-189.

He submitted that the proper order the court ought to make is an one of dismissal citing TSA Industries Ltd v First Bank of Nigeria Plc (No 1) [2012) 14 NWLR (Pt 1320) 326.

In opposing the originating summons, learned counsel to the defendant formulated two issues for determination as follows: 1. Whether the defendant can terminate the claimants’ employment in accordance with the terms of their respective contracts of service?

2.Whether the claimants are entitled to the reliefs claimed?

He submitted as a preliminary point that the claimants have not instructed counsel to commence this action as some of the claimants are still in the employment of the defendant while some others voluntarily resigned from employment or were dismissed for misconduct referring to Exhibits UH1, 2 and 3. He further submitted that the by terms of the claimants’ contracts of service, either party has the right to determine the contracts of service at any time by giving a month’s notice of termination or payment of a month’s salary in lieu of notice and that the claimants were paid one month’s salary in lieu of notice referring to Exhibits UB6B, the statement of accounts showing the payment of one month’s salary in lieu of notice and gratuity paid to some of the claimants whose employment was terminated. Learned counsel argued that the claimants who have received payment of one month’s salary in lieu of notice and gratuity are stopped from bringing this action citing Ekeagwu v Nigeria Army [2006] 11 NWLR Pg. 382 at 397.

On the issue 2, he submitted that the claimants are not entitled to the reliefs claimed as they have failed to establish their claims by furnishing sufficient materials regarding the terms of their employment before the court. He further submitted that the Staff Policy Guidelines 2007 relied upon by the claimants is not their contract of service, as same is not incorporated in their respective contract of service. It was his further submission that the employer has the power to hire and fire in accordance with the agreed terms of employment citing Chukwuma v Shell Petroleum [1993] 4 NWLR (Pt 289) 512 at 560, Mobil Oil Ltd v Assan.

•To be continued next week

Group appoints CEO

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HE International Institute for Petro leum, Energy Law and Policy (IIPELP), last week in Abuja, appointed Dr. Timothy Okon as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the group.

A release by the group company secretary, Mrs. Valerie Arikpo-Ettah signed by the IIPELP President, Professor Niyi AyoolaDaniels says Dr. Okon was until his appointment, the Acting Group Executive Director of (Exploration and Production) the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Group Coordinator, Corporate Planning and Strategy, NNPC. The IIPELP Group has developed strategic partnerships with the UK’S ‘British Integrated Solutions Network (BISEN)’, whose main objectives are to translate strategy and policy into successful capability through business solutions, especially in maritime and energy sectors.

BISEN, consisting of 39 UK registered companies conforms to international best practices and is actively supported by Her Majesty Government Departments, through strict governance and reporting framework.

Also, Mr. Allan Martin (British) has been

•Okon

appointed as Managing Director of Petgas Global Consulting Ltd, one of the operating companies in the IIPELP Group. Mr. Allan Martin will continue to be the IIPELP Group’s interface into both BISEN and UK Government Agencies.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

42

NEWS

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AGOS State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday urged intending pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the state.

He assured them of adequate welfare package.

The governor said this while opening a seminar for pilgrims at the Lagos Television (LTV), Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Lagos.

He urged them to take advantage of the lectures and orientation put together for their spiritual development, adding that they should be

Ambode to pilgrims: be good ambassadors

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

mindful of the image of the state and country in their interactions in the holy land.

The governor said it was gratifying that of the 66,000 pilgrims, 3,047 were Lagos residents, making the state the highest in the Southwest.

He said the state needed men and women with the fear of God and religious tolerance, who would sacrifice for the growth and de-

velopment of the state and nation.

He said: “I am particularly hopeful that you will take advantage of the spiritual benefit of Hajj to imbibe the exalted qualities of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

“More than ever, our state is in dire need of men and women, who have the fear of God; who demonstrate religious tolerance; who are selfless, peaceful and chari-

table and ready to sacrifice all they have for the growth and development of our state and nation.”

He said he approved several welfare packages to ensure that the safety and security of pilgrims were safeguarded.

Earlier, Guest Lecturer Dr Tajudeen Yusuf, who spoke on “Socio-economic and Ambassadorial Implications of Hajj”, urged the pilgrims

to comport themselves in the holy land.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) don said Hajj was a global spiritual exercise and act of worship for total human reflection. ‘’If you successfully observe Hajj, you have won yourself a seat in paradise.

‘It calls for sober reflection, patience, tolerance and endurance, as well as to appreciate God and humanity, ‘’

he said.

Amirul Hajj and Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on 2015 Hajj Alhaji AbdulLateef AbdulHakeem, said the seminar was aimed at developing the right attitude and character worthy of ambassadors of Lagos State in the holyland. ‘’ I urge you to pray for our country, our people, our leaders, but most especially, to pray for us that God would restore those values with which He created us, ‘’ he said.

Two arraigned for ‘public fighting’

T

HE police have arraigned Esther Johnson and Samson Salia, both in their 50s, at an Isolo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for allegedly fighting in the public.

Prosecuting police officer Oje Uagbale said the duo constituted nuisance by fighting at Williams Ladega Street, Mushin.

He said the offence contravened sections 54 and 166 (D) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.

By Esther Unachukwu

Investigative Police Officer Usman Ocean said he tried settling the matter between them, but Johnson insisted she wanted the case to be taken to court.

However, they pleaded not guilty.

The Magistrate, Joy Ugbomoiko, granted them N100, 000 bail each with two sureties in like sum.

She adjourned the matter till September 2.

‘My wife isn’t the woman I married’

“I

KEEP wondering what happened to the woman who promised me heaven and earth; the woman who vowed to be the best wife in the world. I really don’t know what my wife has turned into.”

These were the words of a 39-year-old civil servant, Oluwasegun Dosu, as he prayed the Lagos Island Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve his 12-year- old marriage to his wife, Adenike.

The petitioner said his wife doesn’t cook for him nor clean the house, adding that she was fond of going out without his consent and returning home late.

“I used to be responsible for the school fees of three of my wife’s siblings when they were living with us.

However, I asked them to move out of my home when I caught one of them having an affair with a man. My wife was obviously miffed.

As a result, she fought me and tore my dress,” he said.

He also said he takes care of everything in the house, lamenting that even when he spent so much money on Adenike’s business, she couldn’t make account of it.

“Last year, she left the house with our children without any sign. All I want is our children. I want them in my custody,” he said.

The 38-year-old civil servant, Mrs Dosu, in her defence, said her husband was lying, saying they usually had quarrel over unnecessary issues.

She said: “I met my husband when we were in secondary school. Though we lost contact for years, I met him again while in university where he managed a business centre. I was in another relationship then, but when my father was against it, I gave my husband another chance.”

The respondent said they got married in Cotonou after several meetings.

“My husband collects money from people on the pretext of issuing them visa but he never did. There was a time he did the same for a police officer. When the ha-

By Basirat Braimah

rassment was too much, he ran away to Cotonou for a year,” she said.

She further said her husband smokes marijuana and visits Afrika Shrine often, adding that he always beat her when she seized his money and weed to prevent him from going out.

“There was a day he was arrested at an uncompleted building, smoking marijuana, by a vigilance group. I was embarrassed,” she said.

The mother of three described her husband as stubborn, saying: “There was a time my husband was advised not to drive himself but he didn’t listen. The day we went out together, he hit a woman, but in an attempt to run away, we were caught. They wanted to beat him but because of the love I have for him, I told them I drove and that was how I saw myself in the police station.

“My so-called husband never visited me in detention until some people brought a report, which said the woman was alive; that was when my husband came to bail me.”

Mrs Dosu said the reason she left the house last year was because her husband tried to sleep with her with juju.

She said: “He wanted to travel that morning and we decided to make love. The play was intimate until suddenly his manhood became soft. I jokingly asked if his girlfriends put something on it but he didn’t answer.

As I used my hand to make his manhood erect again, I realised it was oily. ‘’He claimed he had boil on it but I was shocked when he opened his wardrobe and showed me a horn where he kept the oil. As I speak, I keep wondering what his intention was. I left with our children that day on the pretext of visiting a friend.”

The court’s President, Chief Awos Awosola, adjourned the matter till August 31.

•From left: Former Sudan Prime Minister Imam Sadiq Ahmadi; Islamic Peace Society President Sheikh Moshood Jibril; Baba Adinni of Lagos, Sheikh Abou Afeez; Dr Zaid Ahmadi; Dr Abdullahi Khatab and Nawair-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (NUD) Lagos Missioner Sheikh AbdulMajeed Ayinla during seminar on Combating Extremism and Terrorism in Africa at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja

Police arrest land grabber, police accomplice

A

SUSPECTED land grabber (Omonile), Alhaji Jubril Okelewu, has been arrested by the police.

The Federal Special AntiRobbery Squad (FSARS) at Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, alleged that Okelewu fraudulently sells other people’s property to unsuspecting buyers.

The police arrested Okelewu when he and his boys were attacking some security guards attached to Gannybol Nigeria Enterprise at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government.

The Nation learnt that some officers, who connived with Okelewu to perpetrate the crime, were facing disciplinary action.

The police, sources said, acted on a petition by the company, which alleged that Okelewu and some hoodlums tried to seize the land allocated to the company by the Lagos State government.

By Ebele Boniface

“We have had cause to report the activities of Okelewu and his group to the New Towns Development Agency (NTDA) through our letter of July 9. ‘’The NTDA, by its July 10 letter, confirmed our status as a bonafide allottee of the land and directed the Lagos State government Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit to assist in clearing illegal structures from the land.

“Surprisingly, Okelewu, who does not have any title or right to the land seems to have enlisted a deputy commissioner and an assistant commissioner, both of the Force Headquarters Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, in the perpetration of their unlawful act. ‘’These two officers ordered the arrest of our men and harased us on the land,” the petition read.

Explaining further, Alhaji Kamoru Bolarinwa, who spoke on behalf of the company, hailed the police for their quick intervention.

“We have the documents to back up our claim.

Okelewu conspired with some policemen to harass and detain our boys, who were hired to guard the land. I thank God for the intervention of the Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase, who ordered an independent investigation into the matter,” he said.

When contacted, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department Danazumi Doma said the police were aware that the suspect connived with some policemen to destroy government property and harass innocent citizens.

“The property in question belongs to Lagos State government and legitimately sold to individuals and com-

•Okelewu

panies for development. ‘’He was arrested, warned and had been granted bail.

Investigation is still on while the officers, who connived with him, are facing disciplinary action,” Doma said.

But the suspect’s family has described Okelewu’s arrest as unlawful.

•Nursing mothers at the Afribaby Breastfeeding contest during the World Breastfeeding Week celebration at Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital, Lagos

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

SHOWBIZ

Mount Zion tasks Government on piracy

M

OUNT Zion Faith Ministry, producers of Christian movies, has urged the three tiers of government to tackle piracy so that practitioners in the movie industry could enjoy the benefit of their property.

President of the ministry, Evangelist Mike Bamiloye, made the call while announcing the 30th Anniversary of Mount Zion Faith Ministries which comes up from August 20 to 22 at Jogor event centre, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

“Film producers have gone bankrupt due to piracy. If government has implemented a strong policy to punish them, then people behind piracy will stay off. It is also affect-

By Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

ing us but God has been our strength. We have graduated over 2,400 people from our drama ministry and over 600 students abroad,” he said.

According to Bamiloye, the programmes for the anniversary include an anniversary football match, documentary, special music time, live drama presentation from the past students of the ministry while Saturday, August 22 is the main programme for the anniversary celebration at Jogor Event Centre.

Giving a brief history of the ministry, the president of the Mount Zion said:” It started as a drama group. The entire ministry went

full time in 1989. Because the demand for ministration was so much, we ventured into film production to preach the gospel of God. What was so common at that time were movies and drama which were very few.”

He said that as at August 2014, the Mount Zion Ministry had made its 100th movie, adding that this year they will be adding 15 more.

“Most of our members have gone to other African countries to introduce evangelical movies. We have a lot of partners around the world, in USA, Canada, Australia coming for our anniversary on the 22nd of this month,” Bamiloye added.

Ndani TV hosts guests to content showcase

By Ovwe Medeme

• Cornelia O'Dwyer and Bolanle Olukanni

I

T was a night a fun, music and networking as online content provider, Ndani TV hosted the entertainment industry to a content showcase. The event, which took place at Four Points by

Sheraton penultimate Friday hosted guests from the entertainment world to a showcase of Ndani TV’s new content as well as some of its existing ones.

Opening with an Orange Carpet reception, according to the management of NdaniTV, the aim of the showcase was to introduce The New Faces of Online TV with the launch of its Ndani Series Bouquet.

With music supplied by Chocolate City’s DJ Caise, the showcase featured the premiere of The African Dream which parades an all revealing interview with HRH, the Emir of Kano, SanusiLamidoSanusi.

The event featured a live performance by Hypertek Record’s star, DammyKrane who dished out some of his hit tracks E Na Ni, Falila and Amin. Also on ground to thrill guests with her brand of music was sultry Chocolate City diva, Victoria Kimani.

Some other contents which were showcased to guests include The Real talk, One Chance and Skinny Girl in Transit.

Welcoming guests to the showcase, host of the real talk, Cornelia O’Dwyer said that she was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. Speaking on the programme, O’Dwyer said; “I didn’t know what to expect. A lot of people had given their opinion. It been fun because it has been amazing. The team has been amazing. Everything has gone very well. It is about bringing some of our real life issues to the fore in a very fun and engaging way. Sometimes to society is given to secrecy in relationships and I just think that we should not hold back, given the kind of society that we live in now.”

Among the entertainers who graced the showcase are Tinsel star, Linda Ejiofor, WoleOjo, NgoziNwosu, KelechiUdegbe who plays Officer Titus, Tope Tedela among others.

Azeezat rocks trendy outfits in online photos

• Mike Bamiloye

Victoria Inyama rethinks acting

By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi

N

OLLYWOOD actress, Victoria InyamaOkri used to be one of the regular faces on the screen years back. Though she has not been active in movies like before, the mother of three has tried to remain in the heart of her fans via the social media.

The dark-skinned actress who made waves in the Nigerian film industries during the 90s with the soap opera, Ripples, moved out of the country after she got married, hence her disappearance from the screen.

Currently in London with her family, she is said to have been spotted on the set of Anthony Monjaro’s new movie recently, an indication she might be set to return to the screen.

She also made an appearance at the London premiere of EmemIsong’s movie Champagne, which held on Saturday, April 18.

The thespian, in an interview in 2010 when she paid a visit to her motherland, Nigeria, revealed that she does not see herself relocating back to the country.

She is reported to have attended a drama school in London, as well as the Lewisham Counseling School, London.

By Jane Kolade

F

INE wine they say gets better with age.

This seems to be the case with Azeezat Allen, singer, performer, and director with the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON). She recently posted her pictures in a series of poses on the internet.

Wearing a black leather, and stretch figure hugging dress, with black and silver beaded statement necklace, cocktail ring, and bracelet, she looks hotter than ever.

The singer who has close to 20 years of singing and performing experience under her belt is still as slim, and trendy as ever.

The publisher of Hairvolution Magazine is a hair style freak who has over the years rocked a series of unconventional hairstyles, and looks.

The queen of love, as she is fondly called, is a poet, songwriter, and performer, a soulful balladeer, who “defines music to be rhythm and soul distinctively blended with Afro flavour for the listening pleasure of the African man.”

• A lady broadcaster

NBC approves Nigeria’s first women radio station

T

• Azeezat

HE National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has issued a broadcasting license to St. Ives Communications as operator of a specialised radio station for women.

The station is planned as the first of its kind in this part of the world.

Reports say the broadcast station is the brainchild of Dr. Tunde Okewale, the Chief Medical Director at St. Ives Specialist Hospital, Lagos and veteran broadcast journalist, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, a Director of St. Ives Communications, owners of the radio station.

Dr. Wale, as he is fondly called, is said to have been inspired to conceive the idea of a radio station for women having worked and

related closely with female clients in his career.

When the radio station begins transmission, it is expected to engage listeners on issues of local, national and international importance for Nigerian women.

“Its programming will be targeted towards the advancement and social wealth of Nigerian women and their families,” said a source.

There are also indications that the radio station will not only focus on women, but will also cater for the interests of the male gender and the entire family, while highlighting issues that are very important to women.

Sources revealed that the station will hit the airwaves, broadcasting to Nigerian homes on 91.7 frequency modulation (FM) channel.

• Victoria Inyama-Okri

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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TUESDAY AUGUST 18, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

IBB @ 74: Former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida clocks 74 years this week. He spoke with reporters in his Hilltop residence, Minna, Niger State, on a wide range of issues. JIDE ORINTUNSIN was there.

‘God saved my life from Orkar’s bullet ‘ C

ONGRATULATIONS on your 74th birthday. Some Nigerians say you are not from Niger State but from Ogbomoso. They even claimed that your middle name Badamasi was coined out of a Yoruba nameGbadamosi. This is an opportunity for you to clear the air.

Where is your root?

I had to answer this same question way back November 1962. I was in an interview with a Minister and some prominent Nigerians during my last year in secondary school. Somebody asked me the same question. First of all, I corrected the way it was spelt. 53 years after, I am glad answering the same question. The truth is, I hail from here - Niger State. My parents are from between Wushishi and this town (Minna). My grand-parents travelled to settle down here. So I think that says it all. But above all, there is nothing wrong from being from any part of the country but the truth is, I hail from Niger state. My parents and my great grand parents moved from somewhere and settled down here in Niger state. There are those who still call us settlers in Niger because our grand parents and great-grand-parents came from somewhere but I have lived all my 74 years in Niger state, I think I am more than qualified to be called an indigene of Niger state.

Recently, the United States of America advised that what our military need most is training and not equipment to fight Boko Haram. Is this an indictment or an advice to our military? As a former Military President and a professional, what is your view on this?

I must admit that a lot of us were trained in America and quite a sizable officers of the Nigeria Army were trained in America, so it is not anything new to talk about training because they knew they had trained people. I was trained in America, I was in a place called Portsmouth in Kenturkey where I did my senior officers course, so you can see that a lot of us were trained in America. where I did senior officer’s course. I was in Postgraduate School in United States where I did senior officers Management course I was a Brigadier that time so a lot of us were trained in America. They are right.

There is an old saying that it is not the sophisticated weapons we have but the mind behind the weapon. I appreciate what they are trying to do. They have lots of experiences since after the Second World War, they have been involved in stability operations and support of countries which have gone into agreement, so I expect that they should talk about training.

Are you satisfied with the present steps being taken by the present administration to fight the Boko Haram? (cuts in sharply).

Yeah! They (Boko Haram) have to be fought I think the renewed efforts and steps taken by the Federal Government are commendable.

Towards the last days of the former President Jonathan, the insurgents seem to have been overwhelmed because we were almost celebrating but suddenly, they have staged a comeback and becoming more fierce in their attacks. Sir, what did Jonathan do that President Buhari: is not doing or doing wrongly that has brought these people back.

I think there is a general misunderstanding of the whole concept of insurgency, you can call it anything, instabiliy or terrorism. We are not fighting a regular army where you can confront them with sheer use of force and weapons to overwhelm the enemy, no, we have gotten a small trained army whose tactics was to inflict maximum casualty on his so-called enemy, inflict casualty on him when and where he least expects it.

The army is not fighting a conventional war, that makes it exceptionally difficult, they blow outbridges, the go as far as blowing up barracks, this is an unconvetional war. I tnink the soldiers are trained for it and they know this is the sort of thing they do. I think the public should be educated about this unconventional war.

Sir, cast your mind 25 years ago when your friend, Gideon Orkar planned to terminate your life, today, you are celebrating your 74th birthday, how do you feel that in the last 25 years, despite attempts to eliminate your life?

I will continue to remain grateful to God. The incident strengthens my belief that no matter what happens, if God doesn’t will it, nothing will happen to you. So it is a matter of believing that no matter what happens, either good or bad, nothing happens without the approval of Allah. I am grateful to God for sparing my life up to this time despite what we went through. Those of us who participated in combat we say thank God. I did not die during the civil war in 1969 which

•Gen. Babangida

I can remember fairly well. I had some loyal officers who are supposed to be my protectors and my body guards. Initially they told me to leave but I told them no, I am not leaving for anywhere but they remained stubborn and later I took my family outside Dodan barracks and joined my guards was some 21 years before the 1990 direct attempt on my life.

God has kept me going, so I am very grateful, God has kept me and I remain grateful to Him and grateful to you all for your support.

So, how did you escape the Okar’s bullet?

(Adjust seat with calm and ponder for awhile) I can remember fairly well, I had some loyal officers who are supposed to be my protectors and my body guards. Initially they told me to leave but I told them no, I am not leaving for anywhere but they remained stubborn and later I took my family outside Dodan barracks and joined my guards. So we went out of Dodan barracks and we went to a safe house where we got in contact with loyal troops. May God bless Sani Abacha. Sani Abacha was the Chief of Army Staff, he got in touch with me, I got in touch with him and we sat down and talk on what we were going to do. Abacha and I rallied round the loyal troops

and then I left my state house and joined Abacha in his house.

(Pause) That is what happened.

The general belief is that the country is blessed with Elders, like you, who are in a position to advice leaders in authority and safe the country from the present mess. Is it that you don’t reach out to government or are such advices not heeded.

I think one of the most unique thing in Nigeria is that this is the one African country that Is specially blessed. There are about seven of us (former leaders) alive today and everyone of us have had his experience in one way or the other but the other good thing is that there is a forum where we all meet the current leadership, chat with him, talk about the situation in the country discuss and offer solutions to any problem confronting us. All of us are always free, we are very accessible to government, so we can either put across either in writing or talking.

Does it then mean that your advice are not heeded for us to findourselves in this precarious situation.

