August 28, 2014

Newspaper of the Year

Ebola: Nigeria protests stigma

NEWS Page 3

•UN hails battle against virus

News Jonathan, Obasanjo meet P4 Sports Enyeama must work on kicks P24 Business Nigeria’s cocoa market is $80b P11

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 9, NO. 2952 THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

Shell eyes $5b from oil block sale

Declare war on insurgents, ex-Service men tell President

O

•‘27 policemen still missing’ From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

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ETIRED military officers and men are worried over the Federal Government’s soft arm tactic of dealing with Boko Haram.

They are pushing for a full-scale war against the sect to end the insurgency in the Northeast, it was learnt yesterday.

Continued on page 4

•www.thenationonlineng.net

•Abba

IL giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc is pushing ahead with its planned sale of its assets to meet its $15 billion target from such transactions between 2014 and 2015.

The firm said yesterday it had sold four oil fields in Nigeria, in its ongoing global asset sales to cut costs.

The oil giant last year put

up for sale its 30 per cent shares in four oil blocks in the Niger Delta – Oil Mining Licence (OML) 18, 24, 25, 29 – as well as a key pipeline, the Nembe Creek Trunk Line.

“We have signed sales and purchase agreements for some of the Oil Mining Leases, but not all that we are seeking to divest,” a Shell spokesman told Reuters.

No details were available on the value of the deals signed, nor when the full process will be completed.

France’s Total and Italy’s Eni are also set to raise revenue from the sale of their 10 per cent and five per cent shares in the assets. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Continued on page 4

•INSIDE: TEARS FOR AKUNYILI IN ANAMBRA P64 LADOJA’S MOTHER DIES AT 94 P68

Cameroon kills 27 militants to save 480 Nigerian troops Boko Haram attacks foiled Senator: military underfunded From Joseph Jibueze, Owerri

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O protect the fleeing 480 Nigerian soldiers from harm, Cameroonian troops killed 27 suspected Boko Haram militants between Monday and Tuesday, the Cameroon State Radio said yesterday.

The radio said the Cameroonian soldiers escorted their Nigerian counterparts back home after the Tuesday attack.

It said Cameroonian soldiers killed the insurgents who attacked areas the Nigerian troops fled to during a battle with the militants. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja claimed that the troops “strayed” into Cameroon while making a “tactical maneouvre”.

Sixteen of the suspected insurgents, the radio said, were killed on Monday and the 11 others on Tuesday.

Cameroonian troops, the radio said, beat back two attempts by Boko Haram to enter the country’s northern territory through a locality sharing borders with Borno State.

The troops seized heavy weapons and destroyed one of the vehicles the militants came with, the report added.

Following the attacks, President Paul Biya

?

WHERE ARE THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15?

Cont. on page 4

•Scene of petrol tankers’ explosion on Marine Bridge in Apapa, Lagos…yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Waiver for Ribadu, others splits PDP Meeting deadlocked as NWC moves against Mu’azu

•ST OR Y ON •STOR ORY PAGE 4

•SPORTS P24 •EDUCATION P25 •POLITICS P51 •N/HEALTH P53 •E-BUSINESS P58

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

2

NEWS •Managing Director, Sarsoli Industrial Company Limited, Mr. Jaiprakash Changrani (right) receiving an Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence in Manufacturing from the DirectorGeneral, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr Remi Ogunmefun during MAN Business Luncheon in Lagos.

As Nigeria cages Eb Nigeria is celebrating its success in containing the Ebola Virus. But for Sierra Leone and Liberia, it seems the time for good news is not here yet.

Sierra Leone lost a third doctor yesterday and British Airways and Air France have cancelled flights to both countries

I •From left: Director, Peacock Group of Companies, United Kingdom, Mr. Oluwatosin Shobowale; Mayor of London Borough of Richmond, Cllr. Jane Boulton; and Manager, Peacock Travel and Tours, United Kingdom, Mr. Keith Lloyd, during the presentation of 'Sustained Excellence in Corporate Travel 2014' to Peacock Travels and Tours by UK's Acquisition Magazine in London.

•From left: General Manager and Head, Listings Sales, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Taba Peterside; President, Oscar Onyema; Group Managing Director, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, Mr Paul Gbededo and Chief Finance Officer, Jacques PHOTO: NAN Vauthier during Flour Mills' Facts Behind The Figures at the Exchange in Lagos...yesterday.

•From left: Head Projects, Notore Chemicals Industries Plc, Mr Bode Agagu; Managing Director, Energia Ltd, Mr Felix Amieyeofori and Manager Special Projects, Rivers Sustainable Development Agency, Dr Frank Abamu at the third International Downstream Conference on Gas, Petroleum Refining,Petrochemicals and Fertilisers in Port Harcourt...yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

T seemed like the Armageddon was here. But Nigeria, which prides itself as African giant, has been able to contain Ebola.

Only one patient with confirmed Ebola is left in isolation. Five persons, including the index case, Liberian Patrick Sawyer and Dr Stella Adadevoh, have died in the country.

Many who were either on surveillance or with confirmed cases have been declared free of Ebola and have since resumed their normal life.

Sierra Leone and Liberia are, however, still groaning under Ebola’s jackboot. A third doctor, who contracted the virus, died yesterday. Airlines, such as British Airways and Air France, also announced the cancellation of flights to the troubled countries.

The doctor’s death raised worries about Sierra Leone’s fight against Ebola, which already has killed more than 1,400 people across West Africa.

The World Health Organization said it was sending a team to investigate how the epidemiologist now undergoing treatment in Germany may have contracted the disease that kills more than half its victims.

“The international surge of health workers is extremely important and if something happens, if health workers get infected and it scares off other international health workers from coming, we will be in dire straits,” said Christy Feig, director of WHO communications.

Dr. Sahr Rogers had been working at a hospital in the eastern town of Kenema when he contracted Ebola, said Sierra Leonean presidential adviser Ibrahim Ben Kargbo on Wednesday. Two other top doctors already have succumbed to Ebola since the outbreak emerged there earlier this year, including Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan, who also treated patients in Kenema.

Rogers’ death marks yet another setback for Sierra Leone, a country still recovering from years of civil war, where there are only two doctors per 100,000 people, according to WHO. By comparison, there are 245 doctors per 100,000 in the United States.

The Senegalese epidemiologist who was evacuated to Germany had been doing surveillance work for the U.N. health agency, said Feig, the WHO spokeswoman. The position involves coordinating the outbreak response by working with lab ex-

A group led by a former House of Representatives member,Dino Melaye at a candle light procession in honour of the late Dr Stella Adadevoh and other Nigerians who died from the Ebola Virus Disease in Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

perts, health workers and hospitals, but does not usually involve direct treatment of patients.

“He wasn’t in treatment centers normally,” she said by telephone from Sierra Leone. “It’s possible he went in there and wasn’t properly covered, but that’s why we’ve taken this unusual measure — to try to figure out what happened.”

WHO said late Tuesday that it was pulling out its team from the eastern Sierra Leonean city of Kailahun, where the epidemiologist working with the organization was recently infected. The team was exhausted and the added stress of a colleague getting sick could increase the risk of mistakes, said Daniel Kertesz, the organization’s representative in the country.

Canada also announced late Tuesday it was evacuating a three-member mobile laboratory team from Sierra Leone after people in their hotel were diagnosed with Ebola. The Public Agency of Canada said none of the team members was showing any signs of illness but that they would remain in voluntary isolation during the 21-day incubation period.

Health workers have been especially vulnerable because of their close proximity to patients, who can spread the virus through bodily fluids. WHO says more than 120 health workers have died in the four affected countries — Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.

While some local health workers have lacked proper protective gear, the teams from the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders are usually well-equipped and trained in how to use the protective suiting.

A team of two experts was sent Tuesday to investigate whether the case occurred through straightforward exposure to Ebola patients, or something else, said Feig, the WHO spokeswoman. She said the team is checking to see if there is an infection risk in the living and working environments that had not been discovered.

There is no proven treatment for Ebola, so health workers primarily focus on isolating the sick. But a small number of patients in this outbreak have received an experimental drug called ZMapp. The London hospital treating a British nurse infected in Sierra Leone, William Pooley, said he is now receiving the drug.

It was unclear where the doses for Pooley came from. The Californiabased maker of ZMapp had said that its supplies were exhausted and that it would take months before more doses would be available.

Two Americans, a Spaniard and three health workers in Liberia have received ZMapp, though it is unclear if the drug is effective. The Americans

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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NEWS

ges Ebola Virus, Sierra Leone, Liberia cry

A British Airways plane: Flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone were cancelled till the end of the year...yesterday.

Ebola: Jonathan condemns discrimination against Nigerians • UN hails EVD’s management

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan condemned yesterday the stigmatisation and discrimination against Nigerians overseas over the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

He condemned the trend while receiving a Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, on Ebola Virus, Dr. David Navarro, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Jonathan, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, recalled the incident which forced Nigeria’s team to the Youth Olympics in China to abandon its participation due to stigmatisation.

He said there was no justification for such stigmatisation of Nigerians since the Ebola Virus Disease had been effectively contained in the country and has never attained epidemic level in the country.

The President called for the cessation of such discriminatory actions against Nigerians over the virus.

Responding to the Secretary General’s commendation of Nigeria’s management of the threat of Ebola, Jonathan praised the Federal Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Government and all Nigerians for the success achieved so far in containing the virus and avoiding a national epidemic.

He said: “All hands have been on deck to contain the virus here. I commend my team and the Lagos State Government. We have been able to set politics aside and work in unison to deal with a national threat.”

“All other Nigerians have played a part too by complying with the directives and advice we have issued to stop the virus from spreading any further. The success we have have recovered and have been released from an Atlanta hospital, but the Spaniard died, as did a Liberian doctor.

Health officials in Liberia said the other two recipients of ZMapp in Liberia — a Congolese doctor and a Liberian physician’s assistant, have recovered. Both are expected to be discharged from an Ebola treatment center on Friday, said Dr. Moses Massaquoi, a Liberian doctor with the treatment team.

British Airways is suspending all of its flights between London and Liberian and Sierra Leone for the rest of the year.

The airline initially said it was halting its service between Heathrow Airport and Liberia and Sierra Leone until the end of August due to ‘the deteriorating public health situation in both countries’, but it confirmed yesterday that it is extending the sus-

•Minister of Health Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu (left), Nabarro and Minister of State for Health Malam Khaliru Al-Hassan after the UN Secretary-General’s envoy meeting with Jonathan at the State House, Abuja... yesterday.

PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN. From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

had is a testimony to what we can achieve as people if we set aside our differences and work together.”

He assured the Special Envoy that in spite of the success of its containment measures, the Federal Government and its agencies would remain vigilant to guard against further cases of Ebola.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and we will also support other affected African countries as much as we can because we cannot be completely safe from the virus as long as it continues to ravage some countries in our sub-region and continent.

We will continue to work with the international community to curb the

pension until December 31.

The decision was first announced by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in an updated travel advisory for Britons.

In a statement, British Airways said: ‘The safety of our customers, crew and ground teams is always our top priority and we will regularly reassess the routes in the coming months.

‘Customers with tickets on those routes are being offered a full refund or a range of rebooking options.’

British Airways, the national flag carrier for the UK, normally operates four flights a week between Heathrow Airport and Monrovia, Liberia, with a stopover in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Air France has also suspended its flights to and from Sierra Leone, and the French government has urged French nationals to leave Sierra Leone

outbreak in other countries,” he said Mr. Navarro, who had visited Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, three countries worst hit by Ebola before coming to Nigeria, told the President that he came on the instruction of the UN Secretary-General to applaud Nigeria’s successful containment of the virus.

He said: “The Secretary-General asked me to come here too, not because you have an Ebola problem, but because you have tackled it in an exemplary fashion.

“Your personal leadership on the matter has been key. There may still be some work to be done before the virus is completely cleared out from here, but other countries can learn from your fine example.”

Speaking with State House correspondents

amid concerns about the epidemic.

Air France announced that it temporarily halted its flights to Freetown, Sierra Leone because of the Ebola outbreak there and at the request of the French government.

The French national carrier said it is maintaining its flights to Conakry, Guinea, and to Lagos, Nigeria, cities it flies to once a day. Referring to Ebola, the airline said, “Measures in place at airports there “guarantee ... that no passengers presenting symptoms ... can board.”

The French government said the increasing spread of Ebola — notably in Liberia and Sierra Leone — prompted its request for suspension of Air France flights to Sierra Leone and its recommendation that French citizens leave Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Several airlines have stopped flying into and out of Guinea, Liberia,

at the end of the meeting, Navarro praised Nigeria for containing the Ebola Virus Disease.

He said: “I have discussed with the President the result of my mission in other countries in the region and we also examined the situation of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria.”

“The point I made to the President of Nigeria is that this country and its people have performed excellently in their response to Ebola Virus Disease.”

“It has been a whole of country effort. The whole of the society has been involved and the correct procedures are being adopted.”

He said He warned that there would always be outbreaks of dangerous diseases in the world because of globalisation, free movement between countries and between communities, and because viruses move from the animal kingdom to the human population.

He said: “The good public health techniques and the full involvement of all of society, strong leadership by all, whatever their political party, can lead to successful control effort.

“We of course regret that some people lost their lives. There may be someone who got sick and died as a result of this current Ebola insertion into Nigeria but I am confident that the government and the people are responding in a proper way and to ensure that the situation is kept under control by the way they are paying full attention to the people’s rights and entitlement.

“So thank you minister and through the media I would also want to thank the people, the government, civil society groups, doctors, nurses communities workers it has been a team effort and it is has been done well and I hope will continue go on well because there may be one or two cases but they will be dealt with.”

Sierra Leone and Nigeria as they grapple with the worst outbreak since the virus was first detected in 1976.

British Airways followed the lead of Emirates, which became the first major international airline to cancel flights, and African carriers Arik and ASKY. Kenya Airways and Korean Air Lines have also halted flights to the region.

The current outbreak is believed to have started in Guinea last December.

The World Health Organisation said the risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease during air travel is low and it does not recommend any ban on international travel or trade.

The FCO is encouraging people to refer to the National Travel Health Network and Centre’s website before travelling to the affected countries, but it has not implemented any travel

restrictions.

The FCO issued a warning on its website: ‘You should carefully assess your need to travel to these countries.

If you do decide to travel, you should make sure you have adequate arrangements in place for onward travel/exit and have adequate emergency health provision.’

Ebola is spread by close contact with organs or bodily fluids from an infected person or animal – living or dead – and there is no proven cure or vaccine.

The highly transmissible virus causes haemorrhagic fever that kills as many as 60 per cent to 80 per cent of the people it infects in Africa.

•Additional reports by Daily Mail, Associated Press Medical Writer Maria Cheng in London; Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Monrovia, Liberia; David Rising in Berlin; Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal; and Rob Gillies in Toronto.

‘

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

•From Left: Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Charles Soludo; widower of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, Dr. Chike, and other family members at a requiem mass in her honour at the Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu…yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Shell eyes $5b from oil block sale Continued from page 1

owns the remaining 55 per cent.

The Financial Times on Wednesday reported that Shell is close to selling the assets for about $5 billion to domestic buyers.

In March, Reuters reported that Nigerian firms – Taleveras and Aiteo—made the highest bid of $2.85 billion for the biggest of the four oil fields, OML 29.

Shell, along with many other oil majors, is undergoing a broad process of asset sales across the world in an effort to cut costs and boost profits.

Other companies, including Total, Eni, Chevron and ConocoPhillips have sought to pull out of Nigeria which has been plagued by oil theft.

The battle for acquisition of these four oil blocks has been raging since the beginning of the year. Some major stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry were opposed to

some preferred bidders. This is one of the major reasons the deal has not been sealed. The reason for their opposition stems from the alleged inexperience of some of the companies that won the bids.

Currently, Midwestern Oil and Gas/Mart Resources/ Suntrust Oil, under the Erotron Consortium, won the bid for OML 18 while Aiteo/ Taleveras in partnership with four other companies made up the consortium that won bid for OML 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunkline. OML 29 is considered the juiciest of the blocks.

The preferred bidder for OML 24 is Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria Limited while Lekoil, Crestar, Green Acres/CCC/Signet Petroleum, NDPR/SAPETRO and Essar, as a consortium is being considered for OML 25.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, had said that

the value of divested assets by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) including Shell, Chevron and Total from onshore, shallow water and offshore terrains, will hit about $11.5 billion by the end of this year.

She said that before this year ends, at least 20 oil blocks with reserves of not less than four billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) would have been divested by the multinational oil firms.

She said: “The divestment in the upstream sector of the oil industry by the IOC’s such as SPDC/Total/Agip, Chevron and ConocoPhillips have continued to create an opportunity for participation in the industry by the Nigerian private sector.

“The IOCs operating in Nigeria today have divested assets worth about 2.2 billion boe of hydrocarbon reserves (working interest) at an estimated corresponding mone-

tary value of at least $5 billion. The divestment campaign was highly competitive and attracted interest from a number of indigenous and foreign companies.

“By end of this year, the total number of blocks that are likely to be divested is estimated to exceed 20 with not less than 4 billion boe and a monetary value of about $11.5 billion.”

Shell also plans to sell OMLs 13, 16, 71 and 72, which are in onshore and shallow water provinces. All the assets are joint venture assets owned by Shell, Eni (Agip) and Total with total interests of 45 per cent when the remaining 55 per cent is owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Chief Executive of Shell, Ben van Beurden, in the company’s strategic report Continued on page 68

Waiver for Ribadu, others splits PDP

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HOULD the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) grant waiver to former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chair Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and two others seeking its governorship ticket?

This was a hard nut to crack for the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), which met in Abuja yesterday to determine the fate of Ribadu, former Lagos State Military Administrator Gen. Buba Marwa, and a former governor-

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

ship candidate, Mr. Markus Gundiri.

The three are seeking to vie for the PDP ticket for the October 11 Adamawa State Governorship By-Election.

The NWC members disagreed with National Chairman Adamu Muazu on granting the aspirants waiver.

While 11 members opposed waiver for the aspirants, Muazu insisted on granting them the privilege in line with Sec-

tion 50(9) of the PDP Constitution.

The stalemate forced the NWC to postpone the screening of the 12 aspirants till Saturday.

The other aspirants are: Acting Governor, Umaru Fintiri; Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Modibbo; Auwal Tukur; ex-Minister Aliyu Idi Hong; Sen. Abubakar H. Girei; Jerry Kumdisi; Andrawus Sawa; James Barka; Brig. Gen. Aliyu Kama; Continued on page 68

Insecurity: Jonathan, Obasanjo meet

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo met behind closed doors yesterday to seek a way out of the worsening security.

Top on the agenda was the insurgency in the Northeast.

Chief Obasanjo told reporters at his Presidential Hilltop home in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on his return from Abuja that

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta and Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

he travelled to Abuja for the meeting as a “mark of respect for the office of the President”.

The former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said: “Yes, I can conContinued on page 68

Reclaim territories captured by Boko Haram, ACF urges military

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ORTH’S Foremost socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has told the military and the Federal Government to urgently reclaim parts of the country captured by the Boko Haram sect.

It described the performance of the military and other security agencies “unimpressive”.

The ACF lamented that while reports have indicated that Boko Haram insurgents

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

appeared to be on an unstoppable advance to over run more territories, efforts of the military to checkmate the advance of the insurgents was not yielding the desired result.

The group in a statement last night after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at its headquarters, said the well attended meeting chaired by Ibrahim Coomassie, discussed exhaustively the Continued on page 68

Declare war on insurgents, ex-Service men tell President Continued from page 1

•Ribadu

They prefer outright military campaign instead of “constructive engagement” with the militants.

Also yesterday, Acting Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba said 27 policemen are still missing one week after the Nigeria Mobile Police Academy in Gwoza was at-

tacked by the insurgents.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the Presidency has been advised to look beyond political consideration and collateral damage by ordering the military to declare a war against the sect.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said the military had Continued on page 68

Cameroon kills 27 Boko Haram men in attacks Continued from page 1

ordered that the Nigerian soldiers be escorted back home, the radio said.

“The head of state has instructed that the columns of Nigerian soldiers who entered Cameroonian territory should be camped in specific locations and supervised by the Cameroonian army. The Nigerian soldiers have been provided feeding, medical treatment and fuel on instructions of the head of state.”

Colonel Didier Badjeck, a Cameroon military spokesman, told Voice of Africa (VOA) that allegations in Cameroonian media that the incidence was a defection were unfounded, adding that they were careful over the presence of the Nigerian soldiers as Boko Haram militants could also disguise as a regular

army and attack them.

He said people should allow the Cameroonian army to fight Boko Haram as professional soldiers.

The extent of the underfunding of the Nigerian military over the years was exposed yesterday.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator George Thompson Sekibo, said Nigeria is on the verge of disintegration, adding that the country requires drastic action to preserve its unity. According to him, the military is not only overstretched in dealing with insurgency, it is also grossly underfunded.

“I tell you as a politician and a lawmaker that I am seeing signs of disintegration of this country,” Sekibo said.

He spoke during a session by the Military Law Forum of the

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the 2014 Annual General Conference in Owerri, the Imo State capital. The theme was: ‘The Nigerian Armed Forces in Internal Security Operations: Between Law and National Security Imperatives’.

To Sekibo, a successful fight against insurgency will depend on how well the military is equipped, adding that Nigeria’s unity now primarily lies in the hands of the armed forces.

“As chairman of Senate Committee of Defence, I can categorically say that our military is drastically under-funded. If you’re sending a man to go somewhere to fight, they cannot do with empty hands.

“Our military is much overstretched. That makes me to ask: Is pipeline vandalism an internal security issue for the military to handle? Is oil theft an

internal security issue for the military as well ethnic crisis? I don’t see any reason why if we adequately train the other paramilitary forces like the police, they cannot handle such issues.

“It means that we have to encourage the police and give them the relevant training so that they will be able to stop ordinary pipeline vandalism, oil theft and some of these smaller issues, so that the military can face major crisis, even though they are internal, and bring peace in our land.

“In this insurgency issue, if the perception of the people becomes stronger than what is happening, then destruction is imminent. For that not to happen, it is in the hands of the armed forces. They have to fight their best.

“They have to make sacrifices to make sure that the insur-

gents are brought to their knees.

If the insurgents come on their knees and beg the country, then law and the armed forces have met properly,” he said.

Sekibo urged the military to put the people first, and not violate human rights in a bid to please the government.

“I think as a senator that the military is not the people’s military. The military is the government’s military. Unfortunately I’m saying so because I represent the people.

“I think that if the military is for the people, then it should be about the people’s protection first, before the nation’s protection. We must make our military the military of the people,” Sekibo said.

The Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Jos, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), said the police and other para-military

agencies should be properly trained, equipped and motivated so as to minimise the army’s internal security responsibilities.

“A situation where the members of the Armed Forces are deployed in almost every state of the federation may be inimical to the country’s democratic processes.

“Since the Armed Forces and the police and other civil authorities are jointly involved in internal security operations, the time has come for the joint training of members of the Armed Forces and the police generally or on special mission,” Amupitan said.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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NEWS

Shekarau to open national education forum

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DUCATION Minister Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau will open the National Higher Education Forum 2014 on September 22 in Abuja.

The forum, with the theme: Innovate and Lead, will hold at the International Conference Centre. It is a private sector-driven initiative designed to seek longterm, sustainable solutions to the challenges in Nigeria's higher education.

The initiative was articulated by Sojourn Global Services, an idea, innovation and strategy company, in partnership with Tell Communications Limited, the publishers of TELL, Nigeria's leading, authoritative news magazine.

Shekarau, who the organisers said has backed the event, will deliver the opening speech and the keynote address at the closing dinner.

Over 25 of Africa's global thought leaders are expected to speak at the two-day forum. Those who have confirmed participation include: Webster University's Chief of Office for Corporate Partnerships and the Dean, George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology at St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Dr. Ola Akande; former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji; Dean, Lagos Business School, Dr. Enase Okonedo; Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo-Stan Ekeh; University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rahamon Bello; Chief Executive Officer, DV Worx, Femi Odugbemi and University of Ibadan (UI) former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, among others.

APCON groups condemn choice of new chair

By Adedeji Ademigbuji

H

EADS of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG), under the aegis of the Association of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), have faulted President Goodluck Jonathan for appointing Prince Ngozi Emioma as the chairman of APCON. They said the appointment contravened the laws establishing the council.

Addressing reporters yesterday at the secretariat of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), HASG said the President did not consult the industry’s sectoral groups to understand how the council should be constituted.

AAAN President Kelechi Nwosu spoke on behalf of the groups, comprising AAAN, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN).

He said the appointment followed Federal Government’s reconstitution of its boards of corporations and regulatory bodies.

Nwosu said it was in the course of the changes the government announced Emioma’s appointment in contravention of the laws setting up APCON.

•President Goodluck Jonathan (second right); National Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi (rtd.) (right); Conference Vice Chairman, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi (second left) and the Secretary, Mrs Valerie Azinge, when the conference leadership visited the President at the State House, Abuja...yesterday.

Nigerians celebrate corruption, says Obi

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ORMER Anambra State Governor Peter Obi has said corruption thrives because Nigerians worship money.

The former governor noted that the nation was facing several challenges because of impunity.

He said: "The level of greed is unacceptable."

Obi spoke yesterday on the topic: Nigeria: Any Hope for An Industrial Revolution? at the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

He said: "Corruption and greed kill entrepreneurship, hard work and professionalism."

The former governor condemned greed among political office holders, who he said assume power with the aim of enriching themselves.

He said: "Someone is voted

•NBA President, Daudu, others seek NJC reform From Joseph Jibueze, Owerri

into office who had no house, no car, but in six months, the person has three cars, six houses and the person organises a thanksgiving.

Even the bishop is praying for him to make more money.

"We have to start fighting those things that make industrial revolution impossible.

We have to start by building a country where there is zero tolerance for greed and impunity."

Also, NBA President Okey Wali (SAN) called for a reform in the appointment and elevation of judges and justices.

He said nothing in law stops a qualified lawyer from being appointed a Chief

Judge, adding that a lawyer should also be able to go to the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court from the Bar without serving on the Bench first.

Wali also sought a review of the Constitution to divest governors of the power to appoint chief judges.

He said: "Why should another arm of government appoint the head of another arm? Does the Judiciary appoint the governor of a state?

Do we appoint the Speaker of the House of Assembly?

So, why should they appoint our head?"

A former NBA President Joseph Daudu (SAN) said the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) should not preside over the

National Judicial Council (NJC), which has the responsibility of appointing and disciplining judges.

He said someone from the outside, either a retired justice or a senior lawyer, should be appointed to head the NJC. According to him, a neutral head for the body would sanitise the system.

Daudu also criticised the practice in the NJC where lawyers, who are members, are barred from participating in disciplinary hearings on erring judges.

He said: "That dichotomy should be removed. If laymen can sit in discipline of judges, and if judicial officers sit in the disciplining of lawyers, then lawyers should participate in the disciplining of judges."

Fed Govt launches national policy on child labour

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HE Federal Government has launched a National Policy on Child Labour and established a national action plan on child labour.

The policy, which will run until 2017, is expected to check the spate of child labour.

Labour and Productivity Minister Emeka Wogu launched the policy yesterday in Abuja.

He said the policy, which was approved last year by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), showed the government’s determination to eliminate child labour and provide the Nigerian child a future to be proud of.

The minister explained that the government, through the ministry, had demonstrated its commitment to the elimination of child labour.

According to him, the government, through the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), had demonstrated its commitment to tackling the socio-economic factors.

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

Wogu said: “The massive employment of youth and women through the Community Services Women and Youth Empowerment (CSWYE) scheme of the SURE-P has reduced drastically the high level of poverty in rural communities in Nigeria where child labour strives most.

“The CSWYE programme is a critical strategy for fighting poverty, especially rural poverty, which has fuelled child labour and child trafficking in the country.

“The national policy and national action plan on child labour document came through a consultative process of stakeholders’ participation and inputs. I, therefore, have no doubt that we will bring the same passion and commitment in its implementation.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that the approval of the National Policy and National Action Plan, last year, by the Federal Executive Council, has set

the stage for effective collaboration and implementation of child labour interventions across the country.

“The policy will help every stakeholder to operate in its area of comparative advantage. It will also facilitate the building of synergy, effective coordination and eliminate duplication of interventions by MDAs.” The Director, Country Office of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Ms Sina Chuma-Mkandawire said the policy marked an important milestone in the fight against the worst forms of child labour in Nigeria.

She urged Nigerians not to relent in the efforts to eliminate child labour.

According to her, the fact that Nigeria had ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on Worst Forms of Child Labour “leaves me with no doubt that we have gained the necessary momentum and commitment for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour”.