Which precarious situation?.

Things and times are hard for the masses...

Like what? Where are you from?

Do you travel with escorts? I think these are the challenges every government face and every government will face. The people and the government must come together. People should support the government and government too should come up with solutions to ameliorate the problem that every government face.

So, what is your assessment about the performance of the present administration so far?

That wouldn’t be fair. The government is still new. However, so far, I am confident that they are doing well, they have identified the problems and they look resolute in confronting these problems head-on and there are a lot of people in the society who are offering a lot of sound advice on how to move the country forwards and are not relenting.

No doubt, there are many challenges facing this country and in your candid opinion, what are the key areas you want the present leadership to tackle in order to forge ahead.

I must commend the present leadership for identifying even before and after the election some of the problems facing this country. Number one, it has to do with security and the President talked about it extensively. The security of lives and property, the security of the state, the security of this environment called Nigeria has been identified. And the second one has to do of course with the way we live, the way we walk and the way we behave, Corruption. The third one has to do with the economic development of the country. We should support the President towards achieving these objectives of ensuring security and wiping out corruption.

Still on corruption, President Buhari has launched strategy to recover some stolen funds. What is your take on this?

During the tenure of my boss, President Obasanjo he had a similar strategy and to be fair to him he made a lot of recoveries. So we should support what this present government is trying to do to achieve the same objective.

So far, do you think the strategy can achieve the set goal, bearing in mind the circumstance we have found ourselves.

If it is pursued resolutely, I believe it will achieve some degrees of successes especially with those who are stolen our oil.

To tackle the insurgency in the country, the present administration agreed to dialogue with the leaders. What is your take? Is it a welcome development?

The President have got it right, he said he will talk to people who are credible who have been identified as some of the leaders of the insurgency but so far, apart fronm one or two names, we do not hear any other name. I don’t think the government will like to talk to a vacuum, to talk to people who are not worth talking to as far as this issues are concerned. So the government is right of being careful to identify and talk if there is anything to talk about.

How do you feel as a top member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party that was in power for so long and now in opposition? Do you see your party bouncing back in 2019?

I think one of the good things we are experiencing in this country is that for 16 years there has been democracy and in democratic practices, a lot of things must have gone wrong somewhere and the right judges are the people and the people have spoken. I think it is natural they needed a change after 16 years and they did what is right, they did not go wild, they did not fight anybody, they used their ballot papers to change the government. I think this is the beauty of what happened, I look forward to such practices in the next 50 years of democratic practice in this country.

So, do you still see the party bounce back?

Don’t forget politics is what is happening now. They (PDP) will try and I hope they have learnt from their mistakes, what they did wrong, what they did right and what they can do now to re-launch their party.

How will you rate the role of the media in the just concluded general elections?

I think the media has been fair that is my rating. Very unusual but you are fair. You didn’t show or play partisanship, you saw and said it the way it was. I have seen the media during a lot of • Continued on page 45

THE NATION TUESDAY AUGUST 18, 2015

46

‘

Two days ago, we were shocked to find out that a $1 billion loan was obtained from China for a rail project connecting Lagos and Kano, or maybe, Abuja. Out of that, $600 million was diverted. If we had chosen ministers, the permanent secretaries would not have direct access to the President and that revelation might not have been revealed

’

POLITICS

Why PDP needs Bala Mohammed

I

F anyone has been wondering why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the last elections, here is one of the major reasons: a house divided against itself cannot stand. As recent events have shown, just as the party was unable to manage success, it appears woefully incapable of living down defeat. The rift between the workers and the leadership of the party simply goes to show that what we had all along thought was confined to the top echelon of the party indeed permeated its entire organizational fabric. If workers in the party secretariat who are supposed to be custodians of its secrets and the last line of defence have long been drawn in a brawl with the National Working Committee, NWC, how then was the party expected to harness the loyalty and commitment that constituted the minimum requirements for success?

The ongoing exchange of verbal missiles between the staff and the party’s NWC is as bad as it can get.

If this awkward development is not quickly arrested, the party would naturally degenerate to an object of public ridicule. And with lost credibility, hardly can it be expected to muster sufficient traction to play its opposition role, a situation where the general public will become the ultimate loser. For now, irrespective of party affiliation, it is in the interest of all Nigerians that the PDP quickly puts the ongoing charade to rest and galvanize the intellectual, human and material resources to effectively play its role as the political check on leadership.

The danger of a tepid opposition platform is better imagined than experienced. Imagine a situation where the PDP continues in its self-

By Emma Agu

destructive path, chances are that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-government, as a human institution, could lapse into lethargy since the threat of an alternative platform, if you like, a government in waiting, would have been destroyed. But, that is even the milder of two potential dangers. The more serious scenario is the prospect of Nigeria descending into full blown dictatorship. It will be infantile in the extreme, as some are won’t to do, to dismiss such a possibility, unless one is too naïve to realize that, without a virile and patriotic opposition, an ex-general’s regimental background could overshadow his democratic credentials.

But, if the party must rise to the challenge of its novel opposition role, then installing a new leadership with the credibility and demeanour to command the respect of its members and public acceptance and confidence is a task that must be accomplished with utmost care and dispatch. In doing so, the party might as well avail itself of the advice of the Father of Modern Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo who, in a recent comment, advised against ethnic or regional parties. I can hear some people wondering what I am driving at: it is possible, inadvertently, though, to reduce a national party to a regional

•Mohammed one by the actions or inactions of the leadership. By its performance at the last elections, the PDP has literally been reduced to a regional party, with the south east and south-south as its major strongholds. At any rate, when you remove Delta, which has a large Igbo constituency, PDP will be effectively confined to the defunct eastern region of Nigeria! So, even if the PDP were to elect a leader of northern extraction but who lacks the reach, disposition or organizational stature to command respect across the length and breadth of Nigeria, the party stands the danger of being pigeon-holed into a regional

if the party must rise to the challenge of its novel opposition role, then installing a new leadership with the credibility and demeanour to command the respect of its members and public acceptance and confidence is a task that must be accomplished

entity.

Therefore, the impending special convention of the party provides a rare chance to begin the healing process in all its ramifications. In this respect, Senator Bala Mohammed’s interest in completing the term of Ahmed Muazu as PDP chairman is a welcome development. Bala Mohammed’s entry into the PDP chairmanship race fuels enthusiasm to the extent that, from what we know, he fits the leadership profile that can restore the party’s unity and bounce. Through years as a top civil servant and politician, the former minister of the federal capital territory, FCT, has been able to accumulate politically bankable capital all over Nigeria.

And the fact that he was always entrusted with strategic party responsibilities, albeit of an ad hoc nature, demonstrates the confidence reposed in him by the party.

Yet, he cannot be said to have been tainted by the corrosive and destabilizing divisions that had become the hallmark of the elected party executives. This is significant because the party needs a unifier, a father figure, a role that the former minister can play very well in spite of the fact that he is still under 60.

Secondly, by his antecedents as a senator and minister, Bala Mohammed carved the image of a nationalist with the vision of a country where every Nigerian could feel at home.

It is important here to recall his patriotic action when, at the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Ardua, against all odds, he galvanized his Unity Forum, group in the Senate to unify in conferring legitimacy on the floundering authority of Goodluck Jonathan. Such gestures are rare in a highly ethicized Nigeria. But the

message was not lost on many Nigerians; that a new political ferment was brewing where, with time, in the words of our former National Anthem, Nigerians can be truly committed to a country: “Where tribe and tongue may differ, But in brotherhood we stand”.

We saw that in the doctrine of necessity. It also played out in the last presidential elections where a paradigm shift in electoral alliance saw the south west and the north collaborating electorally for the first time to cause a change in government at the federal level. Put succinctly, Bala Mohammed and like-minded fellows have ignited a new political ferment that has engulfed Nigeria for the better. PDP stands to reap immense political capital from the goodwill that Bala Mohammed acquired in the various political stations he has been privileged to occupy.

Perhaps, a third important consideration should address the relationship between the APC-led government and the leadership of the opposition. Here commendation should go to Senator Godswill Akpabio who, even as minority leader on the platform of the PDP, with his colleagues, has pledged the support of the 49-strong PDP membership of the Senate for President Muhammadu Buhari. There is no doubt that Akpabio’s promise of bipartisan support for the President will be richly complemented by Bala Mohammed’s leadership of the PDP. Let the truth be told: PDP cannot reverse its dented image by the gangster method that it has adopted trying to ridicule every step of President Muhammadu Buhari. From feelers, the electorate is not amused by these shenanigans. Let us concede that some of Buhari’s actions are irksome, even downright indefensible; yet, courtesy demands that the opposition should accord him the respect he deserves by speaking truth to authority with some level of decorum.

•Agu, a commentator, writes from Abuja

‘How I escaped from Orkar’s bullet 25 years ago’ • Continued on page 45 other elections but this particular one you were very, very fair. And I hope that will be the trend.

Hope you are not missing your friend – Chief M.K.O Abiola? (cuts in) Let me see. Last week, I brought out a letter he wrote to me and I read it. That shows we are still spiritually connected. I am missing him What was the content of the letter?

Do you ever reveal such content?

ANDY What UBA (2) is your favourite meal sir.

Favourite meal? I eat anything. I •Senate President Bukola Saraki welcoming South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Noh Kyu-duk. With them are Senate eat anything legal. I don’t eat anyLeader Ali Ndume and the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Francis Ailimikhena, after a courtesy visit to the Senate Presithing forbidding by my religion. For dent at the National Assembly in Abuja. example, I don’t eat Pork. So, give

me anything besides these especially cereals carbohydrate e.t.c, I will eat very well.

Sir let’s talk Sports. Your political god-son and former Abia State governor is being dragged into FIFA Presidency... (cuts in) I will vote for him. If he makes a very good outing, talking about his interest in sports especially football.

The Enyimba, if you can still recall that he eventually brought them out, he is very interested in soccer and if he is that recognised outside this country, I dont think there is anything wrong in trying his best to be recognised in the world. That is why I said if I have a voting right, I will vote for him.

‘No more stealing without punishment’

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HE National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has predicted an end to government officials looting the treasury and going scot free.

Mohammed, who spoke at a programme organised by De Raufs Volunteer Group, an organisation propagating the leadership qualities of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbeseola, said the government has identified the countries and banks where stolen funds were being kept, adding and that the revelation would soon be made public.

He said: “No one will steal and get away with it again,” he said.

“We must break the cycle of corruption and poverty.”

The APC spokesman called on Nigerians to be patient with President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue of the economy, security and appoint-

By Robert Egbe

ment of ministers, adding that three months was too short to judge his performance in office.

He said: “You cannot judge a government that is elected to be in office for four years by its performance in three months. If the past government had done what it should, we would not be in this mess.

“The transition committee (for the May 29 handover) met only three times and none of Jonathan’s ministers attended to us. They also did not give us the handover note until May 25 and the handover note contained 25, 000 pages. Now, how do we study 25, 000 pages in just four days?”

He added: “Before we came in, we expected that the government needed about N6 trillion to take off, but after we studied everything thoroughly,

we realized that, because of the huge debts left behind, the government would need N8 trillion.

“Two days ago, we were shocked to find out that a $1 billion loan was obtained from China for a rail project connecting Lagos and Kano, or maybe, Abuja. Out of that, $600 million was diverted. If we had chosen ministers, the permanent secretaries would not have direct access to the President and that revelation might not have been revealed,” Mohammed stated.

He confirmed that the Federal Government had identified the countries and banks where stolen funds were being kept, and that the revelation would soon be made public.

The APC chieftain also explained why the party threatened to form a parallel government.

“After the Ekiti State governorship

election, which our party lost, we were all very unhappy and we had to schedule different meetings with necessary groups, including market women, youth groups, professional bodies, religious bodies, traditional rulers and so on. From our interactions, we were assured that there was no way we could lose the election and that was what gave us the boldness to threaten to form a parallel government should we be rigged out by the PDP,” Mohammed said.

Commenting on the last general elections and the fear that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would be reluctant to concede defeat, Mohammed alluded to divine intervention in the affairs of Nigeria.

“To the glory of God and to show us that God really loves us in this country, the former president, Goodluck Jonathan called President

•Lai Mohammed

Buhari to congratulate him even before the last result was announced.

That clearly showed that God was indeed involved in this project,” Mohammed emphasised.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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THE NATION

BUSINESS AVIATION

‘Why airlines can’t use new navigation system’ A

IRLINES are set to key into a new navigational system, the Performance Based Navigation (PBN), developed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO), the Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Abdulsalam, has said.

But, indigenous carriers will have to await clearance from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to adopt this new technology that will make flight operations seamless.

The new technology, he said, will help to reduce flight hours by pilots of indigenous carriers when approved by the NCAA. PBN, the airspace agency boss said, sets the level of accuracy, integrity and continuity that the aircraft’s navigation systems must meet for required functionality.

All components required for effective implementation of the new technology have been completed by the agency.

He said NCAA is yet to approve it

Stories by Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

for the airlines. He did not state the reason for.

Abdulsalam said: “I understand that Arik is about using the equipment, but I am not too sure about the other airlines. But Arik aircraft are equipped to use it.”

But, investigations reveal that some aircraft in the fleet of some indigenous carriers are not fitted with the required technology to migrate into the new navigation system.

He said when operational, the new air navigation would benefit the industry.

He said: “You know we have very efficient routing now that you can take direct flight routing from Lagos to wherever you are flying into or wherever you are flying from to Lagos.Those are some of the benefits of PBN, those are some of the benefits of direct routing. It is part of the things we are enjoying at the moment and we hope to even enjoy more subsequently as we move along.’’

The NAMA boss said the equipment has been installed in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, stressing that the agency’s officials are already conversant with the facilities.

“So, maintaining it will not be difficult for us.They trained on it a n d t h e y h a v e b e e n m a i n taining the other three stations; so, maintaining this one will not be a problem,” he said.

Abdulsalam further said the milestone was accomplished last month with the conduct of the Site AcceptanceTest of the new Kano Safe Tower project, as well as the Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication

(CPDLC) training.

The Safe Tower Project was conceived in 2006 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration to automate air traffic services at Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt control towers.

The project was completed in Abuja and Lagos in 2007, while that of Port Harcourt was completed in 2008. However, the completion of this project was delayed in Kano as a new control tower had to be constructed.

According to him, following the completion of the construction of the new Kano Con-

trol Tower in November, last year, NAMA mobilised AVSATEL to site for the deployment of the safe tower automated air travel management and meteorological systems last January.

He explained that shortly after AVSATEL mobilised to site, the Kano Safe Tower project suffered yet another delay as some of the equipment which have been in the warehouse since 2007, had become obsolete and had to be replaced at additional cost.

Despite all the challenges, Abdulsalam said the deployment of the system was completed with the required conduct of a site acceptance test.

‘AIB has sufficient technical staff to handle investigations’

T

HE Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) says it has enough technical staff to handle incident and accident investigations.

The spokesman of the bureau, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, told The Nation in Lagos that the agency is ready to investigate any incident or accident in the sector.

He dismissed reports that the AIB has only five technical staff for incident and accident investigation.

Besides those the management took over from the former Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIPB) in 2007, it has also trained several personnel in various aviation colleges around the world to meet the challenges in the sector.

He insisted that the new staff recruited to boost the technical department and meet its succession plan are on training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria, saying that recruitment of staff is a continuous exercise in the agency.

Oketunbi said it has about 14 technical staff, both contract and regular staff which is enough for the sector .

He noted that both regular and contract staff are full time workers of AIB producing accident reports that has been receiving commendation from within and outside the country over the years and assured that it would con-

tinue to discharge its duties with utmost professionalism it deserves.

He said: “AIB at inception in 2007 inherited from AIPB few staff, majority of who were without aviation background.To bridge the gap, experienced aviation experts, including pilots, engineers, air traffic controllers and weather specialists were quickly recruited while the staff without aviation background were sent to NCAT, Zaria for sound professional training.

“All technical staff were thereafter sent to Cranfield University in United Kingdom to be trained as professional accident investigators putting them on same footing with their counterparts in other parts of the world. The five regular technical staff have since been receiving several trainings that can positioned them to be Accident Investigator In Charge.

“The new staff recruited to boost the technical department and meet our succession plan have been put on training at NCAT, Zaria. ‘’This is a medium/long term plan. Recruiting staff is a continuous exercise in AIB. The bureau may further recruit certain categories of experienced aviation professionals to further boost the technical department and prepare us for the future exit of the contract staff.”

•From left: Group Internal Auditor, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Yosola Popoola; Chief Finance Officer, Olusola Olayinka; winner of MMA2 New Slogan competition, Temitope Bodunde and Chief Operating Officer of the firm, Adebisi Awoniyi, during the presentation of the prize in Lagos.

NATCA to govt: employ more air traffic controllers

T

HE Nigerian Air Traffic Con trollers Association ( NATCA) has urged the government to close the gap of inadequate personnel to enhance air safety.

In an interview with The Nation, its National President, Comrade Victor Eyaru, said besides recruiting more air traffic controllers, he said there was need for the government to send personnel for training abroad, adding that the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna State does not have the capacity to offer modern training in new air traffic management technology.

Eyaru said: “To say the least, more

air traffic controllers should be recruited urgently and trained to reduce the gaps already created in the interest of air safety.”

He called on the government to fix this taxiway to prevent aircraft accidents on ground and to increase the capacity of the airport.

He lamented that none of the radar facilities in the country’s airspace has backup.

According to Eyaru: ”In time of any failures or major maintenance work will leave air traffic controllers to revert to the less efficient procedural (non-radar) system of control which invariably increases traffic delay and losses to airline

Aircraft owners seek review of charges

T

HE Aircraft Owners Associa tion of Nigeria (AOAN) has called on the Federal Government to review the charges paid by its members to reduce their high cost of operations.

Aircraft owners using their equipment for private flights as opposed to business aviation or charter.

General Secretary of the association, Mohammed Joji, said the high operating cost is a challenge facing the aviation industry.

He said operators were burdened by multiple charges, which included five per cent ticket sale charge, landing and parking charge as well as passenger service charge and en-

route navigational charge.

According to him, aside these charges, airlines are also subjected to paying Value Added Tax (VAT) to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), noting that this is abnormal.

“The issue of multiple charges is a major challenge facing local airline operators, because the charges are so numerous and have significantly affected airlines operations.

“For instance, we pay five per cent charge for passenger’s ticket, which is a compulsory payment for every operator.

“For the operators to survive in the business, there is the

need for the government to harmonise some of these charges in the overall interest of the sector.

“The charges are not good for the industry as a whole, and we urge the government to find ways of addressing this issue which has become a major challenge to us,” he said.

Joji said another challenge was the high cost of aviation fuel (JET-A1), which sells at between N160 per litre and N170 per litre.

He added that the aviation fuel, whose price is cheaper than the prices of petrol and diesel, was sold at N40 per li-

tre.

According to him, the marketers have taken advantage of the deregulation of the downstream sector to reap additional proceeds, which is illegal and immoral.

The general secretary called on the government to develop a policy to stabilise aviation fuel supply and pricing, which had been of serious concern to both operators and stakeholders.

He said foreign exchange issue was another challenge bedevilling the growth of the sector, adding that every part of an aircraft, including nuts, bolts and screws, were imported

operators.Other component of the radar equipment such as Mode S has not been activated, which is meant to enhance levels of air safety.

“The association and its members will be grateful if redundancies could be procured for the radar equipment by the Federal Government as it is the global best practice. Efforts should also be geared towards activating other important components of the Radar equipment and timely completion of the ongoing AIS Automation and CPDLC projects.

“The government should not also lose sight of replacing the present Radar equipment with more modern ones before attaining its expiration,” he added.

He said about 300 controllers with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are barely 50 per cent of the number required to optimally man the airspace.

He claimed that many of these vital training are not available at NCAT. To sustain and improve on the level of air safety, the association appealed to the Federal Government to assist in facilitating trainings in areas, such as radar control, Performance Based Navigation (PBN), aeronautic search and rescue, procedure and airspace design, Safety Management Systems (SMS) and many others that are either aborted midway or have gone moribund for years.

48

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

49

e-Business

•From left: Group Chief Technology Officer, CWG Plc, Mr. James Agada; Chief Information Officer, EMP, Mr. Hany Fawzy; Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CWG Plc, Mr. Austin Okere; and Data Centre Manager, CWG, Mr. Adetoyese Oyerinde during a courtesy visit to CWG’s Corporate Head Office in Lagos.

Low e-governance index, others killing internet ecosystem, says NITDA

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HE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has identified dearth of infrastructure, low e-governance index, innovation, skill acquisition and others as factors inhibiting the growth of internet eco-system in Nigeria, promising that in conjunction with the Ministry of Communications Technology, these problems will be confronted headlong.

Its Director-General, Mr Peter Jack who spoke during the inauguration of a Knowledge Access Venue (KAV) in Government Pilot Secondary School (GPSS), Daura, Katsina State, said the establishment of KAVs is very apt even as he announced that efforts towards building a veritable and resilient knowledge based economy using ICT as an enabler has resulted in the sector’s improved contribution of about 9.58 per cent to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

He said the two schools in Katsina State were selected for the IT centre, GPSS Daura and Government Day Secondary School, Kusada, to integrate youths’ empowerment in the information technology (IT) penetration process in Nigeria.

Mr Jack said: “I am particularly delighted to be commissioning KAV in Katsina today which fits into integrating youth empowerment in the IT penetration process in Nigeria. Our

•Agency inaugurates Knowledge Access State government will make From BukolaAmusan,Venues Abuja

youths are cardinal members of the internet ecosystem; I implore users of this facility to continue to use the venue for learning and collaboration to harness positive values for our youth population. The benefits include acquisition of ICT skills, research capabilities, and entrepreneurship for youths as part of the education curriculum.”

He noted that NITDA has been in support of IT implementation in schools across the nation since its inception, saying the agency, as part of the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, has been faithful to the ideals and principles of IT usage and penetration in Nigeria, adding that it is the ministry’s mandate to ensure Nigeria and Nigerians are connected.

Earlier in his remarks, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari represented by the deputy governor, Alhaji Mannitol Yakubu, said the commissioning of the IT centres will no doubt enhance teaching and learning in secondary schools through the use of information and communication technology and education empowering initiatives.

“In line with this, the Katsina

sure that science, technical and vocational education is given much premium. The existing science and technical schools will continue to receive the needed attention required in order to meet up with the current wave of globalisation in science and technology of the 21st century. Our existing 39 computer centres, which some have full internet services, will be improved and maintained to get the best results and achieve the set objectives,” he added.

The governor said the government is aware that the world is now globally turning into a digital age, saying it is therefore inevitable for every society to focus attention on the development of science and technology, adding that his administration will through the Ministry of Education continue to organise workshops, seminars and conferences with the aim of building the capacity of teachers to deliver for optimum results in schools.

He further said the Computer Based Test (CBT) centres in the state will continue to be maintained and improved for use by candidates in writing their JAMB examinations in the state without any hitch.

He thanked NITDA for selecting Katsina State for the

•Mr. Jack

project, promising the state’s support and cooperation in all its programmes for the upliftment of the education sector in the state and the nation in general.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education in the state, Alhaji Sagir Muhammad, said KAV will facilitate digital life style in the school as well as its immediate communities.

Alhaji Muhammad urged beneficiaries of the project to share the facilities with the surrounding communities on a commercial basis to support maintenance and ensure sustainability, adding that the project will go a long way in achieving the states educational objective, in line with the current global wave of digitalisation and quest for making the world a global village.

Ambode, others for NIG confab, exhibition

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AGOS State Governor Akinwumi Ambode, will declare open, the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG’s) Annual Conference and Exhibition 2015 scheduled to hold between August 27 and 28 at Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Other Special Guests of Honour include the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the exMinister of Communication, Olawale Ige, who is also the Chairman of the NIG Board of Trustees and chair of the occasion.

Other dignitaries expected during the confab include the Executive Vice

By Modupe Elegushi

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umaru Danbatta and the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Peter Jack.

They are all expected to present the keynote address of the conference.

NIG President, Bayo Banjo in a statement, said NIG is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of internet usage in Nigeria. He said the theme for this year’s forum is Internet Penetration: the Way Forward.

Banjo said the annual forum has been in place since the inception of the group and has provided the neces-

sary platform where industry stakeholders and the public meet to discuss various topical issues and proffer solutions. He said this year’s is particularly important because of the significant moves towards the development of broadband technology to increase penetration, usage and affordability in the country.

He added that issues such as critical success factors for infrastructure provision, improved broadband penetration, appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks and political will of the government to implement right policies among others will be discussed and solutions proffered. He also said the conference will be interactive and experts from abroad and within will make presenta-

tions on the theme and subthemes of the conference respectively. The conference will also offer opportunity for corporate bodies and organisations to showcase their products and services before a quality audience that will tour the exhibition stands and informed choices made.

Banjo, said the previous editions of the NIG annual conference recorded tremendous success, adding that this year’s will not be an exception. Continuing, the President said that the conference will be rounded up with the NIG Annual General Meeting on the second day of the conference. He appreciated the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the MTN Nigeria for their continued support in our mission of promoting the Internet and usage in Nigeria.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

e-Business The Chief Executive Officer, Teledom Group, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, sees ICT as the fastest growing industry in Nigeria and Africa, though with its challenges. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI met him. Excerpts

One decade of ICT liberalisation: What impact?

O

VER one decade after telecoms sector liberalisation, how would you assess its impact?

It has been fantastic. The telecoms industry liberisation is one of the things that the whole world commends Nigeria for. Until recently, it was the fastest growing industry in the world and it is still the fastest growing industry in Africa and there is no government money in the industry.

Nigerians are productive with the liberisation of the sector. We are using it to get information.

ICT means access to knowledge; the speed and ease with which you access knowledge and the speed and ease with which you translate the acquired knowledge into boosting your productivity in whatever you are doing is what gives you a competitive advantage in any field of human endeavour you are engaged in, be it, carpentry, fashion designing, bricklaying, medicine, law or journalism. As knowledge is power,ICT knowledge empowers and boosts the productivity of those who have it.

There was competition when telecoms first came.

The 0803 line was sold for about N40,000, but now SIM card is free of charge with the free airtime you get on it. In other words, that is what competition does. This was what the private sector-driven,and liberised sector of the economy does and so, I am proud of the telecom sector. It has no government money in it and it has attracted about $40billion in terms of direct foreign investment (FDI). But there is a poor manufacturing base system of the economy which makes us to spend so much on importation. Between 80 and 90 per cent of the things we use are all imported, the money would have been saved if we have a good manufacturing base for ICT tools and apparatus, software and hard ware. The point is that we need to have good manufacturing base for ICT tools, apparatus, soft and hard ware in Nigeria.

In spite of all these, poor service quality has been an issue in the industry. Would you say that NCC has done well in the area of effective regulation?

Providing good quality service is imperative for any company. By quality of service, there are different components. Firstly, there must be continuous availability of electric power supply on a 24/ 7 basis, that is, this quality of service has components of making the service to be available.

Area boy is another issue. They go to the site to cut wire, steal diesel or generator . When the operators want to go on routine maintenance, area boys will not allow them as they restrict them and this affects their operation. Area boys could also hinder them in passing some cables or sometimes cut the cables and this leads to call drops thereby affecting the operators service delivery. Multiple taxation, from the federal, state and local government is another challenge,some area boys even levy one form tax or the other. These also an hinder service quality delivery. Telecom is a business, whatever losses the operators get would be taken back from the public. These are the challenges that operators face.

Another part of your question is regulatory. The regulator bites but the depth of the teeth into the skin of the operators is not deep. If they bite and allow the teeth to penetrate and the operators struggle before they can come out, they would stop misbehaving. In other words, the punishment meted out to non law abiding operators is far less than the consequences they cause. When they do promo, you know what that means. There is a rule, a regulatory instruction based on your infrastructure, capacity and the total number of subscribers you should bring on board. There must be a check and balance between the total number of subscribers on your network and the capacity available for traffic on your network. There are all kinds of standard which pollutes the network because the regulators are not enforcing it. We need the law to strengthen this and we must do some review of this. Access should be standard proof; all kinds of substandard that pollute the network must stop.

You have consistently spoken about the dearth of local skilled man power in the industry. What is the way forward?

We have the man power. Inadequacy is the issue and it cannot be achieved in a day; practice would make perfect. There are some companies; when they want to patronise, they have this mindset on patronising expertise from their own office, they would rather patronise experts from other countries, I don't want to mention names. Practice makes perfect, if you do not start using Nigerian expertise, how will yopu have experience, which they don't even want to give to them. These are the things we have been discussing at the telecom forum.

For you to have the right skill and expertise, first

•Dr Ekuwem

develop the skills; deploy the skills so that they can gain experience and utilise the skills you have acquired.

We need to review our curricular and courses in the Nigerian tertiary institutions to teach what are up to date in ICT industry in the world. When we employ here at Teledom, the first step is to train the intelligent people who have the background upon which we can build. When we employ from our own country we are creating employment.

Nigeria needs content policy in the ICT industry.

Some operators are complaining about structural imbalance which has produced a dominant operator that has taken virtually everything. Do you think the regulator has done enough in this regard?

This is an outcome of competition, there is no anti competition law in Nigeria and this is not good for the system, Nigeria needs anti competition law. To resolve this, the minister of telecommunications technology, vice chairman and CEO of NCC, all operators and President of ATCON, would have to come together to address and resolve the issue. I don't want to bring the president in, when the minister is appointed, they will come together and speak very objectively, not for the concern of their pocket. In the days we used to have Nigerians telecom summit, we used to have the CEO forum that composed of NCC and the CEO of telecoms companies, operators, consultants and infrastructural companies, putting heads together.

So when the CEO's gather in the hall, this can be resolved, but if you leave it is the operators alone, they would not be able to resolve it, because each

is fighting for his own interest, but when you bring CEO's of other companies who are not operators but telecom companies, they are always very objective and when you want to discuss it,every body must have understood the facts of the matter, send out the CEO's of the operators because some of these infrastructure building companies who are telecom companies are contractors to the operators, so they will not be able to speak frankly where the operators who give them business are in the hall.

Consumers face the challenge of credit or mobile data disappearance or being subscribed to what they do not need and take away their credit.

How is this to be addressed?

All still depends on the NCC to be empowered to have access to customer data base and traffic of operators the way Central Bank of Nigeria access the data base of banks to check things. The Nigerian telecom industry is due for review. The power conferred on NCC is dying, because NCC is law abiding, if it is given the power, it would be able to exercise the power it has to monitor the practises of operators and the way they treat their customers.

If ICT is fully deployed, would it have an issue on employment because most of the things that human being are to do would now be taken over

by ICT? ICT increases scope and scale of an enterprise to bring more hands to meet demand because ICT would help you to increase demand when people see your work online. The tailor, for instance, if he has a computer graphics can do more things, can use his computer create arts to bring up beautiful

‘The regulator bites but the depth of the teeth into the skin of the operators is not deep. If they bite and allow the teeth to penetrate and the operators struggle before they can come out, they would stop misbehaving. In other words, the punishment meted out to non law abiding operators is far less than the consequences they cause. When they do promo, you know what that means’

colours and put it on the website, post it on line, he has a demand of hundreds of people and he will need more hands to deliver that. So first, ICT will make you to increase scale and scope, you need more hands to meet the needs and ICT uses the process to increase quality.

When the farmer uses agro vision to plant the crop and his cassava, it boosts productivity. ICT is a pilot to show a sample, boost local appetite for scope and scale to increase because of the demand that will come.

The national broadband plan of the federal government was unveiled last year with ambitious targets. Do you see these targets being met with the level of infrastructure on ground?

Yes. We can achieve the goal with what we have on ground, it depends on NCC to drive it faster, and the better it does that, the better it would be.

We can use ICT to boost the economy. You have heard of the Broadband report, that every 10 percent increase in broad band penetration of any national economy there is a boost of about one percent increase in GDP, that is enormous. So you can imagine if we were to ensure broadband infrastructural penetration in Nigeria by 10, 20, 40 or 50 percent, with the number of subscribers in Nigeria now to be almost 135 millions. If we should have broadband infrastructural penetration of every home, every office, then there will be productivity.

When we apply ICT in education, the class room will be smart and it would be the best place to acquire knowledge. Young people of today are seen with their devices, we should therefore use these tools that attract them to make the class room smart.

The lecturers and professors should also be smart because smart work pays more than hard work.

Where there is broadband, there will be no need to physically put lecturers and students in the same class room. If there is broad band connectivity everywhere, a professor can teach all students in Nigerian universities from anywhere at the same time but this cannot be achieved years back when teaching was analogue.

With a smart classroom, you will boost teaching and learning; teaching is made easy, learning is sweet, and retention is forever. This is because what the teacher says and does in the smart classroom is recorded forever; you can receive your lectures life, have the full manuscript, video and audio of the lecture on your device.

While setting a smart class room, you give jobs to those who put the computers in place, those who fix the cables on the floor, because you have computers on each table, you give jobs to painters and those who construct the writing board.

A smart class room would also produce quality graduates who would be fantastic, world class and compete with the global world space. For you to make them that competitive, expose them to the same quality of knowledge acquisition that others have acquired in other countries.

We can also apply ICT in the health sector. ICT is crucial to the health sector. The traffic of Nigerians going to other countries of the world for medical check-up and health care costs millions of Naira; the number of Nigerians in the villages who go through long distances of rough road or terrain to move from the village to where you have the best hospital. If you have broadband between the villages and hospitals, it would be a life saving dimension without physical movement of the patient.

In the fight against Ebola, the federal minister of health and the Lagos State government were helpful but thanks to ICT, the social media that were used as a means of communication for people to know what to do and what not to do in preventing the spread.

On antenatal and postnatal care, ICT would be of help. You can receive an alert on your phone prior to your doctor's appointment.

Very soon we will have smart medical cards, like the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card which will make medical history to be known on the spot.

It is for your own good and not invasion of your privacy, because the doctor will know your data base, medical history, previous sickness, prescriptions and consultations and from there you are given the best medical advice and treatment.

Also, with the use of ICT on each patient in the hospital wards, the nurse can monitor what is happening to each patient at every time from her station. Different professors across different hospital can administer consultation to a patient through ICT. Consultation, monitoring, patient care prescription, and treatment can be made easy through ICT. You can even track patient online as he is being transferred from one hospital to the other in the ambulance. If broad band is everywhere medical treatment can be monitored online.

ICT can also be applied in agriculture, which I would call Agro vision. larger of farmers we

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

51

e-Business FEEDBACK Tips on managing data, airtime on smartphones

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OOD day sir, I would like to commend you on your e-business column that features every Tuesday in The Nation newspapers.

Great job sir. Your column, which I find very informative, is always the favourite part of the Tuesday’s paper as I am a tech enthusiast myself.

However, I observed that people complain often through your column’s Complaints Box about their smartphones, Android devices particularly consuming their data subscription and even their airtime as well as putting all the blame on their service providers. This shouldn’t always be the case.

Here is a little write-up, a sort of techtips that will help your readers reduce data usage on Android devices.

How to manage your smartphone’s data subscription Smartphones generally consume a lot of data as most of their features are internet-dependent but users can still manage to control their device data usage.

You can however control your smartphone’s data subscription by:

Turning off auto sync data • Cart pusher with a load of e-waste

Nigeria, others home to $19b globally dumped e-waste

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P to 90 per cent of global electronic or e-waste, worth nearly $19billion (£12billion), is illegally traded or dumped each year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

African and Asian countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, China, Pakistan, India, and Vietnam are turning into illegal e-waste hubs, bypassing the legitimate global waste and recycling market that is estimated to worth $410billon a year.

Computers and smart phones are among the ditched items contributing to this 41million tonne ewaste mountain, which could top 50million tonnes by 2017, UNEP says in a new report launched in Geneva.

It follows last month's UN University report, which outlined how 42million tonnes of electronic waste were thrown out last year at a cost of $52billion to the global economy.

Exporting hazardous waste from

European Union (EU) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member states to non-OECD countries is banned.

However, UNEP says thousands of tonnes of e-waste are falsely declared as second-hand goods and exported from developed to developing countries, including waste batteries falsely described as plastic or mixed metal scrap, and cathode ray tubes and computer monitors misleadingly declared as metal scrap.

UNEP warns the growing volumes of e-waste, municipal waste, food waste, discarded chemicals and counterfeit pesticides are all having significant environment and economic impacts.

Countries are also losing out on significant amounts of resources, such as rare earth metals, copper and gold, while the conditions in which the products are dumped can be extremely hazardous to health.

UNEP wants counties to strengthen national legislation and

enforcement of e-waste legislation as well as working to increase the recovery of valuable metals and other resources locked inside electronic products.

UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner, said the world is on the precipice of a tsunami with dangerous consequences for all if urgent actions are nto taken.

He said: "We are facing the onset of an unprecedented tsunami of electronic waste rolling out over the world.

"Through enhanced international cooperation and legislative coherence, stronger national regulations and enforcement, as well as greater awareness and robust prevention measures we can ensure that the illegal trade and dumping of e-waste is brought to an end.

“This will create a win-win situation, whereby rare and expensive elements are safely recycled and reused, boosting the formal economy, depriving criminals of income and reducing health risks to the public."

‘CNN African Voices stimulating continental growth’

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IGERIA's national telecommunication carrier, Globacom and the world's leading news channel, CNN International have reaffirmed commitment to promoting African growth and development through their strategic collaboration.

Top officials of the two organisations spoke on the need to promote ideas that can galvanise the continent to realise its full potentials at a cocktail for stakeholders of the television programme, CNN African Voices, sponsored by Globacom.

Vice President, Regional Adsales, Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA), CNN International, Antonio Canto, in his remarks at the event held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island on last weekt, said that as a mark of CNN's renewed commitment to Africa, it has revamped African Voices with the support of its valuable partner, Globacom.

Canto said: "We are incredibly proud of African Voices. It has been one of our flagship shows for and about the African Continent since 2009. Earlier this year, we gave the show a new look with Keturah King at the helm to uncover the

By Olatunde Odebiyi

continent's most dazzling trendsetters in the areas of travel, fashion, art, music, technology and architecture."

He said as other manifestations of CNN's commitment to Africa, the organisation now has five weekly programming strands about Africa, plus news coverage and online, mobile and social media content.

"The way people get their news is changing. Africa is changing. And CNN is here to cover and celebrate that change. We thank Globacom for helping us to fulfill that promise through its continued support for African Voices," Canto said.

Sales Director, Enterprise Glo 1, Bola Ogundogba, said the company's support for CNN African Voices stems from the fact that it is one of the few television programmes that hold a tremendous promise of profoundly impacting the continent by playing the valuable role of galvanizing and motivating the people of the continent to aspire to greatness.

"CNN International, through African Voices, celebrates the achieve-

ments of individuals who are shaping the continent of Africa through their creativity, diligence, doggedness and vision, among many other noble qualities. Aside from the inspiration they provide, these are the types of stories we need to share about Africa," she said, adding that this was why Globacom decided to offer exclusive sponsorship to African Voices since 2010.

"The programme speaks to our 'unlimited' philosophy. The stars of CNN African Voices are individuals who have weathered impossible storms and beaten all the odds to achieve excellence. This aligns with a core value of Globacom, which is the 'Never say die' attitude.

"At Globacom, we have absolute faith in the continent. We are always eager to offer our support to any initiative that adds value to the lives of Africans and contributes to the development of the continent," she said.

The night of high octane social interactions held at Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island was attended by many top officials of the two organisations and dignitaries from all walks of life including top executives of notable organisations.

Auto sync data is a feature that allows your smartphone to automatically synchronise data from your phone to your email and google accounts which in turn consumes internet data.

Auto sync can be turned off by going to settings> general> accounts and sync and then unmarking the auto sync icon.

By Ibitoye Feyisara

Turning off automatic update Turning off automatic updates of apps and switching to manual update allows you the freedom of choosing which essential apps you wish to update and saves you more data by preventing the frequent and unnecessary update of less important apps.

Restricting background data By restricting background data, you prevent background apps and services on your phone from eating your data.

So unless you open an app, it can’t use your data. Restrict background data can be turned on by going to settings>network>mobile data>options and then marking the restrict background data icon.

Data conserving apps Data monitoring and conserving apps can help you to monitor and conserve your device data usage. Some good apps such as my data manager or dataeye would do the job.

Also some browser apps consume more data than others. Recommended browsers such as operamini and uc browser minimise data usage but still offer great browsing experience.

It is however noteworthy that it is always advisable to turn off mobile data when not in use so as to conserve data and battery usage.

Feyisara, a graduate of physics and electronics awaiting the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployment, wrote from Lagos.

COMPLAINTS BOX Feyise Akeeb Kareem is my name; my number is: 08098245620 Sir, help us tell Etisalat that its data runs out too quickly. All the MNOs should be told to stop sending us unsolicited messages.

Also, assist in drawing the attention of MTN, Airtel,Etisalat and Glo to the poor coverage of their networks in Ogwashi Ukwu town, Delta State. There are areas in the town where there’s no coverage at all. This is very worrisome to the residents.

My number is 08023254106 About two months ago, I travelled to Dubai for an official engagement.

When I checked my airtime account, it was too low. I asked somebody in Nigeria to load my phone with N6,000. I am not sure if I received more than two short calls and in less than three hours, my N6,000 got depleted. Back to Nigeria, I have been loading the phone with N2,000 and N3,000 regularly and I watch my service provider ‘steal my credit’ instalmentally. My operator waits for me to buy airtime, and as soon as I do that, it gets depleted. I got the rude shock of my life when I took time out of my busy schedule to visit the Ilupeju, Lagos care centre of my MNO. A lady that attended to me was rude, and not giving a hoot about my age, she said: “From what I can see here, you have not been recharging this number. There is no truth in all your claims.” I will consider porting out of this network if my challenges are not addressed.

My phone number is 08033242256.

I always receive unsolicited text messages from my service provider . This SMS can come anytime of the day including weekends! They come through coded numbers such as 5201, 5031 ,3021 ,3031 and others. They normally command me to subscribe to one thing or the other like health tips, sports, music, wise sayings ,proverbs and all sorts of stupid distractions! I normally delete these SMS but am getting tired and frustrated ,pls ,advise them to stop all these rubbish or else I will be forced to tear their SIM card into shreds! I don't need the messages at all! There are lots of problems in this country and it is unfair that my service provider should

be adding more through numerous and high provoking and insulting unsolicited and vexatious messages!

My number is: 08165255703 Each time I buy airtime on my phone, it disappears with the speed of lightning.

Kindly use your good offices to ask my operator what has happened to my line.

My number is: 08187580759 My problem is with data. Over the past two weeks, I have spent so much on my data subscription.

I actually subscribed to a data plan that should immediately give me 2G data according to what my service provider promised.

I loaded airtime and dialled the appropriate code but to my utmost disappointment, the data ran out within four days. I don’t stream videos on Yutube, I don’t download pictures or engage in internet frivolities. This has happened to me almost thrice in recent weeks.

I have tried contacting my service provider hoping solution will come my way but no luck.

Kindly use your platform to tell my service provider to “return my stolen data.”

08035735383 is my number: My problem has to do with data.