‘Let Jonathan decide conference outcome’

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HE Chairman of Yoruba Oba Conflict Resolution Committee and Olugbo of Ugboland, Ondo State, Oba Obateru Akinruntan, has urged Nigerians to allow the Federal Government to determine the mode of ratification of the National Delegates Conference’s decisions.

He said: “Whatever method to be used to ratify the decisions reached at the conference must be determined by the government.

Be it through a referendum or parliamentary approach for the ratification of the decisions, the government,

which surprised everybody by conveying the conference, should be allowed to determine the way forward.”

Oba Akinruntan hailed the government for allowing the delegates to deliberate on vital national issue.

The monarch noted that Nigerians could comment after the government would have arrived at a final decision.

But he said the present advisory role of traditional rulers was not enough.

The Olugbo described monarchs as custodians of the truth.

Oba Akinruntan said: “In the regional era, the obas had a role to play in the governance of the country.

It was through the arrangement that the late Oba Adesoji Aderemi, former Ooni of Ife, became a governor.”

On the peace and unity among Yoruba monarchs, he said: “It is as a result of the mediatory and conflict resolution efforts of this committee.”

The monarch, who called for unity and friendship among the Yoruba, said every monarch is supreme in his kingdom.

•Oba Akinruntan

He added that there was no reason why they should be quarrelling.

PHOTO:AKIN OLADOKUN

Accord, SDP criticise INEC for new polling units •Group defends commission From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

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HE National Secretary of Accord Party (AP), Samson Isibor, and a national leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Frank Ukonga, have opposed the new polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They alleged that the exercise favoured the North.

The two parties threatened to sue the commission for what they called a lopsided creation of the polling units.

Ukonga, a presidential aspirant of the SDP, said his party and some others rejected the new units.

He alleged that it was a plan to manipulate next year’s elections.

According to him, the exercise may be a ploy for the North to continue to dominate the South in the postGoodluck Jonathan era.

Ukonga said: “If 500 voters per unit is the yardstick, it would have inadvertently tilted the balance to over 20 million voters for the North against only 4 million voters for the South.

“This is a sort of constitutionally institutionalised stratagem to always produce the President from the North after the post-Jonathan era.

This is not acceptable to Southern stakeholders in the political turfs.

“We reject it and we are calling on INEC to cancel it.

There is no basis for this creation at all.

“From the screening of voters’ register, it has shown that our actual voting population is down by almost 20 million and a chunk of this differential is from North. So, why give the area more polling units where there would not be voters? What then happens to the voting materials already produced?”

Isibor wondered why INEC should release the new polling units “on the eve of the 2015 general elections”.

He added: “They (INEC leaders) should have called a stakeholders’ meeting. How did they arrive at the delineation? It is a plot to further marginalise some parts of the country. We will go to court to challenge it because there is no basis for what they have done. It is a grand design to rig elections in favour of certain sections of the country.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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NEWS NSCIA calls for preventive measures

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

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HE Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has urged Nigerians to obey preventive measures to contain the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

A statement by its SecretaryGeneral, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged Muslims to avoid eating prohibited animals, such as monkeys, dogs and pigs.

It said: “Bats and all fanged animals, which have now been identified as vectors of the Ebola virus, are forbidden. Other types of food forbidden, which one should be wary of as a means of guarding against undesirable consequences, are given in the Qu’ran thus: ‘Forbidden to you (as food) are dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which the name of other than Allah has been invoked, that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless you are able to slaughter (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); forbidden also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety.”

NSCIA hailed the prompt efforts of the Federal and Lagos State governments at curtailing the deadly disease.

The umbrella Islamic body said the Ebola outbreak was a wake-up call to Muslims to adhere to Islamic etiquette and ethics, which many people had ignored out of ignorance or sheer heedlessness.

Beyond the exposure of the Ebola challenges, the NSCIA said, Islam as a way of life, provides appropriate mechanisms that guarantee safety from and prevention of infectious diseases at all times.

Lagos dedicates sanitation to awareness

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HE Lagos State Government will use next Saturday’s monthly environmental sanitation for massive advocacy campaign and demonstration of preventive measures to curb the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), it was learnt yesterday. The exercise holds between 7am and 10am.

A statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Fola Adeyemi, said the government would dedicate the sanitation to awareness campaign on preventive measures against the deadly disease through a cleaner environment.

The Environment Commissioner Tunji Bello said the government would continue to be in the forefront of the campaign for a healthier and sustainable environment.

Over the years, the Babatunde Fashola administration has been warning Lagosians to desist from unhygienic acts, such as open urination and open defecation.

It urged the residents to keep their environment clean and ensure proper waste management to keep diseases, including the EVD, away.

The statement warned that the consequences of a filthy environment are grievous.

It said: “Now that we have an index case of the Ebola Virus Disease in the state, this is a wakeup call for all Lagosians to desist from unhygienic acts that could spread the disease.”

THE EBOLA VIRUS

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Minister: Nigeria still faces infection risk

EALTH Minister Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu has warned that Nigeria is still at risk of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), despite its containment.

He said though only one patient is receiving treatment, the virus could still find its way to Nigeria, if there is a case of Ebola anywhere in the world and there is free movement of persons among countries.

Addressing State House Correspondents yesterday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Chukwu said Nigerians should not celebrate yet, until the last case is eliminated in the world.

Chukwu explained that of

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

the 13 Ebola cases recorded in the country, including the index case, five persons had died. These included the index case.

The minister said seven patients were successfully managed and discharged while a patient is still under treatment.

He said Nigeria was not panicking over the disease and would not close its borders.

Chukwu said: “Nigeria has been successful in the containment of the disease, but we have not eliminated the disease. As long as there is any case of Ebola virus anywhere

in the world and people are allowed to travel, we are still at risk.

“We are not banning mass gatherings and we are not panicking because of the disease. More people have even died from accidents than Ebola since the disease came to Nigeria. Ebola is not the greatest killer of Nigerians.

“We don’t want to panic, but we still need to be careful.

This is because we are still at risk, until the last case is eliminated. Since we have one case of Ebola, it is still an epidemic because it is deadlier than other diseases.”

The minister said the government shifted schools’ resumption date for primary and secondary schools till

October because children may not be as careful as adults about acts that could cause the virus infection.

He said the screening of visitors and Nigerians returning to the country was being intensified at the entry points.

Chukwu urged Nigerians to remain careful and imbibe behaviours that would keep the virus at bay.

The minister explained that the N1.9 billion fund approved by the government as intervention against the EVD would be expended through the Ministry of Health and its corporations to fight the disease.

The fund, he stressed, was not meant to be distributed to states, like the Federation Ac-

count Allocation Committee (FAAC).

According to him, the N200 million approved for Lagos State was outside the N1.9 billion, adding that the money was meant to assist the state to recoup what it spent on the disease.

On why some patients die and others survive, Chukwu said this would depend on individual’s immunity.

The minister added that those with good immunity have higher chances of surviving.

He said the sister to the late senior consultant at First Consultant Hospital in Obalende, Lagos, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, tested negative to the virus.

Adadevoh should be immortalised, says Dabiri-Erewa

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HE Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called for the immortalisation of the late Doctor Ameyo Stella Adadevoh.

She died after being infected with the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by her patient, the late Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer.

The late Sawyer brought the disease to Nigeria last month and was treated by Dr Adadevoh at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, Lagos. He died on July 25, 18 days after his sister, Princess, died of the disease at the Catholic Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia. But he was said to have denied having contact with anyone with the EVD, when Dr Adadevoh asked him.

The late Dr Adadevoh tested positive on August 4 and died on August 19. She was 57.

In a tribute yesterday, Dabiri-Erewa said: “Courage, selfless commitment and an unwavering belief in a cause are three essentials but rare qualities of truly great leaders. Sometimes, these leaders exhibit an uncommon commitment to a cause and go as far as laying down their lives for a purpose they truly believe in. History will forever revere the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Obafemi Awolowo, among few others, as heroes.

‘Name National Hospital after Adadevoh’

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FORMER House of Representatives member, Dino Melaye, has urged the Federal Government to immortalise the late Dr. Stella Adadevoh.

He urged the Federal Government to name a national hospital after her because of her role at containing the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The activist hailed the Lagos State Government on its efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

Melaye spoke yesterday in Abuja at a candle night in honour of the late Dr. Adadevoh and other casualties of the EVD. He said: “We are here to honour, burning our candles of respect to celebrate this very courageous medical practitioner who gave her life to save the lives of millions of Nigerians. If Sawyer had escaped out of that hospital, it could have been tactically impossible to tame the spread of the disease. This is because he would have interacted with so many people and become very difficult to trace those who had contracted the disease.

By Olamilekan Andu

“Our dear Dr. Adadevoh has certainly stamped her feet in the sands of time as one of Nigeria’s heroines who fought like a true warrior the battle against the Ebola Virus Disease and deserves to be commended, applauded, celebrated and immortalised by Nigeria and Nigerians.

“Dr. Adadevoh’s actions were extremely courageous.

She upheld in every sense of the word her Hippocratic Oath, despite intense mediagenerated trepidation, rejection of patients by hospitals and even reluctance in volunteering some of her medi-

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

“I use this opportunity to call on President Goodluck Jonathan to immortalise this woman by giving her a posthumous honour and, if possible, name one of the national hospitals after her.

“We need to immortalise her. We need to appreciate Nigerians who sacrificed their lives for humanity. Our government should not allow the labours of our heroes past to be in vain.”

On the efforts of the Lagos State Government to contain the spread of the disease, Malaye said: “We thank God that this happened in Lagos. If it had happened in other states, the spread of Ebola would have been uncontainable. Our prayer is that God would completely heal our land of this satanic disease.”

The former lawmaker urged members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to exhibit the same spirit as the late Dr Adedevoh did in future emergencies.

cal colleagues. Dr. Adadevoh was selfless in the face of trials, putting her nation before herself. She refused to grant the late Mr. Patrick Sawyer access outside the hospital, despite extreme pressure (even getting physical in the process).

“In a statement she cosigned after the entire episode, it is clear that her goal was one: preventing the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (and subsequent deaths) in Nigeria. Below is an excerpt from the statement co-signed by Dr. Adadevoh after the incident. “’We hope that by our action of preventing this gen-

tleman from being extracted from our hospital and travelling to Calabar we have been able to prevent the spread of EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE in Nigeria.’

“To answer you posthumously, my dear doctor, Yes you have! And we, the Nigerian people, are extremely grateful for your selfless display of courage in the face of adversity. We truly appreciate your efforts in stemming the tide of this epidemic that was once raging in our land.

It is a shame that the jaws of death chose to snatch your type through this Ebola Virus Disease. One thing is sure: Nigerians would forev-

•Mrs.Dabiri-Erewa

er remember, celebrate and be thankful to you for the significant role you played in keeping our land at peace.

“The closing part of the Hippocratic Oath reads thus: ‘If I fulfil this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honoured with fame among all men for all time to come.

“Our dearest Dr. Adadevoh truly upheld that oath and fulfilled it beyond expectations. Though she may not be alive to ‘enjoy life and art’, she will long live in our hearts and be remembered by all in the present and even in the future as one of Nigeria’s greatest ‘medical warriors’ who saved thousands, possibly millions of lives.”

Air France suspends flights to Liberia, Sierra Leone

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•Minister of State for Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye (right) inspecting the construction of Akure-Ilesha Road being built with new polymer-based geo-textile technology. The polymer-based geo-textile technology will last longer.

RANCE yesterday recommended that its citizens leave Sierra Leone and Liberia because of the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) there.

Its national carrier, Air France, temporarily suspended its three flights a week to Sierra Leone.

The EVD has killed over 1,400 people in West Africa.

Air France announced that it temporarily halted its flights to Freetown, the Sierra Leonean capital, because of the Ebola outbreak there and at the request of the French government.

The French national carrier said it was maintaining its flights to Conakry, the capital of Guinea, and to Lagos, Nigeria, cities it flies to once a day. Referring to Ebola, the airline said: “Measures in place at airports there ‘guarantee ...that no passengers presenting symptoms ...can board”.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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NEWS 12 injured in Ibadan area boys’ clash

‘Danger of freedom restriction in democracy’

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

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OODLUMS at Itasakun/Born Photo area of Ibadan last Tuesday night engaged in a bloody clash, which injured about12 persons.

Vehicles’ windscreens were vandalised during the fight between two groups of “area boys in the area, which is densely populated by the natives.

A resident, Alfa Nasiru Akande, said dangerous weapons were used, including guns, cutlasses, charms and knives.

“We were so disturbed that some people fled their homes.

Vehicles packed on the roadside were smashed and damaged. We could not sleep throughout the night,” he said.

The cause of the fight, it was learnt, was a heated argument, which ensued over demand for payment of owo omo onile (money for area boys) from a property owner, who wanted to build a structure.

The clash, which started at about 8.20p.m, sent many residents sent many people scampering for safety, while roadside traders closed shops for fear of been looted.

A police officer, Mr. Bashiru Adewale, who spoke for the state Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, yesterday said it was still waiting for detailed report from the police station in the area.

Adewale, who spoke on behalf of the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Olabisi Clet-Ilobanafor, said: “Regarding the alleged incident ,we are yet to receive any report from our men . We are not aware yet . We shall brief you when we have the details.”

Osun poll: PDP files petition challenging Aregbesola’s win •We’re ready for them, says APC From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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HE legal team representing the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has submitted a petition to the Election Petition Tribunal against the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, in the August 9 poll.

The petition was submitted yesterday on behalf of the PDP candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

The head of the legal team, Sunday Ojo-William, told reporters after submitting the petition that they “are praying that those lawful votes cast in favour of the PDP’s candidate should be enough to declare our candidate winner of the August 9 governorship election.

“We have facts that we are going to present before the tribunal to establish that the figures credited to the APC’s candidate were unlawfully obtained.”

He said the PDP was also asking the tribunal to look at “all allegations” with a view to cancelling the exercise.

Reacting to the submission of the petition, the state Secretary of APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun, said his party was ready to defend itself before the panel.

Famodun, in an interview with reporters in Osogbo, said: “We have gone this lane before. Even as an opposition party, we challenged the PDP for over three years and won.

“The facts and figures are there that the APC won the August 9 governorship election squarely. Whatever they hope to bring to the tribunal, we are ready for them.”

Senate race: Onanuga inaugurates campaign teams

By Adebisi Onanuga

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N All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant for the Ogun East District, Prince Adebayo Onanuga, has inaugurated his campaign coordinators in Ogun Waterside, Remo North and Sagamu Local Government Areas.

Onanuga is the Managing Director, Editor- in- Chief of The News Group, a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a member of the World Association of Newspapers.

At the events held yesterday in Abigi, Isara and Sagamu, the aspirant spoke about the worsening problems of poverty in the senatorial district and the country.

He said it has become an urgent task for all those aspiring to lead or represent the people to fashion out programmes to tackle the problem and provide solution to it.

Onanuga, who linked poverty to Boko Haram’s insurgency in the Northeast, warned that a similar scenario might happen in the Southwest if leaders fail to address problems of poverty.

“A hungry man or even an angry man is a potential recruit for terrorists who have inducements to offer him,” he said.

He stressed that by moving round the local council areas, it would make him to confront the problems being faced by the people of Ogun East squarely, as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo did in conducting his political campaigns.

Party leaders and members attended the carnival-like events in the various local councils.

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SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has argued that democracy would not have meaning and thrive as a system of government where freedom is fettered.

The governor spoke in Osogbo when the Governing Council, management and staff of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) visited him.

He said what makes any democracy functional was the latitude of freedom offered the people.

Aregbesola said: “Freedom is so important in any democracy. In fact, it is superior to all other ingredients that make democracy functional.

“Therefore, there is no democracy where there is no freedom. What separates democracy from other forms of government is the latitude of freedom it gives to the

O

ceiving the support of other interest groups.

It was gathered that the governor had met with lawmakers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, industrialists, workers and artisans, among others.

An aide said: “The governor had been careful to make sure that the decision

Aregbesola noted that there was no alternative to joint management of the institution by the two states.

He stressed that finance was key in the administration of a university and urged for a rethink in philosophy of how to fund the university with the two states’ meagre resources.

He added that there was the need for the two states to continue to jointly fund the university to uphold the dream of its establishment.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Prof.

Wale Omole, in his remark, congratulated the governor on his victory, saying the election was fought by God and won by God. Omole, a former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, said what the governor had put in place to make life meaning-

•Aregbesola

ful to the people was enormous.

The don also hailed the government’s efforts in sustaining the legacy of the jointly owned university.

A letter of congratulation was written to the governor by the Vice Chancellor of LAUTECH, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin, on behalf of the management, staff and students of the institution .

It praised the governor on his victory and performance in office.

2015: Knocks for Akpabio over tripod arrangement

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HE Chairman of the Oro Think Tank and former Nigeria’s ambassador to Greece, Etim Uyeh, has criticised Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio for not respecting the “tripod agreement” on which the state was founded.

Speaking in Oron on: “Oro Think Tank, Akwa Ibom Governor of Oro Extraction, 2015,” Uyeh accused Akpabio of trying to force an Ibibio man, the

Alaafin hails Aregbesola’s victory From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

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HE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III has hailed Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s victory as a “demonstration of people’s love” for his intellect, fearlessness and courage.

The monarch said the governor was an “uncompromising politician whose contributions to the well- being of the down-trodden remain indelible.”

Oba Adeyemi gave the remarks yesterday when a delegation of Osun State Council of Arts and Culture, representing the governor at the on-going World Sango festival, visited him.

“Regardless of sentiments, Aregbesola operates a government that is indisputably adjudged by its results.

The prosperity, security and the well-being of the people dictate his popularity. He is a man of vigour and an unequalled politician, whose contemporary will be difficult to find, at least in this millennium. His style of administration is distinct and rare in the present democratic dispensation.”

Mimiko’s supporters okay defection NDO State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has received the approval of his supporters and other stakeholders to defect from the Labour Party (LP) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mimiko, it was learnt yesterday, will soon announce his exit from the LP after re-

people.”

The governor, while reflecting on what transpired during the August 9 governorship election in which he emerged victorious, decried what he termed the partisanship of some security agencies.

He observed that a situation in which the nation’s constitution was brazenly subverted creates danger for democracy and federalism.

Aregbesola said there was need for a robust and constant dialogue and engagement on the true meaning of democracy and federalism for the country not to derail.

He added: “It is an aberration in any democracy, federalism or republic to render the head of a unit ineffective even for a day let alone weeks as was done in terms of security during the election.”

Praising the university’s governing council,

is collective.

“Some of those he consulted told him that it would be appropriate for him to defect now so that he can support President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid next year.”

At a meeting with lawmakers, the state House of Assembly’s Speaker, Jumoke Akindele, hailed the move.

Secretary to the State Government, Mr Udom Emmanuel, on the people as his successor, adding that Oro people would not chicken out of the governorship race.

He said it was sad that the people of Annang, who had enjoyed the favour of Oro people in the past, were trying to frustrate Oro’s effort to produce the next governor.

Lamenting that Oro had never produced the governor,

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

Uyeh said the tripod arrangement favours the ethnic group as the third largest in the state.

His words: “The Akwa Ibom 2015 governorship is our right.

It is a battle we are going to fight to a logical end. If we lose this chance, it will take Oro 40 years before it can talk about producing a governor.”

Former Commissioner for Education Effiong Edunam

said: “There have been many threats to the life and property of our people. Our vehicles, houses, and offices have been marked for attacks. In Akwa Ibom State, violence has been embedded in our politics and structure. We cannot be deterred by this violence and stop fighting for our cause. We believe in our cause and cannot fold our arms while people swindle us of our rights.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

NEWS ‘Ikere monarch was a father to all’

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KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi has described the late Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adegoke Adegboye, as a father, not only to his children and subjects, but also to the people and the state government.

The governor, who spoke at a condolence visit to the monarch’s palace, said tradition and the popular wish of residents would play major roles in filling the stool vacated by the ruler.

“The sweet memory of this monarch would linger in the minds of his subjects and the people of Ekiti State for his peaceful reign and the development he influenced to IkereEkiti with his connections,” the governor said.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof.

Modupe Adelabu, noted that Oba Adegboye lived a fulfilled life and reigned well.

He said the monarch “should not be mourned, but celebrated as a successful ruler who joined his forebears after a successful and peaceful tenure.”

Fayemi added that the late Ogoga would be remembered for the dignity and splendour he brought into the traditional institution in Ekiti and Nigeria.

He described the late monarch as a custodian of Ekiti cul-

Direct primaries okay for APC, says senator

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HE mode of primary proposed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in picking its candidates for the 2015 elections has been hailed by Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon.

Solomon, who is a governorship aspirant in Lagos State, said if implemented, the modified direct primaries would allow for “a rancour-free primaryand a level-playing field for the aspirants.”

The Senate Minority Whip noted that there would be no need for the party’s leadership to be compensating members with other positions after they might have lost their bid for tickets, if the process was indirect.

He, however, called for further clarifications on the “modified direct primaries” announced by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last week.

“The statement credited to our publicity secretary on modified direct primaries needs to be clarified. I’ve heard of direct and indirect primaries, but I want to wait for the clarification on what is modified direct primaries,” he said.

Solomon was a local government chairman, a member of the House of Representatives and has been a two-time senator.

He said direct primaries were used to pick candidates in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states.

“All the aspirants were made to go through direct primaries, including places where there were no other aspirants other than the incumbent governors.

We should not give room for speculations while picking our candidates,” he said.

He said there had been no anointed candidate for the Lagos governorship seat.

“There has been a clear pronouncement by our leaders who sounded it emphatically that nobody has been anointed,” the Senator added.

ture and tradition and an embodiment of sound judgment, who displayed the fear of God “I will certainly miss his wealth of wisdom which I am privileged to have benefited from over the years.”

He said the government would participate in the funeral of the monarch, assuring that the tradition would be strictly observed in picking a new ruler.

Responding on behalf of the family, the first son of the late monarch, Prince Adesoji Adegboye, thanked the governor for identifying with them and the people of Ikere-Ekiti.

The Osolo Uro and Secretary of the Ogoga-inCouncil, Chief Obafemi Jongbo, hailed the governor and the government for the visit, which according to him, clearly demonstrated the rapport between the government and the late monarch .

•Prof. Adelabu signing the condolence register at the entrance of the Palace of Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti… yesterday.

Lebanese escapes from abductors in Ibadan

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HE General Manager of Black Horse Industries, Ibadan, Mr. S. Sakalawi, who was kidnapped last week by gunmen, reportedly escaped yesterday from his abductors.

Sakalawi, a Lebanese, was abducted last Tuesday after being trailed by the gunmen, who drove into the company’s premises in a silver coloured Honda Accord.

A police source said the man was found by some po-

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

licemen on a road in an outskirt of Ibadan, after they were alerted by some people.

A police source said: “According to a report, the victim escaped from the den of the kidnappers and found his way through the bushy paths to the major road where he was helped .

“This means that the plan of the kidnappers failed because the millions of naira

they were requesting as ransom were not paid. His escape had also exposed them.

The police are on their trail and will make sure none of them escape. They shall be apprehended to face the law.”

But efforts to speak with the victim or members of his family were unsuccessful yesterday as they refused to speak with reporters.

The three-man kidnap team last Tuesday followed the vehicle of a female member of staff to gain entry into

the company, beating security check in the process.

Coincidentally, Sakalawi was also driving behind the gunmen into the compound.

As soon as they sighted him alighting from his car, the kidnappers pounced on him.

They bundled him into their car and drove off.

The Police Command later deployed policemen at strategic places and major roads where the abductors escaped through.

Ajimobi gets support from Southwest APC

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HE Southwest Zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has passed a vote of confidence in the Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration.

It said the governor had done the party proud through his brilliant performance in the last three years.

The party also praised the governor for the outstanding leadership quality, which he demonstrated in the running of the state’s affairs.

The APC National ViceChairman, South-West, Chief Pius Akinyelure, made the remarks when he led the party leaders on a visit to the governor in Ibadan last Tuesday.

Akinyelure hailed

Ajimobi’s achievements and his commitment to the growth and development of the state and its people.

“Certainly, no governor had done what you have done since you came in. You have excelled in the area of exceptional leadership. You have demonstrated that you are very close to your people.

“I was here during the last Ramadan and I witnessed the breaking of fast during which no fewer than 2,500 people were fed daily throughout the period. This is an evidence of your large heartedness and care for the people of Oyo State,” he said.

The APC leader noted that there had been tremendous improvement in the provision of social infrastructure

since the inception of the Ajimobi administration.

“Under your leadership, the roads are better; communication has improved; education has also received a boost; children are now going to school in free buses; several markets have been built to cater for the traders removed from the streets while health care delivery has never remained the same again,” he said.

Ajimobi, in response, said his administration had continued to make life worth living for the people through his restoration, transformation and repositioning agenda and provision of social infrastructure.

“We have turned those roads built during the era of

Macpherson and Lord Lugard in Oyo State into modern roads. We are not just doing roads, we are doing modern roads. We have achieved much in the areas of health and water.

He praised the APC leaders for their effort at ensuring the unity and progress of the party.

Ajimobi said with the victory of the party in Osun State, it would win more states and take over from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level.

“With our performance in Osun State, notwithstanding all the efforts of the opposition, we have been able to show that our party is not only popular, but very strategic,” he said.

Oyo, PDP chieftain trade words over demolition

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YO State government and a People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) chieftain, Senator Lekan Balogun, traded words yesterday over demolition of structures to pave the way for a modern neighbourhood market at Old Ife Road, Ibadan.

The row begun with Balogun accusing the state government of “wilfully demolishing houses worth several millions of naira against a subsisting court order.”

He said it was his obligation as a PDP leader “to correctly inform the public that it is sheer insensitivity on the part of Oyo State Government to have embarked on this demolition as they did few days ago of private properties worth N400 million when the case is still in court.

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

“Moreso, when there is a subsisting court injunction restraining the same government from embarking on such a lawless act.

“We hasten to add that the issue is never about one organization, individual or still about inclination to “score cheap political point,” but passionate pursuit of justice, fair-play and accountability which the same government has sworn to uphold in all his conducts at all times without any discrimination.”

But the Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, in a statement, said the government had acquired the market some years ago and relocated the traders to the Fashade area of the state capital.

He added that the decision

had generated a row between the government and some members of the market, who insisted that they would not move out.

Adedayo said: “It is apparent that the said PDP stalwart is doing this for an ulterior motive. He coordinates dissent against government at the market and he is their arrowhead.

“In fuelling the renegades, he apparently hopes to score cheap political points and paint government in bad light.

“The market construction has been delayed for too long because of this prolonged, fuelled antagonism against government. Government considers the interest of the people first and not the narrow interest of politicians who are sponsoring the dissent.”

The government said it

had done everything to advance the cause of building a befitting market for the people of Temidire, but its efforts were frustrated by a cabal in the market whose actions were fuelled by a political undertone.”

Adedayo added that the state government had, in the last one year, met with leaders of the market several times, provided an alternative market for the plank sellers at the Fashade village, with all conveniences, including transformers.

Ondo warns birth attendants From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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NDO State has said it will prosecute operators of mission houses and traditional birth attendants who record deaths of expectant women during child delivery.

It advised the traditional birth attendants to refer expectant women to government hospitals.

This was part of the resolutions reached at a health seminar tagged: “The Role of Traditional Birth Attendants in Maternal Health and Child Survival,” organised by Hala Nigeria.

Participants were drawn from the health sector with the goal of redefining the roles of traditional birth attendants and mission houses.

LOSS OF DOCUMENT This is to inform the general public on the loss of my offer of terms of grant conveyance of approval from Kuje Area council. All efforts made to locate it proved abortive.

Signed: Jibrin Shaibu Magaji.

08035112422

LOSS OF DOCUMENT I Chief Moshood Adekunle Oluawo of 5, Opeoluwa Street, Ilogba B/Stop, Ebute - Mette, Lagos, wish to notify the general public of the loss of the original certificate of occupancy granted to me on 7th May 2012 registered as No 9 at page 9 in vol.170 at the Federal Lands Registry Ikoyi, in respect of my terrace house at Block G house 2 Eric More in Surulere Local Government of Lagos State. The general public and Federal Lands Registry, Ikoyi please take note.

DECLARATION OF NAME OF SCHOOL This is to notify the general public that the school registered with Lagos state government as CRYSTAL PRIMARY SCHOOL is one and the same as the OMOLE PHASE 2 CRYSTAL SCHOOL registered with the corporate affairs commission, (CAC).

All her bankers and the Lagos state government should please take note

9

THE NATION THURSDAY AUGUST 28, 2014

NEWS

Two arraigned for pipeline vandalism From James Azania, Lokoja

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WO men were arraigned yesterday be-

fore a Lokoja Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly vandalising NNPC/PPMC pipeline and siphoning petroleum products.

The accused, Michael Umoru and Obi Kelechi, were charged with criminal conspiracy under Section 97(1) of the Penal Code.