I use a Blackberry phone and naturally I subscribe to a data bundle plan. My worry is that each time I intentionally deactivates my internet connection at the expiration of my data plan, I noticed that my service provider kept deducting my money for data usage. I am shocked that this could still be happening to me because the data icon had already been deactivated. Or does it mean that so long as one uses a smartphone, data subscription becomes automatic?

My service provider should not auto-renew my data subscription.

It is courtesy to ask if I was interested in continuing with the data bundle plan.

•Send complaints lukajanaku02@gmail.com

to

52

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 , 2015

INTERNATIONAL

e-Business

WECO Systems promotes ICT devt

D

Samsung, Apple fight over smartphone ‘floating voter’

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AMSUNG and Apple are fighting over the technology world's equivalent of the "floating voter", Samsung's President, United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland, Andy Griffiths, has said.

According to him, said customer loyalty to the two companies means most people never consider switching between Android and iOS, so the brands are actually competing for only 20 percent of customers in the UK. "There are groups of people who stick to what they like, whether that's Samsung or Apple, and then there are people in the middle that you can kind of sway, a bit like the floating voter, and that's who we're all fighting for," Griffiths told the Guardian, as Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Note 5 devices.

"We hold about two-thirds of the Android base in the UK and we have a very high level of retention. The fact is that it's a two-brand market and I think people are choosing to go both ways, so we're always going to be trading customers

between us."

Data from research firm, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, suggests that a similar situation exists in the United States (U.S), where in the past two years 20 per cent of iOS users switched to Android, and 16 per cent of Android users switched to iOS. Making these switches has become easier, with cross-syncing services helping people to take their personal information such as calendars, contacts and email accounts from one platform to another. Most popular apps are also now available on both platforms.

The battle for these "floating voters" has intensified as smartphone penetration reached saturation point in markets such as the UK and U.S, where most people who are likely to buy a smartphone already have one.

That has led to a dip in global sales for Samsung, which, like Apple, is facing up to the challenge of persuading people to upgrade to a newer handset.

"Overall saturation means a kick down in the market as it settles. Once it reaches its new rhythm people will want a better phone than last time, and that step up is what we've seen in the UK," said Griffiths.

He added that in the UK, Samsung has helped to grow the premium market - smartphones costing upwards of £400 - by more than 30 per cent since its Galaxy S6 launched in March, and expects that pattern to continue until Christmas.

A growing proportion of that premium market is made up of phablets - smartphones with screen sizes larger than 5.5in. Phablets accounted for 21 per cent of US smartphone sales in the first quarter up nearly four times year on year, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel.

Griffiths said: "The phablet category is three times bigger this year than last, and we believe there's exponential growth in that size of smartphone, with one in 10 of every smartphone sold being 5.5in or above."

ETERMINED to promote the use of information communication technology (ICT) tools in teaching/learning, systems integration firm, WECO Systems International has donated ICT equipment to selected schools in Lagos and Anambra states.

In a statement, the firm said the gesture is a demonstration of its corporate social responsibility as well as to keep alive, the memory of its late founding CEO, Uchenna Obidike.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Obinna Ekwonwa, said: "Weco Systems International's commitment towards capacity development and nation building is unwavering and this has made the donations to selected primary schools in remote areas of Lagos and Anambra states necessary. We have discovered that the pupils and students in remote areas seem to be left behind in the area of ICT development as they hardly have access to ICT equipment. We therefore decided to consider the students at the grassroots in order to give every child an opportunity to develop and globally compete with their counter parts in this digital age."

He recalled that the firm's late founding father loved to encourage and empower young people especially the less privileged by investing in their lives to make a difference.

Receiving the ICT equipment for selected primary schools in Eredo Local Development Area (LCDA) in Epe, Lagos State, the Aladeshonyin of Odo Noforija Kingdom, Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja expressed gratitude to Weco Systems. He said: "The en-

StarTimes, SES partner over DTH content distribution SES Platform Services has announced that the fastestgrowing digital TV operator in Africa, StarTimes will distribute TV channels for its direct-tohome (DTH) subscribers across sub-Saharan Africa via SES Platform Services' broadcast facility in Germany.

Under the new multi-year agreement, SES Platform Ser-

Huawei mulls P8, mobile wearable devices for Nigeria

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EADING global original equipment manufacturer, Huawei, said it is set to showcase its new flagship smartphone, the Huawei P8 and Talkband 2 wearable devices in Nigeria.

With the outstanding success of the Huawei Mate 7 smartphone which was launched globally in last year, the Chinese information communication technology (ICT) giant is top on chart of world's best and premium smart device.

The new Huawei P8 smartphone was first launched in April this year in London as the new flagship high end range - Huawei P8, Huawei P8lite and Huawei P8 Max. The firm said Nigeria is no doubt the biggest phone market in Africa, adding that it is set to introduce the new flagship smartphone to the market tomorrow.

Its Senior Marketing Manager Huawei Consumer Business Group, Nigeria, Mr. Olaonipekun Okunowo, said the firm is set to bring its range of superior smartphones, tested and trusted internationally into the Nigerian market He said: "As the global top three smartphone brand in the market today and with high pedigree in

the mobile device market globally, we are set to replicate same market leadership stance in Nigeria with the introduction of our top end smartphone device, the Huawei P8 and mobile wearable Talkband 2."

According to him, the brand's vision is "Dreams Inspire Creativity," noting that the P series is recognised for its minimalist aesthetics including: a flat screen, frameless front and pure back design. Similar to the screen, the camera lens has a flat surface. All of the design details are based on the minimalist feel of its simple form. To enhance comfort and elegance, the phone's curves were inspired by the spine of hardcover books, providing users a more comfortable feel when holding the phone.

He explained that continuing the minimalist design of previous generations in the P series, the Huawei P8 embodies the ultimate in elegance, craftsmanship and durability, stressing that highlights include of the new device include the nano-injection molding process which results in an industry-leading seamless tight junction connecting a 1.5mm thin plastic bar with one of the industry's largest screens; its 6.4mm thin, with dual SIM

cards, that works seamlessly with a 4G network (where the service is available); its triple-layer sharkgill design enhances the reliability and robustness of the device; and inside, its new Kirin 930 64bit Octa-Core chipset boosts performance by approximately 20 per cent compared with other phones with similar levels of battery life.

In a statement, the firm explained that the Huawei TalkBand B2 is the perfect combination of bluetooth headset and health tracker, adding that it also showcases a more business-like professional design, and has smarter fitness tracking functionalities with higher accuracy, and enhanced synchronisation with mobile devices.

Inheriting a more superior bluetooth connectivity than its predecessor, the TalkBand B2 is not only a convenient health management device, but also the perfect combination of bluetooth headset and sports bracelet.

Equipped with an advanced 6axis sensor, TalkBand B2's smart detection can automatically identify and record motions accurately, detect the duration of deep sleep and light sleep, and provide consumers with health tips on sleep pattern.

"The perfect companion to consumers' mobile devices, TalkBand

By Olatunde Odebiyi

tire members of Oba in Council wishes to appreciate the gestures of your organisation towards the educational development in Lagos State and my communities by donating computers and accessories to selected primary schools in which my domain happened to be one of the beneficiaries. I say more power to your elbow."

Receiving the ICT equipments in Anambra State, its Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha represented by Mrs. Adaobi Okonkwo expressed gratitude on behalf of the commissioner and the entire state to the firm. "This donation is timely as the present administration is passionate about ICT development of the state, especially the teachers who are saddled with the responsibility of transferring knowledge to their students. It's quite encouraging seeing that Weco Systems has aligned with this passion by donating the ICT equipment to selected schools in the state."

The beneficiary schools in Eredo LCDA, Epe in Lagos State are Government Demonstration Primary School, U.P.E Primary School Imokun and RCM Primary School Noforija while in Anambra State, Central Primary School Umueri Otuocha, Enu Obodo Central School Umueri, Patrick Okolo Memorial School Onitsha, Eri Primary School Aguleri, St. Augustine International Primary School Umuoba Anam, Oraike Primary School Ukwala Anambra West, St. Mary's Primary School Nneobi, Ogidiga Primary School Ifite Ogwari, Bright Primary School Awkuzu and State Primary School Nteje benefitted from the gesture.

B2 is equipped with dual-microphone, noise reduction technology and quality bluetooth connectivity. It also includes smart detection to understand whether the bluetooth earpiece is on the wristband or not, allowing it to automatically push audio (music/call) to the smartphone or B2 bracelet.

TalkBand B2 is also equipped with a pager to locate your smartphone, through vibration or ring tone alerts.

"Designed with fashion in mind by the Huawei Aesthetics Centre team in Paris, the minimalistic design of Huawei TalkBand B2 embraces simplicity. The metal bracket of TalkBand B2 is made of high strength, light weight aviation aluminum. With an intuitive and user-friendly HD touch screen, TalkBand B2 comes in two watchband styles, the environmentally professional TPU material or the luxurious leather, which caters to different occasions," Huawei explained.

TalkBand B2 has superb battery performance allowing it to operate up to five days, support continuous call time up to six hours, and 12 days' standby time.

TalkBand B2 supports devices with Android 4.0 operating system and iPhones with IOS7.0 or above and will come in three colors, black, silver and gold.

vices will be providing signal turnaround, video processing, and unlinking services for StarTimes' SD and HD channels. StarTimes has more than five million DTT and DTH subscribers across 16 countries in Africa and currently provides English-language TV content to viewers across the region via the SES-5 satellite located at five degrees east.

StarTimes Group Chairman and President, Pang Xinxing said: "We want TV audiences in Africa to perceive StarTimes as a reliable DTH platform operator broadcasting engaging content at competitive rates to its subscribers. We are confident that SES and SES Platform Services have the space and ground infrastructure and the expertise to help us grow our TV business by delivering a wider range of attractive offerings across the continent," StarTimes has been a major market player in Nigeria and has extended its partnership with SES on the SES-5 satellite to provide an enhanced TV viewing experience for its subscribers in Nigeria by providing better picture quality content and more TV channels on its DTH package.

Commenting on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer of SES Platform Services, Wilfried Urner, said: "The new contract reiterates StarTimes' utmost confidence in SES's and SES Platform Services' capabilities to provide both space and ground segment services to grow their business in Sub-Saharan Africa. We are proud to be a valued partner of StarTimes, supporting their growth ambitions in new African markets."

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

54

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-08-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-08-15

379 investors lose N1.69b

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HE board of trustees of the Investors’ Protection Fund (IPF) of the N igerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday said that a total of 379 investors that were verified by the board claimed they lost N1.69 billion, but the board has only approved payment of N40.63 million as compensations to 154 claimants.

The rules guiding the IPF caps maximum compensation at N400,000. Out of the 154 claimants, 81 would be paid full value of the loss of their investment while 73 will receive below full value of the loss of their investment. A total of 78 claimants will receive exactly the maximum compensation of N400,000 including some with full value of loss and others with losses above the compensation.

According to the IPF, the highest claim before the fund was N185 million while the lowest claim was N1,400.

The NSE’s IPF currently has N872 million total net assets.

Vice chairman, board of trustees, Investors’ Protection Fund (IPF), Mr. Fubara Anga, yesterday announced payment of compensations to first batch of investors that

•154 get N40.63m compensation •Investors’ Protection Fund hits N872m

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

had suffered pecuniary losses from infractions by stockbroking firms.

He noted that the commencement of the payment of compensations marked a major turning point for the Fund pointing out that the fund had gone through a long, rigorous and transparent process and had worked in line with global best practices in reaching decisions on various issues regarding the IPF. “It’s a modest beginning, but it’s a beginning and I believe that it’s something that will snowball into something bigger,” Anga said.

He added that while most of the claims by minority retail investors have fallen below the maximum compensation of N400, 000, investors that suffered higher losses could still pursue their rights to justice and redress through all available legal enforcement channels.

In his remarks, chief executive officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar

Onyema said the IPF shows the commitment of the NSE to continuous development of initiatives that will bolster confidence in the capital market.

“Though the compensation payment may not be a complete restoration, it is a show of good faith on our part to investors. I thank the board of trustees for their guidance and commitment, the claimants for their valuable patience, and all other stakeholders for their contributions towards the success of this exercise,” Onyema, who also sits on the IPF, said.

The IPF is a statutory fund established pursuant to Part XIV, Section 197 of the Investment and Securities Act 2007 (ISA) to compensate investors who suffer pecuniary loss arising from the revocation or cancellation of the registration of a dealing member firm by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), insolvency and bankruptcy or negligence of a dealing member firm of the Exchange.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 17-08-15

55

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

MONEYLINK

AfDB, AccessBank Liberia in financial inclusion deal

T

HE African Development Bank (AfDB) and AccessBank Liberia Limited (ABL) have signed a technical assistance partnership pact expected to enhance ABL’s reach to Liberian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The agreement is supported by a grant from the Fund for Africa Private Sector Assistance (FAPA).

The AfDB said that while there are around 10,000 formally registered SMEs operating in Liberia, many businesses continue to operate informally.

“Liberia’s MSMEs face a number of constraints to profitability and growth including a lack of access to finance. Without such finance, these firms face significant difficulties to expand and enhance their operations, which would allow them to employ more individuals and contribute towards Liberia’s development and growth,” AfDB said.

•Fitch affirms AfDB at ‘AAA’, outlook stable

finance as an essential point of development for Liberia and its citizens and will continue to strive towards making banking services available to all members of society.”

The partnership with ABL falls under the AfDB’s overall Financial Sector Development Strategy 2014 to 2019, which focuses on accelerating Africa’s transformation.

The strategy seeks to expand access to basic financial services; provide financial products and services to support the gradual transition to green growth of the real economy; improve financial infrastructure; enhance regional financial integration; enrich corporate governance; focus on entrepreneurship and innovation to foster private sector development; and build financial skills.

FAPA is a multi-donor thematic trust fund that provides grant funding for technical assistance and capacity building to support implementa-

Stories by Collins Nweze

Resident Representative of AfDB in Liberia, Ms. Margaret Kilo, said: “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Access Bank Liberia, which helps address the challenges MSME faces in accessing finance. Access Bank provides loans and banking services that help develop a vibrant private sector and increase incomes and employment.”

The acting CEO of AccessBank Liberia, Dusko Dimitrov, said: “AccessBank Liberia would like to extend its deepest gratitude for AfDB’s ongoing support of AccessBank and the MSME sector in Liberia. These funds will allow the Bank to extend its outreach as the only dedicated MSME lender in the country. AccessBank sees access to

Stanbic IBTC, PAN partner on vehicle finance

S

TANBIC IBTC Bank and PAN Nigeria Limited, makers of the Peugeot brand of vehicles, have signed a Finance Lease Agreement that would enable the bank’s customers buy cars and spread the payment over several months.

The lender explained that agreement, signed at the weekend, would redefine vehicle financing and acquisition in the country as well as empower Nigerians to own new vehicles.

Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC, Obinnia Abajue, said the pact, will allow a seamless and convenient acquisition of Peugeot range of products by customers.

“Under the scheme, applicants are expected to make an equity

tomers as well as interested Nigerians have access to vehicles of their choice at a competitive rate and convenient payment terms.

The Managing Director of PAN Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi said Stanbic IBTC’s pedigree in asset financing made it a choice for the partnership. According to him, the decision to partner the lender was both strategic and deliberate because of the shared qualities of innovation, service delivery and market leadership.

“The collaboration between PAN Nigeria Limited and Stanbic IBTC is a very strategic one. Both brands are customer-centric, have strong operational values for partnership, growth and sustainability and both are leaders in their industries,” Boyi said.

contribution starting from as low as 10 per cent of the total value of the vehicle to be leased, and payment period can last for as long as 60 months or five years,” he said.

“Other benefits of the Finance Lease Agreement, according to Stanbic IBTC Bank, include tax reduction, competitive interest rates, comprehensive insurance policy at lower rates, low equity contribution, among others”.

Abajue said the bank is honoured to partner with Peugeot adding that the product quality was an important consideration in the bank’s choice of PAN Nigeria Limited.

He assured that the lender will continue to identify opportunities to provide financial solutions that meet the needs of customers. The agreement will ensure that cus-

tion of the Bank’s Private Sector Development Strategy. The Governments of Japan and Austria and the African Development Bank are active contributors to the fund, which to date has provided over 46 Million to 57 projects in 38 countries across the African continent.

The FAPA portfolio includes regional and national projects aimed at improving the business environment, strengthening financial systems, building private sector infrastructure, promotion of trade and development of Micro, Small and Medium enterprise.

Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings has affirmed the AfDB’s Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR)’s at ‘AAA’ with a Stable Outlook. The Short-term IDR has been affirmed at ‘F1+’. The ratings are underpinned by strong

•AfDB President Donald Kaberuka

support from AfDB’s shareholders and by the Bank’s intrinsic strengths, in particular its solid capitalisation, high liquidity and conservative risk management policies.

UBA’s promo takes 20 customers to Dubai

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HE United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc will take 20 of its customers and non-customers who receive MoneyGram and Western Union money transfers at the bank to Dubai under its ongoing Remittance Awoof Promo.

Now in its first season, the promo will give 20 people the opportunity to go on an all-expense paid trip to Dubai while 60 others will win interesting prizes such as generator sets, water dispensers and rechargeable fans. This offer is ongoing and will end on September 14, this year.

Speaking on the UBA Remittance Awoof promo, Group Executive Personal Banking, Oliver Alawuba, said the lender enjoins its existing customers and new ones to take advantage of the promo by receiving their money transfers through UBA.

“This is a great opportunity for customers and even non-customers to receive their funds through UBA and at the same time win something great. No customer should miss out on this opportunity. There is no minimum or maximum amount to receive in order to qualify for any of the prizes on offer. Just walk into any of our business offices all over Nigeria to receive your money, and you could be the lucky winner of an all expense paid trip to Dubai or any of the other fantastic prizes on offer,” Alawuba said.

He explained that UBA is a leading player in the Remittance segment, offering money transfer services through MoneyGram, Western Union and AfriCash. Millions of the bank’s customers rely on the UBA extensive network across Africa for transfers across the continent.

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FIDELITY NIG FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

126.04 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,744.73 1,104.77 112.34 121.16 1.67 1.2457 1.3572 0.7762 1.1739

125.82 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,744.73 1,104.00 111.75 120.30 1.62 1.2393 1.3572 0.7637 1.1739

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

CHANGE

TRANSCORP

2.57

2.69

0.12

NEM

0.63

0.65

0.02

215.00

219.98

0.02

16.08

16.45

0.37

UNITYBANK

1.77

1.80

0.03

UBA

3.38

3.40

0.02

DANGSUGAR

6.00

6.01

0.01

FO ZENITHBANK

LOSERS AS AT 17-08-15

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

EVANSMED FCMB ACCESS DANGCEM GLAXOSMITH SEPLAT STANBIC CADB URY FLOURMILL IKEJAHOTEL ETI

0.92 2.47 4.35 180.50 40.00 285.00 19.87 33.30 28.03 3.66 19.62

C/PRICE 0.81 2.26 4.10 171.48 38.00 270.75 18.88 31.64 26.64 3.48 18.66

Inflation:April

8.5%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

CHANGE -0.08 -0.21 -0.25 -9.02 -2.00 -14.25 -0.99 -1.66 -1.39 -0.18 -0.96

FOREX RATES (NairaVs Dollar) May 28, 2015 Interbank ($/N)

199.00

$1

Black Market ($/N)

215.00

$1

$28.2b

London Inter-bank Offered Rates (LIBOR) Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$67.91

Money Supply (M2)

GAINERS AS AT 17-08-15

SYMBOL

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

Tenor

16.5%

12-02-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 13-02-15

Overnight (O/N)

14.683

76.583

1M

15.033

15.977

3M

15.809

17.177

6M

16.493

17.908

Tenor 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 6 Months 12 Months

May 27

May 28

Rate)%

Rate (%)

0.1735 0.2147 0.2615 0.3841 0.6709

0.1715 0.2108 0.2626 0.3857 0.6744

Nigerian Stock Market Indices 27 May Statistics 5 May All Share Index 34,649.3 29,383.93 Mkt Cap (NGN’bn) 11.8 9,804.36 Deals 3,385 3,714 Volume (mn) 564,28 377,75 Value (NGN’mn) 6,087.80 6,568.66 GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Transaction Dates 03/02/2015 3/12/2014 1/12/2014

Save as News 10 Bus. page Ronke Folder18.08.15

Amount Offered in ($) 500m

Amount Sold in ($) 499.93m

400m 350m

399.97m 349.96m

Tenor

Feb. 13, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

12.44

T-bills - 182

13.85

T-bills - 364

13.92

Bond - 3yrs

15.92

Bond - 5yrs

17.22

Bond - 7yrs

16.59

56

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

NEWS Abia lawmaker calls for salary increase From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

THE lawmaker representing Arochukwu-Ohafia in Abia State in the National Assembly, Uko Nkole, has said it is unfair for anyone to agitate for a pay cut for federal legislators.

He said those calling for the reduction of their salary and emoluments were not aware of the work of the lawmakers.

Nkole said rather than call for a salary slash, the people should advocate increased funding of the National Assembly to enable the legislators perform well.

The lawmaker urged the people to monitor and hold their representatives accountable for funds voted for projects.

He said the media should seek to know what the President’s security vote was, as well as his other sundry allowances instead of looking into the salary of lawmakers.

‘Why crime persists’ From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

POOR value system, poor child-upbringing, lack of transparency and accountability have been identified as the major causes of crime.

Programme Officer of Cleen Foundation, a NonGovernmental Organisation, Ifeanyi Anyanwu, spoke yesterday in Abakaliki at a workshop organised in collaboration with Agape Foundation, for rural dwellers.

He lamented the drop in value system, a situation, which, according to him, celebrates negativity rather than rebuking it.

“Society has failed us; people are respected because of their material possessions rather than age and what they can offer the society,” Anyanwu said.

He described lack of transparency and accountability as the pillar of corruption and called for a change of attitude to ensure a better Nigeria.

Lady Gibah for burial THE remains of Lady Lucy Omotse Gibah will be buried on Saturday, August 22. A wake will hold on Friday, August 21, at Sir A. P. Gibah’s compound on Mike Akhigbe way, G.R.A. Fugar, by 4pm. The funeral service will hold, August 22 at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Fugar.

Internment follows at her home - Sir A. P. Gibah’s compound, Fugar.

She is survived by her husband, Sir Augustine Palmer Gibah, children and grand-children, including Mrs. Felicitas Omoh Momoh

•The late Lady Lucy

•The ‘Young Shall Grow’ group of Christ Apostolic Church, Mount of Joy, Kugbo, presenting a special song at the church’s third year children anniversary in PHOTO: NAN Abuja ...at the weekend

T

HE Anambra State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Willie Obiano of abandoning projects initiated by his predecessor, Peter Obi. After its meeting yesterday, State Chairman Prince Ken Emeakayi called on Obiano to tell the people the local government allocations he had received since becoming governor.

The party alleged that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secretariat was being built with state money.

In an open letter to Obiano, the party alleged that the governor was planning to appoint caretaker transi-

PDP battles Obiano for abandoning Obi’s projects From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

tion committees after the expiration of the tenures of council chairmen and councillors.

The party requested Obiano to direct the State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) to conduct a by-election into the Office of Chairman of Ihiala in line withthe court’s decision.

PDP said: “We demand to know the contract sum of the

overhead bridge and flyover under construction at Awka.

“May it please our governor to make public, the source of funding of the APGA secretariat situated on a vast government land.

“The governor is also requested to direct ANSIEC to announce the date for the next local government elections, which ought to hold before the January 2016 expiration of the present tenure.

“We hope and believe that

you will address the issues to reassure the people that we have an accountable government.”

The party has appointed John Okigbo from Ojoto in Idemili South as the new secretary, following Chief JoeMartins Uzodike’s decline.

The party ratified the suspension of some chieftains, including its governorship candidate in the 2013 election, Comrade Tony Nwoye, and Prince Osy Ezenwa, among others.

Govt assures angry residents of fixing bad road

Y

OUTHS from Umuapu and Umuagwo communities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, at the weekend, barricaded the Port Harcourt/Owerri road to protest the bad condition of the road.

They said the abandoned road, which was awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), was devastated by erosion, which cut it into two, thus

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

isolating the communities from others.

Youth leader Mr. Festus Chukwu said since the construction firm abandoned the road, people had died as a result of accidents.

According to him, they blocked the road to attract the relevant authorities, as all entreaties had been ignored.

Blackout: Protesting youths vandalise EEDC vehicles

Y

OUTHS in Afikpo, Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, are protesting blackout in the town.

They said the town had been in darkness in the last seven months.

Three vehicles belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) was vandalised by youths, who barricaded entry and exit points.

Banks and markets were shut following the protest, which paralysed movement.

A resident, Egwu Idam, said youths besieged the distribution company as early as 7am, sacked the workers and vandalised three company’s vehicles.

“For over seven months,

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

we’ve not had light and we have been paying bills. We told the EEDC workers to stop bringing bills since they don’t give us light but they won’t listen.

“Today, we decided to stop these. We want the right thing to be done. Its either they give us power or they stop bringing bills because we cannot continue to pay for what we don’t consume,” Idam said.

Police spokesman Chris Anyanwu, who confirmed the incident, condemned the youth’s action.

He said the area commander and his team had been directed to calm the situation.

He called on the government to prevail on the NDDC and its contractors to rectify the failed portions of the road and complete the project to prevent further demonstrations.

The state government has assured the people that the failed portion of the road would be rectified soon.

Addressing the protesters, Deputy Chief of Staff, Gov-

ernment House, Kingsley Uju, regretted that the NDDC abandoned the work at Umuapu, resulting in the cutting of the road into two.

Uju lamented that business had come to a halt because of the bad road but he assured the protesting youth that he would lead them on a protest if by next week, the NDDC and its contractor failed to act.

Police rescue driver from kidnappers From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

T

HE Abia State police command has rescued a driver attached to the the Chief of Staff, Udo Nwachukwu, from kidnappers.

According to police spokesman Ezekiel Onyeke, Nwachukwu was kidnapped last week at Umezerolo, Umuana Ndume, while washing his car.

Onyeke said the gunmen locked Nwachukwu in the boot of their car and took the car he was washing.

“The gunmen came in a green Toyota Camry, locked Nwachukwu in the boot while another member of the gang drove his Toyota Hilux van registered as ABSG506.

“A neighbour alerted us and we chased the hoodlums and, on Ikwuano road, they abandoned their victim and his car at different locations.

“Efforts are on to arrest the hoodlums and I can assure you they will not escape,” he said.

Onyeke appealed to the public to come up with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the criminals.

Gunmen kill Catholic priest in Imo

A

CATHOLIC priest and lecturer at the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Rev. Dennis Osuagwu, was at the weekend killed in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The priest, a member of the Claretian Missionaries Eastern Province, was said to be heading for St Mark’s

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

Catholic Chaplaincy at Obinze Barracks, where he was the chaplain, to conduct the day’s mass.

According to eye witnesses, the assailants waylaid him at Avu junction on the Port Harcourt/Owerri Road, dragged him out of his car and shot him in the chest.

He died immediately.

The management of the Imo State Polytechnic confirmed the incident.

Police spokesman Andrew Enwerem confirmed the incident.

“We are investigating the murder and the body has been deposited in the morgue for autopsy,” he said.

Adedoyin is OAAN’s chief

C

HIEF Executive Officer, Media View Limited Mr Babatunde Idowu Adedoyin is the new president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN).

He was elected at the association’s 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Amuwo Odofin, polling 47

votes to beat Mr. Ladi Sole of Uniksites, who got 11 votes.

Others elected are Mr. Emmanuel Ajufo (General Secretary), Femi Ogala (Treasurer), Atilola Williams (Publicity Secretary), Obi Nnaobi and Mr. Tunde Oyekan (Assistant General Secretary). The Ex Officio members are Modupe

Lawuyi, Bidwell Okere, and Churchill Nwagwu.

Mr. Adedoyin attended Middlesex Polytechnic (now Middlesex University), Hendon, London, where he obtained a Higher National Certificate in Marketing Communication in 1980.

He established Media View in 1995.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

57

NEWS Kano to maximise use of IGR From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

K

ANO State government has set machinery in motion to capitalise on its revenue potential for socio–economic progress, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has said.

The governor, who received the Corps Marshall and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, said his administration was studying the report of experts set up to advise it on revenue generation.

He said following increasing demand for infrastructural development and social services, and against the backdrop of dwindling federal allocation, the government must rise up to the challenge of sourcing funds internally.

Dr. Ganduje said his administration was interested in the maximisation of accruable revenue from number plates and drivers’ licences, assuring that his government would participate in the proposed partnership with the FRSC. Oyeyemi said he came to tell the governor how his administration would generate additional revenue through the enforcement of drivers’ licences and number plates.

He said while 74 per cent of Lagos State motorists had drivers’ licence, only seven per cent of drivers in Kano had it, adding that a state with the highest population could generate more revenue than Lagos if it maximised the process through partnership with the FRSC. Oyeyemi pledged the readiness of the commission to train officials of the Kano State Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) to increase their efficiency.

No rift with Toyin Saraki, says Ahmed’s wife

T

HE wife of the Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, has described The Nation’s report of a rift between her and Mrs. Toyin Saraki, her predecessor and wife of Senate President Bukola Saraki, as false.

She said the claim only existed in the reporter’s imagination.

Mrs. Ahmed, in a statement in Ilorin yesterday, said she enjoyed a close and warm relationship with Mrs. Saraki dating back to her husband, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s days as a commissioner in the Dr. Saraki administration.

She said the relationship became stronger over the years, stressing that “Mrs. Saraki is a friend and a sister, who has remained supportive over the years.”

Mrs. Ahmed said not only was her relationship with Mrs. Saraki solid and devoid of rivalry, it continued to wax strong, based on a long friendship, mutual respect and a shared commitment to improve the welfare of children, women, families and the less-privileged in Kwara State.

Flood destroys 150 houses in Gombe

M

ANY people were rendered homeless as flood destroyed about 150 houses at Wuro/Dole village in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.

The District Head of Wuro /Dole, Malam Husaini Isiaku, told reporters yesterday that the incident occurred about 3am on Sunday, following a downpour.

•Scores rendered homeless

By Vincent Ohonbamu, Gombe

He said those displaced were evacuated to primary schools.

Isiaku said the member representing Akko North (the affected constituency) in the House of Assembly, Malam Musa Mohammed,

visited the scene and donated 20 bags of maize to the victims.

He said the lawmaker assured them he would present the matter on the floor of the House.

The district head said they were yet to receive assistance from the government and solicited its support and that of

donor agencies.

The Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Gombe Operations Office, Malam Saidu Minin, who was contacted on the phone, said they did not receive any information from the State Emergency Management Agency.

He added: “I assure you, we will not hesitate to render the necessary assistance if they bring the matter before us.”

Idris visits Wada at Govt House From James Azania, Lokoja

E

X-Kogi State Governor Ibrahim Idris yesterday led a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elders to visit his successor, Governor Idris Wada, at the Government House, Lokoja.

This dispelled the rumour of a rift between them.

Idris hailed Wada for performing, saying they had resolved to give him the ticket for a second term.

He said machinery would be put in place for power shift in 2019.

“Governor Wada will be supported to win the November 21 poll.

“We have learnt our lessons from the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Our performance in the House of Assembly election shows that we can make the difference with determination,” the former governor said.

Those at the meeting included the ex-Deputy Governor, Chief Patrick Adava, Gen. Salihu Ibrahim (rtd), Prince Olusola Akanmode, former Secretary to the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Musa Amadu, Mr. Timothy Omara and Usman Bello.

Wada and Idris later held a closed meeting.

DPR shuts six Sokoto stations From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto •Governor El-Rufai addressing the protesters in Kaduna...yesterday

PHOTO: NAN

Protesters back El-Rufai’s demolition

P

ROTESTERS yesterday marched on the Kaduna State Government House, supporting Governor Nasir El-Rufai for demolishing illegal structures on public school land.

The governor said those with genuine allocation papers would be compensated.

El-Rufai, who came out of the maiden Executive Council (exco) meeting to address the protesters, said only those with genuine certificate of occupancy (Cof O) and

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

approved papers would be compensated.

The protesting groups included the Kaduna State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), market associations and students.

The governor, who spoke in Hausa language, said: “Those who built their houses close to classrooms or hospitals, no

matter how much it will cost us, we will compensate them to get back our land.”

He said his administration would not compensate owners of houses built on unauthorised land.

El-Rufai spoke on why he began the recovery of government land at the Alhudahuda College.

He said most of the land owners did not have certificates of ownership.

“We are recovering pub-

lic schools’ and hospitals’ land for the benefit of our children and grandchildren.

“Our schools and hospitals were built to benefit the lessprivileged.

Therefore, we will not allow selfish individuals to take over these plots.

“We began the demolition at Alhudahuda College because the majority of those who built houses on the college premises did not have papers. So their houses were demolished.”

Suspected kidnappers abduct don

S

USPECTED kidnappers last Friday abducted Dr. Joseph Orsar of the University of Agriculture (UAM), Makurdi.

He was taken to an unknown destination.

Orsar, a lecturer at the Department of Wild Life and Range Management, The Nation learnt, was kidnapped

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

about 5 pm at his home at the Federal Housing Estate, North Bank, Makurdi.

The Acting Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UAM chapter, Dr. Bemgba Anijembe, said the abductors contacted the victim’s fami-

ly and demanded N30 million ransom.

He said while the family was making arrangements to ensure his release, Orsar escaped to Gbagyo village in Guma Local Government and contacted the Head of Nnanev, Zaki Orkpe Gbagyo, who later informed Dr. J.K. Ikya of the Department of Food, Sci-

ence and Technology, UAM. The ASUU chairman said Ikya got in touch with the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Kutcha, who mobilised security men to rescue Dr. Orsar.

Police spokesman Matthew Oku confirmed the incident.

He said investigation was ongoing.

IBB marks 74 with prayers

F

ORMER Military President Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida yesterday celebrated a low-keyed 74th birthday with a 40-minute prayer session.

It was led by the Chief Imam of Minna, Sheik Ibrahim Fari and other clerics.

The prayer was conducted in the living room of his Hilltop home in Minna, the Niger State capital.

Members of Babangida’s family in attendance included his only sister, Hajiya Gambo, his nephew, Alhaji Datijo Ali-

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

yu and children, Mohammed, Aminu and Halimat.

The clerics prayed for the good health of the former military leader and his family.

They also prayed for the progress and unity of the country as well as peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

Babangida, who was elated, appreciated the support he enjoyed from the people over the years.

A source in the family said the low-keyed celebration was in conformity with the family tradition of celebrating the former military president’s birthday with special prayers.

Present at the event were former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Borno State ex-Military Governor Col. Abdumiminu Aminu, Justice Musa Dattijo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko, Alhaji Hassan Mohammed Jallo, Alhaji Husseni Jallo and Alhaji Umar Ndanusa.

•Gen. Babangida

Others included Prof. Jonathan Ndagi, Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Publicity, Kazeem Afegbua, the Federal University of Technology, Minna community led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Musibau Akanji and others.

T

HE Sokoto Office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday sealed six petrol stations in the Sokoto metropolis.

One of the sealed stations belongs to a major marketing company. The remaining are owned by independent marketers.

The Operations Controller of the Sokoto Field Office of the DPR, comprising Sokoto and Kebbi states, Mr. Umar Moriki, who led the raid, told reporters that the filling stations were shut for selling above the approved pump price, hoarding and other offences.

Emir of Misau dies at 81 From Austine Tsenzughul Bauchi

T

HE Emir of Misau, Alhajo Muhammadu Manga 111, one of the six first-class chiefs in Bauchi State, is dead.

He died in his palace in Misau after a protracted illness.

He was 81.

The Emir of Misau in Misau Local Government died yesterday morning and was buried in the evening in Misau according to Islamic rites.

The deceased held the national honour of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

He was installed as the 10th Emir of the Misau Emirate Council in October 1979 and was upgraded as a first-class chief on July 31, 1982.

He is survived by four wives, 27 children and over 100 grandchildren.

Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar, his deputy, Nuhu Gidado, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Kauwa Damina, top government functionaries, politicians and sympathisers witnessed the burial.

58

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

NEWS Buhari: no pressure will derail our war Continued from page 4

solidarity of Nigerians as his administration works to correct the wrongs of the past.

The Nigerians March Against Corruption group led by Aisha Yesufu had condemned recent statements by some individuals against the President’s anti-corruption posture.

They assured the President that the vast majority of ordinary Nigerians fully sup-

ported his ongoing efforts to curb corruption and urged him not to be deterred by the antics of those who do not share in his laudable vision of a fairer, more equitable, corruption-free and progressive nation.

Among the inscriptions on the placards displayed by the protesters include: ”I voted Buhari to fight corruption” and “NASS, epitome of corruption”.

200 electoral offenders convicted, says INEC chief Continued from page 4

“ For Bayelsa, we have to go back to the government for the budget. Nonetheless, we have started preparation; we had preliminary meeting with the RECs last Wednesday to discuss modalities for Continuous Voters Registration (CVR). We have a work plan for the CVR, so we want to start early, then we would have a work plan for the elections.

“We should soon get approval for Kogi, we would get a memo for Kogi and budget for Kogi but for Bayelsa, we have to go back to government because we had anticipated Bayelsa to be in next year’s budget but due to the timelines approved in the constitution, it’s better to prosecute the two elections this year. Next year, we take

Ondo and Edo , so that we can have a paced process, so we don’t get inundated with too many elections like we did between 2011 and 2015.

“We want to tidy up and ensure seamless delivery of credible elections to Nigerians. The processes have started; we are comfortable. The Resident Electoral Commissioners( RECs) are already doing what they need to do at a lower level. “ I have told the staff, there are soft issues you can do without money. You can begin preparations without money and while you are waiting for the core issues, but you can begin with soft preparations and this is the example of what we are doing. In fact, our timelines have not been derailed for any reason.”

Police arrest 30 over suspected cult clashes in Kwara Continued from page 4

end. Another victim was reportedly killed at Asa Dam Road area of the town by suspected members of the Eiye confraternity.

An eyewitness account said the death triggered reprisals and a renewed clash among members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities, adding that it later spread to other parts of the metropolis, including: Agbooba, Baboko, Sabonline, Irewolede and Niger Road.

A resident of Niger Road said: “It all started around 4pm at the weekend. A vic-

Continued from page 4

tively secure our country; provide employment through revamping the economy and wage a relentless war against corruption. I intend to keep faith with these promises,” Adesina quoted the President as saying.

He lamented that the textile industry that employed about 320,000 people in the past now employs about 30,000.

“It shows the carelessness of past governments, if al-

most 300,000 people lose jobs in a single sector. We have a clear idea of how we can stimulate employment and we will work very hard to do so,” Buhari told the MAN delegation.

MAN President Frank Udemba Jacobs appealed for a review of policies that stifle the manufacturing sector, noting that the importance of a robust manufacturing sector for the general well-being of the economy cannot be over-emphasized.

of any reprisal attacks on the campus.

The student said: “I can confirm to you that there was an attack on campus last Thursday carried out by unidentified persons. We are still trying to know their identity.

“The attackers are on the run; the police and Department of State Services operatives are aware of the incident. The victim of the attack is not yet confirmed dead but he is seriously injured. He was rushed to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin.

“I cannot confirm if the Thursday incident led to any

reprisal but there was no killing on our campus, Kwara Polytechnic. Although we heard about clashes in several areas, which are far away from the school, I can confirm none of our students was involved.”

Another student, who simply gave his name as Lateef, also confirmed the attack, saying it happened at Motion Ground.

He, however, could not give the name of the victim, but he said the attack may have led to several reprisals, which allegedly left more than 10 students died.

Sultan to Buhari: corrupt officials should go to jail

•Sultan Abubakar

Bad economic policies to go, says Buhari

tim who lived at Agbooba was killed beside a bridge close to the filling station at Oja Tuntun area of Ilorin.

“Another body was found at a popular hotel, on Sunday. One suspected cult member was murdered at Irewolede yesterday. The deceased was chased to the area and was matcheted by his assailants,” the source said.

A students’ leader, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed last night that there was a violent attack last Thursday, which left an unidentified student seriously injured.

But he denied knowledge

Continued from page 4

your officials are like water ways. If the spring is pure, the filth of the waterways cannot harm it. If on the other hand the spring is polluted, the purity of the waterways will have little effect on the purity of the water. And I can say Alhamdulilai, in Mr. President, we have a pure spring as our president.

"On his employees, the ruler was asked to estimate

their wealth before appointing them and should watch their conduct at all times. He shall confiscate whatever is in excess of their legitimate income and if in doubt, confiscate half of it. To his subject, you will be shepherd of flock amongst ravening lions, for from evil employees proceeds all manner of corruption in every learning.

"On bribery and gift taking, Sheik Abdullahi Fodio could not be more emphatic… Another thing agreed upon as being illegal is the collection of bribes on behalf of the leader or other officials like the judges and other employees. It is also illegal to accept gifts from the common people for such action is the door leading to all calamities. Where a gift finds its way to a man of authority, justice and goodness will find their way out of him and what he does is to purchase for himself a place in hell.

"Mr President, we are 100 percent in support of you and your fight against corruption in this country and it is our belief that all those found guilty should not only have their entire assets seized and forfeited to gov-

ernment but also face jail sentences."

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase urged the President to persuade the National Assembly to pass the Police Trust Fund Bill into law.

The Bill will address adequate funding for the police.

Arase said: “Through effective funding, the welfare needs of police personnel will be met and the challenge of corruption that has eroded professionalism and public respect for police officers will be addressed.

“Consider funding options for the police. In so doing, consideration may be given to the resuscitation and passage of the Police Trust Fund (Establishment, etc) Bill, which has been pending in the National Assembly since 2012.

“Like the Education Tax Fund, the bill seeks to tax corporate entities in order to complement the Federal Government in funding the police.

“If passed into law, it will give effect to the concept of public-police partnership while addressing the funding challenges of the Police on sustainable basis.

“This is because modern policing is a cost-intensive venture, but the benefits of a well-funded Police Force far outweigh the value of the budgetary investment. For it is only through adequate funding that the huge logistics demand of the police can be met and operational efficiency assured.”

Kalu said the President must be focused in his fight against corruption.

His words: “Do not pursue corruption the way some of your predecessors pursued corruption. The fight should not be by fighting individuals that have not done anything, but you should fight anybody, no matter his tribe, ethnicity, colour or person.

Whoever is involved in corruption should not be spared.

“Corruption in the past had been fought based on political disagreement; corruption in the past had been fought because you don’t like a face.

“Don’t focus on catching any governor. If you cannot catch the governor because he has immunity, please don’t catch the mother like the former President said,” Kalu said.

Why we fled Togo, by asylum seekers Continued from page 4

asylum seekers. We now have a place we stay in Igbogbo. We still need government protection. We believe that the Nigerian government is very democratic.

“I left Togo during the 2005 presidential election. I was the coordinator of my political party in my area. But after the election, they wanted to kills us. So, we escaped to Benin Republic,” he said.

Koffi said they were afraid to return to Togo for fear of being killed.

“We cannot go back to Togo because the government that chased us away is still in place. It has been there for three terms and that is not democracy,” he said.