The prosecuting counsel, Silas Bode, told the court that on July 25, between 2am and 3am, the accused, acting with others at large, vandalised NNPC/PPMC pipeline at Gaba village.

Silas said the accused siphoned about 33,000 litres into a Mark truck with registration LKJ 223 XA before they were arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

They pleaded not guilty and their lawyer, M. O. Ogedengbe, urged the court to grant bail, which the prosecutor did not object to.

The Chief Magistrate, Levi Animoku, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 with a surety in like sum.

He said the surety must be a civil servant of Grade level 12 or above and adjourned the case till September 18 for hearing.

Seven vie for Adamawa APC ticket

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EVEN persons have obtained forms to vie for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the October 11 Adamawa State governorship by-election.

APC’s National Organising Secretary Chief Osita Izunaso said only Senator Umar Bindow had submitted his form, adding that the national secretariat would constitute a committee to organise the primaries.

“When we constitute the committee, you will be proud of it and I assure you it will do a credible job,” Izunaso told Bindow’s supporters at the APC n Abuja.

Among those who obtained forms are Senator Ahmed Hassan Barata and Mr. Emmanuel Bello.

The others are former Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, Alhaji Dahiru Bobbo, Boss Mustapha, Yakubu Tsala and Yayaji Mijinyawa.

It was learnt that the aspirants might be screened today, while the primaries might hold on September 7.

Supporters and former

•Party may screen aspirants today

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

aides of ex-Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako are supporting Bindow.

The politicians, led by the former Chief of Staff to Nyako, Abdulrahman Abba Jimeta, said in Abuja yesterday that the state was in need of a saviour, who would save it from the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Jimeta, who led party supporters and the governorship aspirant to submit the form, said they teamed up with Senator Bindow because they were confident he could lead the state.

Urging the APC national leadership to ensure a levelplaying field, Jimeta said the party was not afraid to face the challenge posed by the big names from the PDP. He accused the PDP of letting the state down since 1999 despite the support from indigenes.

Said Jimeta: “Adamawa State is one of the most heterogeneous states with over

87 ethnic groups. ‘’The two popular religions, Christianity and Islam, have a large follower ship. Playing politics in the state needs a lot of considerations, tactics and manoeuvres.

“We came here with a mission to save our state from the bad leadership of the PDP . PDP in Adamawa since 1999 has not recorded any project worth N300 million and if there is, I challenge anybody to mention it.

“Besides, Adamawa is the least state given appointments at the federal level. In the past administration, we were lucky to have a minister of state for Culture and Tourism.

“Today, we have two ministers; Women Affairs and Youth Development, both from one local government.

Despite our patience and loyalty, we are rewarded with a state of emergency.

“Despite coming from the poorest zone, according to World Bank statistics, we are

under emergency rule. A political coup was also staged and our governor was removed. So, Adamawa people need a saviour; we need somebody competent to save us from this malice.

“I want to let you know that APC in Adamawa was formed due to certain circumstances. Before the exit of Admiral Nyako, we had three groups of APC. There was the Nyako group, the Atiku group and the third group under former members of the Legacy parties.

“We didn’t have a cordial relationship. As God would have it, the exit of the governor brought our people together because we want to unite and take over the state.

“So, because of this, we the supporters of Nyako, members of the Legacy party and members of the Atiku Support Group sat down to analyse our state to see if we can come up with a candidate that will be accepted to everybody.

“We were conscious of the

Niger reviews Shari’a law From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

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HE Shari’a legal system in Niger State is being reviewed to meet the challenges, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdullahi Wuse, has said.

He said government would extend the system from the handling of civil matters to criminal cases, to make it more transparent and free from abuse.

Wuse, who spoke in Minna yesterday, said the government’s action was informed by the need to incorporate the issues concerning the people.

He said: “We find it expedient to make the Shari’a legal system more compliant with the present realities as covered by the Islamic documents.”

The commissioner added: “The review will take cognisance of issues, such as child rights and abuse, street begging, as well as corruption.”

He recalled the setback suffered in the prosecution of an Islamic cleric, who married over four wives, for lack of provision of the Shari’a laws.”

F

Scores dead in Kogi boat mishap From James Azania, Lokoja •From left: Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Council, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Prof.

Wale Omole; Osun State Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Vice-Chancellor, LAUTECH, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin, during a congratulatory and courtesy visit to the governor by council members and management team of LAUTECH at the Government House, Osogbo... yesterday

I’ve been vindicated, says Al-Makura

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ASARAWA State Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura yesterday said he had been vindicated by the verdict of the seven- man panel, which investigated allegations of misconduct against him.

The allegations were brought by the House of Assembly.

Speaking with reporters at the Government House, Lafia, Al-Makura said the dismissal of the charges proved that he did nothing

From Blessing Olaifa, Lafia

wrong.

He said: “There can be no further vindication than the verdict of the panel, because the 16 allegations have been proved to be frivolous.

Nasarawa people have also vindicated me.

“Although the process taken by the legislators was a violation of the constitution, irrespective of that I appeared before the panel.

“Fortunately, the people, who levelled frivolous and

unsubstantiated allegations against me were not present to substantiate them.

“They were trying to make a scapegoat through certain technicalities, which were not sustainable.

“I have nothing to fear as far as I am concerned because this is a victory for democracy. This is a victory for the rule of law. I’m ready to appear before any court of competent jurisdiction.

“They are also free as Nigerians and the law has given them the leverage, in ac-

Bankole seeks audience with Ogun PDP

ORMER House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole has requested for an audience with the Ogun State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

fact that if a candidate is identified to belong to any of these groups, others can gang up against him. We came up with our own criteria, which included having public acceptability, loyalty to the party, control of a constituency, competence in handling problems and resources to handle the logistics of election.

“We are not saying he should give voters money, but the independence to fund the logistics associated with elections and not to be sponsored by a godfather. ‘’After our analysis, we came up with 10 candidates and seven bought forms. By the doctrine of elimination and the acceptability of our people, the consensus of our people and the agreement of our leaders, women and youths, we came up with Senator Bindow.

“With the mandate of our people, we are presenting Senator Bindow as our governorship candidate for the by-election and we hope that you put your eyes on Adamawa State and give us a free opportunity, fair play and justice.

“The population of voters in the state is 10 times larger in the APC than in the PDP. In PDP, we have elephants who we regard as mosquitoes. They are politicians in the diaspora. They come out with big gowns and at the end of the day, they fight for their families and children.”

Receiving the nomination form, the national secretary of the APC assured that the party would ensure that the primary was free, fair and credible.

He said APC was determined to win the by-election, stressing that the only way to achieve that was to ensure that the process of selecting its candidate was credible.

The ex-Speaker in a letter by his Chief of Staff, Dewale Ayinde, addressed to Ogun PDP chair, Chief Bayo Dayo, said: “I am writing to convey the warm appreciation of Rt (Hon) Dimeji Sabur

Bankole (CFR) for granting him audience during his brief visit to you at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Secretariat in Abeokuta recently.

“Rt (H o n ) Dimeji Bankole is pleased to

humbly request for a courtesy visit to you and members of the State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ogun State at your most convenient date and time.”

cordance with the constitution, to pursue their cause.”

The governor said he was happy that nobody died during his predicament.

He said with the verdict, he hoped that those against him would support him to ensure the growth of the state.

Al-Makura said the live coverage of the panel’s proceedings by the media was to allow truth to prevail.

He urged the indigenes to unite and work for the state’s progress, saying he was surprised to receive overwhelming support from the people during this trying period.

The governor, who hailed the indigenes for their support, attributed the panel’s verdict to the will of Allah.

Said he: “Only Allah gives power to whoever he wishes.”

MANY people died yesterday in a boat mishap at Ebe village in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Four bodies were said to have been recovered.

The 50-capacity boat ferrying passengers from Ebe was said to have capsized along River Gurara, due to turbulence caused by an alleged clash between a security patrol team and another boat used by oil bunkerers.

A source told The Nation that the patrol team was on the heel of a boat conveying drums of crude oil to River Gurara.

The source said the incident followed a diversion by the passenger boat from its original course to River Gurara due to alleged poor dredging of River Niger.

The boat was said to be conveying passengers from Ebe in Kuba community to Lokoja market.

Efforts to speak with the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Tayo Fadile, was unsuccessful, as he sent a mail to reporters that he was “in a meeting.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

10

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Church lifts the unemployed

Sadela’s last moment, by eyewitness

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•‘He asked us to continue winning souls’

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HOUGH the leadership of the church of the fiery preacher, Rev. Akinbode Sadela, is yet to unfold details of his death and burial plans three days after, his last moment was revealed yesterday.

Pa Sadela, founder of the Gospel Apostolic Church, Gbagada in Lagos, who died at 113 after 82 glorious years on the pulpit, died at exactly 4.30am on Sunday in the hands of family members and top church members, The Nation learnt.

A senior member of the church, told The Nation in confidence: “Papa died in the early hours of Sunday after he had taken his bath and dressed up. He was surrounded by members of his family and some leaders of the church. After his bath, he said he wanted to rest and they laid him on the bed with his head resting on a church leader. Then he passed on to glory, just like that.”

It was also gathered that the late preacher had given clues about his impending death to church members although many of them failed to realise it until he departed.

According to the head of the church’s Legal Department, Pastor Adebola Onadeko, the late Sadela had prepared the minds of the church for his eventual demise.

“Baba said if you are a man of God, you cannot die without Jesus showing himself to you. He had prepared our minds for what would happen; that is why

•Some sympathisers signing the register during their condolence visit to the late Pa Sadela’s church/home at 46, Ayodele Okeowo Street, Gbagada, Lagos ... yesterday.

‘

Papa died in the early hours of Sunday after he had taken his bath and dressed up. He was surrounded by members of his family and some leaders of the church. After his bath, he said he wanted to rest and they laid him on the bed with his head resting on a church leader. Then he passed on to glory, just like that.

By Seun Akioye

we are not mourning but celebrating and we ask the whole world to celebrate this great man of God with us,” Onadeko said.

Onadeko, who described Sadela as a loyal follower of Jesus Christ with passion for soul winning and love for everyone, added that the core aim of the late preacher’s ministry was winning souls.

“Baba was passionate about the word of God and soul winning. He asked us to go into the streets and preach the gospel. That was his message till his death. He also called for unity among the body of Christ and understanding with other religions. He was a man of peace,” he said.

Onadeko said there is no mourning or sadness regarding the preacher’s passage but celebration. “We

Police arrest five robbery suspects •Arms, ammunition recovered

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PERATIVES of the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos Police Command, Ikeja, have arrested five suspected armed robbers in a hotel.

Three guns, a fully loaded AK 47 magazine among other ammunition, were recovered from them.

The suspects are: Taofeek Sawubana (31), Ganiyu Suleiman (28), Kehinde Abachi (26), Adewale Ojerinde (28), and Wasiu Fatai (27).

They were arrested at Agbado, a Lagos suburb, by the operatives led by the officer in charge of SARS, Abba Kyari, a Superintendent (SP), following a tip-off by residents of the area.

“Kyari received a tip-off that some armed robbers were operating from B-Hotel on Nuremi Yusuf Drive, Kollington area of Alagbado, on the outskirts of the city. The robbers were planning an operation that particular night and neighbours noticed their movements and reported,” a

By Jude Isiguzo

source said.

When Kyari’s men, led two SARS decoy teams, stormed the hotel three members of the gang escaped, but six of them were arrested with arms and ammunition.

The command’s Deputy Spokesperson, Lelma Kolle, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP), confirmed the arrest.

He said Wasiu sustained bullet wounds during an exchange of gunshots with the operatives at the scene, adding that the three that fled escaped in a Volkswagen Vanagon minibus.

The spokesman said police recovered two double-barrel pistols, one English revolver pistol, 36 cartridges, one live ammunition, three fullyloaded AK- 47 magazines and five expended ammunition from them.

Kolle said the police are on the trail of the fleeing bandits, adding that the arrested suspects would be charged to court after interrogation.

are celebrating his transition from the mortal body to the immortal,” he said.

On the controversy that trailed Sadela’s marriage some years ago, Onadeko said those who criticised the departed cleric lacked understanding of his peculiar circumstances, saying: “Baba had forgiven them because he felt they

“I

’

didn’t fully understand.”

Meanwhile, sympathisers continued to flock the Gbagada headquarters of the church to pay glowing tribute to the late man of God. At 3.30pm yesterday, 221 people had signed the condolence register. Among the early callers were leaders of the Aladura Church Worldwide who came with his entourage.

Others were friends and members of the church from as far as Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

Some of those who signed the register described Sadela as the “oldest General in God’s army.”

Others described him as a powerful preacher of the word of God. Nobody mourned or cried; it was simply a celebration of Sadela’s life in a convivial atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the church would round off the threeday revival initially planned to celebrate his 82 years on the pulpit after which details of his burial would be announced.

‘I’m tired of my husband’

F my husband was responsible, two of our children wouldn’t have died.” These were the words of middleaged Toun Onifade yesterday.

She had prayed the Customary Court, Alagbado, a Lagos suburb, to dissolve her union with her husband, Monsuru Onifade.

Describing her husband as a fetishist, she also said his irresponsible attitude led to the death of their first two children, leaving them with two - Fawaz (8) and Shuaib (6).

“I can no longer bear with my husband’s irresponsible lifestyle. When it comes to our children, he has no clue

By Basirat Braimah

about their upkeep. One of our children was three months old when he took ill.

I told my husband but he pretended not to have heard. I sold virtually all I had to safe our son’s life because I couldn’t watch him die just like the first. My husband was not bothered.

He never asked after the well-being of our child.

“When the second one took ill, I told my motherin-law who said she would only support me if I gave her turkey because I deal in livestock. Eventually, our son died. My mother-in-law said if I had given her the turkey, our son would have lived. I was speechless! I vowed not to allow my

husband have canal knowledge of me anymore because it isn’t worth it,” Mrs Onifade said.

She accused her husband of keeping a shrine where he worships in their home despite his claim to being a Muslim.

Monsuru, however, told the court: “I am a responsive man. I give my children N500 for three days. Her mother rain curses on me each time I drop food stuffs.

My father died a herbalist; the shrine is all I inherited from him.”

The court’s President, Mr Olabode Sekoni, fixed a date for chamber interview and ordered them to bring two relations each. He adjourned the case till September 2.

Two fuel tankers explode in Apapa

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RAGEDY was averted today when two tankers fully loaded with Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), which was parked within a primary school’s premises at the ever-busy Marine Beach area of Apapa, Lagos, exploded and went up in flames.

The Southwest spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, who confirmed the incident, said no life was lost.

He said: “A fuel tanker just fully loaded with AGO (diesel) at Total Depot went up in flames at Marine Beach, Apapa. The tanker which was parked within the premises of Saint Theresa Primary School, was about to take off when

•Truck crushes woman to death

By Jude Isiguzo

it was suddenly engulfed with fire.

“Operatives from the federal and state Fire Service were able to bring the situation under total control.

No injury or casualties were recorded, neither was there any damage to public or private properties.”

In another development, a yet-to-be identified young woman was yesterday crushed to death on her way to work by a heavy-duty truck at the Lekki area of the state.

According to an eyewitness, the deceased was trying to cross the road from the Abraham Adesanya end of Lekki Gardens when the truck, which was on high

speed, crushed her to death.

Although the truck driver tried to escape, he was caught by passers-by who almost lynched him but for the intervention of the police.

However, before the police got to the scene, the irate mob had set the truck on fire, thereby causing an untold traffic snarl along the road as other trucks were also damaged.

Hours after, the deceased’s husband was finally located and led to the scene; and saw the mangled body of his wife, he threw up intermittently, a source said.

Peace was later restored to the area by the police who mounted surveillance to prevent the mob from further taking the laws into their hands.

HE four-day programme which was kicked off yesterday by the Motar Prophetic Ministry, Ikotun, a Lagos suburb, will end on Sunday, its General Overseer, Pastor Ndubuisi Awom, said yesterday.

The programme tagged “My Story Will Change,” will today hold from 10 am to 1pm; Friday, 11 pm till dawn, while the grand finale on Sunday holds at 10 am, Awom said.

He told reporters at the Gethsemane Church Auditorium at 9, Adejonwo Street, Abogunloko, off Car Wash bus stop, Ikotun, a Lagos suburb, that the programme aims at restoring hope to the hopeless.

He said about 60 unemployed individuals and those who indulge in immoral activities would be empowered, adding: “We intend to have discussions mainly with motorcyclists and those girls who stay in brothels. We want to know the circumstances that pushed them into such activities.

“We are not condemning motorcyclists, but some of them are Master’s degree holders; may be some circumstances they could not help pushed them into it. The same applies to those in brothels. We want to help them realise their full potential. If some of them would embrace trades, the church may provide financial assistance of about N50, 000 each.”

Advice for youths

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OUTHS who are aspiring to go into politics have been admonished to always strive to be truthful, honest and be ready to serve the nation.

Comrade Seun Balogun, Ikosi Youth, an umbrella body of youths in IsheriIkosi Local Council Development Area (LCDA), who gave the advice, said it was time the youth got actively involved in handling their destinies.

He praised the IkosiIsheri LCDA chief, Abdulfatai Ayodele Oyesanya, an engineer, for the success of his administration.

Balogun, who spoke at a media conference, urged residents and other people working for the council boss to be faithful and upright in their support for democracy and good governance in the area.

“Our collective focus must be on developmental programmes which will strengthen good governance, lift the environment and facilitate harmony among us all,” he said.

BUSINESS

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Dangote: why we introduced 42.5 cement grade

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RESIDENT, Dangote Group of Companies, Aliko Dangote said yesterday his company embarked on the production of the 42.5 grade cement to stem building collapses.

Speaking in Kano at a Customers Forum organised for its distributors, Dangote said the investment in the cement grade would enable Nigerians to have access to world class cement, which will ensure the durability of the houses that it is used to build.

He said before the latest move to invest in the new grade of cement, manufacturers of ement in the country were only involved in the production of 32.5 grade of cement, despite the fact that they have the capacity to step up to the production of the 42.5 grade.

He added that the decision by most of the cement manufacturing companies, to limit themselves to the production of the 32.5 cement grade was because of government’s policy which allowed massive importation of the commodity.

He said: “What Nigerians need to know about our involvement in the manufacturing of our latest grade of cement is that it was driven out of our patriotic duty to save Nigeria from the national embarrassment associated with collapsed buildings in the country.

“From what we know, the issues of building collapse which is on the rise before our initiative to go into the manufacturing of the 42.5 grade, has to do with the quality of the 32.5 grade of cement that is in use, particularly, those being imported which were much more inferior to what was being produced locally.”

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$117.4/barrel Cocoa -$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,396.9/troy Sugar -$163/lb RATES Inflation -8.2% Treasury Bills -10.58%(91d) Maximum lending -30% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -3% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $38.4b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238 RIYAL -40.472

‘The June deadline is by the corner; Mr. President’s word is a bond. We must generate more power; we are prepared to assist all our agencies in making sure that the ball keeps rolling. We can’t afford to fail in our duties.’

•Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo

‘Energy theft, obsolete infrastructure, others crippling power supply’ A BUJA Electricity Distri bution Company (AEDC) has identfied energy theft, weak and obsolete infrastructure, vandalism and some customers’ unwillingness to pay as some of its post-privatisation challenges.

These challenges, it said, were affecting its ability to ensure stable power supply to its customers.

Its Executive Director, Commercial Services, Mr. Ernest Mupwaya, who spoke in Abuja yesterday said the management of the power firm has acquired and installed 140 transformers valued at over N200 million to replace faulty and obsolete ones.

According to him, the firm

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

is also in the process of procuring additional 200 distribution transformers with a combined capacity of 80MVA valued at N260 million.

He said the procurement of the facilities is a demonstration of the firm’s commitment to offer improved service delivery to customers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

He spoke while making a presentation at a Customer Consultative Forum held for electricity consumers in Apo, Lugbe, Kuje and

Gwagwalada Districts of the city.

He said the company has, since the conclusion of the privatisation process last year, been able to upgraded a transformer in Lokoja, Kogi State and had added 15MVA to the network of Abuja DISCO. According to him, the firm has also completed another 15MVA in Suleja, Niger State.

Mupwaya said the company also completed the construction of a total of 49.5 kilometres of high tension (HT) lines between January and March this year to en-

hance network reconfigurations and reinforcements.

He added that the firm also completed 33KV power evacuation project in Gwagwalada, which added 80 megawatts (Mw) to the network and boosted power supply in Kwali, Yangoji, Abaji, and other communities in the area.

He urged customers to channel their complaints to the call centre that operates 24 hours for prompt action.

According to him, the company will hold similar customer consultative forum in

other parts of the FCT, as well as in Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states.

Chairman, Customers Consultative Committee in Gwagwalada Area Council, Chief Eze Elendu, said there is a significant improvements in power supply in the area.

He assured of the readiness of consumers in his community to partner the AEDC to address challenges of vandalism, electricity theft and refusal by some customers to pay for energy consumed.

The Chief of Kaduna Community in Gwagwalada, Chief Sunday Audu, who represented the Emir of Gwagwalada appealed for greater partnership between AEDC and the traditional rulers in its coverage area.

NNPC boss meets army, police chiefs over oil theft From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

T

• From left: Executive Director, Public Sector (North), FirstBank, Dauda Lawal; Ag. Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba; and GMD/CEO, FirstBank, Bisi Onasanya during a courtesy visit to the IGP’s office in Abuja.

Nigeria’s cocoa market valued at $80b, says Fed Govt T

HE Federal Govern ment said yesterday the domestic cocoa market value currently stands at $80 billion.

It said its production would hit 800 million metric tonnes next year.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina who spoke when he visited Nestle Nigeria’s factory at Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State, said the focus of the government was on ensuring food security.

In a statement by the Min-

T

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

istry’s Director of Information and Protocol, Tony Ohaeri, Adesina said the government would partner with the company and others to produce high energy foods.

The government, he said, was focusing on private sector led agriculture to ensure food security.

Adesina said the ministry was working on bio-fortification of special cassava va-

riety that has Vitamin A, adding that the government was also committed to producing nutritious food for its citizens.

He disclosed that one million metric tonnes of sorghum would be produced annually The minister urged cocoa farmers not to only export the produce but to also think of processing it so as to add value.

Adesina said the value

chains were designed to address the challenges in agriculture with a view to making the sector a “money spinner” in Nigeria.

The minister urged the company to patronise Nigerian farmers with a view to creating markets for their produce.

In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nestle Nigeria, Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon, stressed the need for government and the private sector to work collaboratively.

Kwara to access N2b loan from CBN for SMEs

HE Kwara State gov ernment will soon ac cess N2billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) N220billion microcredit funds for its small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on SMEs, Lukman Adams told participants at a public/private dialogue organsied by Kwara Coalition of Business

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

and Professional Associations (KWACOBPA) yesterday in Ilorin that the state governor has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the CBN on the scheme.

According to him, the credit facility would aid the growth of the SMEs sector and boost the state’s economy.

He said the loan which is

guaranteed by Irrevocable Special Payment Order (ISPO) would be managed by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to be established by the state government to guard against its mismanagement.

The governor’s aide, while pointing out the importance of the private sector, said the future of the country is in the hands of the private sector.

He said: “When there is a

preponderance of the private sector in any economy, there can’t be chaos but when there is the preponderance of the public sector, there will be chaos.”

Adams who commended KWACOBPA on the steps it is taking by demanding for one per cent of the state’s budget as micro-credit fund for the SMEs assured that the government would not be indifferent to the demand.

HE Group Managing Director, Nigerian Na tional Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha yesterday visited the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to seek support against the fight against oil theft.

According to a statement by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe, Dawha said oil theft has had a negative impact on the nation’s resources.

Dawha expressed the desire to enhance existing cordial relationship between it and the Nigerian Army as well as the Nigeria Police Force to acheive effective protection of oil and gas assets.

The GMD’s visit, the statement added, was to express gratitude to the Security Chiefs for their role in providing cover for smooth operations of the NNPC despite mounting security challenges.

At the Army Headquarters, Dawha said his visit was meant to renew existing cordial relationship between the two organisations, stressing that NNPC would continue to collaborate with the Army which he said has been providing security support for NNPC’s assets in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors.

The GMD praised the role of the Army in the Joint Task Force (JTF), extolling the performance of the outfit in protecting NNPC’s assets in Port Harcourt, Benin and Auchi and also in the Chad Basin where one of its Strategic Business Units, Integrated Data Services Limited, is currently engaged in seismic data acquisition activities.

The GMD also noted the role of the Nigerian Army Engineering Corps in clearing and providing security for NNPC Right of Way across the country.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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THE NATION

BUSINESS INDUSTRY

industry@thenationaonlineng.net

In the last few months, the naira has been under pressure, putting manufacturers on edge over rising cost of raw materials, production, and declining profit. They are seeking the strengthening of the naira to boost the sector’s competitiveness. Assistant. Editors CHIKODI OKEREOCHA and OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE report.

T

HE outlook for the manufacturing sec tor does not inspire confidence.

The sector appears stagnated, with firms groaning under high energy cost, rising interest rates, smuggling, under invoicing of imports and multiple taxation, among other challenges. This is why the sector today is said to contribute a meagre four per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Although, there have been interventions to reverse the trend, there are fears that the sector may be in for more troubles. This time, the continuous depreciation of the naira against major international currencies, particularly the US dollar, manufacturers and finance analysts say, is a pointer that the sector might not be out of the woods soon.

In the last couple of months, the naira has come under severe pressure, with far reaching implications for the economy particularly the manufacturing sector. Already, manufacturers are agonising over rising cost of importing raw materials, production and narrowing profit margin, which are believed to be direct consequences of the depreciation of the naira against the dollar. And there are fears that the situation may get worse as the 2015 general elections draw near.

The president, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Alhaji Remi Bello, observed that the naira has come under severe pressure in the last couple of months due to what he termed, as wrong policies. He said though there are some measure of stability in the official market, the rate in the interbank market, Bureau de Change and parallel market depreciated between N165 and N172 per dollar, as against N160 to the dollar in January.

He identified capital flow reversals arising from developments in the global economy, especially the fiscal tapering in the US as one of the factors that may have influenced the pressure on the naira. Other factors, he said, include declining capacity to fund the foreign exchange market because of declining forex inflows and numerous fiscal leakages and oil theft, huge foreign exchange demand for the importation of petroleum products, and the escalation of speculative demand as a result of recent volatility in the foreign exchange market.

Bello said the trend is worrisome due to its implications on inflation, interest rates, and operating costs. He said the situation also poses the risk of round tripping in the foreign exchange market with its attendant distortions in the economy. He however, said that while members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) appreciate the commitment of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stabilize the exchange rate of the naira, they however, regret that the parallel market has strong signaling effects on the economy.

Indeed, as the exchange rate in the parallel market depreciates drastically, there’s heightened risk of inflationary pressures.

For an economy such as Nigeria’s characterized by a large informal sector that source foreign exchange mainly from the parallel market, this is considered significant. There is also a risk of over-regulation in the market, which could create further distortions and breed corruption within the regulatory system. Besides, there is the challenge of excessive documentation and bureaucracy, which will slow down the tempo of economic activities and create transparency problems.

For the Director General of LCCI, Mr. Muda Yusuf, the blame for the continuous weakness of the naira should be put on the doorstep of the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN. He said the CBN policy of sustaining and tightening monetary policy is inimical to the economy. He specifically frowned at the retention of Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 12 per cent including the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) on public sector deposits at 75 per cent. Others are the increase of the CRR on private sector deposit from 12 per cent to 50 per cent while the liquidity ratio was retained at 30 per cent. The review of the CRR on public sector deposits from 12 per cent to 50 per cent, for instance, has profound effects on the money market, the real economy as well as the stock market.

•Boyo

‘

•Olusemore

•Yusuf

Naira falls, manufacturers moan “It is clear that depreciating naira portends woe and deepening poverty for our country, particularly with regard to industrial survival, employment, inflation and national debt,”

”The development may adversely affect the stock market. Typically, the gains of the money market are often the loss of stock market. As returns on investment in the money market improve, negative investors’ sentiments may be created in the stock market, leading to a migration to the money market, especially by short term investors.

This may have a dampening effect on stock prices,” Yusuf argued, adding that “It is a scenario that would profit some players in the economy and penalize others.”

He however, said that the policy action represents a further tightening of liquidity in the economy in furtherance of CBN objectives of promoting price stability. A tight liquidity situation, according to experts, generally enhances the stability of naira exchange rate and the moderation of inflation.

“Stability of the exchange rate whether borrowing or lending is good for planning,” says Alaba Olusemore, Managing Consultant, Nesbet Consulting, a Lagosbasedfinance/management consultancy. He told The Nation that since the rate should not be too low or too high, the challenge before the CBN therefore, is to strike the delicate balance to keep the economy running.

Olusemore however, noted that as long as manufacturers import the bulk of their raw materials from abroad, the recent plunge of the naira means trouble for them. He said because manufacturers depend on imports, they would necessarily increase prices of their products to reflect rising cost of inputs. He said the snag however, is that since those who buy the products are workers whose wages are not increasing, most manufacturers who could not cope might be forced to close shop or embark on massive job cuts or send a percentage of the work force into redundancy.

Experts say that depreciation in the value of any currency (in this case the Naira), which simply means that more quantities of the local currency is required to exchange for a unit of other international currencies such as the Dollar, the

‘

Pound sterling, the Euro, etc should lead to higher prices considering that higher import and production costs would be fed into the domestic economy, which are often borne by consumers. The high cost of production makes it difficult for manufacturing companies to record good profit, and this might force investors to shift emphasis from production to buying and selling. This in turn, might lead to unprecedented job losses in various sectors of the economy.

Apart from possible job losses, Yusuf says, “We would see a further increase in interest rates, which means an added pressure on the operating cost of investors in the economy. High interest rates will ultimately affect profit margins. The impact is not just on the real sector, but the broad spectrum of investors in the economy. We are therefore, likely to see interest rates moving to new thresholds of between 25 and 30 per cent. If other charges are added, the cost of fund could be in excess of 30 percent.”

He argued that the reality of the current economic and business climate is that unemployment crisis is escalating while profit margins especially in the real sector are declining because of productivity challenges. He also revealed that currently, consumer demand is weak while interest rates are prohibitive, which explains why the mortality rate of manufacturing concerns especially small business remains high.

Yusuf therefore, called for policy choices that would stimulate the economy, even at the risk of inflation, insisting that boosting economic activities more than anything else would increase output and invariably lead to job creation. Such call has become necessary in view of the fact that the naira is a factor cost as well as a measure of value. As a factor cost, the depreciation of the naira implies that it would cost more for operators to import goods and services.

As a store of value, a depreciating naira sometimes would result in flight to foreign exchange as a more assured store of value, leading to the so called ‘dollarisation’ of the economy, which increases the pressure on the foreign exchange market thereby worsening the exchange rate position.

For Economist and foremost industrialist, Henry Boyo, a depreciating naira portends woe and deepening poverty for Nigeria. “It is clear that depreciating naira portends woe and deepening poverty for our country, particularly with regard to industrial survival, employment, inflation and national debt,” he said, adding that the fundamental nucleus of his advocacy has been the paradox of a depreciating naira even when there is increasing expansion of dollar supply.

To stabilise the Naira, Boyo thinks that CBN should rethink its capture of crude oil export Dollar earnings and their substitution with Naira at rates, which are unilaterally determined by the apex bank.

He argued the approach is not only a poison in the path of an appropriate naira value, but also a major stumbling block against revitalisation of the economy.

He insists that the Nigerian economy would be on recovery path once Dollarderived revenue is allocated with the instrument of CBN registered certificates.

“CBN’s monopoly of Naira and Dollar supply is unhealthy,” he argued, adding that “In its place, Dollar-derived revenue should be allocated with the instrument of CBN registered Dollar certificates (strictly not cash), so that constitutional beneficiaries can separately approach the money deposit banks to convert their certificates to Naira cash as and when required before spending.”

Other measures canvassed by experts to stabilise the naira and the economy include addressing the huge infrastructure deficit particularly the provision of power supply, water, transportation (roads and railways), etc. Olusemore insists that with a renewed commitment to the fight against corruption as well as tackling the challenge of power, which has not improved despite the reforms in the power sector, the Naira and the manufacturing sector would be on their way to recovery.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 , 2014

INDUSTRY

Row over N220b MSMEs fund

E

VEN before its disbursement, the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) fund is generating controversy among members of the organised Private Sector (OPS).

Some believe that the fund is wellintentioned; others argue that it would not solve the problem of medium and small businesses.

Under the guidelines for its disbursement, each state will get N2 billion to be administered to beneficiary operators at an interest rate of nine per cent. Sixty per cent of the fund is reserved for women in order to address their peculiar financial exclusion circumstances; two per cent is reserved for economically active physically challenged entrepreneurs.

Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI),.

Mr. Muda Yusuf said the biggest challenge to the economy especially for the SMEs is that of funds from banks. He regretted that SMEs could not access loans, credits and other facilities from banks.

Some of them, he said, resorted to Cooperative Societies, micro finance banks and family sources to raise funds.

Yusuf said, “Cost of fund sometimes is as high as eight per cent, making access to credit a big challenge. Hopefully the challenges this time will not be too stringent.

SMEs have great potential in terms of job creation and should be eagerly supported by the government and all the necessary agencies to see that the

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

sector is robust.”

The LCCI boss encouraged the administering agencies, which include state governments, cooperative societies and other institutions to ensure that they get round the challenges of collateral, which has become an albatross for small scale industrialists in the country.

According to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, 50 per cent will go to small and medium enterprises; 9.75 per cent will be for capacity building for prospective entrepreneurs. Ten states have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the CBN to access the fund. They are Delta, Akwa Ibom, Osun, Oyo, Bayelsa, Gombe, Zamfara, Enugu, Ondo and Benue.

To Managing Director, Fruity Drinks Limited, Lagos, Mr. Livinus Okafor, observed that while the intervention fund is necessary as an interim measure for SMEs, adding that it translates to only a part of the fundamental changes needed in the operating conditions of the intended beneficiaries.

“While it provides a way forward in a financially arid operating climate, the equally critical issue of infrastructure should be taken into consideration, otherwise, the loan beneficiaries may be frustrated midstream,” he said.

The problem of the SMEs, he said, is not fund, but the provision of infrastructure that gulps the little cash

available for business. He said as far as government neglects the provision of infrastructure, such as electricity, roads, water and raw materials, among others the fund would not do much for operators.

Chief Executive Officer, Midstream Industries & Co, Ibiyemi Kayode, said beneficiaries may be frustrated because of faulty implementations.

He said the loan should not stop CBN from its objective of restoring the functions of financial markets as they were before the 2008.

Kayode said: “Before the financial crisis, a large number of economic operators, cutting across large, small, micro businesses and private individuals, had access to credit opportunities. The strength to stimulate economic activity through productive lending resides in ensuring the normal functioning of credit and capital markets.” He said direct intervention in the credit markets as CBN does has limited impact on the operations of recipients.

“A one-dose credit injection may raise the operating scale initially but it isn’t going to be available to sustain it. This is the reason why such direct interventions in the past haven’t been able to make much positive impacts in the economy.

A credit provider is required to follow the borrower all through the business cycle and be ready to inject new funds if and when needed,” Kayode said.

Regulatory infractions stifle industrial sector, says LCCI

P

UBLIC regulatory agencies in Nigeria have continued to be riddled with red tape and bureaucracy, resulting in a complex web of unclear and frequentlychanging regulations.

This makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to do business, but also allows for arbitrary and inconsistent enforcement of laws and regulations by government agencies, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said. LCCI, the leading voice of private sector operators in Nigeria, said that this has forced some businesses to close shops, relocate to other countries or move into the informal sector.

The group said the effects of regulatory infractions are more profound for small and medium-sized enterprises because of their inherent vulnerability.

The LCCI, in a recent study aimed examining and reporting the lingering regulatory challenges in the industrial sector and provide viable engagement platforms for solutions, said that beyond infrastructure shortcomings, regulatory challenges and its attendant cost is a major factor sti-

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

fling the growth of businesses across several sectors in the Nigerian economy.

LCCI Director General, Muda Yusuf said the study, supported by the Centre of International Private Enterprise (CIPE), revealed that most of the regulatory anomalies are evident in the high rate of human interface, arbitrary charges. Others are fees and fines, overlap of functions and fight for supremacy among the agencies as well as high frequency of factory visit and collection of excessive product samples, among others.

“We are confident that any approach to fighting the ills must first address the institutional factors that allow infractions to occur and reduce/eliminate the incentives for business to participate.

To start with, frameworks that will enhance the collaboration between Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC’s) regulatory and monitoring functions will be very helpful to build trust and respect among the two agencies.

Okomu Oil Palm set for a rebound this year

T

HE Okomu Oil Palm is on the recovery train, indicating a rebound in profitability by the end of the year. Prior to this time, according to reports, the oil palm and rubber producer had lost profit in the preceding two years, but now headed for a rebound at the second quarter growth rate. The company’s Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Graham Hefer said he hopes to lift the bottom line by cutting cost and raising profit margin.

The company, which plans to double its rubber production capacity by next year, has been losing sales revenue in the past two years, but the downward trend may end in the current year with a flat growth. On what is driving the company’s growth, Hefer re-

sponded that two developments have provided the strength to grow profit such as the absence of loss on changes in fair value of non-current biological assets, which claimed almost the entire operating profit last year, and a sharp drop in cost of sales, which has lifted profit margin.

He however, said sustaining the high profit growth rate to full year remains a challenge. Reports show that the company’s profit margin is indicating strength as well as weakness. Strength is indicated by the gain in profit margin from 19.7 per cent in the second quarter of last year to 29 per cent at the end of June this year. While the weakness is equally indicated by a decline in profit margin from 37.1 per cent in the first quarter to 29 per cent in the second quarter.

Nigeria, Indonesia trade hits $588m

T •Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muda Yusuf (LCCI), Minister of Trade, Commerce and Industry, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, former Industry Minister, Mrs. Nike Akande at a recent event organised by LCCI.

Lagos conducts survey to determine residents’ needs

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HE Lagos State Government has begun its ‘House Hold Survey’ which is aimed at sustaining economic development.

The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ben Akabueze, said the welfare and service delivery surveywould gather information on the basic nature of economic activities, impact of government programmes/ projects on various communities and the perceived constraints to growth and productivity.

He explained that the focus of the survey, which will be carried out in selected households in the 57 Local Governments/Council Development Areas will centre on the welfare of inhabitants at individual and household levels.

He said: “The enumerators who will be visiting households for five weeks will administer questionnaires pertaining to the survey.

This will provide the citizens of

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

the state opportunity to register their confidence in, expectations of and hopes for the economic progress of Lagos State.”

The result of the survey, Akabueze said, would not be used for tax purpose. He urged Lagosians toparticipate in the programme by anwering questions pertaining to the growth and sustainable economic development of the State.

He said the importance of the survey cannot be over emphasized as information generated from the exercise will be used to determine what proportion of Lagosians are unable to meet their basic needs, enjoy adequate standard of living and have sufficient access to services.

It will also be used in a range of other studies including household membership, education, health, economic activities, public safety,

housing and tenure, Assets, utilities and services, community preferences and participation and household consumption and expenditures.

he total trade volume be tween n Nigeria and Indone sia on non-n-oil and gas transaction has hit $588 million, averaging about 26.8 per cent growth, the Director, Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), Pontntas Tobing, has said.

He said because of the cordial relationship between both countries, Indonesia has over 15 companies operating in Nigeria.

Tobing, who spoke at the conference heralding Indonesia’s 29th Trade Expo, scheduled for October said with the support of Indonesia Ministry of Trade, the ITPC is dedicated to the promotion of business relationship between both countries in the non-oil and gas sector ITPC, he said, would introduce quality market penetration of Indonesian products and services into the Nigerian market.

“Indonesia Trade Expo is the biggest exhibition organised by the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia in collaboration with

By Toba Agboola

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry, State Ministry of Cooperative, Small and Medium Enterprises and Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board to ensure that bi-national trade between Indonesia and other countries is prosperous,” he said.

According to him, the Expo, is expected to boost the prospects and chances for business minded individuals, particularly those eyeing agriculture, building and furnishing , creative products, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), beverages and many others.

ITPC Deputy Director, Bona Kusuma said both countries would maintain better diplomatic ties in key areas of their economies. Nigeria he said, he remains Indonesia’s most cherished partner, adding that his country will not relent in efforts to keep the relationship healthy.

‘Manpower devt plan aids economic growth’

F

•Akabueze

OR Nigeria to achieve lasting economic growth and devel opment, there is need for the country to come out with a comprehensive manpower developmnt plan, the DirectorGeneral (DG), Centre for Management Development (CMD), Dr Kabir Usman, has said. Usman, who stated this in Abuja, noted that the plan would assist private and public sectors to provide the required manpower that would improve the economy. He therefore, called for the development and implementation of the National Manpower Development Plan in

the country.

He said the human capital development sector plan contianed in the Nigeria Vision 20:2020 document was summarised, hence the need for the relevant sectors to develop the proposed national manpower development plan in detail. According to him, manpower development plan is part of the vision particularly looking at human capital development.

“The vision said we need certain number of universities and graduates, and then we aggregate that because getting degree as a graduate is just about training.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

17

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Debt and development •We are gradually returning to the dark days

T

HE implications of the magnitude of Nigeria’s internal and domestic debt for the country’s growth and development have been of enduring public interest. This important issue was once again brought to the fore by the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr Chidi Ajaegbu.

While condemning the current time lag as well as low level of budget implementation in Nigeria, he also strongly cautioned against the subsisting practice of funding recurrent expenditure with debt.

In the words of the ICAN President, “The practice of funding recurrent expenditure through debt is unacceptable.

It is tantamount to spending unearned income and therefore mortgaging the future by abating possible future economic development. This negative policy should be addressed urgently as it is unsustainable”.

We identify fully with Mr Ajaegbu’s concern with the persistent defects of Nigeria’s budgetary process, particularly the management of the country’s national debt. Without a purposeful, disciplined and efficient budgetary system, the country’s national socio-economic and developmental objectives will continue to remain in abeyance.

Of course, the incurring of national debt – internal and external - is not by itself the problem. In a situation of paucity of resources for rapid socio-economic development, debt can indeed be a viable vehicle for accelerating progress. This, however, presupposes that such borrowed funds are transparently and prudently utilised to boost infrastructure and stimulate the economy’s capacity for self-reliant development.

Unfortunately, as has always been the case, there is hardly anything to show for Nigeria’s level of indebtedness as the country continues to witness so-called growth without development and the majority of her citizens sink steadily deeper into poverty.

Figures recently released by the Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr Abraham Nwankwo, indicate Nigeria currently bears a domestic debt burden of N8.9 trillion while her external debt stock stands at $9.3 billion.

According to him, the Federal Government’s external borrowing from multilateral institutions amounted to $3.826 billion while her loans from bilateral sources totalled $3.013 billion. On their part, state governments sourced $2.904 billion from multilateral institutions and obtained $108.9 billion as loans from bilateral sources. Even though, Dr Nwankwo sounded quite confident that Nigeria’s debt profile was still quite healthy since she has a favourable debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of 12.5% against an acceptable global ratio of 25%, there is still need for a lot of caution. This is why we agree with his position that the country will not engage in borrowing spree without caution despite the rebased economy that has enhanced Nigeria’s capacity to borrow.

We recall that in October 2005, a lot of fanfare attended Nigeria’s exit from the Paris Club of debtors. The country paid $12 billion upfront to have her external debt stock of $30 billion cancelled. In a nationwide broadcast on that occasion, President Olusegun Obasanjo attributed the indefensible external indebtedness to “political rascality, bad governance, abuse

of office and power, criminal corruption, mismanagement and waste, misplaced priorities, fiscal indiscipline, weak control, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and a community that was openly tolerant of corruption and other underhand and extra- legal methods of primitive accumulation”. These ills have only worsened with time, creating the strong probability that our renewed growing indebtedness will have negligible impact on national development.

It is disturbing, for instance, that President Goodluck Jonathan is requesting the National Assembly’s approval to borrow $1 billion to fund the anti-terror war against Boko Haram even though N868.127 billion was allocated to defence in the 2014 budget. The reckless spending by public officers at all levels suggests that with greater prudence and less corruption, the country can progress with much less borrowing.

‘Even though, Dr Nwankwo sounded quite confident that Nigeria’s debt profile was still quite healthy since she has a favourable debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of 12.5% against an acceptable global ratio of 25%, there is still need for a lot of caution. This is why we agree with his position that the country will not engage in borrowing spree without caution despite the re-based economy that has enhanced Nigeria’s capacity to borrow’

Still in captivity •More than four months after they were abducted from their school, the Chibok girls appear to have been abandoned by federal civil and military authorities

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HE hope of rescuing the Chibok girls soon seems to be fading as the Defence Headquarters has ruled out plans to storm the Sambisa Forest where they are said to be kept. While the military authorities have attributed the reluctance to act to concern for the safety of the abducted secondary school girls who have been in captivity for about four months, recent development involving the morale of the fighting force seems to suggest that the state could not psyche up its men and officers to undertake the assignment.

In denouncing reported plans of attacking the terrorists believed to be holed in

‘It is sad that leaders at the federal level still consider contests for political offices as more important than the lives of these girls and the country’s image. Groups have started moving round the country propagating the ‘gospel’ of the President-Must-Run again ... What is surprising is that, at a time when the country is trying to combat enemies of the state, the President and his men in and out of uniform think campaign and jostling for power the most important thing’

the forest, the military also denied the statement credited to it that the captors and captives are in view. It could not come up with any alternative plan for effecting the release of the girls.

It is unfortunate that the poor girls have been left with the kidnappers and every extra day they spend imperils their lives, puts their families through torture and suggests that no Nigerian is actually safe.

While the whole world is aghast that so many young ones could be so abducted and driven into one forest or other location, it appears that neither the federal authorities nor the military high command thinks much of the development.

Major-General Chris Olukolade who speaks for the armed forces has been quoted as saying, “As it is now, let the sleeping dog lie peacefully.”

This may be so simple to the military top brass in the comfort of their homes and offices in Abuja, but not so with the poor people of Chibok and its environs.

The parents wake up in agony everyday and could only wish and pray for the safe return of their children. Some of the parents have since died of heart attack and related ailments traceable to the heartwrenching incident.

It is sad that leaders at the federal level still consider contests for political offices as more important than the lives of these girls and the country’s image. Groups have started moving round the country

propagating the ‘gospel’ of the PresidentMust-Run again. There is perhaps nothing intrinsically wrong in groups mobilised to do the job for as long as they are so convinced. What is surprising is that, at a time when the country is trying to combat enemies of the state, the President and his men in and out of uniform think campaign and jostling for power the most important thing. There are no clear-cut policies and strategies for effecting the rescue. The authorities have even ruled out making such moves.

As a newspaper, we cannot support any policy that directly or indirectly abandons innocent children whose only sin was heeding the call of government to seek education. Any country that abandons the vulnerable and gives no hope to the innocent does not deserve patriotism and is unlikely to excite development. Nigeria has been so mismanaged by the governing elite that it is a crime to expect the people to repose confidence in her. When taken with the collapse of social structure, we are faced with a possible failure of the state and its attendant consequences.

For as long as the Chibok girls are in captivity, the soul of Nigeria is seared and the future is bleak. We call on the federal civil and military authorities to do everything to rescue the Chibok girls now if only to assure Nigerians that they are not walking alone.

Marilyn Ogar: DSS or PDP spokesperson?

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IRST saw Ms Ogar on London’s BEN Television about a couple of years ago. I can no longer remember what it was she was pushing on BEN then, but I remember that it was a phone-in show.

In my view, on that occasion, Ms Ogar did quite well speaking for the Department of State Security (DSS) and for Nigerian security agencies in general. Oh, she veered off into nonanswer and banalities once or twice - especially when asked tough or searching questions - and tried to pass those off as responses, but callers to the programme wouldn’t let her. Her feet were held to the fire with robust questioning and counter arguments –the type that Bishop Mathew Kukah absolutely loathes.

But, overall, Ms Ogar acquitted herself very well and I went away thinking here was a lady who knew her job. However, it is a whole different Marilyn Ogar that I see on Nigerian TV stations these days: overbearing, patronising, impatient, condescending, pushy and intolerant – the quintessential overzealous civil servant who ignores the demarcation between the state and a political party. The Marilyn Ogar I see now is full of hubris, has the penchant to sermonise and talks down to people. She also seems to regard anyone who has a contrary view an enemy of the state.

So it was true to form when Ms Ogar showed up on Channels TV about a couple of weeks ago bristling about lack of bombing after the APC won a governorship contest in Osun State. Ms Ogar was literarily frothing at the mouth. She was at her acerbic best. Her body language was something to behold. She was basically throwing a hissy-fit. Initially, I was confused by her general angst. I thought that as a spokesperson for the DSS and as a Nigerian, the lady would be glad that mad people did not bomb anywhere, but her countenance and her delivery suggested otherwise. She sermonised that every time the APC loses an election, bombs are let off in Nigeria.

Until Ms Ogar made this assertion, I didn’t realise that this was the case. I didn’t even know that there had been that many electoral contests in Nigeria since Boko Haram declared war on Nigerians and began bombing us almost on a weekly basis. As far as I could count, there have been five recent gubernatorial elections. Of the five, the opposition won four (Osun, Anambra, Edo and Ondo) while the PDP won just Ekiti State. So where is this link between APC electoral losses and the ongoing bombings in Nigeria?

Ms Ogar then went on to claim that a political party tried to make her organisation an offer prior to the election to influence its outcome. Incredibly, there the story ended.

Trying to unduly influence electoral outcome is an offence under our laws. Is Ms Ogar content to just let this slide? Should serious security matters be politicised like this – especially by a civil servant?

Quite palpable was the distaste on Ms Ogar’s face as she discussed APC’s victory in Osun. Clearly, the fact that there was no bombings post election was added merely for effect to make a larger point, to wit: how dare these people win this election? I do not know how and why a civil servant employed by the Nigerian state would be so unhappy about a local election outcome – unless Ms Ogar also doubles as a PDP spokesperson.

Nigeria’s unsavoury past is littered with governments using security agencies to fight the opposition. Remember the IBB regime and its parcel bomb? Abacha and his killer squad?

Since then it has become fashionable for overly ambitious and ubiquitous civil servants to overreach themselves.

This is why Ms Ogar is quite happy to tell Nigerians who should be and who shouldn’t be at electoral events due to their state of origin. A public relations person for the DSS is ready to redefine how electioneering should be conducted in Nigeria.

You see how some people take themselves too seriously?

Back in July, Ms. Ogar labeled ‘BringBackOurGirls’ campaigners a franchise (meaning that they belong to a bigger organisation). She also claimed they were carrying out smear campaigns against government officials. Again, no proof, no facts, no evidence.

The DSS is supposed to be one of our most discreet intelligence agencies, unfortunately now, it is its own PR person that is hanging a shabby image around the agency’s neck.

There’s no gain-saying it: Ms Ogar has become the news.

She has been very unprofessional in the discharge of her duties. She’s courted too many controversies and there have been too many instances of lack of decorum and lack of discretion.

What is on show is just plain recklessness, and frankly, I’m embarrassed for her. She misuses information that may or may not be in the possession of the DSS. Furthermore, the line between serving the state and serving a political party has been completely erased in her mind. She needs help, she needs a break.

• Michael Egbejumi-David, demdem@hotmail.co.uk

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THE NATION THURSDAY,AUGUST 28, 2014

18

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: In year 2007, when both Governor Sullivan Chime and his deputy Sunday Onyebuchi rode confidently on the back of the then unassailable Ebeano political dynasty of former governor Chimaroke Nnamani to become the governor of Enugu State and deputy respectively, many thought that it was a marriage consummated in heaven. However, pundits knew that it was a matter of time before the marriage hits the rock. The deputy governor was the candidate of former Governor Chimaroke, while the incumbent governor had his eyes on another as his preferred deputy but could not have his way owing to the circumstance that brought the two together.

Nnamani was at that time the political lord of the manor in Enugu who never brooked nonsense from audacious individuals who dared to challenge his decisions and sense of judgment. He had his way and “installed” Onyebuchi as his “eyes” in the administration. Not long after the inauguration of Governor Chime, the much expected crack in the “Ebeano Dynasty” became visible even for lizards to pass through.

Consequently, the deputy governor carried on gently, respectfully, and diligently with as much responsibilities as were assigned to him by the governor. He proved a patient, loyal and good team

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Onyebuchi: Paying for the sins of another player. Banana peels capable of springing up any form of face-off between him and his boss were quietly avoided. During the governor’s three months medical trip to Germany, the office of the Deputy Governor was allegedly subjugated to that of the Chief of Staff. His resolve not to take instructions from an appointed officer was a challenge his traducers will not take lightly.

The impeachment of the taciturn

deputy governor was not all about the persona or the poultry farm in his lodge, but about the unseen hands behind his doggedness, political strength and successes. It is about the figure behind his intention to contest the Enugu East Senatorial seat against a preferred government candidate, an ambition which those behind his impeachment felt their candidate was most qualified to aspire to. Therefore

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materials, and illegal substances, with the might of ECOWAS bureaucracy beside him, a passport of the United States of America with him, and powerful Government connections behind him.

What the airport security was illequipped to detect, however, was an even deadlier national threat – the virulent etiological agent for Ebola! Hence, in his medical history, he conveniently denied his recent contact with a case of Ebola, visits to any person infected with

IR: Early April, Lagos State Health Ministry and Commissioner, Dr. Jide Idris, appealed to all health practitioners to watch out for patients presenting symptoms of Ebola so that Nigeria would be delivered from the endemic disease already spreading through Guinea.

The burly patient that she admitted on Sunday, July 20 had just flown in from nearby Monrovia, having cleared airport screening for hidden weapons, hazardous

Adadevoh: A tribute

Re: Oyo’s urban renewal in context

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IR: The piece with the above title published in The Nation on Monday August 25 is an eye opener on the impacts of the urban renewal programme of the present administration in Oyo State on the economy of the state. The writer, Abubakar Oladeji, no doubt produced a balance sheet on the programme and any discerning mind would realize through the said article that Senator Ajimobi actually meant well for the state and not just out to punish the people.

Hitherto, I, like few other sceptics believed the urban renewal was a misplaced priority. However, with the said article, I have come to real-

ize the multiplier effects of the programme in terms of attraction of investors to the state, neatness of the state capital, which was categorized among the dirtiest in the world before the inception of Senator Ajimobi’s administration.

Obviously, the programme is not without its Achilles heels; however, the positive effects outweigh the adverse effects. Consequently, I will advise the state government to expedite action on the construction work ongoing in major cities in Oyo State particularly Ogbomoso where it appears the construction company has reached a dead end. Also, compensation should be paid without delay for

easing him out as the deputy governor at all cost will inflict heavy political blow on the perceived enemy camp and force him to capitulate.

The former deputy governor was simply caught in the cross-fire of political supremacy between his two godfathers. It is like the popular saying that “if one cannot physically confront the king, one looks for his favourite he-goat.” It was

those whose properties were affected by the demolition exercise occasioned by the road expansion.

There is no other way to endear the government to the people than for people to see that government is compassionate and that it considers their plights in its day to day activities. Hopefully, government would continue to demonstrate, that the programme is not meant to inflict unnecessary hardship on the people of the state. One vital way to show this is to finish the on-going works on time and put them to use for the benefit of the humanity.

• Adewuyi Adegbite Apake, Ogbomoso.

the virus in a hospital, or participation in a funeral of a person who died of the disease. All three criteria, it turns out, precisely described Patrick Sawyer’s status vis-a-vis the late sister, Princess, whom he lost to Ebola, on July 8.

In Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, an epidemic met its match that effectively stopped its incurable match of death. Obligations to the Hippocratic Oath of her noble profession compelled the Senior Consultant Physician to do no harm but only good. Her august patient had just landed from endemic Liberia with distinctive symptoms; therefore, she summoned uncommon courage, ignored his denials, queried Ebola nonetheless, arranged for blood analysis, and skilfully turned his hospitalization into quarantine! By doing this, she stopped an epidemic and saved a nation from a deadly virus.

As soon as his test from LUTH came back presumptive positive, she promptly alerted Federal and Lagos State Health Ministries. In so doing, she identified the index Ebola patient on Nigerian soil, stopped nationwide spread of the virus, and saved a nation from an epidemic!

A private clinic that relies on cor-

unfortunate that the sins of former Governor Nnamani were visited on the former deputy governor.

This political umbrage will no doubt strengthen the resolve of the former deputy governor to pursue his ambition. The impeachment might turn out to be a launching pad to a successful political journey.

The sympathy of the people of Enugu East Senatorial Zone whom the impeached deputy governor wishes to represent goes to him considering the fact that he is seen as a scapegoat suffering for what he knew nothing about. The present governor of Sokoto State suffered similar fate in the hands of his former boss. Eventually the crisis turned out in his favour and the rest today is history.

• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze Samaru, Zaria

porate retainer-ship and patronage of the affluent to get by, should not mess around with a VIP patient; but that, in a nutshell, is all she did by defying the petulance of a Liberian ECOWAS delegation that pressured her to discharge Mr. Sawyer to attend the “8th Joint Retreat of ECOWAS Institutions, Permanent Representatives and National Units”. By denying him medical clearance to proceed to Calabar, she saved Nigeria from an imminent epidemic….