A source, who preferred not to be named because he was not authorised to speak, said the foreigners were not refugees neither were they abandoned but given full assistance, were registered and given the relevant documentation to enable them move about freely.

The source described the Togolese citizens as asylumseekers, who want to be granted refugee status in Nigeria and can only be de-

scribed as refugees when they have been legally granted such status.

The asylum-seekers, the source said, were originally in the Agame Refugee Camp in Benin Republic where they had fled to during a political crisis that engulfed Togo in 2005.

According to the source, when the Republic of Benin government realised that normalcy had returned in Togo 10 years later, it asked the refugees to either be reintegrated into the Beniniose society as the camp was to be shut down, or return to their country.

“They refused either of the option and have found their way into Nigeria,” the source said.

It was learnt that when the asylum seekers got to NCFRMI Office, they were registered and given attestation documents to enable them move about freely pending when their refugee status would be determined.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) was said to have given each of the asylum seekers some money to enable them either return to Togo or find somewhere to stay pending their status de-

termination.

The source said: “Some of them turned down the gestures and instead preferred to camp out in front of the office for reasons best known to them.

“So, it is important to note that anyone (individual, religious organisation or NGO) seeking to provide help and/ or shelter to these individuals should embrace caution, especially with the current security situation in the country and the West African sub-region at large.”

The source said the manner in which the asylum seekers camped outside the office led to a collaborative effort by NCFRMI, UNHCR, LASEMA, the police and other partner agencies to seek a speedy resolution in line with international best practices and to prevent a diplomatic row.

It was learnt that the NCFRMI will send an Eligibility Committee this week to conduct the interviews with them and determine who will remain in Nigeria and who will not.

The source said: “They are claiming persecution; we don’t know who is persecuting them where they came from. But, as far as we know,

there is no instability in Togo or Benin Republic where they have lived for 10 years.

“For reasons best known to them, they decided to shift base and come to Nigeria.

When they are interviewed we may be able to determine why they came to Nigeria.

“Those who carried the story should have asked them why they did not get refugee status in Benin Republic having been there for 10 years. An attestation is not valid for 10 years. It is valid for a period, after which the government meets to determine their status.

Does it mean the Benin Republic government never met?

“When they were here for two and a half weeks or so, they were living in the compound. The UNHCR was initially feeding them, until it was discovered that they were calling their people and more and more of them were coming.

“Are they claiming to be stateless? If you look at the picture published yesterday, you will see that some of the children must have been born in Benin Republic, which entitles them to citizenship. Why can’t they regularise their stay there?”

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

59

FOREIGN NEWS Al-Sisi approves Egypt’s strict anti-terrorism laws THE Egyptian President, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, has approved stringent new counter-terrorism laws to fight a growing Islamist insurgency.

The laws give legal protection to military and police officers using force.

They also allow the death penalty for setting up or leading a terrorist group.

But rights groups warn the legislation will be used to crush dissent.

Simeon Paterson looks at the background to Egypt’s tough new legislation.

Iraq judicial council rejects calls for top judge to retire IRAQ's judicial council has rejected calls for judge Medhat al-Mahmoud, head of Supreme Judicial Council, to retire amid calls for widespread government reform.

Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar, spokesman for the federal judiciary, said in a statement that a vote was held to determine whether alMahmoud should submit his resignation and the members unanimously decided to reject those calls.

"The public interest and justice at this stage require him to stay in his duties as president of the supreme judicial council and the supreme federal court," the statement reads.

The federal government has launched a far-reaching reform plan, backed by the highest Shiite religious authority, to target corruption and trim government spending.

Iraq's parliament has approved a report implicating senior officials over the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State group last year.

Speaker Salim al-Jabouri told reporters Monday the report, prepared by parliament's security and defense committee, will be sent to Iraq's prosecutor general. Al-Jabouri added that "no one is above the law" and that those responsible will be punished.

He didn't name the officials, but a lawmaker told The Associated Press on Sunday that the report implicates former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who held the post for eight years before he was pushed out last August, nearly two months after the fall of Mosul and about a third of the country to the extremists.

The lawmaker declined to be identified as he is not authorized to brief journalists.

A

bomb has exploded close to a shrine in the centre of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.

A second bomb has been found in the area and made safe, officials say.

No-one has yet said they carried out the attack, which took place close to the Erawan shrine in Bangkok’s central Chidlom district.

The shrine is a major tourist attraction. The Thai government said the attack was

Deadly blast rocks Bangkok aimed at foreigners.

Local media report that tourists may be among the casualties.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwong said: “It was a TNT bomb... the people who did it targeted foreigners and to damage tourism and the economy.”

The Nation TV channel quoted Prime Minister

Prayuth Chan-ocha as saying the government would set up a “war room” to co-ordinate its response.

Nation put the death toll as high as 27, saying at least three foreigners were killed, but there is no official confirmation.

The explosion occurred at about 19:00 local time (12:00 GMT). Some reports said the

bomb had been on a motorcycle, others that it was tied to an electricity pole.

The shrine is to the Hindu god Brahma, but is also visited by thousands of Buddhists each day. There are also three major shopping centres nearby.

National police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thavornsiri told Agence France-Presse

news agency: “I can confirm it was a bomb, we can’t tell which kind yet, we are checking.”

Police say the blast may have been caused by a motorcycle bomb At least 20 people were injured in the blast Police say another bomb was made safe Some reports say foreign tourists may have been among the casualties.

Bulls kill seven at Spain summer festivals

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HE running of the bulls draws visitors to Pamplona from all over the world.

Bulls have gored seven people to death during festivals across Spain since the beginning of July - four of them over the past weekend.

The deaths occurred during bull-running in the streets, not in bullrings. It is an unusually high number of fatalities for such a short pe-

riod.

Among them was a 36year-old town councillor gored in Penafiel, a town near Valladolid, north of Madrid.

Further north an 18-yearold man gored in the stomach died in Lerin, Navarra.

The other deaths occurred during bull festivals in the regions of Valencia, Murcia, Toledo, Castellon and Alicante.

Last year more than 7,200 bulls and steers (castrated bull calves) were killed by bullfighters across Spain, the news website El Diario reports.

Nearly 2,000 bullfights - or "corridas" - are still held in the country every year, but the numbers are falling. In 2010, Catalonia became the second Spanish region after the Canary Islands to ban the tradition.

One daring stunt consists in jumping over a charging bull - this participant was unhurt A week ago a bull seriously injured a matador known as "Paquirri" in Huesca, a northern town Opponents condemn bullfighting as barbaric, but it still has many fans in Spain, including Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

A Spanish law passed in

2013 defends bullfighting as part of the nation's cultural heritage, saying it is the state's duty to "preserve it and promote it", El Pais website reports.

According to Spanish economics lecturer Juan Medina at the University of Extremadura, bullfighting generated •282.4m (£200m; $313m) in 2013, of which •59m was income from sales tax (VAT).

Brazilians call for President Rousseff's impeachment

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UNDREDS of thousands of people have taken part in protests across Brazil calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

Support for Ms Rousseff has fallen to single-digit figures in recent polls.

Many voters have accused her of failing to stamp out corruption and blame her for the economy's worst slump in 25 years.

Marchers took over Copacabana beach in Rio and also demonstrated outside congress in the capital Brasilia.

Many wore the yellow shirts of the Brazilian football team, and sang the national anthem, carrying banners saying "Dilma Out".

About 350,000 people took part in protests in Sao Paulo, police say.

• Brazilian protesters demand presidents Rousseff's impeachment across the nation...yesterday

Another 25,000 people took part in a demonstration in the capital, Brasilia.

Witnesses in Rio described a carnival atmosphere.

The national day of action is the third major protest

against Ms Rousseff and her left-wing Workers' Part this year. Hundreds of thousands took part in demonstrations in March and April.

"We want things to change and if the people don't go in the street that's impossible,"

said retired engineer Elino Alves de Moraes, who joined the march in Brasilia.

Ms Rousseff is less than a year into her second term as president.

There have also been demonstrations in recent months

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

showing support for the embattled leader, with many claiming calls for her impeachment amount to a coup attempt.

Ms Rousseff was re-elected by a narrow margin in a vote in October.

Rescuers head for suspected Papua crash site

I

NDONESIAN search and rescue teams are heading to a remote part of the western Papua region where a plane is believed to have crashed on Sunday.

Officials have confirmed they spotted debris near the town of Oksibil.

The Trigana Air flight was heading to the town from the provincial capital, Jayapura, when it lost contact at 14:55 local time (05:55 GMT) on Sunday.

The plane was carrying 44 adult passengers, five chil-

dren and infants, and five crew members.

It is not yet known if anyone survived.

Indonesian post office officials told the BBC the plane was also carrying four bags containing about 6.5 billion rupiah ($486,000; £300,000) in cash, which was being taken to villages in remote areas.

“Our colleagues carry those bags to be handed out directly to poor people over there,” said the head of Jayapura’s post office, Haryono, who goes by only

his first name.

The head of Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, Bambang Soelistyo, said a search plane had spotted suspected debris and billowing smoke at 8,500 feet above sea level, about 50km (31 miles) from Oksibil Airport.

About 50 search and rescue workers, soldiers, and policemen are making their way from Oksibil to the site.

About 50 officials are heading to the site near the Papuan town of Oksibil to

search for the plane The missing plane, pictured in 2010 The ATR42-300 twin turboprop plane took off from Sentani airport in Jayapura at 14:21, but lost contact with air traffic controllers half an hour later.

Bad weather is believed to have been a possible reason for the crash. A search plane was forced to turn back on Sunday because of dangerous flying conditions.

Villagers had earlier told officials that a plane had crashed into a mountain.

Bad weather and rugged terrain are said to be hampering efforts to reach the site.

Oksibil, which is about 280km south of Jayapura, is a remote, mountainous region, which is extremely difficult to navigate.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed his condolences on Twitter and called for the country to “pray together” for the victims.

Passengers’ relatives have been waiting for news at Setani Airport in Jayapura.

Ceasefire now fragile as Ukraine clashes kill nine

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T least nine people have died in heavy exchanges of artillery fire between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Seven were civilians and two were government soldiers, reports said.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the latest fighting suggested prepara-

tions for a new offensive by the Kiev government's forces.

Kiev accused the rebels of shelling the outskirts of Mariupol - a key port city from 12km (7.4 miles) away.

The latest escalation has left the ceasefire signed in February looking more fragile than ever.

Kiev, Western governments

and Nato say there is clear evidence of Russian regular troops helping the separatists and arming them with heavy weapons - something Moscow denies.

Sartana and Lebedynske - villages on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol - came under heavy rebel fire, the Kiev authorities said.

They said two Ukrainian

troops and two civilians were killed by the rebel shelling.

Meanwhile, Mr Lavrov accused Kiev of refusing to demilitarise Shyrokyne, a village east of Mariupol that has seen some of the heaviest fighting.

"We're alarmed by the developments in recent days, which very strongly remind us of preparations for another round

of combat operations," he said.

This flat in rebel-held Donetsk was destroyed by shelling Rebel armoured units have Russian military help, the West says Ukrainian government spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the rebels had fired howitzers and mortars not only at Shyrokyne, but also at

Starohnativka and Hranitne, north of Mariupol.

The news service of the selfstyled rebel "Donetsk People's Republic" said government artillery had shelled the outskirts of Donetsk, killing two civilians, and the city of Horlivka, where three civilians died. Rebel-held Horlivka is just north of Donetsk.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

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CITYBEATS Suspected vandals arrested with 33,000 litres of fuel

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OLICE have arrested seven suspected pipeline vandals in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

Commander of the Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, Olumese Valentine, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said the suspects were arrested at different parts of Ikorodu, following an intelligence report.

They are Kayode Morufu, Ambali Tijani, Alabi Adewale, Andrew Asia, Adewale Akinyele, Abiola Tajudeen and Ahemd Balogun.

Three tankers, with registration numbers - Epe 435 XA, XU 429 SMK and XL 233 USL, loaded with 33,000 litres of fuel, were recovered from them.

By Ebele Boniface

Valentine told The Nation that the fuel, loaded in 50litre jerry cans, were stolen from a vandalised pipeline belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission (NNPC), at Arepo, Ogun State.

The vandals, he said, ferried the fuel to Majidun through Ajegunle-Owode and Ishawo-Agric areas of Ikorodu, where they were trans-loaded into waiting tankers.

“My men tracked them down at various locations within Ikorodu as they were trying to leave the state, arrested seven suspects and

recovered three trucks loaded with fuel. When they were interrogated, one of the drivers told us that he was taking the products to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. At the moment, we are trying to track down the buyers of these products, so as to bring them to justice and discourage this act of pipeline vandalism,” he said.

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Lagos yesterday restated its warning to vandals to stay away from government infrastructure.

Its spokesman Chibuzor Mefor said it was unpatriot-

ic for anybody to destroy infrastructure that were meant for all.

“The Corps is working 24 hours to ensure that government infrastructure is protected. We also map out strategies from time to time with the aim to reduce vandalism.

Anybody caught will face the wrath of the law,’’ he said.

Mefor lamented increasing vandalism in areas where pipelines passed through.

“The presence of our personnel are strongly felt in Ishawo and other pipeline vandalism-prone areas,’’ he said.

He urged residents of the state to report any act that negates the purposes for which the infrastructure was meant.

Foundation donates N3.94m

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HE United Parcels Services (UPS) Foundation has given N3.94 million ($20,000) grant to Lady Atinuke Memorial Home, which caters for orphans and children with physical and mental challenges in Lagos.

The gesture, according to The UPS Foundation President, Eduardo Martinez, was geared towards alleviating the plight of children in the home.

He said the donation was under the Foundation’s global corporate citizenship and philanthropic programme.

Martinez said the foundation had committed funds, since it was founded in 1951, to programmes, especially those that make a difference, to the global community.

Besides, we are honoured to support the home’s efforts to put smiles on the faces of the children.

“Last year, UPS and its employees, active and re-

By Wale Adepoju

tired, donated N19.6 billion ($104.2 million) in charity around the world,” Martinez said.

Responding, President of the Home, Mrs Elsie Akerele, said the money would be used for the corrective surgeries of some physically-challenged children.

“It would also be spent on children with a hole-in-theheart, the partially-sighted, children with clubbed feet and other congenital abnormalities, especially those having difficulty in standing up,” she said.

Akerele said the gesture has brought light into the hopelessness of the past, adding: “I am happy with this grant; it gives me courage to carry on with the task at hand because it had appeared quite hopeless in the past, but I am glad now that I am not alone in this journey. The children are also happy and thankful.”

CIA inducts 300 new members

By Esther Unachukwu

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HE Chartered Institute of Administration (CIA) has inducted 300 new members at its 33rd and 34th induction at the Lagos Mainland Hotel, Ebute-Meta, Lagos.

The institute’s President, Goddy Idaminabo, acknowledged the processes leading to the qualification and admission into the institute.

“The institute, Idaminabo said, prides itself with excellence, professionalism, and ensuring that those that join its membership are exemplary and with wealth of experience, both from public and private sectors.”

The institute, through its direct membership platform, also inducted some senior administrators from the public and private sectors.

Businessman arraigned for ‘diverting’ N8.6m goods •Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (third left); Amirul-Hajj Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef (second left), his wife Alhaja Shukurat (left); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture Mr Yakub Basorun and his Home Affairs counterpart, Mrs Grace Oladimeji, at a seminar for pilgrims at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Court insists police must produce Lekki robbery suspect

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Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday, again ordered the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, to produce a robbery suspect, Ebi Tosan, on August 20, the next hearing date.

The new order followed the failure of the police to present the suspect in court yesterday as ordered by the court at its last sitting.

Tosan was arrested by the police on April 5, for his alleged involvement in the robbery of a bank at Admiralty Way, Lekki.

He was paraded with other suspects in May 2015 as one of those who robbed the Lekki branch of the bank.

Tosan had, through his counsel, Chief S.W. Baidi, filed an application before Justice Olabisi Ogungbesan for bail, demanding N1 million damages for the infringement and curtailment of his right to liberty, freedom of movement and presumption of innocence.

Justice Ogungbesan refused to hear the application since there was no information from the attorney-general, who was later joined in the suit, on the whereabouts of the applicant.

He said: “It will be fair if the attorney-general is brought to court, they will be able to tell us where the boy is. It is an allegation and I want to hear from the commissioner of Police. This is a weighty allegation. I believe if you bring the attorney-

By Adebisi Onanuga and Vivian Anaba

general to court, you will have half of the problem solved.

“I shall adjourn to August 20 for hearing of the applicant’s application. It is further ordered that the 1st and 2nd respondents produce the applicant on the adjourned date.”

Counsel to the applicant Chief Baidi had told the court that the 20-year-old boy was going to school when he was picked up by the Special AntiRobbery squad (SARS) as

having participated in the Lekki robbery and had remained in custody since April 4.

“We have not seen this boy till date. We have served all the orders of court to police and they have not come to court. In fact, the Investigation Police Officer (IPO) told the boy’s father that since they have met a lawyer, then let the lawyer show them where their son is”, he said.

Baidi explained to the court that the urgency of the matter had to do with the life of a citizen, saying “who knows if he can be the President of this

country tomorrow, if alive.

This boy can be dispensed with overnight. We have problem serving the police.”

Baidi told the court that it has been difficult seeing the suspect since he was arrested, adding that they are now very apprehensive as to the state and well-being of his client having regard to reported cases of extra-judicial killings in the country.

“I believe that it is a deliberate act by the respondents to keep the applicant in continued detention in order to extract a confessional statement from him on the alleged offence,” Baidi said.

Worker hid ‘stolen’ cables in his body

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23-year-old man Josiah Luka, who works with Megal Steel Company, Ikorodu, Lagos, has been arrested for allegedly hiding stolen cables in his body.

Luka, it was learnt, wrapped the transformer cables, worth N1.56million, around his waist in an at-

tempt to smuggle them out.

He was caught by the company’s security officer, Agri Oko-Ochang, while conducting a body search.

Luka was handed over to the Sagamu Road Police Division, Ikorodu.

The Investigative Police Officer (IPO), Corporal Akeem Ojesanya, said the offence

contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

Luka pleaded not guilty.

The Magistrate, Adejumoke OlagbegiAdelabu, granted him N50,000 bail with one surety in like sum.

She adjourned the matter till August 27.

Court dissolves 25-year-old union

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MUSHIN Customary Court in Lagos yesterday dissolved the 25-year-old union between Mr and Mrs Kadiri.

The court's President, R.O Mushishi, said efforts to reconcile the parties failed after several counselling, admitting that the court had no choice than to end the union.

"Both parties have ceased to be husband and wife. They are free to go their separate ways,'' Mushishi said.

The petitioner, Mrs Bukola Kadiri, 43, said her husband was fond of threatening and

By Angela Abu

beating her over simple mistakes.

The mother of three, who lives at Dopemu Street, Agege, a Lagos suburb, said: "My husband fights me always. He once stabbed me with a bottle when we had little misunderstanding. Whenever he is angry, he picks anything to hit me and when he is eventually calm, he becomes remorseful. He provokes me a lot.

I want the court to separate our union with; I need to enjoy my life."

The union produced three children.

A

BUSINESSMAN, Chidi Ozurumba, who allegedly diverted his partner’s truck with goods worth N8.6 million, was yesterday brought before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.

Ozurumba is on trial for a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

Prosecutor C. N. Odii told the court that the accused committed the offences on September 13, 2014, at Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.

He said the accused, with others still at large, diverted a truck, with registration number BDG 708 XE, conveying some goods to Maiduguri, Borno, worth N8.6 million.

According to him, the

goods stolen were 750 cartons of floor tiles, 250 cartons of wall tiles, 222 pieces of single doors, 200 cartons of a brand of floor tiles and 50 pieces of double doors, property of Lakebato Ventures Ltd. He said the offence contravened sections 285 (5) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

Ozurumba pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the accused Mrs Helen Ibeji urged the court to admit the accused to bail on liberal terms.

The Magistrate, P. A. Adekumanya, granted him N200, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

The case was adjourned till Octocber 19.

Lagos hosts security conference

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HE American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) will hold a two-day seminar and exhibition on African’s Security Conference in Lagos.

The theme, Emerging Security Trends, is aimed at promoting professional security training on the continent.

By Rukayat Jimoh

ASIS Lagos Chapter Chairman Ubong King said the exhibition would showcase explosive weapons detection, tracking systems, marine security systems, locks and intelligence products.

Judge’s absence stalls trial

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HE trial of Seun Oladapo, the suspected killer of a Lagosbased human rights activist, Kunle Fadipe, was stalled at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, due to the absence of Justice Atinuke Ipaye yesterday.

The defendant, his counsel, Woer Obuagbaka and the prosecution team, led by the Director Public Prosecution (DPP), Idowu Alakija were, however, present.

By Adebisi Onanuga

Justice Ipaye, at the last the sitting on July 22, fixed August 17, for commencement of trial after taking the plea of the defendant.

The suspect was arraigned on a five-count charge of murder, robbery and assault, with the aim of causing harm, contrary to sections 221, 295 (2)(a) and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

61

NEWS

Elegbeda’s death, unexpected, says sister

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HE younger sister of Elegbeda of Egbeda Kingdom, the late Oba Samson Alade Balogun, Chief Esther Abeni Adebamowo (nee Balogun) has told The Nation that the monarch’s death was unexpected.

The late Oba Balogun, 80, was due to travel to the United Kingdom before his death last Friday.

Chief Adebamowo said the deceased was the pillar of their family.

“He has always been supportive to me because after God, he is my supporter. He married me off to my husband. Whenever he saw me, he will sing and I dance. We really loved each other; he nurtured me since my young age. After leaving the custo-

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

dy of my parents, I stayed with him,” she said.