While she gave him medical care for his disease, he gave her medical disease for her care! But she patiently absorbed the impact of the infection that she contracted unwittingly without spreading it. In so doing, she saved her nation and averted a looming epidemic that was not! …Yes, with her very life, she made a supreme sacrifice but saved a nation from ominous Ebola epidemic!

If ever a case or nominee for posthumous National honour is needed, CASE CLOSED…!!

Much Respect, many Thanks, and GOD bless the memory of Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh…!!!

• Joe Okungbowa (Ph. D) Miami, Florida, USA.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

19

COMMENTS

Professor Ayo Banjo at 80

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INCE the appointment of Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike as first African Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, the position of the vice chancellorship of this premier university has been greatly sought after by distinguished academics. To be appointed vice chancellor of this university therefore, is a mark of honour and a demonstration of the high esteem in which the occupant of the vice chancellorship of the University of Ibadan is held. Professor Ayo Banjo’s appointment as vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan is therefore a great achievement. He brought to this position, dignity, honesty, competence, distinction and administrative savoire-faire fairness and firmness.

At 80, it is my pleasure on behalf of many distinguished Nigerians who have passed through the portals of the great university to celebrate him publicly. Many Nigerians are familiar with the name of Ayo Banjo as an author of secondary school textbooks on English Grammar. The name Banjo is apparently quite common among the Ijebu sub-nationality of the Yoruba nation. The other well-known Banjos are associated with the exploits of that dreamer Colonel Victor Banjo, a Yoruba officer who fought on the side of Biafra during the Nigerian civil war and who was judicially murdered

by Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegu-Ojukwu who accused him of treason. This other Banjo is not related to Ayo Banjo.

I got close to Professor Ayo Banjo as a neighbour but I have always known him over the years as a lecturer, Professor, Dean of Arts and Vice Chancellor of the premier University of Ibadan. I have also known his family even if from a distance. When I was in the sixth form in Ibadan Grammar school, Professor Ayo Banjo’s father was the principal of St. Luke’s College, a neighbouring teachers’ college in Ibadan. Canon Banjo as we knew him, was a distinguished man, a teacher and at one time, a member of parliament in Ibadan. I also know some of Professor Banjo’s siblings like Gboyega, Kunle who was in Ibadan Grammar School the same time I was there and their eldest brother, who practiced general medicine successfully in Ibadan. It is not out of place to use the hackneyed phrase of Professor Banjo being an “illustrious son of an illustrious father”. It will not be totally incorrect to say that Professor Banjo was born with a silver spoon in his mouth because his father was a highly educated man and by the standards of those days of yore, he was a man of means.

Professor Banjo had his secondary education in Igbobi College of which he is very proud. Igbobi shared with Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti my own alma mater links in the past especially with missionary teachers going to and from our two schools. So I can guess what kind of academic and moral upbringing Professor Banjo would have had in Igbobi College of those days. This was a college far removed from the

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HE was a physician, who knew her onions. She proved this by the way she handled what has now come to be known as the index Ebola case. Through the yeoman effort of the late Dr Stella Adadevoh, the index case, the late Patrick Sawyer, was not allowed to slip away into the night to spread the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). As we said here a couple of weeks ago, the late Liberian-American, who brought Ebola here from his country had evil intentions.

It was as if the late Dr Adadevoh knew what the late Sawyer was up to. Call it instinct or what, she refused to discharge him despite pressure to do so and by that singular action, she saved countless lives.

• The late Dr. Adadevoh

hustle and bustle of colonial Lagos and was located at the outskirts of the town but of course, today, the college is completely sandwiched within the growing metropolis of Lagos.

Igbobi College of Professor Banjo’s time was a very cosmopolitan college of young people from different ethnic backgrounds cohabiting in the various dormitories. The impression this would have had on Professor Banjo must have been very fundamental to his growth and development as a true Nigerian without ethnic hang-ups. After leaving Igbobi College and bearing in mind, his family background of economic sufficiency if not affluence, it was natural for him to want to go abroad for further studies, a desire which his father adequately met.This made it possible for Professor Banjo to be educated abroad before coming back home to work and to do research that earned him a PhD of Ibadan University in English. After his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Professor Banjo taught English at Government College, Ughelli in what then was in the heartland of the Mid-west region an experience and opportunity which can only be dreamt of and dreaded today.The National Youth Service for young graduate does superficially but unsatisfactorily offer Nigerians to experience cultures outside their area of birth and comfort. But in the days of young Ayo Banjo it was a routine affair because the Western region and the other two regions, Northern and Eastern regions were agglomeration of different nationalities and tribes and our leaders were then genuinely building a nation, albeit with the help of the colonial officials out of the multitudinous ethnic groups embedded in the belly of the geographical expression known as the Nigerian state. We can only look back nowadays to that golden era when things were not as complicated as they are today and when the state was not dying from a metastasised corruption that is eating at the very fabric of the state.

When I was dean of the college of humanities, of Redeemer’s University, Mowe in Ogun State, I had the honour of inviting Professor Ayo Banjo to deliver our maiden college lecture in 2006. We still talk about the erudition and scholarship of that lecture up till today. Humility comes naturally to Professor Banjo and for a man of his calibre and distinction, this ability of his can be very overwhelming to subordinates and lesser people. As a neighbour, he is involved in community association for the security of our neighbourhood.In all our meetings, he never allows his status to overwhelm less privileged and less cerebrally and materially endowed members of this association. Whenever there is a misunderstanding in our neighbourhood, Professor Ayo Banjo, the Vicar’s son is always a peacemaker and would go to any length to reconcile those who are at logger heads against each other.

He is an author and a good speaker who has been invited to

several fora to present lectures or positions on given problems that the university community in Nigeria usually face. He has been a true scholar and has supervised several students who are now professors and has thus replicated himself so that his likes will always be found in the citadels of learning in Nigeria.

Apart from being ViceChancellor of University of Ibadan, he has also served as ProJide Chancellor not once Osuntokun but twice of universities in Nigeria. He has also been involved with moderating the demands for higher salaries and better conditions of service by fellow academics because he enjoys both the trust of his colleagues and those who are at the helm of affairs of our country. He is a professor emeritus at the University of Ibadan and for all his services and academic achievements, a grateful nation honoured him with the highest academic accolade of granting him the national merit (NNOM). Professor Banjo can never be forgotten because of his transparency, his intellect, his humble demeanour and his intelligence which manifest at all times in whatever assignment he is given. Professor Ayo Banjo and other colleagues of his particularly those at the highest level of humanistic studies established the Nigerian Academy of Letters to co-ordinate the efforts and exertion of people in the liberal arts in their effort to put Nigerian scholarship in the global arena. He is a foundation member and fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.

His effort has brought to the Academy, distinction and resources without which it would have been difficult for the academy to reach its present height of development and national recognition. The Academy’s membership and fellowship are now much desired by scholars in various disciplines in the liberal arts at home and by Nigerian scholars in the black diaspora. But for Professors Ayo Banjo, Ayo Bamgbose, J.F. Ade-Ajayi, Tekena Tamuno, Munzali Jibril, Tunji Oloruntimehin, Segun Odunuga and others, the Academy would not have come into existence and provide a paradigm for others to follow.

It is our hope that the current and future generations would learn from people like Professor Banjo or else, our nation has no hope. It is a pleasure and privilege for me to have the opportunity to celebrate this great man of letters, this Renaissance man, this man of distinction, this amiable and jolly good fellow.

Ode to Adadevoh The late Dr Adadevoh knew that a walking Sawyer on the streets of Nigeria would be sowing dead and destruction. So, she was resolute that she would not discharge him.

Those who wanted the late Sawyer discharged may have even attempted to bribe her to look the other way in their desperate bid to spirit him out of the First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, Lagos.

Since many have the erroneous belief that with money you can get any Nigerian to do anything, including selling his or her conscience, the late Sawyer and his friends would have been disappointed by the late Dr Adadevoh's resistance. Just imagine what would have happened if the late Sawyer had been allowed to leave hospital in his condition. With what we have been experiencing since his death on July 25, we would have been confronted with an epidemic, the kind of which had not been witnessed since Ebola first hit the tiny countries of Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976. We were saved from that epidemic by the late Dr Adadevoh.

If she had not stood her ground, I shudder over what we would be going through today. This woman of courage, this woman of character, this woman of valour, this uncommon human specie died on

‘For her country, she gave her life. What will you give for your country? Instead of giving, aren't our leaders stealing the country blind? Dr Adadevoh deserves a monument in her memory so that generations unborn will know of her noble deed. Here was a Stella Adadevoh! When comes such another?’

August 19 after battling the same ailment she saved millions of her compatriots from contracting by stopping the late Sawyer from spreading the deadly virus. The late Dr Adadedoh did what many of us wouldn't have done if we were in her shoes. In a society where people believe so much in money and influence peddling, the late Sawyer and his cohorts would have had their way with a covetous Nigerian. That is just the truth.

We were simply lucky that they met an Adadevoh, a woman, who was more than a match for their wily ways. Those who wanted the late Sawyer out of the hospital at all costs under the guise that he had a conference to attend in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, knew that he was terribly ill and yet wanted him discharged under such condition. To be discharged so that he could go and die 'peacefully' at home or what? To be discharged so that he could go about spreading the deadly virus that he knowingly brought into our country? I just don't understand why they were so desperate to get him out of hospital in that condition.

The more I think about this sad episode, the more I feel pained because it was a deliberate act of man's inhumanity to man. The late Sawyer, we have not been told otherwise, was not possessed. I want to believe that he was also in full control of his faculties, except if they had been damaged by Ebola, which he contracted before leaving Monrovia, the Liberian capital. We have heard different stories about what he did for a living. Some said he worked in a mining firm; others said he was a diplomat, citing the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol

officer, who came to receive him on arrival in Nigeria on July 20 to support their position. That protocol officer has since died of Ebola after being infected by the late Sawyer.

Before coming here, the late Sawyer was in a good frame of mind except, of course, for his illness. He was mentally alert and was said to have avoided contact with people at the airport in Lome, the Togolese capital. Did the illness make him lose his senses to the extent that he forgot he should not come in contact with people when he got here?

The late Sawyer knew how gravely ill he was and this was why he sneaked out of Monrovia to come here through Lome. I still don't understand why he did what he did to us? Was he sent? Who sent him? hese are the posers we must unravel after we must have put behind us this Ebola saga. Thank God that Sawyer died before he could spread the virus further than he did. We owe a debt of gratitude to the late Dr Adadevoh for saving our country from being sunk by Ebola. We are eternally grateful to her. How can we leave out the illustrious Adadevoh family in all this? Without the family, there would not have been the late doctor. My heart goes out to this family, which has through its late daughter showed us what it is to be a patriot.

Patriotism is not by words of mouth; it comes by our actions, which will speak louder than any voice. The late Dr Adadevoh rose when it mattered most for her country and through her efforts she saved over 160 million Nigerians from the risk of dying of Ebola. For her country, she gave her life. What will you give for your country? Instead of giv-

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Lawal Ogienagbon lawal.ogienagbon@thenationonlineng.net SMS ONLY: 08099400204, 08112661612

ing, aren't our leaders stealing the country blind? They loot and loot and loot and stash fortunes abroad.

Money meant for healthcare delivery finds its way into their pockets, while they go abroad on medical expedition.

It is not all about our leaders alone. We as followers also have a role to play in making our country better by following the path beaten by the late Dr Adadevoh. We owe her big time. She deserves a monument in her memory so that generations unborn will know of her noble deed. Here was a Stella Adadevoh! When comes such another?

136 DAYS AFTER

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WHERE ARE THE ABDUCTED CHIBOK GIRLS?

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

20

COMMENTS “

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HAT will I do when fraudulent people drove me away from the party they claim belongs to them?” Those were the words of Chief Tom Ikimi, a founding member of APC who played a leading role by working tirelessly to ensure its registration by INEC. He is presently at war with the party over what he described as ‘unresolved fundamental issues’ he had raised before and after APC convention that produced Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as party chairman We know APC was not a party of angels long before it was joined by all manners of people from the ruling PDP some of whom were haunted by their past and have since retraced their way back. Nuhu Ribadu, a man who should know better as former EFCC boss, told us that much shortly after decamping to PDP last week. Looking for saints among Nigerian politicians will be an arduous task.

And of course Tom Ikimi, who as the chairman of Babangida’s decreed NRC, lacked the grace to concede defeat after MKO Abiola of SDP had won ‘round and square’ (apology to Adamu Ciroma) cannot by any accounts be said to be an angel. Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt by attributing his failure to assert himself to apparent threat from the owner of the party he headed, he lost that sympathy by going ahead to become the foreign minister of Abacha murderous regime. He was junketing around the world, justifying the state murder of Saro Wiwa just as he did of the incarceration of MKO Abiola, the winner of the 1993 election. Twenty years is a long time in a nation where our children are not taught history in schools and where the elders often suffer from collective amnesia. But I think one of the best things to have happened to APC despite its current challenges was that Ikimi did not emerge as the party chairman. That would have brought the past to pain to those who believe today is but an extension of yesterday.

Of course Ikimi knows political parties have to be owned by stakeholders who as guardians of the ideals of the party are often saddled with providing a moral voice and direction.

The idea that a political party can be an association of ‘equals without joiners and founders’ was a fraud sold by the fraudulent Babangida military regime and its state house professors of political science that took the country for a ride for eight years of ‘transition without end’ (apology to Professors Larry Diamond and Oye Oyediran), frittering away in the process N40 billion, ostensibly on building of political party headquarters,

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HAT the news of the outbreak of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has left Nigerians reeling with palpable hysteria and unfathomable fear is no longer contestable. And that the situation has gotten so bad that people now fear to freely interact with their relatives and friends, especially in affected states, is equally a reality. What is however a matter of contention is whether Nigeria posses the ability nay wherewithal to contain the viral spread of the deadly virus.

According to medical experts, symptoms of EVD are Malaria-like, including fever, weakness of the joints, vomiting, severe abdominal pains, bleeding from the mouth, nose and ear, and an outbreak of noxious skin rashes and eventual death in a week or two.

The dreaded EVD was first detected in 1976 in Nzara, Sudan and Yambuku village around the Ebola River area of Congo Democratic Republic. After subsidizing for a while, it suddenly re-

‘If the FCTA hopes to clinically execute its war against this virus, it must embark on massive public awareness campaigns in both English and major Nigerian languages in both electronic and print media with a view to sensitizing residents on the dangers posed by the virus and how to avoid contacting it’

APC: Party oligarchy Vs governors teaching democracy and breeding a hybrid of ‘new breed’ politicians in a laboratory who would have no relationship with the past. It was this fraud that produced short-lived SDP and NRC. It was a fraud carried over to the Fourth Republic where President Obasanjo, using military tactics, hijacked PDP from its original stakeholders and turned it to a personal instrument for running the country according to his instincts following his public declaration that he was on a messianic mission ordered by God while in prison. He shuffled PDP chairmen as if they were cards.

When Audu Ogbe resisted being treated like an errand boy, he effortlessly replaced him with a retired military officer, Ahmadu Ali while Ogbe was honouring an invitation for lunch of pounded yam and bush meat inside Aso rock seat of power. That process was replicated several times over during his presidency.

Building on his godfather’s legacy, Jonathan saw the office of PDP chairmanship as personal tool for his own political survival. This found expression in the unceremonious removal of Ogbulafor over his insistence on adherence to PDP constitution which barred President Jonathan from contesting the 2011 election and the imposition of Bamanga Tukur as part of the calculation for the 2015 election despite resistance from PDP elected office-holders and party officials many of whom were frustrated to joining the opposition to find expression for their ambition.

In a democracy, political parties are not the properties of individual temporary officeholders be it president or governor but that

of the party oligarchy. This is the trend among the long established political parties that have operated as modernisation agents for close to 200 years in America and Europe And crisis between the party oligarchy often constituted by founders or former office-holders and current office-holders and ambitious younger elements of the party is also a common phenomenon The challenge has always been finding a compromise position between both groups whose interests are not always altruistic as quite often the former is driven by a desire to remain relevant because of their initial sacrifice and services to the party and the later by ambition.

Nearer home, we saw this played out in the First Republic when SLA Akintola resisted control by the AG party oligarchs. But for the interference of outsiders, the owners of the party who were in effective control would have been able to sanction its erring premier.

In the Second Republic, the oligarchs in UPN were equally in effective control sometimes sanctioning erring governors. In the run up to the 1983 presidential election, an attempt to revolt by younger and ambitious governors of the party such as Alhaji Jakande and Bola Ige was effectively checked by the towering figure of Awo who had the unalloyed loyalty of the Ajasins, Akinsanyas, Fasorantis and Ayo Adebanjos among many others.

In the Fourth Republic, the Afenifere oligarchs were in effective control of Alliance for Democracy (AD) until they shot themselves in the leg by dining with Obasanjo to whom all is fair in war. With his 2003 re-

election threatened by Vice President Atiku supported by the ‘South-south’ governors led

by James Ibori of Delta, Obasanjo had sought the help of Afenifere, the owners of AD. He reneged on the terms of agreement leading to the routing of the AD governors in the South-west with the exception of Lagos, which ignored the directives of the oligarchs. The younger elements abandoned Afenifere and AD to form their own AC party and an Afenifere renewal group.

But what goes round comes around. The new oligarchs, who are now in charge of APC in the South-west, are facing their own demons as the governors they helped into office are resisting their control. This probably contributed to the overrunning of Ekiti by PDP, a development ironically blamed on the masses who because of apathy look up to party leadership that on that occasion failed them.

The same war of attrition is currently raging between local oligarchs and their governors in Ogun, Oyo and Edo. We have seen this play out in Sokoto, Kano and Borno states.

These party squabbles are normal in competitive liberal democracy. This was why this column suggested to APC shortly after its registration about a year ago that the stakeholders should take the control of the party away from the governors. The idea of presidents and governors taking over the control of political parties that produced them by virtue of access to state funds that could be used for mobilization is a carry-over from an ill-equipped military that destroyed the natural evolution of our party system. A situation where an elected governor claims superiority over the party that fielded him is an aberration. It only undermines party discipline.

The emergence of Odigie-Oyegun whose reputation for integrity, ‘resoluteness and forthrightness’ is widely acknowledged as APC chairman gives the party oligarchs an opportunity for a much-needed moral voice and leadership by example. The tragedy of Ekiti which was the failure of leadership and not so much of those who voted against the governor, should enable the new chairman see the urgent need for compromise and if need be sanctions in the on-going war of attrition between governors in Ogun, Oyo and Edo and those who provided the platform and the support for them to attain their current positions. The oligarchs quite often have greater stakes in their party. Current actors who today lead must also be taught some lesson on how to follow.

Containing Ebola virus in Abuja

By Rogers Edor Ochela appeared early this year in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and now Nigeria. The disease kills almost 90 percent of its victims.

The hoopla that accompanied the outbreak of EVD was so paralyzing that the media was replete with stories of Nigerians taking bath with water spiced with salt and even consuming large quantities of it, a development that led to the death of those unfortunate Nigerians.

Because there is no known cure so far and all drugs developed to treat the dreaded scourge remain merely experimental, efforts have largely been focused on prevention as a veritable means of curtailing its spread.

This explains why the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) under the leadership of Senator Bala Mohammed recently constituted a high-powered technical committee to manage and curtail its threat in the territory.

It is also probably in the light of this reality that the minister, while inaugurating the committee made it clear that the measure was a proactive one, stressing that the committee would have the responsibilities of working out modalities for responding to the threat of the Ebola virus; create awareness on the nature and symptoms of the virus, to proactively prepare an action plan for its containment; work out ways for effective surveillance of the population, visitors and travellers and to recommend tools and methods for managing cases if they arise among others.

To further give a boost to the fight against

this hair-splitting monster that has virtually raised everybody’s antenna, in a manner of speaking, the minister restated the decision of the government to designate and isolate a ward at Kuje General Hospital for management of possible victims of Ebola fever, just as he allayed the concerns raised by some residents of the town over the choice of Kuje General Hospital as the centre for the management of victims, stressing that all precautionary measures had been put in place to ensure that the designation of the ward would not endanger the health of medical staff and other workers at the hospital as well as residents of Kuje.

As it is, the real challenge of this raging health issue lies in government’s ability to overhaul our health delivery and preventive systems. It is the opinion of a high preponderance of Nigerians that considering the nation’s enormous wealth, every part of Nigeria, including the nation’s capital city of Abuja should have first class medical facilities whose impact on the citizenry is overwhelmingly comprehensive and embracing.

Be that as it may, even in the face of the intimidating challenges posed by this threat, the measures taken so far by the FCTA is encouraging and raises the hope of residents about the capacity of the authorities to give the deadly virus a bloody nose.

If the FCTA hopes to clinically execute its war against this virus, it must embark on massive public awareness campaigns in both English and major Nigerian languages in both electronic and print media with a view to sensitizing residents on the dangers posed by the virus and how to avoid contacting it.

In the same vein, it must commence immediate collaboration with federal authorities in the areas of procuring drugs and equipment that are highly critical in containing the virus.

Deliberate efforts should be intensified towards continuously soliciting the cooperation of traditional rulers and youths in the FCT to ensure that government’s well-intentioned measures in this respect are not undermined.

And considering the critical nature of this current health challenge, it is a welcome development that the federal government has ordered that passengers be screened at the airports. In addition, as part of its proactive approach to combating the virus, the federal government had requested for the experimental drug, ZMapp, from the US Centre for Disease Control. Even though Uncle Sam turned down the request, the Japanese government has volunteered to make an alternative available.

Commendable as the action of the federal and the FCT administration towards containing the virus is, the point must be stressed that EVD still remains potently deadly, irrespective of the stories making the rounds that some victims receiving treatments have been certified okay and discharged from hospitals.

For now, it is advisable that Nigerians maintain basic hygiene procedures more than ever before like washing of hands more often; washing of fruits with a bit of salt; avoid overcrowded places and body contact. Above all, they should avoid indiscriminate hugging and kissing.

•Ochela is an Abuja- based media consultant

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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COMMENTS

L

AST week, I wrote on the topic, ‘Being Realistic About Nigeria’. I concluded with the following paragraph: “While trying to find explanations (to Nigeria’s stubborn and irreversible crookedness, decline and failure), I must reject the explanation often proposed by those who despise the Blackman in the world – the explanation that Nigeria’s decline and failure are the product of inherent or genetic faults in Black people, and in us Nigerians. We are not inherently or genetically incompetent or crooked peoples. The builders of our various precolonial civilizations and states were by no means incompetent or crooked. The trouble, I believe, is most probably from the nature and making of the country which was forced upon us. Being together in one county like Nigeria does not seem to be the way we really wish to live. Doesn’t our dignity as humans demand that we should realistically consider this?”

I have read and re-read that troubling conclusion many times in the past many days. In particular, I have read and re-read it in comparison with other things that I am reading about other peoples or nationalities in our world. And the comparison has led me to fearful questions about us Nigerians, and about all the Black peoples of Africa – since what we see in Nigeria is true also of all Black African countries. .

Here are some of the things that the whole world is reading today – about some other peoples and nationalities of the world. By nationality is meant a human group with its own culture, ancestral homeland, language, etc – like the Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Edo, Ijaw, Kanuri, Tiv, etc.

First, about the different nationalities that make up the country called Great Britain.

(We Nigerians know Britain very well. Britain is the country that used force to push all of our nationalities together in 1914 and gave us together the name Nigeria. For many hundreds of years, Britain has been made up of the English nationality of England, the Scottish nationality of Scotland, the Irish nationality of Ireland, and the Welsh nationality of Wales). But most of these nationalities or peoples have been saying more and more in recent times that they want separate countries of their own; that they do not want to continue to be parts of Britain; that, as separate nationalities, their true destiny is to have separate countries of their own and rule themselves according to their own unique national cultures and ways.

These agitations started only a few years

Being realistic about Nigeria Part 2 after Britain forced our nationalities together to create Nigeria. The Irish people were so insistent that they were allowed to go on and hold a referendum in 1921 to determine whether they really wanted a separate country. The Irish people voted massively that they did want their own separate country. And so they were allowed to have their separate country – the Republic of Ireland.

The Scotts and Welsh have also increasingly demanded their own separate countries. In fact, for some years, some Scottish youths resorted to violence and terrorism to push their demand. However, the violence has long been given up, and the Scotts have persistently used open, peaceful and democratic methods to advance their demand. Now, they are close to their goal.

Next month (specifically on Thursday, September 18), they will hold their “independence referendum”. Of course, no big country wants to lose any part of its territory and citizens, and the British government has been very busy trying to persuade Scottish people to vote ‘No’ and reject independence. But the voices of the Scottish nationalists have been much stronger and louder, and they appear set for a great victory for independence for Scotland on September 18. Note that Scotland’s total population is only 5.3 million.

The Welsh nationalists are moving too, though not as fast as the Scottish nationalists. For years now, they have set up a commission to work on developing their native Welsh language as the language of their future independent country. They are also busy working on developing their city of Cardiff as the future capital city of their future independent Wales. And they are saying that they too will soon be ready for their own independence referendum. Note that the total population of Wales is only three million.

Secondly, here is what the world is reading today about the peoples that make up Spain, another leading European country.

Spain is made up of three nationalities – the Spaniards of native Spain (who constitute the large majority people in Spain), the Catalans of Catalonia in North-eastern Spain, and the Basques of Northern Spain.

I

HAVE struggled with writing a befitting piece for Dora Akunyili since her cruel demise. And this is why. In less than six months that I worked closely with her in Abuja at the Ministry of Information and Communications, I was unable to come to terms with her undying believe that Nigeria was still the greatest country in the world. For her, no country had all of God’s blessings together in one piece like Nigeria. Nigeria to her had the ingredients to attain greatness. It was only a matter of time.

If I shared her faith, I could not share her optimism about Nigeria. Where she saw greatness, I saw something different. Where she saw hope for a better country, I saw a bleak future. But no one could stop her or change her passion for Nigeria. Consummate in her endeavours and committed to achieving set goals, Dora Akunyili had no comparison. Even from a distance, one could sense her commitment and share in her dream.

I became part of that dream as I worked with her to see how best to change the Nigerian narrative through the Great Nation, Great People mantra. If that effort came short it was not that she did not put in her all. It was due to the

‘Her stint at NAFDAC had no equal and with that singular act, she brought the world to Nigeria.

She chalked up points for Nigeria globally and redeemed our image.

She lifted up the spirits of millions who realized that some good could come out of Israel. Dora became a sensation. She provided a rare excitement about a Nigeria that is possible’

Catalans and Basques, led by Catalan and Basque nationalist movements respectively, are strongly demanding separate countries of their own. For some years, some Basque nationalists resorted to violence and terrorism, but they have given up violence in recent years, and the Basque nationalist leaders now confidently say that they expect to have their own separate country soon.

As for the Catalans, they intend to hold their independence referendum on November 9 this year. The Spanish government is trying to stop them from holding their referendum, but the Catalan branches of all of Span’s political parties have joined ranks to announce that they will go on with the referendum as planned. (That is like if the APC, PDP, Labour and all other parties in the Yoruba Southwest were to suspend their rivalries and join hands to decide to hold a Yoruba independence referendum). The outcome of this referendum is a foregone conclusion. Spain is likely to lose Catalonia before the end of this year.

The huge question then is this: Why can’t we the nationalities of Nigeria have nationalist movements that are as focused and determined as the Scottish, Welsh, Catalan and Basque nationalist movements? Our political leaders, once elected into public office (or even when only seeking election into office) all keep far away from any talk of national independence and avoid their national countrymen who are nationalists. Why is this so? One answer is sure: It is not because these politicians are satisfied with the way Nigeria is brutalizing and destroying their various

Gbogun gboro nationalities. Join any group of prominent Yoruba or Igbo or Ijaw folks, etc, at any gathering, in Nigeria or abroad, and you will find everybody to be talking of the terribly destructive effects of being part of Nigeria on their various nationalities. Why then don’t we have really strong nationalist movements openly and resolutely demanding separate countries out of Nigeria?

Why do we as peoples, young and old, educated and not so educated, prefer to suffer in a monstrous country like Nigeria, and only complain and grumble, rather than strike boldly out to try and have separate countries of our own?

Why are we, as nationalities in Nigeria, like this? Among the British who forced all our nationalities together into Nigeria, various nationalities have now realized that every nationality should live in a sovereign country of its own, are demanding separate countries, and are breaking up their Britain into separate countries. And they are using open, democratic and peaceful means to do it. Why are we not seeing the same in Nigeria? What is wrong with us?

‘Among the British who forced all our nationalities together into Nigeria, various nationalities have now realized that every nationality should live in a sovereign country of its own, are demanding separate countries, and are breaking up their Britain into separate countries. And they are using open, democratic and peaceful means to do it. Why are we not seeing the same in Nigeria? What is wrong with us?’

Dora all the way

By Sunday Dare fact that millions of Nigerians have lost hope that Nigeria can be redeemed. Yet, I saw her many times climb down from the mountain of optimism and faith for a better country to the valley of despair and angst. It was at such moments that I saw the innermost pains of her soul. She agonized about how key people in key positions sabotaged Nigeria instead of bandaging her up to heal. I saw her many times working the phones at a frenetic pace to rally all she knew to make sure certain injustice was redressed or a key decision was taken. She was unstoppable even at moments when her faith confronts the stony ground and Nigeria disappoints her. Dora never disappointed Nigeria.

Now you know a bit of why I struggled with what to write. Not because the words and poetry will fail me. No. It is simply because words mere words could not do justice to who she was, what she stood for and why there will be only one Dora.

Her public service career though like a fairy tale has no equal. She was made for Nigeria. She was placed in places and times in our history to lift up our country and our spirits. Like a star in the dark firmament, she was the shining star never to be shut out. Her stint at NAFDAC had no equal and with that singular act, she brought the world to Nigeria. She chalked up points for Nigeria globally and redeemed our image. She lifted up the spirits of millions who realized that some good could come out of Israel. Dora became a sensation. She provided a rare excitement about a Nigeria that is possible. She gave true meaning to the fact that only through building institutions can a nation progress and serve the people. Dora herself was an institution.

Sadly, when she positioned to build on a solid

foundation of public service, the very nation she served let her down. Her bold foray into politics by seeking elective office came under uncommon challenge. Her friends in the corridors of power deserted her. But she was one never to be put down. She once told me, “You must fight and stand for what you believe in. People will not always be kind to you, but you must be kind to yourself by staying true to yourself”. Indeed, that was the way she lived her last years even as she sought for a place to best continue to serve Nigeria.

Dora we will never forget. She was the Amazon. She was the leader of our team. She was an embodiment of grace, brilliance and devotion to humanity.

When I first encountered her at an international conference in Dakar, Senegal sometime in 2007, little did I know that she would one day convince me to resign my prestigious job with the Voice of America in Washington DC to come work with her. I had no reason to leave my job. I was not in search of a job. But no one could say no to Dora. She hardly took no for an answer. Her argument was unassailable and her plea for me to join her to make Nigeria better was un-ignorable. She was willing to seek out those that shared in her dream. And even though I moved on, she left an impression never to be forgotten.

She worked hard. Committed with focus.

Though cut off so soon, she has left behind a legacy like no other. She would never be forgotten. Adieu Dora Akunyili. You lived and worked like no mere mortal, but mortals we all are. You have run the race faithfully and may the crown sit fittingly on your head. No better words will do as an epitaph on her grave that these words, “Here lies a soul that touched other souls and gave humanity her best”. Sun re o!

• Dare, was Senior Special Assistant to Akunyili at the Information Ministry.

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THE NATION

EDUCATION

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

The May/June 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result was poor. It was mass failure as 31.28 per cent passed. Last year, 36.57 per cent passed and in 2012, it was 38.81 per cent, showing a steady decline in the past three years. How can Nigeria wriggle out of this problem? ask ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA (Port Harcourt), DAMISI OJO (Akure), ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE (Kaduna) and NICHOLAS KALU (Calabar).

• Pupils writing WASSCE.

I

PHOTO: GOOGLE

T did not start today. It has been happening for years. But the mass failure in this year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) seemed to touch a raw nerve in many. The cry, nationwide, is why this kind of result again?

About 529,425 (31.28 per cent) of the 1,692,435 candidates that sat for the examination made five credits, including Mathematics and English Although the West African Examinaions Council (WAEC) claimed Nigerian candidates did better than their counterparts in the sub-region, many believe that the 31.28 per cent pass is nothing to crow about.

The figure is a slight decline from the 36.57 per cent and 38.81 per cent recorded in 2013 and 2012.

WAEC Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Charles Eguridu absolved all tiers of government of blame, saying parents are culpable for their children’s performance.

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education are worried over the development. They have vowed to “engage WAEC authorities for an explanation to Nigerians on the abysmal performance of candidates in the examination.”

The committee’s Chairman Aminu Suleiman, said he hoped that through such interaction, the committee would know where the problems lie rather than blaming WAEC. Speaking last week when the committee

Mass failure, mass problem visited the National Universities Commission (NUC) as part of its oversight function, he said reversing the perennial failure required concerted efforts.

Said Suleiman: “Well, it’s quite unfortunate. Incidentally, we will be visiting WAEC and it will form part of our engagement with the body. But I want to believe that WAEC should not be held solely responsible for this.

“We wish to go and interact with them (WAEC) and hear from them what is actually responsible for this alarming rate of failure, which was put at about 38 per cent in a percentage of a 100. It is disturbing and totally unacceptable in a country like Nigeria.

“Whatever it takes, we will do the little we

‘For God’s sake, where are we going? They (schools) use the money to bribe supervisors and hire instructors that will help them write the examination answers on the board. A student that is supposed to sit down and write with his own ideas will only be copying answers from the board. But, as God will catch them, some of the instructors they hire cannot even interpret questions correctly; and that is why you see mass failure’

INSIDE

NCCE begins workshops on new curriculum -Page 27

can as government and I believe government has done the best it could; but if there are areas we need to hold government accountable, we will encourage government to do, but where it is the responsibility of those who have to be in charge of the process, we will look at that.”

But, Eguridu is optimistic, hinging his optimism on the fact that Nigerian candidates performed better than others in the West African examination.

He said: “Nigerians performed very well comparatively to candidates, especially in Mathematics.” But many Nigerians are not impressed with his submissions.

Majority of parents, teachers, and other

ABUAD’s dons for Oxford varsity symposium -Page 47

CAMPUS LIFE

opinion moulders nationwide described the May/June WASCCE as a sign of rot in education. They blamed the mass failure on pupils’ addiction to the internet, laziness, pupils and parents’ culpability in examination fraud, teachers indifference to work, poor teaching methodology, poor teachers motivation and government’s unwillingness to address the problem among others.

To Chikere Ordu, a Mathematics teacher at Omuagwa Community Secondary School, Rivers State, technology and other social interactive sites constitute part of the problem.

Ordu believes that teachers should share less of the blame as their work is to ensure that pupils acquire basic knowledge of the subjects they will take during examination. ”Look, in a situation where teachers cry like babies before they receive their salaries, a situation where the government has failed on their own way to provide the necessary teaching aid, then what would you expect of WASSCE result? We need to go back to the drawing board,” Ordu said.

School owners, according to her, also have a key role to play.

“I think teachers have done their best by ensuring that they play their role as teach-

•A 10-page section on campus news, people etc

Major test for generation next -Page 29

• Continued on Page 26

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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EDUCATION

•Governor, Niger State Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu receiving salute, during the closing of orientation course for NYSC 2014 Batch B corp members, at the NYSC Camp, Paiko.

ers; it is now left for school owners or managers to provide the enabling environment, because you cannot expect good result or good performance from students if the environment is not conducive.”

Mrs. Godknows Ogbulu, Head of Education Desk, Tide said the rot in the education and teachers’ attitude, especially in public schools, may have compounded the WASSCE results. ”How many teachers in public schools are ready to teach nowadays?” Mrs Ogbulu asked.

She added: “Everybody wants to make money without working for it. Teachers are the ones to rouse the children from examination failure, but they are relaxing. Today, a student, who wants to write WASSCE and pass, pays a certain amount of money. As a result, teachers feel it is unnecessary to labour much in imparting knowledge to students.”

A teacher at the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), in Ondo, Dr. Zaccheaus Olupayimo, believes everybody is culpable.

Olupayimo, who is the Head of Department of History, told The Nation that the implication of the result is that it could kill the dreams of students who hope to use same for admission into tertiary institutions in the 2014/2015 academic session.

He identified poor infrastructure in public schools and government’s inconsistent policies as two factors largely responsible for the candidates’ dismal performance.

Olupayimo expressed concern over the attitude of some parents towards their children education.

He urged stakeholders to join the fight against mass failure, saying the government should redouble its efforts at providing infrastructure and decent learning environment.

A school principal in Akure, the Ondo State capital, who spoke in confidence, accused students of unseriousness.

According to him, with the coming of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), most students devote more time to frivolities.

He tasked parents to monitor their children and ensure they attend to their studies, especially when preparing for major examinations.

Proprietor of Adeyemo College in Kaduna, Mr. Niyi Adeyemo, argued for more funding of education by the government. He said:

Mass failure, mass problem • Continued from Page 25

“From my experience, education is capital intensive and any government that is not able to spend as much as is required will not be able to get the right result. The attention that is being given to education differs from school to school; some give little attention and want to achieve much and when you aggregate the intellect of these children you find that a larger percentage of children, today, do not have the skills that is required of them when you talk of education.

“When you look at education, the level of demand of an average child in the modern world is far more than what it was in the past. So, the rate of development is slower than what it ought to be. That is why our children find it difficult to meet the capacity of the global world. That is what is perceived as low quality of education, and responsible for the mass failure.”

Adeyemo berated schools, which tax their pupils’ parents in order to pass examination.

“For God’s sake, where are we going? They (schools) use the money to bribe supervisors and hire instructors that will help them write answers on the board. A student that is supposed to sit down and write with his own ideas will only be copying answers from the board. But, as God will catch them, some of the instructors they hire cannot even interpret questions correctly; and that is why you see mass failure.”

Adeyemo implored government to resuscitate the Inspectorate Department of the Ministry of Education and employ people with sound experience to inspect government and private schools.

“When you talk of examination malpractice, it starts from inspection. Who inspected those schools that are cheating? Who gave them approval? And how many teachers do you see there that are quali-

fied?” he asked.

“So, the government must go back to the old days and bring back the inspectorate team that has the fear of God to visit both public and private schools unawares, and any school found wanting should be dealt with. If government can start from here, some sanity can be put in place for a start,” Adeyemo stressed.

A parent and journalist, Alhaji Tajudeen Tijani Ajibade’s argued that military’s incursion into politics started the prevailing education challenges.

“Unfortunately, the civilian government has followed that (military) direction. Education is not the priority of those in government, today. That was the mindset of the military in those harrowing years.

For example, when Prof Rukayyat Rufai (immediate past minister of Education) was in the saddle, she did well. Suddenly, Mr. President woke up one day and replaced her with another person, a politician, who was busy fighting perceived enemies while the ministry under him suffered.

“Now, we have a teacher, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, as education minister. But, even at that, the circumstance that brought him up appeared to be more political than purely merit. There are people who can be better ministers outside the party. You can play politics with many other ministries, but not education,” said Ajibade.

He expressed concern over the high coast of WAEC scratch cards.

Parents, who have to pay N9000 to enrol their children, will definitely want them to make their papers at a sitting.

“You can even imagine how much they (pupils) buy WAEC scratch cards. I wrote the first West African Exam in 1967 and what we paid then was seven shillings and six pence. Today, it takes a rich family to enrol its children in these examinations.”

He stressed the need for the government to go back to the drawing board. “Those who gave education to people like us did it with their whole heart. Today, a teacher doesn’t get his salary when it is due; even when he gets it, how much is the salary? So, he comes to the class and just marks register and goes out to sell his goods.

“We must also recruit professionals as teachers and pay them good salaries, because they are also aware of what other people are receiving outside,” Ajibade said.

An SS 1 pupil in Zamani College, Kaduna, Muhammad Thanni, said poor facilities in most schools affect examination success.

“I am not surprised with the outcome of the WASSCE, because most of the things we have done at junior level in my school, others have not done it at senior level.

In most cases, if you enquire further, you will find out that, most schools, especially governmentowned ones, don’t even have the type of facilities we have. So, the implication is that, they will not do things that they ought to do with those facilities,” he said.

Mr Bob Utsu, a teacher in Community Secondary School, Akpabuyo, said: “It is a very worrisome development, indeed. One of the reasons is the pupils’ attitude towards examinations. Pupils believe so much in the fact that, most times, the WAEC questions leak online. So, in the event that those things are not there or a fake, as they mostly are, they feel frustrated and fail as a result.

“Again lack of facilities in the school is another problem. Teachers don’t have a conducive environment where they can stay and do their job effectively. Like in the school I teach, we don’t even have a staff room, not to talk of chairs for teachers to sit on.”

Utsu added: “Parents also have a stake. Many parents pursue

‘Well, it’s quite unfortunate. Incidentally, we will be visiting WAEC and it will form part of our engagement with the body. But I want to believe that WAEC should not be held solely responsible for this’

money at the expense of their children’s education. They don’t even bother to look at their children’s books to see their performance; or whether they actually went to school or not. When they come from work, they are tired and have no time for their kids. “ Another parent, Mr Tony Unor, said: “We cannot attribute it (examination failure) to only the teachers. Parents, the school and government are all involved.

When a teacher is done in school and the child comes back home, he or she is supposed to revise what was taught. But what you find now is that they are browsing irrelevant things on the internet or playing video games and their parents often look the other way.

“Also the government has a role, too. If you go to some schools, you see students still sitting on the bare floor in this 21st century; so, how do you expect that kind of student to learn very well? The government too must ensure proper infrastructure are in place.”

David Iso, a school principal in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, is also angry that parents approach teachers or school management on how to bend the rules with respect to examinations.

“It is really very bad. I would like to place the first blame on parents and this is because, as a principal, I cannot count how many times parents have come to me to see how their children can be assisted to pass examinations. But I always tell them the only way is for their children to study and write their papers and pass. What this means is that the children are not in any way prepared to write their examination. So, when you see outcomes such as this (mass failure), I am not really surprised.

How can parents discourage their children from reading in such a manner?

“The students themselves are no longer studious. I don’t know how; but somehow they have come to get this belief that there is really no need to ‘punish’ themselves by studying for the examination, when answers can be made available to them through dubious means. They just keep money to get answers to the questions; and, more often than not, this fails them. How are they even sure the solutions to the questions given them are even real? I often wonder,” Iso said.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

EDUCATION FEDPOLY FILE

New Deputy Rector

•Participants at the workshop

NCCE begins workshops on new curriculum

A

S from the 2014/2015 academic session the National Commission for Colleges of Education’s (NCCE) will commence implementation of its reviewed curriculum in colleges of education nationwide.

At present, the commission is holding workshops across the six geo-political zones to rub minds with stakeholders before its eventual take off.

This, however, informed of a three day-workshop co-hosted by the NCCE and Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education which the latter hosted between Thursday and Saturday last week.

The workshop with the theme: ‘Orientation workshop on the new NCE curriculum and college restructuring and quality assurance toolkit for teacher educators and administrators,’ drew participants from AOCOED and the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos.

Acting Director, Department of Programmes, NCCE, Abuja, Mallam Sani Aliyu, spoke of the need to build on the curriculum which he

•We are ready, says AOCOED

By Adegunle Olugbamila

described as ‘outdated’.

He said the old Grade II structure where a teacher would be assigned to a class to handle all the subjects had given way to a new model that allows for specialisation, which in turn requires that a new expanded programme be installed to overhaul old system.

He said: “What informed the workshop is that Nigeria was operating on the outdated curriculum and we have to look into the curriculum seriously with a view to producing competent teachers who can handle primary, junior secondary education, formal and tertiary education. These are the five

key areas the new curriculum is based.

“What makes the new curriculum better is that it allows students in the college to read specific courses and this will avail them to teach competently. We have to produce curriculum that will suit all the levels. We hope that the participants will go back and make use of the teachings,” also Aliyu said the new curriculum and the attendant restructuring would address all the lapses in teacher education in Nigeria, upgrade the delivery at the college level to international standard practices adding that all the components for effective take-off of the new NCCE ideas had been taken good care of.

‘What makes the new curriculum better is that it allows students in the college to read specific courses and this will avail them to teach competently. We have to produce curriculum that will suit all the levels. We hope that the participants will go back and make use of the teachings’

•From left: Chairman of Council, Lead City University (LCU), Prof. Jide Owoeye; Mrs. Lade Araba of Visiola Foundation; Registrar LCU, Dr. Mrs. Bola Ayeni and Vice Chancellor, Prof. Femi Onabajo, after the signing of partnership agreement to offer full scholarship to five indigent female students at the university recently.

Provost of the host institution, Mr. Olalekan Wasiu Bashorun, assured that AOCOED was ready to implement the curriculum.

Earlier, he said the college had always innovative ideas.

“The college has never lagged behind by ensuring the sustenance of any positive development and innovation in teacher education in Nigeria.

“It is on record that we played a key role in the process of developing the national minimum standards for the Pre-NCE Curriculum produced

by NCCE about three years ago.

Only two weeks ago, the School of Arts and Social Sciences of this college successfully organised a fourday national workshop on evolving innovative curriculum.”

Bashorun said the college is through with the restructuring of its schools, with a new School of Primary and Early Childhood Education, evolving from the School of Education renamed School of General Education.

He said the college had received NCCE’s approval to run courses in Cultural and Creative Arts and Arabic Language and that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had been notified of the development.

The courses will draw their first intake of students in the 2014/2015 academic session, he said.

The Deputy Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, Dr. (Mrs.) Olajumoke Mekiliuwa, who stood in for the provost, Dr Soji told reporters that the new NCE curriculum was an idea which time had arrived.

According to her, the old curriculum has served out its usefulness and that the new arrangement was better and more effective as tools for comprehensive teacher education delivery in which standards and effectiveness would be the watchwords.

The workshop closed on Saturday with the adoption of a communiqué and a unanimous resolve by participants to put into effective use the highlights of the exercise.

IBBU, American agency train mental health facilitators

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ONCERNED by the increasing rate of depression and suicide attempts among youths, the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, in collaboration with an American-based National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), has commenced the training of mental health facilitators.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof Ibrahim Adamu Kolo on Monday said insecurity and other socio-economic challenges in the

By Jide Orintunsin, Minna

country have heightened the number of depression casualties, hence the need to train mental health facilitators in the country.

He stated that the training of mental health facilitators which was the first of its kind in West Africa would attempt to solve mental problems through counseling.

Kolo lamented the dearth of experts in the country explaining for

the high rate of people who indulged in suicide activities.

The case, Kolo stressed, has been worsened by lack of specialists in Mental Health as well as training facilitator that will handle depressions associated with various occurrences being witnessed daily in the country.

Kolo hinted that two universities and IBBU were chosen from Nigeria for the training of the facilitators but others have not shown sufficient in-

terest, hence the choice of IBBU by the American base agency.

He said participants were drawn among professionals, including counsellors, disaster and risk managers from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), The guest speaker Dr. Charles Igwuegbulam, said statistics have shown that there are 150 million people with one form of mental health problems across the world with most of them from developing nations.

A NEW Deputy Rector (Academics) has been appointed in the polytechnic. He is Dr. Anthony Dumebi Okonta. He has since assumed duties.

A Chief Lecturer in the Science Laboratory Technology Department, Dr. Okonta was born on July 30, 1951 in Akwukwu-Igbo Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Okonta had his first degree Physics and later proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University to obtain his M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering in 1982, M.Sc Applied Geophysics in 1991, Postgradute Diploma in Education in 2002 and a Ph.D in Technology Department in 2005.

He is a member of many professional associations, including Science Teachers Association of Nigeria; Nigerian Institute of Physics; Nigeria Mining and Geosciences Society and Nigerian Institute of Management.

Okonta has to his credit, many research and books as well as papers.

Group wins prize THE Entrepreneur Action Us (ENACTUS) of the Federal Polytechnic Offa has presented the group’s participation award to the Deputy Rector (Administration) Dr. Ayodele Olaosebikan.

The group won the award at the ‘Entrepreneur National Competition’ which held in Lagos.

Receiving the award from the students, Olaosebikan, praised the team for their encouragement urging them to do more for the institution. She also congratulated the team on their participation in the competition.

The award was in recognition of the Olaosebikan’s support in developing and building the young entrepreneurs. She was also presented with an award of excellence by the ENACTUS team.

Its leader, Mr. Kolawole Oluwatosin Franklyn, a HND II student of Electrical Electronic Engineering, said part of the team’s goal is to create ideas and build on it; connect the academic with the real world and ensure that students were involved in one vocational skills or the other in order to make them responsible and self-reliant.

Poly partners Saudi bank THE FEDPOFFA is partnering the Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabi, on exchange programmes for workers and students.

The agreement was reached between the Rector, Dr. Mufutau Olatinwo and Dr. Abdullateef Bello-led team during a courtesy visit by the latter.

Dr. Bello is the Librarian and Director of Economic Research and Policy, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Bello was in the institution to share latest developments on library and information as practised overseas. He did this in a paper entitled: ‘Librarians and library services: Sharing the knowledge based economy in the 21st Century”.

In his presentation, Bello urged workers and students to always avail themselves with limitless benefits embedded in latest technologies, to improve themselves and be relevant. He said Library and Information Technology as a course of study, had various benefits from which practitioners could tap from.

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

EDUCATION Ebola: UNIBEN students allege isolation

UNILORIN FILE

New ranking excites alumni THE UNILORIN’s Alumni Association has congratulated the Prof.

Ambali and the entire management and workers of the institution on the recent web-based ranking of world universities that rated the university as the best in Nigeria and one of the best 20 in Africa.

In the 2014 University Web Ranking conducted by 4 International Colleges and Universities (4ICU), UNILORIN also made the 1842nd position among the 11,307 world universities rated.

In a statement signed by its national Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wale Fasakin, the Association described the new ranking as “a rare feat”, adding that “by this new ranking, the University of Ilorin has re-affirmed its leadership position not only in Nigeria but also in Africa.”

“We in the Alumni Association of this university wish to remind the entire university community that being on top is one thing, but remaining on top is indeed a big challenge.

VC tasks Nigerian varsities on excellence THE Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof.

AbudulGaniyu Ambali, has stressed the need for Nigerian universities to strive for excellence in order to compete favourably with other universities in Africa.

Ambali, who stated this when he received members of the Offa Descendants’ Union (ODU), Unilorin branch, in his office, maintained that UNILORIN would not rest on its oars to attain greatness, but would seek to improve on its ranking among African universities.

Ambali gave the assurance that the management of the university is committed to sustaining its number one position by striving to make staff comfortable, because, according to him, whatever accomplishments the university has been able to make are only possible through the commitment of the workforce.

Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the ODU, Prof. B. Salawu of the university’s Department of Sociology, said:”We want to register our support for your administration.

You have done wonderfully and marvelously well.

Varsity praised on projects THE Managing Director of Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (Sasakawa SAFE), Dr. Deola Naibakelao, has commended the University of Ilorin’s leading role in the Sasakawa SAFE projects.

Twenty universities spread across nine countries in Africa are taking part in the project that is designed to eradicate famine through university education.

Dr. Naibakelao, who gave this commendation lwhen he visited the Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

AbdulGaniyu Ambali, in his office, pointed out that SAFE projects, which commenced in 1986 in Ghana, started operation in Nigeria in 1992. He added that the projects are in operation in seven other African countries namely: Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda.

He pointed out that 20 universities across the nine countries, including the University of Ilorin, are running the SAFE projects.

Dr. Naibakelao said, “I’m really impressed with the level at which the University of Ilorin is handling the SAFE programmes.”

From: Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

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•Director, Al-Wasi Secondary School Hajia Zaynab Ahmad-Taiwo with the pioneering graduating students at the graduation ceremony of ‘Class 2014’ in Mushin, Lagos

Ajimobi approves promotion of teachers G OVERNOR Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has approved outstanding promotions of teachers in all the public primary and secondary schools in the state.

The state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr. Kolawole Kayode, disclosed this while briefing reporters after his meeting with the governor at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan the state capital.

He said the promotion, which is for 2010 and 2011, will take effect from September 1, stressing that promotion letters for those affected will be issued immediately.

He said the governor had given a directive to the state Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to ensure a speedy implementation of the promotion exercise.

The state government, he said,

By Seun Akinola

has also approved carrier elongation for primary school teachers with additional qualifications alongside the National Certificate in Education (NCE) from Grade Level 14 to Grade Level 15.

He said Governor Ajimobi expressed displeasure over the stagnation of the affected teachers, all of whom are university graduates, on GL 14 for years. He directed that they should be moved to GL 15 with immediate effect.

The state NUT secretary, Mr. Waheed Olojede, said the governor has approved the payment of outstanding planning grants to secondary school principals and

primary school headteachers, adding that grants for primary schools had increased from N20 to N40 per pupil.

He also said the state government has approved the gazetting of the appointment of teachers.

While presenting a copy of the gazette approved for teachers in Saki zone, the NUT scribe said the government made provision for the document which contains teachers’ records of service.

This, he said, would alleviate the stress of retiring teachers travelling to their last places of assignment to collate their records of service at the point of retirement.

Olojede pledged teachers’ loyalty and support for the Ajimobi administration, assuring the governor that teachers would reciprocate government’s gesture through dedication, hard work and commitment to their duties.

ARELY a week after the University of Benin (UNIBEN) resumed for a new semester, some students of the university, who travelled from Lagos, have alleged plans by some of their friends to isolate them over the fear of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Although no case of the virus has been recorded they are taking precautionary measures from contracting the virus.

Speaking with The Nation in Benin City, some students absolved themselves of any blame over the preventive measure, noting that everybody, including clerics is scared of contracting the disease.

One of them, who pleaded anonymity, said: “I’m not surprised to hear this. It’s not true and I cannot blame the students who have decided to do so.

Everybody in Nigeria is afraid of the disease, including pastors. It will definitely create problems among students.”

Another source said students are a lot more careful.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the UNIBEN have urged both staff and students to take precautionary measure against contracting EVD. In a statement by the management, workers and students were advised to avoid casual sex, use of unsterlised needles and blades, as well as unnecessary travels, especially to places where cases of the virus have been confirmed.

They were urged to avoid contact with body secretions and fluids such as sweat, saliva, blood, urine from other people and cook food properly before eating.

Catholic group offers scholarship

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GROUP, the Young Christian Workers Movement (YCM) of Nigeria, has offered scholarship to some secondary pupils in Ajegunle-Apapa, Lagos.

The highest award winner gets N100,000, while the second and third runners up got N50,000 each. The number of winners has increased to six and September 2 has been fixed for the sixth edition.

According to YCM president, Clementina Ego, the initiative is meant to inculcate in the children the spirit of competiveness. It is open to both Christians and Muslims. She said participants must be residents of Ajegunle She said: “Interestingly, a Muslim child has won in this project at our

By Joseph Eshanokpe

centre and other winners had emerged from non-Catholic denomination. The spirit is for people to embrace it as our project and not just a Catholic thing.

“The movement has both married and singles as members and we put our resources together and all spent by our centre for the past five years had come from our members. We have not received anything from anybody, whether from a corporate body or the church. But we feel we have got to a level where we will need corporate sponsorship for the sixth edition because we plan to increase the number of scholarship and the money to be awarded in the spirit of the next

edition.

Ego, a former head of the education committee of theYCM, continued: “We also plan to make it more embracing by reaching out to more schools because this will increase the competitiveness. This fifth edition was able to increase enrolment from 25 to 48 schools.

“Sincerely, it has not been easy but, we are glad that it is a project that has come to stay and we are not stopping on anything less than giving our very best to the project and to children of this local government. Initially, when we started, it used to include both junior and senior pupils, but along the line, we observed unseriousness in the senior ones, so we concentrated on Primary Four, Five and Six.

•The proprietress, God’s Time Schools, Abule Eguu Mowe, Ogun State Mrs. Victoria Funmi Babatunde (middle) cuting cake with graduating pupils (NurseryTwo) of the school.

“The idea, again, is that the money being given might not be too much, but we are confident that the money covers tuition for the winner for three terms in any school in Ajegunle.

From our survey, an average tuition for schools in Ajegunle is N15,000 and the prize money for our third position is N50,000, so you see the that prize is able to cover three terms for the third place winner.

“But with a corporate sponsor, we should be able to increase the number of beneficiaries and possibly the amount, and in that vein, we target to increase winners to 10. Then, we plan to include a Charity Award: this type will automatically go to any participating child that has lost both parents. But in the spirit of the fifth year edition, we planned to include the Charity Award, but incidentally there was none that qualified.”

The group was founded by the late Catholic Priest, Cardinal Joseph Card Jin in Belgium in 1925.

She said: “The scholarship arm of St. Mary Catholic started five years ago. Though we started very small, it has grown to an enviable level, as we have used it to impact on the entire community. In terms of both registration and attendance, this fifth edition recorded the highest enrolment for the examination and qualification for the scholarship does not exclude anybody; whether a Catholic or not. It does not matter whether in public schools or private. It is immaterial whether male or female.”

“We have been very careful not to host the examination at a given school to avoid the sentiment of being accused of promoting any particular school, even as several schools, have volunteered their halls.”