According to her, the late monarch was accommodating to the family and his subjects.

“He was always happy with everyone around him; always praying for everyone. He was the one that usually buys ram for the family during the Eid-il-Adha, while I provide for other things.

Had it been he was alive now, this is the period of his coronation anniversary; it is always celebrated every October,” he said.

The late monarch’s in-law, Alhaji Olumide Olufowobi, described him as a cheerful person.

Alhaji Olufowobi, a senior

•The late Oba Balogun

lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, said the monarch lived a purposeful life.

He said: “I have known Kabiyesi for a while now, we married from the same house; he married my wife’s younger sister and ever since 2000, I have known

•Chief Adebamowo and Femi Adebanjo of House of Representatives at the palace

•Alhaji Olufowobi

him, he has been a friendly person, a man that respects anybody, no matter how low a person is to him. He brought himself so low that one hardly noticed that he was a traditional leader. I’m not surprised to see people around him.

“He lived a purposeful

doubt, he was a man of great character.”

Pastor Olusegun Falana described the late monarch’s death as painful.

“He was a good man and everyone can testify to that. We really thank God for his life,” he said.

life. His gate is always open, you don’t knock before entering the palace; people come in, go out without filling form. He even escorted people to the gate. His humility knows no bound despite being a socialite. No

Oshodi residents seek police protection

By Musa Odoshimokhe

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ESIDENTS under the aegis of Oshodi

Peace Movement have urged security agencies to provide protection for the community.

The group spokesman Mr Waheed Olaosebikan said hoodlums had turned the area into a theatre of violence.

They called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, and other security agencies to keep vigil in view of criminal activities, which took place recently at Eyin-Irin in Oshodi.

Olaosebikan said: “We are alerting the security agencies to the various crimes perpetrated by a group, called Ko si Oga (No leader).

“From investigations, we have identified some of them, although we understand that the security agencies have also been on their trail. Although some of the hoodlums have been arrested, their leaders are yet to be arrested.

“Various security agencies have been raiding this area but much has not been done to arrest the main culprits, whom we have identified by their name and aliases.”

He said the 29-man gang was responsible for the sporadic shootings, which caused panic in Oshodi and its environs in February, a few weeks to the last general election.

“The gang now operates from Moyosore Shopping Complex, which they use as a hideout from where they perpetrate crimes under the supervision of their godfather.

“We call on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the security agencies to come to our aid and save us from this treachery,” he said.

•Members of the Chartered Institute of Administration (CIA) with inducted fellows at the institute’s secretariat in Lagos

T

Two died, one injured in train accident

WO passengers were reportedly dead while one sustained injuries when two trains collided on Sunday in the Agege area of Lagos.

Lagos Railway District Manager (RDM) Akin Osinowo called on the families of the deceased to collect the bodies at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), EbuteMeta, with relevant information.

Osinowo said the two vic-

tims were passengers, who illegally hung on the rooftop of the moving train.

He added that the injured passenger was receiving treatment at an hospital.

The District Manager said NRC’s Managing Director Adeseyi Sijuwade, had instituted a panel of enquiry to find out the immediate and remote causes of the incident.

According to him, members of the panel are the Di-

rectors of Operations, Electrical, Mechanical, Signal and Intelligent Unit.

Osinowo said: “The managing director directed the head of various departments to visit the site and interview eyewitnesses; visit the police station and make enquiries.

“And find out the main causes of the accident and determine the details and number of casualties. ‘’The families of the deceased should bring a docu-

mentary evidence to support their claim, evidence of identity of the bodies, evidence of their relationship with the dead and a sworn affidavit.

“After being certified, they will be referred to the police authority where we will ensure that the bodies are released to them.”

He appealed to commuters and train users to value their lives and stop hanging on moving trains.

Police arrest two Okada riders for ‘killing’ corporal

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HE Police have arrested two commercial motorcyclists (names withheld) for allegedly killing a Police Corporal, Emmanuel Emefiele, and snatching his rifle.

Lagos State Police Command’s spokeswoman Patricia Amadin, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, said the rifle had been recovered.

Amadin said the incident occurred last Friday at 1st Avenue Junction, 4th Avenue, FESTAC Town.

She explained that the police always patrolled the area but that on the fateful day, they were attacked by about 30 commercial motorcyclists.

Amadin said it was in the course of the attack that the corporal was killed.

She said: “At that point, the police patrol team sent a distress call to the FESTAC

Police Division around 1am. that a patrol team on 4th Avenue had been attacked by about 30 motorcyclists.

“The motorcyclists allegedly stabbed Emefiele on the chest and he died on the spot. They snatched the corporal’s rifle and went away with it. The division then reinforced, chased the motorcyclists and arrested two of the gang leaders. The snatched rifle and bloodstained knife used in stabbing the policeman to death

were recovered in the home of one of the suspects.”

She said the remains of the officer had been deposited in a mortuary.

Amadin said the police also arrested a member of a robbery gang terrorising residents of Orile-Iganmu and recovered from him a locally-made gun.

She said the suspect was arrested on Sunday by the Orile Police Division.

According to Amadin, the gang was about to carry out

an operation at Odunade, Orile, when the police intercepted them.

She said the police team, which was on a routine patrol, saw the three-man gang in a suspicious manner and stopped them.

Two of them, she said, escaped, while one was arrested with one locally-made gun and six live cartridges.

Amadin said they were on the trail of the fleeing members.

Police arrest 31 suspected cultists

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HE police have arrested 31 suspected members of Awawa Confraternity, who have been terrorising the Agege community in Lagos.

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) swooped on the suspects at different locations, including Dopemu road, Bakare Ipiasha Street, Agege, Ile-Zik and Mangoro on Abeokuta Expressway, following a tip off.

“Upon intelligent reports, our men

combed the areas and 31 suspects were apprehended, including four under-aged while others are still at large,” RRS Commander Olatunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said.

Disu said the under-aged have been released.

He warned parents and guardians to be watchful of their wards and children’s behaviour while at tender age.

Businessman ‘defiles’ girl, 6

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32-year-old businessman, Kenneth Ekeh, was yesterday brought before an Ikeja Chief Magistrate's Court in Lagos for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl Ekeh, who resides at Demurin Street, AlapereKetu, a Lagos suburb, is facing a charge of child defilement.

The prosecuting Inspector, Simeon Imhonwa, said the accused, on July 7, defiled the girl while she was playing in his compound.

He said the accused took advantage of the minor's innocence to defile her.

"He took advantage of the poor guardianship of the child and did what he wanted to do," Imhonwa said.

The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused denied the charge.

The Magistrate, Bola Osunsanmi, granted the accused N300,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

She said the sureties should have landed property in Lagos State as part of the bail condition.

The case has been adjourned to September 7 for trial.

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015

62

ADVERTORIAL ALLEGATION OF CORRUPT AND FRAUDULENT PRACTICES BY YABATECH 8 A RUSE OR A PATRIOTIC CALL? LET THE PUBLIC DECIDE Introduction I read with keen interest some of the media publications relating to allegations of corrupt practices in Yaba College of Technology – the nation’s premier higher institution.

According to the reports Mr. Olu Ibirogba (the immediate past bursar of the college) sent a strong worded petition to President Muhammadu Buhari and his deputy Prof.

Yemi Osibanjo’’ dated June 10th, 2015 in which he alleged inter alia a large scale stealing and victimisation by the authorities and appealed for intervention so that they (whom the petitioner called YABATECH 8) are not silenced.

Many associates of mine who are familiar with my tribulations in the hand of the college for the past seven years (August 2008 to date) are calling on me and are believing that I. Olu Ibirogba (representing what he called YABATECH 8) has suffered the same fate in the hand of the college management as I did.

II. That there is a clear consistency in Ibirogba action and mine as regards whistle blowing III. That Yaba college of Technolgy is a college where looting is popular.

The alarm raised to the public has raised so much dust and attracted public attention. I wanted to be a spectator not to play any role in this. This thought I held for a very long time until I recently decided other wise because • Keeping quite on the issue will be a conceptual validation of wrong.

• The goodwill created for the college by our founding fathers and sustained and maintained from inception till a very long time must not be allowed to be eroded by the egocentric pursuit and elevation of ignorance and mediocrity.

• The call of the head of state and his deputy to intervene in issue like this is unbecoming of the behaviour of professional accountant trying to make a pig out of a pork.

• There is need for the college management, friends and stakeholders of the college to take a radical step to ward off the generational cause on the college bursary before the appointment of a new bursar.

• I don’t want to be part of false witness or point of reference where the innocent will suffer if I keep silent and refuse to shed light into the historical activities that could assist decision makers and people of independent mind to correctly assess the situation in Yaba College of Technology • Of the need to encourage the anti-corruption crusaders and whistle blowers to perform the crusade with fear of God devoid of prejudice , vindictiveness and outright lie.

My Disposition To The College Management!

The Yaba College of Technology management team during the regime of Mr. Olubunmi Owoso deceived the then Governing council to take painful decision against me and rewarded me with a dismissal for my selfless and patriotic service to the institution.

The current management that is privy to the true position of my course could not muster enough courage to tell the truth and revisit my case as done for others who were victimised along with me by the regime of Mr. Owoso.

It is on record that after the exit of Mr. Owoso, a comprehensive list of those who he persecuted were compiled and their cases reviewed with most of them reinstated to the college. All cases of victimisation were revisited except mine because the current management wished to impress Mr. Owoso and his group and to ensure that Mr Owoso’s wish is honoured that am not allowed to return to Yaba College of Technology as a staff. I disclosed the identity of some of the people being used to ensure that my case was not revisited to the present Rector in a letter to her dated 10th March, 2014 to include the present and immediate past Registrars of the College. They turned the college Registry to a unit of destiny destroyer after the exit of Alhaji Idris as the College Registrar.These people along with one contractor who inherited the management of one of the money spinning facilities built during the regime of Mrs Odugbesan always exercise much influence and power on each successive college governing council to thwart every efforts put forward by my lawyer and I to resolve my case amicably. They have always insisted in humiliating me out of the college while their agents have been made to go around within and outside the college community to insinuate that am the one frustrating the out of court settlement of my case. Not even the emisary sent by Chief Obasanjo could persuade the current management to resolve my case amicably without humiliating me out of the college. It is quite unimaginable that a governing council of the calibre of Yaba Tech could be prevented by few people from accepting various humanist options put forward to amicably settle the case of a former principal officer of the college who meritoriously served her for more than twenty five years.Even when I opted to resign my appointment with the college since the current management do not want me in their college, the council could not be persuaded to let me exit honourably.Not even the immediate past Governing council with a chairman having an enviable and intimidating history of defending human rights and insisting on justice and fairness could muster enough courage to get to the root of my case and ensure that justice is done to it. This is because of the great influence and power of the tiny clique manipulating information and destroying destiny of people in Yaba Tech.

With the above scenario, am neither defending the governing council nor the management of Yaba Tech of any evil deeds. However it will be ungodly for me to lie against them or join in the campaign of hatred against them. I belief that they are unable to revisit my case because God did not put my salvation in their hand.I am therefore presenting in this treatise the true story as I know it on this case.

Outcome Of Police Investigations.

The various allegations contained in the petition of the YABATECH 8 as presented by Mr. Olu Ibirogba are weighty and highly indicting.However, the comments of the Nigerian police as reported by The Punch of July 7th, 2015 stated inter alia ’However, in a police document August 27, 2014 obtained by our correspondent, the security agency noted that the allegations by Ibirogba were spurious and bogus. The document signed by one detective, Ibrahim Bako a chief superintendent of police reads : it is our candid opinion that the former bursar/ petitioner before the General Investigation Department, Alagbon was on a hateful and spiteful mission as a result of his disagreement with the institution management. It is interesting to note that the former bursar recommended all the alleged fraudulent payments to the Rector without any ‘’caveat’’. It therefore sounds absurd strange and illogical for him to turn round and allege fraudulent payments. His excuse that he only recommended the fraudulent payments so as not to be portrayed as an anti establishment is not only indefensible but also flawed and a breach of extant rules governing financial transactions of the federal government’’ If the above statement credited to the police are true about Mr. Olu Ibiriogba the leader of the YABATEC 8, it can be surmised that Mr. Olu Ibirogba petition is a disguised, deceitful and selfish document deep rooted on intrigue, bad blood and vengeance.

To me, I have a complete confidence in the submission of the police on the outcome of their investigation on the petition of the YABATECH 8 as presented by Mr. Olu Ibirogba.

However , a large portion of the public in Nigeria belief that police report can be doctored or and prepared to favour the highest bidder therefore the report might have been tinted against YABATECH 8 to favour the management .It is on this note that am presenting the following historical revelation of the antecedents of Mr. Ibirogba so that the public can make informed decisions rather base decision on personal beliefs, political and ideological orientation and different philosophy of life in assessing the truth, reliability and faithfulness of the corruption whistle blow.

The Anticidents Of Ibirogba 1.

The Ibirogba that I know applied for and was interviewed for the post of Principal Internal Auditor in Yaba Tech when I was on leave of absence from the college. This position is not under the Bursary unit and the bursary was not represented at the panel that interviewed him. Infact, the person who was the Ag. Bursar at that time Mrs. C.A Oyerinde was not informed of the interview going on then because it was not for officer seeking post into the Bursary unit. One would had hoped that he would be appointed into the college for the post he applied and was interviewed for. However, he was given letter of appointment as Accountant at the discretion of the Chief Executive.

On my resumption from the leave of absence I met Mr. Ibirogba on ground as a Chief Accountant in the college Bursary. For a candidate to occupy such a high and sensitive post in the college bursary I decided to carry out a due diligence search on him. I discovered that he was a senior accountant at Federal polytechnic Ede. He was due for promotion to the post of Principal Accountant at Ede. Immediately after his promotion to the post of principal accountant, he used his new position to negotiate with the then Rector who was desperate to have him and in turn obliged his requests for the position of Assistance Chief Accountant. After being given the position of Assistance Chief Accountant in Yaba Tech the Rector directed the Registry to issue him letter of appointment as Chief Accountant. Thus, he rose from the position of senior accountant to the post of Chief Accountant within a period of 18 months (which ideally should take 9 years) by manipulating two federal institutions!

2.

On the day my letter of resumption from the leave of absence was released, Mr. Ibirigba was elevated from the post of Chief Accountant to Deputy Bursar. In my letter of objection to this dated 16th February 2007 addressed to the Rector and copies sent to all Principal Officers I stated inter alia “the second person appointed by the management as the Deputy Bursar is relatively new to Yaba College of Technology having served for less than one year in the college. The management has unnecessarily

favoured this officer because the officer occupied the post of Assistant Chief Accountant for a few months in a junior Federal Polytechnic to Yaba College of Technology before appointment to the post of Chief Accountant in Yaba College of Technology. The officer has only spent 10 months in the post of Chief Accountant before this sudden elevation to the Deputy Bursar. What has this Officer achieved in Yaba College of Technology to justify such accelerated elevation within one year of his service to the College? In all honesty, this officer is not yet qualified for the post of Deputy Bursar” My objection was obliged and was latter removed from the position of Deputy Bursar.

3.

Mr. Ibirogba influenced the then Rector Mr. Owoso to appoint our then external auditor to do a consultancy work of investigating the handling of cash in cash office during my leave of absence. The external auditor in his capacity as a consultant for cash office investigation indicted the cash office in his report. Mr. Ibirogba made the Rector to believe that it was an indictment of our financial statements of 2003, 2004 and 2005 financial years. On hearing this from Mr. Ibirogba that our 2003, 2004, and 2005 financial statements were qualified by the external auditor, the Rector Mr. Owoso was alarmed and demanded my explanations on this when I resumed from the leave of absence. Not minding the fact that Mr. Ibirogba did not pass his observation to the Rector through the Acting Bursar, I commented as follows on my memo to the Rector dated 19th March 2007. “(The report) it is the output of a job given to a consultant and not to the external auditor.

Can we now say that a Chief Accountant does not know what auditors qualification of report means? Auditor’s qualification should be contained in the body of the financial statement as part of the auditor’s report. I have searched through the financial statements of the three years (2003, 2004 and 2005) but found nothing like this. Is Mr. Ibirogba up turning facts in order to score needless point?

It is quite unfortunate and only God knows how much of this brinkmanship the officer had been involved in since he came into the college in order to bring down his colleagues.

One cannot imagine the level he has gone to misinformed the management on certain issues of which the management could have made a better decisions”.

4.

It is the custom in the college that staffs were carefully and cautiously recruited into the college bursary. After recruitment, such staffs are put under senior and experienced officers in the Bursary for training to acquire relevant working experience and imbibe professional ethics required of accountants. It is on record that on becoming the College Bursar Mr. Ibirogba with the connivance of the college Registry embarked on massive recruitment of Tom, Dick and Harry including persons of dubious characters whose intention and directive is to cover up financial rots that occurred during the period of Mr. Owoso This is made obvious in the way students receipts were issued which was then done in the day the bank teller are presented to the school by the students and not on the payment date! This will make the preparation of bank reconciliation impossible.

5.

The 2006 financial statement prepared under the supervision of Mr. Ibirogba was not signed by the then Ag Bursar Mrs. C.A. Oyerinde. She refused to sign it because the income of West African Polytechnic Games Association was credited to college account to make the financial statement look credible. One of the accountants brought into the college by Ibirogba was responsible for cooking of the books to favour the management.

6.

Most of the contracts I complained of in my petitions against the former Rector Mr. Owoso were warehoused by Mr. Ibirogba before his tenure as Bursar. He was responsible for deliberately pushing the college to use consultants for so many jobs which the staffs in the bursary and audit were capable of handling. For example, he was responsible for engaging of consultants for cash vouching that caused the college four million naira, and over seven million naira for tax consultancy, about nine million naira for writing of manual for Bursary and four million naira for fixed asset (now called non current assets) register. All this occurred towards the twinlight of my tenure which are contained in my petitions on corruption.

7.

The former Rector Mr. Owoso and Mr. Ibirogba negotiated with some banks and a company called socket word(without the knowledge of the then Ag Bursar Mrs Oyerinde) to put the college money in a Holding Account for days before transferring the money back into the College Students Account. When I resumed from leave of absence and discovered this, I stated inter alia in one of my memo to the Rector dated 19th March 2007. “I was told to my surprise that the amount the students pay viz the payment of the school fee electronically will first go into a particular account before going to college account. Later, on enquiry into the case, I was told that the college was represented by Mr. Ibirogba in the committee that enter into such agreement with zenith bank knowing fully well that the company that is managing the portal was introduced to the college by Zenith Bank. How can a professionally qualified accountant agree that his employers’ money reside in an account until further notice without a definite standing order for its immediate transfer thereby allowing the bank to have a free fund for usage?” The agreement being referred to here was signed by both the then Rector and the then Registrar on behalf of the college with input from Ibirogba but without the knowledge of the then Ag bursar (who was then the head of bursary).

8.

During the tenure of Mr. Owoso as the College Rector, Mr. Ibirogba doctored and engineered the payment of political office holders arrears of over twenty-five million naira (N25 million) to Mr. Owoso. This payment continued after the exit of Mr. Owoso as Rector. This means that he was simultaneously paying two people political office holders allowance as the Rector of Yaba College of Technology!!! Is this a deliberate act of siphoning college money for out of scene sharing between him and the former Rector?

The War Of Attrition Against Yaba Tech Soul Mr. Ibirogba is hiding under corruption whistle blowing to fight against the officers whose direct physical and other subterranean attacks could not bend. Unfortunately, his targeted victims, the Rector, the chairman of the governing council and council members are not the one bearing the burden of his attacks but the common and less privileged souls of Yaba College of Tech. as evidenced below.

He has refused to put in place proper procedure to handle financial pressures of the institution. He refused to use technical expertise to source and distribute the required monies without violating financial regulations. The alternatives put in place by the Rector (a non-financial experts) in a desperate bid to salvage the total collapse of the system is termed by Ibirogba and his cohort as fraudulent practices. All these act of Mr. Ibirogba are deliberate attempts to frustrate and collapse the system and put the institution into crisis.

During the period I was bursar the college had in place a revolving loan arrangements for staff including car refurbishment loan, book publishing loan, land and housing loan. Aside this staff children school fees were deducted from staff salary for over a period of time to make payment of school fees easy for staff.These were some of the welfare packages for staff handed over to Mr. Ibirogba as bursar. It is on record that all these revolving loans were wiped away and used for egocentric purpose during the period when Ibirogba was bursar to the extent that none of these benefits are existing again.

During the tenureship of Ibirogba as Bursar one of the college stores where secret documents were kept (including evidences of financial mismanagement which I complained about in my various petitions) were set on fire.This is a very strange occurrence in the history of the college bursary.

It is during the tenure of Ibirogba as the Busar that more than five hundred million naira of the college money were withdrawn from the college account and taken to Abuja on the excuse that the money represent excess personnel money.Ibirogba has forgotten or decided to forget that personnel account of the college is indebted to the IGR accounts for more than four hundred million.He as the Bursar could not use his professional expertise and privilege position to know that these money termed excess were actually money owed to IGR and the salaries and allowances of staff who are in court over years challenging their dismissal (including myself) The consequence of this is that staff reinstated under amicable settlement could not be fully settled while the college is put in very difficult position of sourcing for money to pay those still in court whose entitlements in totals cannot be less than two hundred million naira. Also the IGR account used to supplement the day to day running of the college affairs became depleted thereby strangulating the college financially.

Mr. Ibirogba was responsible for the engagement of a consultant to look in to the personnel position of the bursary at the twilight of Mr. Owoso’s tenure as Rector. The consultant recommended massive sack of some bursary staff in line with the wish of the former Rector Mr. Owoso. He perceived that these staff know too much of his deals through Mr. Ibirogba. I learnt that Dr. (Mrs) Kudirat Ladipo the current Rector refused to implement this massive sack of staff. This decision did not go well with Mr. Ibirogba.

Under the tenureship of Mr.Ibirogba as the college bursar, the college cooperative society money was siphoned vide an unauthorised forensic audit that gulped about fifteen million naira (N15 million) of the depositors money. Depositors kicked and cried fouls that no money was recovered while N15 million went away from their money. Most of the bursary staff who are members of the YABA TECH 8 are part of those who warehoused the siphoning of the cooperative money vide forensic audit.

All these embarrassing behaviours are anchored by these people who call themselves chartered accountants (just because they passed the Institute qualifying examinations)!

But who are actually embarrassment to the profession because they are deficit in honesty, deficit in integrity, deficit in truthfulness, deficit in thoroughness and deficit in reliability.

What they possess in surplus are character assassination, blackmail, evil to pay good, envy, intrigue, ingratitude, laziness, wickedness and diabolical behaviours.

Who Is To Blame?

Mr. Ibirogba was brought in to Yaba Tech by the immediate past Rector of the college not to serve the interest of the college but his. With the connivance of the College Registry the college bursary was filled with so many staff of questionable characters to support him to accomplish the purpose for which he was brought in to the college. By the time the former Rector was leaving office, Mr Ibirogba has acquired tremendous power. He was left behind by the former Rector to cover up his various financial crimes, while the registrar and her own team were to cover up the various administrative crimes.

Thus the college governing council were fed with various lies, deceit and misinformation which could not allow this highest level of decision makers to sweep clean the administrative and financial recklessness and crimes of the administration of the immediate past Rector. Attempts to correct some of these crimes especially those that borders on integrity and human rights abuse(e.g. non implementation of the sacking of the bursary staff, reinstatement of ASSUP executives etc.) made the former Rector to instigate those loyalist of his to make the administration of Dr. Mrs kudirat Ladipo ungovernable. The efforts of the Bursar and his cliques to ridicule and criminalised her administration and make it ungovernable accounted for the various deliberate unprofessional financial recommendations made to her by Ibirogba which he later turned around to petition against and call non obedience of extant rules and corrupt practices.

Is it right for a financial adviser to turn around and criminalised the implementation of his recommendations?

Reconstruction And Not Destruction In my write up on the millions looted from the treasury of Yaba college of technology dated 10th March 2014 which was made public I advised Mr. Ibirogba to find a way to reconcile with the Rector, apologise to her and the entire management of Yaba Tech.

Surprisingly, his friends and loyalists could not make Mr. Ibirogba to tow this line of peace and allowed things to degenerate to the present situation. Mr. Ibirogba should not allow things to get worse than what it is now! My prayer for Mr. Ibirogba is that God in his infinite mercy will call him to repentance so that he can escape from the path of self destruction and deliver him from those apostles of destruction that are surrounding him and are holding him captive.

The Rector Dr Mrs Kudirat Ladipo should champion the crusade to forgive Mr. Ibirogba, rehabilitate him and let him have a soft landing outside the college. Though Mr. Ibirogba has greatly wronged you but God has vindicated you through the reports of the law enforcement agents on this case.Also the chronicle of the moral and ethical history of the behaviour of these your detractors corroborates your vindication. What more do you need? If you do not pardon the YABATECH 8 and you take any step or join in any action to make the case of any of them worse than what it is presently, it means you have joined the association of evil doers of Yaba college of Tech. That is you have decided to keep company with the ungodly and has therefore become entangled in their wickedness which has disastrous consequences. According to pastor E.A Adeboye in Open Heavens A Guide To A Close Fellowship With God Volume 14 2014 March 6, he says “a sparrow kept company with destructive ravens on a rice farm. When the owner of the farm caught the raven the sparrow was also caught. In his plea, the sparrow told the farmer that he was not among the birds that destroy rice farm and he was not a raven.The farmer replied the sparrow too bad that you were not a raven but you shall be judge according to the company you keep.”Please do not keep the company of the wicked by continuing boxing of your detractors whom you have already knocked down.

I saw the advertisement for the post of bursar of YCT in one of the dalies. The college is on the march again. The seat of the bursar of Yaba college of tech must be purified to enable the subsequent occupants of that post have a peaceful in and out of tenure life.

In my write up titled re-million looted from the treasury of Yaba college of tech dated 10th March 2014, I narrated to you the source of the gene rational curse placed on Yaba college of tech bursary which has accounted for one calamity or the other happening to the occupants of the post of college bursar since then. And I concluded as follows “ if you want to stop the calamity from happening to whoever heads YCT bursary, send an emissary to Mr. Adekoya David to appease him to remove the curse placed on that post and the college during the time the college put him in distress. If he is no longer alive, his immediate or extended family should be visited for the necessary appeasing. I am very sure God will accept the sacrifices of appeasing and the curse will be removed and things will no longer fall apart and the centre will henceforth hold.

The College Governing Council should carefully and painstakingly select a honourable person to head the bursary.It should also go ahead to professionalise the Registry.There exist veterans in the College Registry whom the community could vouched for though they are not angels but human. These people should be empowered to clean up the mess in the Registry and salvage it from its present mimick leadership.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants Of Nigeria (ICAN) needs to put more search light on the activities of her members especially those in the public sector. Their various misbehaviour are embarrassing. Most of these are done with impunity by our members in the rat race to acquire wealth at short intervals. For instance all the crisis in Yaba college of Tech are anchored by chartered accountants. I have reported some of them to the Institute before. If the Institute was allowed to caution these people before now we would have been saved of the embarrassment they are presently causing our profession.

The Institute should strengthen the membership of the committee that monitors the behaviours of members working in both public and private sector. The members of such committee should be carefully and painstakingly selected to be predominantly those that cannot be easily compromised.

The press and the human-right crusaders; my appeal is that while discharging your duties and responsibilities to the public, you should abide by the advise of Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians to “Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5 vs. 21-22; Easy KJV Bible). Your words, actions and inaction on this case should be guided by the above advice otherwise you will be pursuing a hidden agenda. You are to weigh the reports of the law enforcement agencies very well and corroborate it with the others you gather from within and outside the College community before you allow your newspaper to report this to the general public.

To the general public, you are the people’s court. You should encourage genuine whistle blowing but do not tolerate falsehood and lying to intentionally discredit our leaders; for we have some of them that are good and should be protected. You are to combine my synopsis here with that of the reports of the law enforcement agencies that have been investigating this case as reported in the punch newspaper on 7th July 2015. After this, decide whether or not there is a case of massive fraud here or there is a case of intrigue, bad blood and vengeance. The ball definitely is in your court!

Conclusions I am sure that all the stakeholders of Yaba college of Technology understand the importance of keeping the image and reputation of the college intact for the sake of our children and expectation of the stakeholders. Every concern members of Yaba Tech immediate community should be interested in the growth and development of the college. Such interest should surpass self interest. There is need to save lives, jobs, reputations and improve the system and re position the College in meeting its future challenges and lifting it to higher level. This can only be achieved through genuine reconciliation and reconstruction to lay a solid foundation for accelerated development and growth of “Yaba The Great” This genuine reconciliation and reconstruction should encompass all members of the immediate community of Yabatech by implementing the key points in this message sent to me by my great friend and brother Mr. Joel Adepoju, on Friday 7th August 2015 which goes thus “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do. Hate cannot drive out hatred; only love can do. The weak cannot forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong. When you forgive, you create an atmosphere of love. We cannot embrace God’s forgiveness if we are so busy clinging to past wounds and nursing old grudges.

My prayer is that God will give you courage to forgive as God has forgiven you” This forgiveness should start from myself! From my heart I have forgiven every one in the community that caused me serious pains (including the Owosos, the Ibirogba’s, the Fehintolas, the Charity, the Jacobs, the Adams, the Wahabs) because am their ‘brother Joseph whom they sold into slavery.’ They should not be upset or blame themselves because they caused me so much pains.It is really God who is at work in sending me into exile to prevent me from being killed.It is therefore not really these people that are at work but God. • It is advisable that those who are doing evil in the college viz carrying sacrifices (and rituals) and sending life monkeys into the office of the current Rector should restitute and specially seek God’s forgiveness otherwise they have become reprobate.All efforts should be on deck to support this woman who God chose to cleanse the evils done to the souls of the college by the immediate past Rector of the College.This woman has returned dignity and honour denied the honest and hard working staff of the college during the last regime.Should genuine human rights organisation not honour this woman with awards as human right crusader?

Thank You and God Bless Akeju Joseph Babatunde 08035029239

63

THE NATION TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014

SPORT EXTRA

Siasia hopes Oliseh’s Eagles can beat Tanzania

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ORMER Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Samson Siasia has urged Nigerians to give Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh the needed support as he releases names of foreign-based players that will prosecute the 2017

•Siasia

•Coach queries Ighalo’s exclusion From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying match away to Tanzania.

Siasia who was reacting to the list of 18 foreignbased players released by the Eagles gaffer yesterday, which excluded big names like Mikel Obi, Odion Ighalo, Brown Ideye, Michael Babatunde and others said that since Oliseh has been given the job as the Eagles handler everybody should support him to enable him do his job the best way possible.

“I guess he has seen the players before inviting them. So, hopefully the list can be good enough to make the team play a good

game to win in Tanzania. I just want to wish him the best of luck in his first assignment as Eagles’ coach.

He, however, faulted the exclusion of Watford FC of England striker, Odion Ighalo who according to him has been playing regularly for his club and has been in fine form.

“Oliseh is the head coach, he can pick whoever he wants. But for me, Odion Ighalo has been playing regularly for his club so I don’t know why he is not on the list. But I believe Oliseh has his own reasons for excluding Ighalo. I say good luck to him. Hopefully, he will gradually mold a good team that will make Nigeria proud.

Bet9ja hosts fans night out

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N its bid to honour their esteemed customers, the country’s leading gaming company, Bet9ja thrilled soccer fans to a night out in Lagos at the weekend.

The fun-packed event had in attendance coaches, exinternationals, pundits, sport administrators and top notch comedians. The roll call includes the first vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman Bet9ja, Honourable Kunle Soname, the brand ambassadors, Victor Ikpeba and Mutiu Adepoju, Peter Rufai, Waidi Akanni and Seyi Law to mention a few.

In a brief chat with the media, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Ayo Ojuroye, stated that the event is aimed at appreciating the fans loyalty to the Bet9ja brand as well as introducing the new innovations in the bet industry.

His words: “The fans are the main actors and they are important to our achievements, so we dimmed it fit to appreciations them by organizing this event and also serve them better.

“We have introduced the corporate bets and the idea is to enable some Nigerians to place their bets without necessarily going to our

agents in their outlets. It makes it easier and convenient for them to follow up their passion with rewards from our company.

“As we speak, Bet9ja now has over one thousand staff and fifteen thousand agents across

• Liverpool players celebrate the goal of Christian Benteke at Anfield.

The Reds beat Bournemouth 1- 0 yesterday.

Why Oliseh 'hate' Okocha

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UPER Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has given one reason why he ‘hates’ his former national teammate Austin Okocha.

In the same vein, Oliseh has denied that there is a frosty relationship between him and the former PSG and Bolton Wanderers man.

The popular assumption in sports circles is that Oliseh does not see eye-to-eye since ‘Jay Jay’ replaced him as

Clubs ready to sign Echiejille - reports

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LUBS in France, Spain, Belgium, UAE, Qatar and China have lined up deals to sign Nigeria defender Elderson Echiejille, News24 understands.

Echiejille, 27, hasn't been a regular fixture for Ligue 1 side AS Monaco since he pitched tent with them from Braga SC. He has made a total of 17 appearances and scored one goal for the club.

The Nigerian defender is reported to be considering a move from the club he joined in 2014. This has reportedly put clubs in France, Spain, Belgium, UAE and Qatar on high alert. Reports also say

the country and that is a way to develop the economic by creating employments for the youth.

“Bet9ja now have outlets in 23 states and we hoping to have more in other parts of the country before the end of the year.”

that a top Chinese club is ready to whisk away the attack-minded full back.

Echiejille began his career at Bendel Insurance and moved to Europe in 2007, joining Rennes where he was mainly a reserve. He spent four seasons in Portugal's top flight with Braga before returning to France to join Monaco in 2014.

A full international for Nigeria since 2009, he played at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, winning the 2013 edition, and also played at the 2010 World Cup.

Eagles skipper to the 2002 World Cup. Many still believe Okocha stabbed Oliseh in the back by doing so and that Oliseh has not forgotten or forgiven him.

However, while speaking at a forum in Lagos on Monday, Oliseh downplayed any form of ongoing rift between him and his successor as national team captain.

“There is no problem between Jay-Jay and I. The only reason I hate him is he’s always beaten me in Tennis. We play often at Sheraton…” Oliseh humorously declared on Monday when placed on the spot on his relations with the now DeltaState FA boss.

Though Oliseh has publicly cleared the air about his present relations with Okocha, it is yet to be seen if truly the new Super Eagles boss has allowed events to be bygone as he was very embittered by the act of ‘sabotage’ which saw Okocha going behind to represent Nigeria at the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup against the collective wish of the then Super Eagles players.

Interestingly also, Okocha was reported to be lobbying to be one of Oliseh’s assistant in the national team on the eve of his appointment which may have validated claims that broken fences have been mended between the two captains.

TODAY IN THE NATION

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

‘President Buhari must take his historic duty of cleansing Nigeria directly to the people, whose shoes painfully pinch; and not some manipulative elite, whose comfort zones are assured’ OLAKUNLE ABIMBOLA

VOL.10 NO. 3310

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

“W

HO will guard the guardians?”

This question, perhaps as old as human community, has been looking for a definitive answer since the ancient Greek philosopher Plato placed a master-class, the philosopher-kings, or guardians, at the head of his utopian polity.

But even in this age of separation of powers, with an elaborate system of checks and balances entrenched in written constitutions, the question, if less insistent, still awaits a definitive answer.

Who, indeed, will guard the guardians?

The National Assembly sees itself once as a repository of the popular will and a custodian of the people’s interests, mandated to make laws for the advancement of both. This is no idle claim; it is backed by the Constitution To discharge these functions, the National Assembly debates the appropriations prepared by the Executive, modifies them based on the prevailing sentiment, and passes them into law. In addition, it prepares its own budget, debates it (ha!), approves it and passes it into law, almost without any interference or modification from outside its ranks.

It is all so incestuous, this process by which the National Assembly determines how much the Exchequer will expend on its operations for a given year, based almost exclusively on what its members decide they want to appropriate from the public purse.

They see no conflict of interest in this arrangement. After all, the Executive can countermand it if it so desires. But when the Executive and the Legislative branches are controlled by the same political party as happened in Nigeria from 1999 until the APC came to power last May, and when impunity rather than probity was the directive principle if not the fundamental objective of state policy, there were no checks and no balances.

Each branch extracted whatever it wanted from the public purse in a game of mutual aggrandisement. There were signs all right that the purse was not inexhaustible, and that the practice was unsustainable. But crunch time lay far ahead. Why ruin the game by needless anticipation?

But crunch time is finally upon us. And to its great credit, the National Assembly says it is prepared, in broad terms, to “make sacrifices.” As proposed by a committee of the Senate, this will translate into a 30 percent cut in what has been the official operating budget of the Senate.

I speak deliberately of the official operat-

RIPPLES

NO CASE OF CORRUPTION AGAINST JONATHAN –Bishop Kukah

Sir, do you now work with EFCC or you have suddenly become a JUDGE?

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

ing budget, because nobody outside its ranks knows what the actual operating budget of the National Assembly is today or has been since 1999.

In its finances, especially what accrues to members in one guise or disguise as compensation for one contrived activity after another, the National Assembly has been as secretive as an oyster, and just about as transparent as a black hole, in astrophysics the hulk of a collapsed star so dense that not even light can escape from its bowels.

Because of this secrecy, many a commentator has taken the liberty to portray the National Assembly as an institution concerned not with achieving sufficiency for the general public, but superfluity for its members. Some have even gone so far in their

contumacy as to cast the distinguished and honourable members collectively as predators in parliamentary garb.

The commentators seem to think that this strategy would goad the lawmakers out of their silence and engender a healthy debate.

If they say their earnings are not an outrage on public sensibilities, let them spell out their earnings clearly and unambiguously.

Out of a sound instinct for self-preservation, the lawmakers have refused to oblige.

And so, there has been no end to the dark insinuations masquerading as “common knowledge,” which has it that our lawmakers routinely pocket hefty compensations for activities including, but by no means limited to the following: Sitting, standing and maintaining every position in between; for meeting and not meeting; for clearing their throats to talk, talking, and not talking; for belching and refraining from belching; for staying in one place and going everywhere; for the upkeep of their harems and their cars and their pets; for their clothing, right up to their intimate apparel, and generally keeping up with the latest fashion trends; for their grooming – hair care, manicure, pedicure, massage, face and body massage, etc, and for sleeping on the job or staying awake.

It has even been claimed by their detractors, no doubt out of pure envy, that our lawmakers have parlayed the — to their critics – sedate and cushy job of making laws into the most hazardous enterprise in Nigeria, which should be bounteously reward-

HARDBALL

N

YESOM Wike, Rivers governor, seems morphing from the wike wike brag-fest, in his unending battle with Chubuike Amaechi, his predecessor; to a seasoned “curser”, perhaps in office but not yet in power?

Or how else does Hardball interpret this headline in the August 17 issue of The Nation: “Wike: God’ll disgrace those plotting against my government? O, you think it is rather a negative prayer than a positive curse? Maybe! But to what ends?

Mr. Wike was reported to have prayed the prayer or cursed the curse at a crusade, in Port Harcourt, of the Lord’s Chosen Renewal Charismatic Ministry, at which the ministry’s general overseer, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, was tending to the flock.

An ecstatic Wike went on memory lane, underscoring his faith in the religious body with yet another curse — or well, something close to it. It was at a previous Chosen crusade, he recalled with glee, that he volunteered that if indeed he was a cultist, he should not win the election.

So, because he won the election, the rumours that alleged he was one was false, halleluiah! How about that for circular (il)logic!

And the gubernatorial triumphalism, above the din of brethren’s roar! “The way the God of the Lord’s Chosen did it on April 11, that is how he will do it again!” Amen?

ed in cash.

Such indeed is the calumny of these detractors. That, at any rate, is how we arrived at this pass where, instead of applauding the lawmakers for submitting to debate a proposal to cut their allowances by 30 per cent when they could have preempted discussion or raised the emoluments to keep pace with soaring inflation and the misfortunes of the Naira, the detractors have been quipping: 30 per cent of what?

An answer, by no means conclusive, has come from a report in one of the weekend newspapers, with the salacious title “Naira rain at NASS as Senators collect N23.4 million each.”

Over the same two months during which the Senate’s main achievement was the election of principal officers based on documents widely believed to be an inept forgery, members of the House of Representatives received N17 million each.

Even taking into account fixed costs, this is a hefty charge on the treasury for an Assembly that has gone on recess three times since its inauguration last May and has not passed a single bill.

In whatever case, it is now universally acknowledged that Nigerian lawmakers are far and away the highest-paid in the world, raking in by way of “wardrobe allowance” alone at least three times the national minimum monthly wage of N18,000 that many states cannot or will not pay.

The payments made out to members of the National Assembly, it is necessary to state, are not for actual reimbursable expenses but outright grants. To cite just one example: Each senator, it has been reported, stands to pocket or has already pocketed N3, 500,000 as local travel allowance and N2,500,000 for international travel.

It is not clear whether this payment is for the month of July alone or for the first quarter of the current session, but that is beside the point.

The point is that the whole thing is obscene, no matter how you dress it up. It cannot be left to the National Assembly to perform “oversight functions” on its own finances when it has thus far proved unequal of carrying out that task on issues not shot through and through with conflict of interest.

This ravenous guardian cannot be left unguarded.

•For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Wike: curse to the rescue?

Hardball would imagine. Aaammeeeeeen!!!

The flock would thunder, putting the gubernatorial child of God in the true and proper mood for his negative prayer or positive curse.

“Those who are fighting and plotting to truncate the lifespan of the mandate freely given to me by the people of Rivers State,” there you have it, “will be disgraced by the God of the Lord’s Chosen”! Hmmnnn, might that peculiar God, customised to “the Lord’s Chosen”, be partisan too? And a Wike supporter to boot? Ah! Trust politicians to steal one on their opponents. But trust clerics too to be savour projecting influence, no matter how seeming inappropriate. It is rare bragging rights in Nigerian Pentecostalism, in the daily combat for market share to win souls!

It is the gripping daily drama that makes Nigeria such a never-boring prospect for the media person.

But more seriously, beyond the drama: would any conscientious human, let alone of God, countenance the reported brutal harvest of lives and limbs, the virtual wiping out of whole families, the forced exile of many more, in the macabre show that passed for the Rivers elections? Of course,

Hardball is in no place to judge, which of the parties in the election disputes is right or wrong. The election tribunals are doing that; and soon enough, they should be out with their verdict.

But from media reports during the elections, how can anyone so casually link God’s name — and with wanton triumphalism to boot! — to what the media and election monitors painted as a clear debacle?

Given the ugly turn of events during the Rivers election, beyond the winners and the vanquished, what the Rivers people need is closure: the victims’ right to go back to their shattered lives; and a responsible government’s duty to be sensitive to that right.

That was what Mr Wike tragically missed at his crusade triumphalism; and the collateral damage he inflicted on a perfectly legitimate crusade, even if the cleric himself should have impressed on the governor the imperative for tact, at such a delicate juncture.

By the way, a parting shot: why does Governor Wike curse so throatily — to underscore that, until the tribunals rule, he is just in office but far away from power? Ah!

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