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‘Our Coca-Cola stories’

Romance with e-voting

Page 30

Page 42

*CAMPUSES *NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS& KNOCKS *GRANTS

THE NATION

CAMPUS LIFE 0805-450-3104 email: campusbeat@yahoo.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

• Participants with sponsors and speakers after the event

email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net

PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN

Major test for generation next What should be students’ role in creating a sustainable society? This was the puzzle speakers tried to unravel at the 13th CAMPUSLIFE Correspondents’ Workshop for student-writers held in Lagos last weekend. It was organised by The Nation in collaboration with Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited. KEMI BUSARI, CALEB ADEBAYO (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), ESE OKODUWA (Delta State University) and SANI MAKAMA (Nasarawa State University, Keffi) report.

•See story on Page 31

•Campuses’ ‘killer-dressers’ -P42 •‘Corps members’ safety is our priority’-P44

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

30

CAMPUS LIFE

Cracking the code of change

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TUDYING change and leadership is one of my passions. I’ve dedicated quality time over the years in studying how societies change and the effect leadership plays in influencing change. From Singapore to China, from Ghana to India and elsewhere I’ve read about how hitherto hopeless situations are turned around, some almost in the realm of miracle. In all these transformations, the Bible singled out the “renewing of your minds” as a key factor because it is in the mind that ideas are toyed with and formed, and it is better done when one is young and open to receiving positive ideas.

I participated in two conferences last week – the annual SWAT leadership academy and the 13th edition of our Coca-Cola/NBC sponsored Campuslife Correspondents’ capacity building workshop - which gave me hope that all is not lost after all regarding our dear country Nigeria despite the almost endless bombardment of negative news we hear and read about daily.

At the Strategic learning, Work ethics, Attitude, Technology (SWAT) Leadership Academy where I co-presented a paper on reading and writing with my partner Desmond Ekeh, I met a group of dedicated and passionate undergraduates and graduates from 40 higher institutions in Nigeria and other African countries cutting across various disciplines engaged in activities that will definitely secure their future in an era where role models are becoming a rarity.

Led by Evangelist Emmanuel Emeh, a minister in the International Church of Christ (ICOC), the SWAT Leadership Academy is a not-for-profit, faith based leadership and citizenship training initiative for University and other College students, operating from Nigeria with a widespread international chain of affiliates. Its core strategy and approach rests on the quadrant of SWAT and is tailored after the hardcore discipline of the elite special operations tactical unit found in some national law enforcement agencies.

Since its debut in 2009, the annual International Campus Leadership Conference (ICLC) is held annually. This has since grown to becoming a significant rallying point for many University and other college students, not just in Nigeria and West

Pushing Out with

Africa, but has also attracted participants from other African countries and vacationers from Europe and the 08116759750 United States of America.

(SMS only) This five-day grooming event has consistently provided an incredible •aagboa@gmail.com opportunity for cross culture interaction, academic enlightenment, skills empowerment and Leadership transformation amongst others. said support comes mainly in kind from some What I found interesting about the leader- corporate organisations and brands. “The ship academy is the core focus of imparta- International Church of Christ is our biggest tion of leadership values and provision of donour. A lot of brands have been supportrelevant mentorship and tools needed to ing as well, but majorly in kind. Globacom build a generation of young men and women gave us lots of materials, some FMCGs and who will in turn impact their immediate banks have also provided things intermitcommunity and country at large. This starts tently. from a monthly leadership focused seminars “We are not really there yet in terms of from the beginning of each year. Fallout of financial support but we are really encourthese seminars is the call to action for each aged by the appreciation shown by those who participant to engage in individual or group supported us this year. Two of our supportsocial and community service. An exclusive ers visited twice. They came late evening, time out with a renowned personality always unannounced and they were quite impressed follows such interaction. with what they saw. They promptly made These are geared toward building genera- the commitment to support in cash and kind tions of dynamic and hardworking men and next year. We are really hopeful that next women with character, honour and self-dis- year, we will achieve much more in the area cipline. I met and interacted with almost 200 of sponsorship.” students and the passion they exude for what After spending time with Emeh and the stuthey do is almost infectious. dents, I left with the conviction that the Even though participants from Liberia, Si- country’s future is bright. I saw some stuerra Leone, Cote d’ Ivoire and Ghana were dents who started when they were in mediprevented from coming for the conference cal school but are now qualified doctors ofby their governments due to the Ebola health fering services free of charge to their colcrisis, I still found some students from Cote leagues at the camp. The same goes for other d’ Ivoire who came despite threats that they professionals as well. The artists among them won’t be allowed back home once their pass- ensured that they did not leave the venue ports are stamped that they visited Nigeria! Eko tourist resort - the way they met it.

That should serve as lessons in determinaOur campus correspondents from the cation and that the conference has things to pacity building workshop also had a nice offer that the eyes cannot see. time as they were taken through two lecA very zealous Emmanuel Emeh told me tures under the theme ‘Towards a sustainall registrations are done online. “If you re- able environment.’ Mrs. Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, spond by filling our online form, we evalu- executive director of Ovie Brume Foundaate your health data and when we recognize tion and Seun Akioye of The Nation presented that you are ready to be impacted with what papers in line with the theme. For the first we are offering, you are in. So many partici- time, we had a panel session where alumni pants here are known to the organisers only of campuslife recounted how the platform when they arrive here,” he said. prepared them for the future.

Regardless of the financial challenge of One of them, Jumoke Awe, who was quite providing accommodation and feeding for emotional revealed how the late editor and hundreds of students for five days, this min- initiator of The Nation’s campuslife, Mrs. ister of the gospel in all sense of the word Ngozi Agbo gave her “wings to fly.” Today

Agbo Agbo

Jumoke runs a consultancy employing seven workers. “Campuslife and aunty Ngozi prepared me to take my destiny in my hands by thinking how to create jobs and not to depend on the government. Today, I’m a brand strategist and run my own firm” Femi Asu, who is now a reporter with Business Day newspaper and Francis Egwuatu of the Federal University of Technology Owerri - who won the Mr. Universe Nigeria 2014 competition - were also filled with praise for what the platform taught them and the opportunities it opened. They all commended the sponsors for their support.

The campuslifers, as they fondly call themselves, ended the day by interacting with the students at the SWAT academy synergizing what they learnt at both conferences.

As we took our students back to their hotel it wasn’t lost on me that there is a massive global search for a new breed of leaders who have what it takes to lead and do things differently politically, socially, economically and spiritually, this is even more pronounced in Nigeria and Africa.

Nations and organisations are constantly looking out for competent leaders who will lead them to the realization of their corporate goals and destinies. The failure of the previous generations of leaders has now turned the spotlight on the emerging generation of leaders which is what these two conferences set out to achieve. But the question however is; are they prepared to lead where others have failed?” From what I observed, they are prepared.

As a parting shot, I identified five key points they should keep close to their chest as they face the leadership challenge of the future. These are: vision, courage, integrity, servant leadership and demonstrable faith in their abilities. I strongly believe that it is always better to prepare for leadership responsibilities and not have an opportunity to lead than to take on a leadership responsibility for which you have not been prepared.

The complexities of the 21 st century require that leaders be extremely visionary. It is expected of leaders that they develop the capacity to see more than their followers. It is also imperative that they develop the capacity to see farther than and faster than others see. However, it is important to note that beyond seeing more than, farther than and faster than their followers, there is an overarching need that as leaders, they need to develop the capacity to see more clearly than their followers. Clarity of vision and purpose is therefore a critical success factor for all would-be leaders.

Past participants at the CAMPUSLIFE Correspondents’ Workshop were the cynosure of all eyes as they shared their experiences with others at the 13th edition held last weekend in Lagos. The panel discussion, moderated by a public relations consultant, Mr Agbo Agbo, involved Jumoke Awe, Femi Asu, Gilbert Alasa and Francis Egwuatu. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (Language Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University) reports.

‘Our Coca-Cola stories’

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FTER spending five years for her law degree at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, and one year at the Nigerian Law School (NLS) in Abuja, the only certificate that has taken Jumoke Awe to places is the one given to her by The Nation and CocaCola System in Nigeria.

This is one of the testimonies shared last weekend at the 13th CAMPUSLIFE Correspondents’ Workshop held at CitiLodge Hotel in Lekki, Lagos.

Jumoke, now a brand strategist, said she would forever be grateful to Coca-Cola Nigeria and Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited for giving her a platform that opened doors for her.

“I have never put a curriculum vitae (CV) together to look for job after I left school,” Jumoke, Managing Director of Octo Consult, told the participants, adding that she is an employer of labour.

This, she said, was made possible by the CAMPUSLIFE platform.

After leaving Law School, Jumoke said she only practised law for four months during which she registered a media consultancy firm. “I never had any background in journalism except writing for The Nation as a student-writer. The certifi-

cates given to me at all the CAMPUSLIFE workshops I attended are the ones I am using to carve a niche for myself in the world of brand communication,” she said.

Jumoke, the co-ordinator of Street2School, a Feminine Care Development Foundation, said the CAMPUSLIFE certificates and her stories in The Nation gave her the opportunity to consult for Osun, Ekiti and Ogun states on communication strategy.

She urged the participants to use the CAMPUSLIFE platform to prepare themselves for life after school, saying opportunities abound in campus journalism.

Jumoke, who referred to herself as a “proud product” of CAMPUSLIFE school, praised the management of The Nation for giving undergraduates an opportunity to express their views weekly. She added that her articles in the 10-page pull-out got her connections, praising the late CAMPUSLIFE editor, Mrs Ngozi Agbo, for nurturing her and others.

Another CAMPUSLIFE product, Femi Asu, an Accounting graduate got a job with an accounting firm, two years after graduation. But he resigned to pursue his dream in journalism.

“My stories on CAMPUSLIFE pages stood me out.

•Agbo (second left) with Jumoke (middle) Gilbert (second right), Femi (right) and Francis during the discussion

Two weeks after I submitted my application at Business Day, the Editor called me himself after he read my articles on CAMPUSLIFE pages, which I attached to my CV,” he said.

He is now an Energy reporters with business journal.

Femi described CAMPUSLIFE as a “life-changing” platform, which must be explored by undergraduates. He said without the opportunities offered him through CAMPUSLIFE, he would not have pursued his dream to do what he had always loved to do.

“I will enjoin the participants to stay connected to CAMPUSLIFE, because this is a family you will

never regret to be part of,” he said.

For Gilbert Alasa, a graduate of Foreign Languages from the University of Benin (UNIBEN), the platform has elevated him to a height he never dreamt of. Gilbert, who is serving in Ekiti State, said CAMPUSLIFE made it possible for him to get mouth-watering remuneration for his writing skills.

Through his award-winning stories, Gilbert was selected as a trainee in an International Investigative Reporting Training in Abuja last June.

Francis Egwuatu has just won the 2014 edition of Mr Universe Nigeria held in Lagos last month. He is an engineering student of the Federal

University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). He narrated how CocaCola System and The Nation contributed to his success.

Francis won the Anambra edition of the contest last year, qualifying him for the national challenge, which he won last month.

He said the spirit of friendship among CAMPUSLIFE students was key to his success at the pageant, because he learnt how to live with people of different culture.

The foursome hailed Coca-Coca Nigeria and NBC for the sponsorship, adding that their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is significant.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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CAMPUS LIFE

Major test for generation next •Continued from page 29

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S leaders of tomorrow, students have a role to play in the affairs of the country. But, they need a conducive environment to operate; an environment that is unencumbered by diseases, such as cancer, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), hepatitis and Ebola Virus. These public health issues and their environmental consequences must be addressed in the interest of national development.

In addressing these challenges, what should be the role of students?

This was the focus at 13th CAMPUSLIFE Correspondents’ Workshop held last weekend in Lagos.

Co-sponsored by Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited (CCNL) and the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited, the workshop themed: Towards a sustainable environment, was a platform for some students and Corps members to use their writing skills to faster a sustainable society.

Speaking on Rethinking healthy lifestyle through the sustainability lens, Mrs Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, the Executive Secretary of Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF), said her experience in youth development has shown that young men possessed limitless capacities to change their society.

She urged student-writers to explore opportunities around them and use their skills to expose health conditions on their campuses.

Tertiary institutions, she said, were not unsusceptible to the growing national public health conditions, noting that students must be in the vanguard of engendering a healthy and environment-friendly society.

Advising the students to use the platform for personal development, Mrs Akin-Jimoh said she loved working with youngsters.

“For me, my advocacy began with my love for sport. But as a nutritionist, I felt I could do more than that to affect the lives of the people around me. This made me to start YEF 25 years ago and it was based on the experiences I had at the Nigerian Sports Camp,” she said.

She added: “I will advise you all to explore opportunities offered by The Nation and Coca-Cola through the CAMPUSLIFE platform to expand your network and bring about personal development. I will always use myself as a case study of how one can build an advocacy network and become a mentor to the generation coming after.”

For an active healthy lifestyle, young writers, she said, must volunteer, mobilise and educate their peers, faith-based organisations and civil society organisations on health-related issues.

Mrs Akin-Jimoh divided the participants into five groups of 10 students each. She asked them to identify four health challenges on campuses and two professional organisations that could help in tackling them.

The objective, according to her, is to demonstrate the strength in teamwork and collaboration in achieving a planned objective.

She said: “If you work as a team, you would have built a capacity where you can support yourselves to a certain level and become change agents.”

How can student-writers identify and report health and environmental challenges on their campuses?

Seun Akioye, a multiple awardwinning reporter with The Nation, answered the participants in his

presentation titled: Achieving sustainable environment: The role of campus journalists. He said industrial activities had endangered the planet more than any other, noting that more than 110 countries, including Nigeria, suffer from desertification. This, he said, costs the world about $42 billion yearly in loss and productivity.

The environmental challenge, according to him, prompted millions of farmers to move to urban centres to seek alternative livelihoods; a situation that puts tremendous strain on overstretched services in the city.

Millions of Nigerians, including students, he said, could be compelled to leave their homes in the next 10 years if measures were not taken to stop desertification.

He urged the students to deploy their reporting skills in exposing environmental challenges peculiar to their campuses, saying they must employ the truth and investigative instinct to tell their stories.

Akioye said: “Environmental sustainability involves making decisions and taking actions that are in the interest of protecting the natural world, with particular emphasis on preserving the capability of the environment to support human life.

“As student-journalists, you have unlimited opportunities to change the perspectives and your environment by taking a deep look inside and a wide look around. There are issues around you and in your immediate environment, which can serve as a pillar of great environmental stories. Doing an investigation does not apply to corruption of politicians alone. There is corruption of the environment. You can bring to the front burner, issues that have been neglected from farming in Ile-Ife to fishing in the Niger Delta.”

He urged the participants to always humanise their stories and evaluate the dangers involved in the reporting process. He urged them to read award-winning reports to learn how to write in-depth investigative reports that may help their schools’ managements to solve problems.

To present their reports to wider audience, Akioye urged the students to use the social media.

Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited Community Affairs Manager Emeka Mba said the company is always willing to provide platforms for intellectual debates by the youth. The firm, he said, has been sponsoring the workshop because of its commitment to encouraging youths to be part of the nation-building process.

He said: “This is about the eighth year Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and its bottling partner, Nigerian Bottling Company, have been investing in students across higher institutions. We believe the youths have a message to deliver and we will always be willing to provide the platform for them to express, not only their minds on burning issues, but their talents in a wide range of areas. This is in line with Coca-Cola Nigeria’s philosophy of shared happiness.”

Mba enjoined the participants to imbibe the values and attitude of sustainability in their endeavours.

Earlier, CAMPUSLIFE coordinator Wale Ajetunmobi, while welcoming the participants, said the management of The Nation valued their contributions to the section in the last seven years.

Ajetunmobi said The Nation has demonstrated its leadership in the

•The particpants during the session

•Mba

•Wale

•Ms Bisi Aweda, NBC representaive

participant from the Abia State University (ABSU), said: “Every bit of the workshop session was educative, but the most memorable was the interactive session with the speakers and other participants.

This is a good programme that must be sustained. I am grateful to The Nation and Coca Cola System for giving me an opportunity to learn the skills I could not have learnt in the classroom.”

•Students discussing at lunch

•Participants being served lunch

media by its sustenance of campus journalism through its 10-page pullout.

He took the participants through writing rules.

Christopher Amanze, a first-time

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

32

CAMPUS LIFE 13th CAMPUSLIFE CORRESPONDENTS’ WORKSHOP

•Students during group discussion

•Samson Uwala

•From left: Mark Orgu, Kamaludeen Abubakar and David Osu

•From left: Mr Agbo Agbo, Communication Officer of NBC, Ms Bisi Aweda, Community Affairs Manager of Coca-Cola Nigeria, Emeka Mba, the first speaker, Mrs Iwalola AkinJimoh, The Nation’s General Manager on Training and Development, Mr Soji Omotunde and Mr Seun Akioye, second speaker...after the event

•Amos Abba

•From left: Jennifer Umeh, Ekene Ahaneku and Francis Egwuatu

•From left: Tolu George, Ismat Anifowose and Halimah Akanbi

•Awwal Mijinyawa

•From left: Sarat Alabidun, Everistus Onwuzurike, Balikis Moyosore and Godwin Simon

•From left: Kemi Busari and Ese Okoduwa

•From right: Reuben Agu, Opeoluwa Sonuga and Yinka Olatunbosun

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON SOUTHEAST STATES THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

Home for 131 widows in Imo •PAGE 34

Akunyili: A drug Czar goes home •PAGE 36

PAGE 33

Ebola: Doctors sensitise FRSC officials •PAGE 40

•Heap of refuse

W

HEN Ebonyi State was created in 1996, Abakaliki, the state capital, was likened to a glorified village. There were no motorable roads, no good infrastructure, hotels and the sanitary situation was terrible. Garbage littered every nook and cranny of the city.

Successive governments had attempted to clear the refuse dumps that could be likened to mountains. But try they could not find a solution to the problem. It was like a city of refuse; the dumps continued to increase due to enhanced domestic refuse generation. It was further compounded by the influx of people from within and outside the state to the new capital city.

At a point, workers included cleaning of the capital city as one of its demands during the May Day celebration in 2011.

Apparently disappointed and dismayed by the inability of the Ministry of Health, which was then saddled with refuse disposal and management in the state, Governor Martin Elechi created a Ministry of the Environment in 2011.

He deployed Dr. Paul Okorie as the commissioner.

Surprisingly, Okorie, who was in charge of Abakaliki Capital Development Authority (ACDA), cleaned up the city in

Abakaliki: Filthy city in need‘ of fresh breath From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

13 days.

When he was removed in August last year, the fortunes of the town, in terms of neatness relapsed. Overfilled waste bins and refuse-littered roads.

The situation within Abakaliki metropolis has become so alarming that residents are afraid that if no urgent steps are taken by the Ministry of Environment to address the menace, there may be an outbreak of epidemic.

Refuse heaps, which were not common in the days of Okorie, because of effective waste disposal management system he put in place, have become a common phenomenon on major roads, streets and at bus stops.

Some places that are notorious for mountain-like refuse heaps are Ogbaga Road around New Kpirikpiri Market, St. Patrick Road Kpirikpiri, Goddy Ogbaga

The dirt situation within Abakaliki metropolis has become so alarming that residents are afraid that if no urgent steps are taken by the Ministry of Environment to address the situation, there may be outbreak of epidemic

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Avenue, Convent Road, opposite Enugu Electricity Distribution Company that is close to Awolowo Street, Uga Street behind Federal Teaching Hospital

(FETHA) and some adjoining roads within the state capital, among others.

The inability of the state government to decisively tackle en-

vironmental problems has led to criticisms of the Elechi-led administration for sacking the pioneer Commissioner for Environment, who worked diligently to ensure a sustained and healthy environment.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that Okorie’s removal was orchestrated by some self-centered politicians who do not have the interest of the people at heart.

The capital is no longer environmental-friendly because of unlawful dumping of refuse by residents.

The leadership of the Ministry of Environment seems to lack the will, initiative and the know-how to deal with a glaring environmental degradation.

Unarguably, between the periods the former Commissioner for Environment was removed and the current one appointed, •Continued on page 34

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Home for 131 widows ‘in Imo

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HE lives of 131 indigent widows in Imo State will never be the same again.

Gone are their pains, frustration and reproach. The joy of the women, who hitherto were homeless, knew no bounds when they suddenly woke up to become proud owners of well-furnished two-bedroom apartments, under the pet project of the wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs. Nneoma Nkechinyere Okorocha.

According to Mrs. Okorocha, the project christened She Needs a Roof Project (SNARP), which is in line with the Rescue Mission Agenda of the state government, was designed to ensure that at least one indigent widow in each of the 27 local government areas gets a one or two-bedroom apartment, depending on the size of her family.

According to the governor’s wife, the project seeks to provide shelter for the poor families who live in shanties across the state.

This aims at giving them a sense of belonging.

At the end of the first phase of the project, some indigent widows were provided with decent houses. One of the lucky beneficiaries is a 56-year-old widow, Mrs. Rose Nwachukwu from Ogwuokwu community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area.

Left to cater for her family of six, Mrs. Nwachukwu lived in a decrepit structure that was barely habitable until the SNARP team discovered her during their tour of the local government area. Now, she is a proud owner of a fully furnished three-bedroom bunga•Continued from page 33

grunge overwhelmed the state capital, causing environmental pollution that is inimical to residents and visitors.

Stakeholders are wondering what use the waste disposal machines procured by the government through the state chapter of

I cannot recount all that I went through living in that mud house since my husband died. The pains and reproach were unimaginable.

Some people labeled me a witch, while many others avoided me and my children because of our level of poverty. But today, everything has changed and I am grateful to God and wife of our governor for rescuing me From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

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low.

Speaking during the handover of the building, the fraillooking widow who broke down in tears, said: “I still can’t believe that this is happening to me. I never thought I could one day live in a decent house, let alone owning a modern bungalow.

“I cannot recount all that I went through living in that mud house since my husband died.

The pains and reproach were unimaginable. Some people labeled me a witch, while many others avoided me and my chil-

•One of the beneficiaries rejoicing with Mrs. Okorocha

dren because of our level of poverty. But today, everything has changed and I am grateful to God and wife of our governor for rescuing me.”

Another beneficiary, a 49-yearold widow, Mrs. Agnes Keke, from Umudurueke in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area, who almost took her life after her mud house caved in, now lives in a three-bedroom bungalow with all modern appliances that make life comfortable.

For a 65-year-old widow, Mrs. Regina Opara, from Umuchioke in Ikeduru Local Government

Area who lost her husband and three children at the same time, owning a building of her own still seemed illusory.

“I lack words to describe how I feel owning a house. I became contented with the challenges of living in this decrepit mud house for years, having resigned to fate. But, today, I am free and I don’t have to be afraid each time it is about to rain.

“I am happy to witness this day. I will die a fulfilled person.

I just can’t thank our governor’s wife enough. I pray God to bless and reward her and her family,”

she said.

Another of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Stella Nworisha, a 31-yearold widow from Umugba community in Isu Local Government Area, has a pathetic story to tell.

She said, she and her seven children, was squatting with a neighbour after the mud house she inherited from her husband was washed away by erosion.

She now lives in her own two bedroom bungalow built by Mrs. Okorocha.

Inaugurating some of the build•Continued on page 35

Abakaliki: Filthy city in need of fresh breath the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) are, considering the level of filthiness that has overtaken the state capital.

What is rather more hazardous

to the health of residents of Abakaliki is the regular burning of wastes within residential areas by those suspected to be members of the staff of the Ministry of Environment; a develop-

ment many health practitioners have condemned.

The hazy smoke emanating from the burning garbage dumps is posing a threat to the health of the residents.

For instance, a resident, Mr. John Eluu, expressed dismay over the indiscriminate littering of garbage in the state capital.

“The situation is disheartening.

We find garbage almost everywhere within the state capital.

The State Ministry of Environment does not appear to have any waste disposal management skill to tackle this problem. What is happening now is unprecedented. Government needs to act fast so that our environment will look healthy again.”

Another resident, Mrs. Gloria Aniamaka, urged a stop to the in-

‘

•From left: National Deputy Chairman, APC Southeast, Hon. Emma Enukwu; state Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye and wife, Dr. Santila Terry-Nwoye and the National Delegate, Hon. Ejike Eze at the inauguration of APC secretariat, Enugu East chapter.

PHOTO: OBI CLETUS

discriminate burning of wastes within the capital as it is one of the easiest ways for people to contact diseases without even knowing it.

However, the Commissioner for Environment, David Egbu, said modalities had been put in place to ensure that the state capital is clean.

He debunked insinuations that the ministry was redundant.

According to him, the Ministry of Environment will not fold its arm and allow indiscriminate dumping of refuse within Abakaliki.

“We are not relenting over the situation. The ministry has mobilised its machinery to ensure that the state capital remained clean and habitable for all,” he added.

The situation is disheartening. We find dirt almost everywhere within the state capital. The state Ministry of Environment does not appear to have any waste disposal management skill to tackle this problem. What is happening now is unprecedented.

Government needs to act fast so that our environment will look healthy again

‘

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

35

THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Home for 131 widows •Continued from page 34

ings at Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area, Governor Rochas Okorocha described the initiative as a right step towards eradication of poverty, which, he said, the government is committed to.

He said the initiative was another way of appreciating the people, especially the less-privileged for their support for his administration in the last governorship election.

Briefing reporters at the end of the first phase of the project, Mrs. Okorocha restated her determination to assist indigent widows through the project.

She noted that a total of 131 poverty-ridden widows had so far received well furnished twobedroom bungalows. She said her office had spent N391 million on the buildings.

The governor’s wife further explained that as part of strategies to ensure that the project was not hijacked by politicians, an

A

independent investigating team had been put in place to tour the 27 local government areas to find out those in need of shelter.

She said: “There is no discrimination or favouritism in the implementation of SNARP because no government functionary is involved in it. It is clearly on merit.”

She said funds for the execution of the project were personal funds, with voluntary donations from interested individuals as complements, adding that the project would be sustained after her tenure.

She said: “My office does not receive allocation from the state government. I channel the little I have to solving the problems of the poor and the downtrodden.

My husband has been involved in philanthropic activities as a result of his covenant with God. When he won the Imo State gubernatorial election in 2011, I got a better platform to continue with the humanitarian services my family has been known for.”

•One of the buildings

‘De-regulate steel production in Nigeria’ ‘

N expert in Metallurgical Engineering, Mr. Daniel Obikwelu, has said Nigeria will experience rash development if she de-regulates steel production and all materials and metallurgical industries, including aluminum smelting, glass and cement industries.

This, he said, would redeem Nigeria from dying industrially, even as it would boost the country’s industrial life.

Obikwelu, a professor of Metallurgical Engineering and former Head and founder of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, University of Nigeria Nsukka, spoke at the 79th Inaugural Lecture of the University in Nsukka.

Presenting his lecture titled, “Metallic Materials: Challenges in the 21st Century Nigeria and Didactic Lessons from the 18th Century Industrial Revolution”, he said that steel is strategic to the country’s socio-economic and industrial development. As such, all efforts to replace imported consumables with locally available materials for use in the Nigerian steel industry would help in making steel produc-

From Chris Oji, Enugu

tion a feasible project in Nigeria, adding it will create employment for the youth.

Steel production, according to him, is a serious business and the government and people should be involved in the development, adding that no opinion of the World Bank and/or International Monetary Fund would be allowed to derail the country in her survival efforts and policies.

Obikwelu urged the government to empower entrepreneurs to establish mini-rolling, billets mills/medium electric arc-furnaces, ferroalloy production industry, refractory production industry, beneficiation plants of low capacity, lime plant, foundry shops and mini-iron ore reduction plants, among other small units. These units, according to him, would preferably be located at regions where there are iron ore deposits and where iron smelting was practised early in history.

He argued that closing the blacksmith’s shops is not the better way to develop skills envisaged for industrial revolution in Nigeria. He

Awka people used a type of furnace in the form of anthill to produce pig iron which they forged into domestic implements like knives, hoes and machetes for farm work. In the Nok, Igboukwu and Benin cultures of the 9th Century, there were non-ferrous metallurgical practices with bronze, brass and tin ore. The people had used iron and its furnace in one form or the other to improve their standard of living

‘

said the best way to achieve industrial revolution in the country is by repositioning the mindset of Nigerians through education and radical policy measures by government to absorb the local blacksmiths, encourage, control and equip them.

If the government cannot run the steel industries, he suggested that other people or group of professionals should be allowed to run the

•Corporate Affairs Manager, PZ, Mrs Yomi Ifaturoti handing over a cheque for N100,000 to Mr. Chika Samson Kalu, whose daughter, Princess, was diagnosed with a hole in the heart.

industries for the government on some conditions. This, he said is because, without steel, Nigeria cannot develop.

He noted that importing almost everything from other countries places the country at acute disadvantage in all aspects of life, thus leaving the country in a downright poor living situation.

Obikwelu regretted that there is no effective defence industry in Nigeria for the manufacture of such simple combatant weapons like rifle, grenades and land missiles for the defence industrial sub-sector.

According to him, Nigeria has become a dumping ground for arms, especially pistols and automatic hand weapons used or manufactured elsewhere, making the country vulnerable to foreign attack.

Colonial masters stopped ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical practices which were widespread in many cultural groups in Nigeria.

Obikwelu said if these practices were not stopped by the Whiteman early in history, Nigeria and other African countries would not have missed this important industrial revolution phase, and would have been in the same position industrially with Britain, Europe and America.

“Awka people used a type of furnace in the form of anthill to produce pig iron which they forged to domestic implements like knives, hoes and machetes for farm work.

In the Nok, Igboukwu and Benin cultures of the 9th Century, there were non-ferrous metallurgical practices with bronze, brass and tin

ore. These people had used iron and its furnace in one form or the other to improve their standard of living,” he said.

Obikwelu condemned the cutand-paste or turnkey approaches adopted by the government; where some technologies from countries such as Russia, India and Germany were cut and pasted in Nigeria as if Nigeria was a piece of blank paper.

These are the cases with Ajaokuta Steel Company, Itakpe Iron Ore Company and Delta Steel Company. According to him, these cutand-paste approaches were counter-productive for the development of Nigeria.

He praised the government for having successfully and wisely recovered Ajaokuta Steel Complex from the Global Steel Holdings/ Infrastructural Nigeria Limited (an Indian-based company). He suggested, as a short-term measure, that government should make money available to accomplish the following for a final outright selling of the steel industries to the prospective entrepreneurial persons or consortia.

These measures include inaugurating Billet Mill, Light Section and Structural Mill, Thermal Power Plant Forge and Fabrication, Mechanical Repair Shop, Rubberising and Refractories and Lime Plants which have been 100 per cent completed; inaugurating all completed units namely, the Thermal Power Plant, Power Plant Repair Shop, Refractories and Lime Plant Production Plants, Foundry Shop and Mechanical Repair Shop and selling them outright; repairing Itakpe Iron Ore Company and selling it; selling all the seven units at the Delta Steel Company: the Pellet Plant, Steel Melt Shop, Lime Plant, the Foundry Shop, Central Mechanical Maintenance Shop and Auxiliary Plants.

As Nigeria has missed the industrial revolution phase in her development, Obikwelu said the government should go back to the drawing board, taking a cue from Japan which also missed the industrial revolution phase sometime by using the veritable human resources in the universities, research institutes, existing highly skilled blacksmiths in the existing blacksmith’s shops all over the country to develop the indigenous technologies.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

Soldiers relish new Officers’ Mess

P

ROFESSIONALLY, they are saddled with defending the country against external aggression. They are also called to assist should there be any internal insurrection that may lead to the breakdown of law and order. Though they are soldiers, they are also social beings.

In peace time, they socialise with family members, friends and associates. After the day’s work, they relax and, most times, make merry at their recreation centre known as Officers’ Mess.

However, the facility became decrepit and there was the need for a new and befitting one. Happily, a modern facility has been built for the comfort of the soldiers. It was inaugurated by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), LtGeneral Kenneth Minimah.

Its inauguration at the headquarters of the 34 Artillery Brigade Obinze, Imo State, was a

•The ultra-modern Officers' Mess

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

proof that, for the Army, it is not just fighting and warfare as portrayed by their mien. The Officers’ Mess, built at the centre of the headquarters’ premises, has all the trappings of a first-class relaxation centre.

Speaking during the inauguration, the President of the Mess Committee, Col. A.T Adedoja, said the construction of the Officers’ Mess began few years ago but was delayed as a result of the death of the contractor. The situation, he said, stalled the work.

He noted that the Mess was built with the best quality finishing which will provide maximum comfort and serving as a perfect relaxation centre for officers.

He said: “It took the dexterity and commitment of the Com-

mander, Brigadier General Lanre Bello to complete and equip the Officers’ Mess. It was also made possible through the assistance of friends of the Command who had donated generously towards the building of the edifice.

“We are appealing to the authority and other public-spirited Nigerians to assist the Command in offsetting the remaining cost incurred in furnishing the Mess with first-class furniture and electronic gadgets.”

Declaring the Officers’ Mess open, Lt.-Gen. Minimah, who was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Enugu and other top military officers, praised the Command for achieving the feat, noting that it would go a long way in assisting the officers in relaxing after their daily routine.

He further said soldiers should •Continued on page 39

Akunyili: A drug Czar goes home REATNESS is all about being recognised by an anonymous many. Again, what counts is not how long one lives but how one impacted on the lives of others; how one enhanced the socio-political lives of the people.

One would have lived a fulfilled life when one’s personality and character could recognise each other when they meet in the dark.

The late Prof. Dora Akunyili played a major role in impacting the lives of those who came across her during her life time.

Though dead, the late Mrs Akunyili’s legacy will remain indelible in the minds of those who knew her, either in her Agulu community, Anambra State or Nigeria.

The late Mrs Akunyili was the former Minister of Information and Communication and one-time Director-General, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

But there are mysteries surrounding the life and times of the late amiable Amazon that keep reverberating.

Did she have an inkling that she was not going to live long? This question is tenable based on the fact that most of her actions tilted towards enhancing the well-being of others, especially the less-privileged. It seemed she quickened her benevolent actions to accomplish many tasks in good time.

Even before the end of her short life, the late Mrs Akunyili loved helping the poor and the lessprivileged.

One of such people was her gate man, whom she later adopted as her house help. She identified the innate intelligence in the young man and his zeal to learn. She had to send him to school. Today, he is an accountant in one of the biggest accounting agencies in the

G

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

country.

Not only that, the late Mrs Akunyili was given money by the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) to enable her to treat her diagnosed tumor abroad. She returned the money to the Federal Government when it was clear the diagnosis was inaccurate.

Apart from all these and many more, her husband, Dr. John Chike Akunyili, told reporters in Agulu that since the death of his wife, things have been working in mysterious ways in the family.

First, he said there was a time they ran short of cash and a call came from Iyom Josephine Anenih who made the funds available. The family, he said, was astonished.

Dr. Akunyili said the woman told him that it was the money she owed his wife.

He said: “Although she is dead, I know her spirit hovers around because, since her death, everything has been easy and working for me mysteriously.”

Besides, he said the late professor of Pharmacology amassed over 800 awards, with another post-humous award to be received in November in the United States.

Again, she will be the first person to be buried in Agulu community between August 15 and 30, as the people see it as a taboo to bury anybody on those dates.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that it was the period the community celebrates their new yam festival and commune with their gods with the monarch of the land performing his festival rite on August 29.

Some source said: “The burial, which has been scheduled in this community by the Federal Government within this period is likely to have adverse effect on the

•Traditional rulers at the event

Groups back governorship aspirant

T

HE people of Old Bende Progressive Union (OBPU) in Abia South zone and members of a pro-democracy group, Concerned Advocate for Good Governance (CAGG) have adopted Dr. Sampson Uchechukwu Ogah as their sole candidate for the 2015 governorship election.

The people, during a grand reception/awards at Hills Hotel Ogbor Hill, Aba, on the outskirts of Aba, also presented an award to the governorship aspirant for his humanitarian and philanthropic gestures.

The chairman of the group, Elder Jonah Mba, in an address on the occasion, said they were supporting Ogah’s candidature not only as their son, but because they have the conviction that he is the right candidate that will deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

According to Mba, the people of Old Bende were optimistic that with the wealth of experience Ogah has garnered, he was not going to let the people of the area down.

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

In a motion moved by Hon. Darlington Onuoha Kalu and seconded by Deacon David Okai, the people adopted Ogah as their sole candidate for 2015 general elections.

Responding, Ogah, President, Masters Energy Group, thanked the people for deeming it fit to honour him, promising that the award will spur him to do more.

On his adoption as the sole governorship candidate for Old Bende, he said he was aspiring for the number one seat in the state after he got the consent of his family and close relatives, assuring that he was coming to spread development across the state and to serve all Abians.

Ogah promised his supporters that, as part of his desires to ensure that quality jobs were done in the state especially, in Aba, Julius Berger Construction Company will be in the state with their equipment within 30 days after he was sworn in as the

governor to commence work.

Similarly, CAGG after a meeting in Aba, also adopted Ogah as their candidate.

The National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Olusegun Bamgbose, at the end of the group’s meeting described the governorship aspirant as the one to beat as he has the capacity to move Abia to the next level.

He said: “He possesses the charisma to move Abia forward. We urge Abians and non-Abians to give him the maximum support.”

On the zoning of the governorship slot to Abia South by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus, Bamgbose said: “Zoning or no zoning, what matters is, who has what it takes to deliver the dividends of democracy?”

On the rumoured gubernatorial ambition of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, he also said: “I doubt if a highly distinguished figure like him would want to risk his image in the murky waters of Abia politics.”

‘Come home and see new Imo’

I

MO State citizens in the Diaspora have been urged to come home for the festive periods, not only to visit their loved ones, but also to see the changes that have taken place and the fast rate of infrastructural develop-

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•The compound where Mrs Akunyili’s remains will be interred in Agulu

Her love for Nigeria was phenomenal and beyond words. Even in her last days when she was very ill, she insisted that she would serve the country with her last breath…She wanted a home called Nigeria where citizens could live and enjoy but it is unfortunate she did not live to see such a country…Her last wish was for the girls abducted from Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents are released

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people because such a thing has never happened before in the area.

When our correspondent contacted Igwe Innocent Obodoakor, the traditional ruler of the community on the issue, he said the dead must be buried.

Furthermore, it was gathered that Mrs Akunyili would not be buried in her Nkitaku Village. She will rather be buried in Nneogidi Village close to NAFDAC office where the family built a house.

Some of the residents of the com-

munity believe that it is an anomaly to bury somebody from another village in the community.

When the late Mrs Akunyili was ill, it was said that she was suffering from cervical cancer but after her death, the husband revealed that she died of “Endometrial carcinoma”.

According to him, it was rare type of cancer that spreads fast in the body without anybody knowing.

He said: “We were told that people with such condition will only live for seven months. But with prayers, she survived it for two years and two months until she became ill again.”

The woman whose life and times were surrounded by mysteries died on June 7, this year after a twoyear battle with cancer at an Indian hospital. The burial takes place today in Agulu community.

The husband described her as an elephant, who loved her country even during her travails, even though she vowed to fight for the •Continued on page 38

•From left: Her husband, Dr Chike Akunyili and Ex-MD ABS Sir Oseloka Offor

•Madumere inspecting projects

By Nneka Nwaneri

ment in the state courtesy of the ‘Rescue Mission’ of Governor Rochas Okorocha.

Imo State Deputy Governor Prince Eze Madumere, who gave

this advice during a facility tour of ongoing projects and inspection of the reconstruction of Oramiriukwa Bridge in NgorOkpala Local Government Area, expressed satisfaction that the •Continued on page 39

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THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

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HE Abia State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC) has made good its promise to reward those who corectly predicted the scores of matches at the just-concluded FIFA World Cup, in Brazil.

Fifty-eight people predicted the scores and were rewarded with various items, ranging from standing fans, plasma television, table top refrigerators and several stabilisers as consolation prizes.

The event was initiated by the board, management and staff of ASOPADEC to enable youths and others participate actively during the mundial and have a sound knowledge of football.

Speaking at the Pick-and-Win, former Director of Sports Mr. Ejikeme Ikwunze, who chaired the occasion, said Abia sports have never had it so good since the creation of the state. The sports’ commission board, he said, has made people to be aware of football at the world level.

Ikwunze said the board had done what other organisations had not thought about, stressing that the items given to the winners will make other people know that there is a lot to gain in watching football and other games.

The sports analyst and writer noted that the state has produced many sports men and women, such as Chidi Imo, the late Dele Udoh, Gloria Alozie, Kanu Nwankwo and Karibe Ojigwe.

He urged the board to encourage the youth to embark on sporting activities to keep them out of danger.

He reminded the commission of a football competition it initiated for male under-13 footballers which was concluded, urging it to ensure the competition is conclude.

Ikwunze further advised the commission to sponsore winners to watch the next World Cup in Russia or give them prizes such as Toyota Coaster bus or any other car.

In his address, the Chairman of ASOPADEC, Chief Emeka Stanley, said the commission was partnering with the state government to make life mean-

•Some of the winners receiving their gifts

‘ Commission rewards winners From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

ingful for the youth and other citizens through the predict-andwin programme.

He noted that the programme had afforded the youth the opportunity to increase their knowledge of modern football and also to let people know “that ASOPADEC is not only about rebuilding dilapidated infrastructure and road construction in all the nook and cranny of the state.

He assured that the abandoned under-13 youth football competition which was at its semi-final stage would be concluded within the next two months, even

The commission is partnering the state government to make life more meaningful for the youth and other citizens of the state through the predict-and-win programme…

The programme had afforded the youth the opportunity to increase their knowledge of modern football and also to tell people, that ASOPADEC is not only about rebuilding dilapidated infrastructure and road construction in all the nook and cranny of the state as he called on the state Director of Sports, Mr. Isaac Ogbonnaya Isaac to liaise with his office on how to conclude the football

‘

competition.

Also speaking, the Director of Sports, Mr. Isaac thanked Governor Theodore A. Orji for spon-

soring two football clubs in the premier league, namely Enyimba and Abia Warriors football clubs..

He assured the commission will partner with them to bring the Under-13 football competition to a conclusion.

Isaac urged ASOPADEC to partner with the sports commission by sponsoring them to the next national sports festival, stressing that the state government should not be allowed to shoulder the responsibility of catering for the athletes alone.

One of the winners , Mr. Godwin Anaba, a visually-impaired, who received a DVD home theatre, thanked the commission for making his day.

Akunyili: A drug Czar goes home •Continued from page 36

•Mrs Akunyili's numerous awards

country with the last drop of her blood.

Dr. Akunyili said: “Her love for Nigeria was phenomenal and beyond words. Even in her last days when she was very ill, she insisted that she would serve the country with her last breath.

“She wanted a home called Nigeria where citizens could live and enjoy but it is unfortunate she did not live to see such a country.”

Her last wish was for the girls abducted from Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok in Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents are released because, according to her, they are all innocent girls.

The only area where such mystery did not work was when she ventured into politics for the Anambra Central Senatorial zone where she lost to Senator Chris Ngige.

Some of her awards included the Transparency International Integrity Award in 2003 for being one of the sincere and honest persons in the world.

She was equally recognised as one of the 18 Heroes of its Global Health 2005 for her relentless battle to rid Nigeria of the menace of fake and adulterated drugs.

This led to another mystery in her life. Some drug barons attempted to eliminate her but she mysteriously escaped the attack.

She was described as Nigeria Drug Warrior who did her job of ridding the society of fake drugs diligently.

Prof. Akunyili was also the first African to win the 2005 edition of the coveted British Grassroots Human Rights Awards series.

The award was given to unsung Heroes of Human Rights, who daily risk their lives in pursuit of truth and in defence of the defencless, among others.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUGST 28, 2014

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THE SOUTHEAST REPORT

‘Come home and see new Imo’ •Continued from page 37

projects, when completed, will enhance the living condition of the people.

“Christmas celebration in state last year witnessed what no Imolite had ever seen before. The difference was clear. The traffic jams in Owerri were things of the past. Today, we have created roundabouts and opened up the roads in a bid to decongest traffic.

“Imo State is now the place to be. The hospitality here is second to none and we have put in place centres of tourists’ attraction.

“Since 1979, every abandoned project has been completed. Examples are Concorde Avenue beside the Commissioners’ Quarters. The House of Assembly Complex used to be a den for robbers and hideout for kidnappers.

“Today, those areas are new communities. The Rescue Mission came in and took up the projects that were abandoned since Sam Mbakwe’s time in 1979 because we believe they will be of interest to the well-being of the people.

At present, we have the Heroes Square, Hero Villa and Avutu Poultry that had been abandoned for more than 30 years.

Standard Shoes produce shoes

•

•Madumere receiving award from Mrs Akalazu

that students in the state are using now.

“The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republi-

can Convention (NRC) buildings have been re-roofed and put to use. Civil Defence Corps occupies one and the other is being used

by the officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

“Work on the fly over bridge

initiated by former governor of the state, Chief Ikedi Ohakim is still in progress. We need to complete it and put it to use. The governor has said it over and over that we will complete every project we began.” Madumere said.

Continuing, he said: “Funds for these projects are made available through planning and sacrifice.

“We are sacrificing a lot and the leadership is focused. The leadership is visionary and knows where it is driving at.”

The Deputy Governor spoke about other facilities.

“Today, we have a new Treasury House, White House, Bongo Square, Freedom Square and the International Convention Centre.

We have become the flagship of the East. All other eastern states clamour to hold events in the state. Conferences hold in the state and the mother of all carnivals is coming before the end of the year,” he said.

Meanwhile, women under the aegis of Achi Progressive Union, Women Wing gathered in their numbers, adorning red blouses and red headgears on green George wrapper to visit the Deputy Governor. It was during the closing ceremony of this year’s August meeting. They presented him with a plaque in recognition of his contributions to the development of the state.

The women, through their President-General, Mrs. Chioma Akalazu thanked him for living up to expectation in the quest to develop the state.

Elechi assures corps members of safety From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

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BONYI State Governor Martin Elechi has assured the over 1,889 Batch ‘B’ members of the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) deployed to the state of adequate security, despite the challenges facing the country.

The governor spoke during the terminal parade of 2014 Batch ‘B’ corps members at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, old Macgregor College, Afikpo.

Elechi, who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Sam Mgbada, called on the corps members to explore the peace in the state to impact positively on the well-being of the people.

“I want to assure you that Ebonyi people are hospitable, warm, peaceful, friendly and accommodating. I therefore urge you to promote the objective of national unity and integration which the NYSC scheme has championed in its over 41 years of existence.

“I re-echo my earlier directive that rejection of corps members by employers on flimsy reasons will not be tolerated by government.

Corps employers are hereby advised to accept these youths and make judicious use of their knowledge in the interest of the state and the country.”

The state Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Ngozi Dorothy Nwatarali urged the Corps members to utilise all the orientation programmes and empowerment schemes which they had gone through to better their lives and the society.

Nwatarali, who appreciated the corps for their comportment, discipline and commitment during their stay at the camp, expressed her optimism that they (corps members) would perform creditably in their places of primary assignment.

•Minimah inaugurating the Officers' Mess •Continued from page 36

make out time to relax and socialise with one other in order to promote cohesion and unity.

In a chat with reporters shortly after the inauguration of the facility, the Army boss, who was on a familiarisation tour of the 82 Division, said the Army is winning the war against terrorism.

He also allayed the fears of Nigerians in the Southeast over possible infiltration by members of Boko Haram sect, adding that the few security threat recorded in the zone may not be connected with the insurgents.

The Army boss noted that the two incidents in Imo and Abia

‘Soldiers relish new Officers’ Mess

What happened at the Winners Chapel Church in Imo and the arrest made in Abia State cannot be totally blamed on the insurgents…Some elements within the states may want to cause problem. Some mischief makers might want to take advantage of the insurgency in the country to foment trouble. But the Military is ready to check all forms of security threats states allegedly linked to the Islamic Sect may have been the handiwork of some elements

‘

within the zone which wanted to take advantage of the insurgency in the country to cause

mischief.

“What happened at the Winners Chapel Church in Imo and the arrest made in Abia State cannot be totally blamed on the insurgents because some mischievous elements can be making bombs to cause trouble and make it seem as if Boko Haram had carried out the action.

“Some elements within the states may want to cause problem. Some mischief makers might want to take advantage of the insurgency in the country to foment trouble. But the Military is ready to check all forms of security threats,” Minimah said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

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THE SOUTHEAST REPORT MASSOB to resist arrest of leader From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

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P

•Chika-ero with members of the group and some FRSC personnel

Ebola: Doctors sensitise ‘ FRSC officials

S

INCE the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa and Nigeria, government at federal, state and local levels have embarked on various awareness campaigns.

Other organisations, including churches and others, have also joined in the campaigns aimed at educating Nigerians on how to prevent the deadly virus.

Some people, including medical professionals, who came in contact with the first index case, Patrick Sawyer and other victims have either died or isolated to prevent further spread of the virus.

Worried by this development and as part of its efforts to sensitise the public on how to stop the spread of the disease, the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) organised a sensitisation and awareness seminar for personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Aba Unit Command.

The event held at the premises of the FRSC in Osisioma on the outskirts of Aba, the commercial nerve city of Abia State.

Leader of the group and Chairman of AGPMPN, Dr. Kingsley Enweremadu, said the group decided to take the campaign to the agency because of the sensitive and strategic role corps personnel play in saving human lives, especially accident victims. This, he said, could expose them to the disease.

Enweremadu said: “The duty of members of staff of the FRSC is similar to that of doctors, though with a little difference. We are life savers. By the nature of our job, we come in contact with human beings on a daily basis. They stand on the road while we sit under a roof to do our own job.

“The FRSC assist accident victims and sometimes administer first aid treatment where necessary, hence, the need for this seminar.”

On ways to avoid contracting the virus while assisting accident victims or in the line of duty, he called for caution. He advise those on duty to “wear hand gloves and nose

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

masks, washing of hands with detergents always, especially after attending to any accident victims with blood stain, imbibe personal hygiene habits, avoid eating roasted bush meats that were not well prepared could help a great deal in preventing one from contracting the virus.”

He further solicited synergy between FRSC and the group to make their work effective and productive.

Aba Unit Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Akachukwu Chika-ero thanked members of the group for their visit and the seminar, adding that the seminar couldn’t have come at a better time than now when the spread of the Ebola virus is causing panic among Nigerians.

On synergy between the group and the agency, Chika-ero pleaded that accident victims brought to

Wearing hand gloves and nose masks, washing of hands with detergents always, especially after attending to any accident victims with blood stain, imbibe personal hygiene habits; avoid eating roasted bush meats that were not well prepared could help a great deal in preventing one from contracting the virus private or government hospitals should be admitted and treated without necessarily demanding initial deposit which the officers that brought the victim (s) might not afford immediately.

‘

He pledged that they were willing to partner with the group to ensure that lives were saved, adding that the agency was going to take lessons of the lecture seriously.

EMBERS of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) have warned that the group will resist any move by the police to arrest its leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

They noted that arresting Uwazuruike would amount to flouting a court order to that effect, adding that such action would force the group into discarding its non-violence approach to the struggle.

Addressing reporters in Aba, Abia State capital, the Acting Director of Information of the group, Mr. Sunny Okereafor, said the warning became necessary following intelligence report the group received hinting that the police were planning to arrest their leader against a court injunction restraining police from arresting him.

Okereafor condemned Uwazuruike’s invitation by Imo State Police Command over the Okwe incident which he said their leader knew nothing about.

He said: “The Okwe incident is a family matter that does not require the involvement of police for settlement.

“The unfortunate incident at our headquarters in Okwe was a family matter, we are going to handle it the way the Igbo communally resolve their problems which do not require the involvement of police.

“Before inviting our leader, they should first account for the thousands of MASSOB members they massacred and have not told the public their whereabouts.”

He said that there was no crack in the group, adding that what happened was an infiltration of the group’s hierarchy by a politician with the intent of causing discontent among its ranks.

He called on Ndigbo to rally round the movement which, he said, was determined to liberate them from bondage through its non-violence struggle.

It was alleged that serious hostility had broken out at the headquarters of MASSOB at Okwe in Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State between some members of the movement and loyalists of Uwazuruike which allegedly led to the death of four people.

As a result of this development, Imo State Police Command invited Uwazuruike for questioning and threatened to declare him wanted if he declined to report to the command’s headquarters in Owerri.

Uwazuruike later headed for an Owerri High Court where he obtained an order restraining the police from arresting or declaring him wanted if he fails to honour their invitation.

‘

•Chika-ero (right) receiving a banner from leader of the medical team

The Okwe incident is a family matter that does not require the involvement of police for settlement…The unfortunate incident at our headquarters in Okwe was a family matter, we are going to handle it the way the Igbo communally resolve their problems which do not require the involvement of police

‘

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

41

CAMPUS LIFE 13th CAMPUSLIFE CORRESPONDENTS’ WORKSHOP

•From left: Chidiebere Enyia, Philips Ogbaje and Sani Makama

•From left: Ibrahim Jatto, Sikiru Akinola and Caleb Adebayo

• Msonter Anzaa

•Abdulrahman Zakariyah

•From right: Abideen Olasupo, Tajudeen Yakubu, Oyebimpe Oyesanya and Taiwo Adebulu

•Some journalists at the event

•From left: Chris Amanze, Toyin Ali, Benjamin Idoko and Philip Okorodudu

•Participants reciting the national anthem before the session started

•The breakfast time

PHOTOS: NIYI ADENIRAN

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

CAMPUS LIFE Higher institutions are waging war against indecent dressing. But many female students keep wearing skimpy attires exposing vital parts of their bodies. They dress in breach of the dressing code, which they claim is an infringement on their right. AFEES LASISI (200-Level Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University) reports.

Campuses’ ‘killer-dressers’ S TUDENTS enjoy a lot of freedom and many have come to take it as a licence to misbehave. When it comes to dressing, many female students have gone weird. They wear skimpy dresses, exposing vital parts of their bodies. It is not that the men are better.

They dress shabbily, provoking comments whether they are really students.

The reign of skimpy dresses has turned many campuses to fashion runway.

“Dress to kill” is now a popular slogan in lecture halls.

Worried by this trend, managements of higher institutions introduced dress codes. While some higher institutions may have succeeded in implementing the rules, others have not.

Besides, some students have been penalise by their authorities because what constitutes indecent dressing is not clearly spelt out.

What is indecent dressing? Students differ on what constitutes this.

Ayomide Fatumbi, a 400-Level Mechanical Engineering student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, said: “Indecent dressing is an immodest and improper way of dressing that negates the code of dressing design

by God. I dress the way I was brought up, and as students, I believe we should not only be taught how to read and write in schools,

but also how to promote our culture and traditions in a decent way.”

Mode of dressing is way of expressing freedom, said Sope Oyeniyi, a Food Science and Engineering student of LAUTECH. She said: “Everyone is free to dress the way he or she likes without hindrance from anyone or authorities.

Restricting the way one dresses is unwelcomed and unacceptable to humanity. It is our right to dress the way we want. No one should compel others to dress in a particular way but if authorities believe they are not satisfied with the way some of us dress, they can instruct the security men at the school gates to disallow whoever dresses shabbily into the campus.”

A lecturer at the Department of Local Government Studies, The Polytechnic Ibadan (IBADAN POLY), Mr Caleb Arulogun, said some dresses offend the ethics of the society. He noted that indecent dressing remained one of the causes of crisis in education sector.

Arulogun said: “Higher institutions are not secondary schools where there is uniformity in dressing. Anyone who is admitted into higher institution is believed to be mature and to be able to differentiate his right from left.” He added that parents needed to teach their children morals, while institutions must strengthen its rules against indecent lifestyle.

Olamide Sanusi, a final year stu-

•Types of skimpy attires wear by students

dent of Banking and Finance of IBADAN POLY, said there is a connection between dressing style and religious belief. “To me, I dress the way my parents do at home, and

sometimes, it depends on the kind of friend people keep. Most students dress well at home, but when in school, they join bad company in ‘advertising’ their body,” she

said.

To prevent students from dressing shabbily while they study, regulators of some professional disciplines such as law and medical science have introduced a regulated dress code. While law students put on white shirt and black trousers or long skirts, medical students wear white lab coat on any clothes they have on them.

Lawal Sulaiman, a 400-Level Mechanical Engineering student, LAUTECH, said: “Indecent dresses pose a danger for our society as we have witnessed many cases of rape and assaults of our female students.

This type of dress promotes criminal acts.”

A parent, Mr Omolewa Yunus, said school managements must ensure culture and tradition are preserved on the campus, saying students’ background contributed to the indecency pervading campuses.

He said: “Most improper dresses start from home. Though some students change when they got admission but it should not be left only to the government and school authorities. I will support the implementation of dress codes for all students irrespective of their courses.”

Corroborating Yunus, Adedoyin Akorede, a 200-Level Medical Rehabilitation student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in IleIfe, said the dressing style of students showed the kind of upbringing they had, adding that peer pressure and environment also contributed to the indecency on campus.

“The way I dress most times speaks more of my upbringing.

Though, there is pressure from friends on campus, but I can never bow to such ungodly dress of most female students put on,” she said.

Students of the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB) have elected their union leaders through electronic voting, reports ABIOLA SOLANKE.

Romance with e-voting

F

OR the first time, students of the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB) elected their leaders through electronic voting. The exercise, which was conducted by the Information and Communication Technology (ICTREC) unit of the university, was adjudged successful by students.

The electioneering started with a debate organised by Top-Notch Writers Organisation, a literary students’ club for the nine aspiring to be the union president. The chairman of the Presidential Debate Committee, Oluwafemi Aliu, said the debate was to test the aspirants’ intellectual ability and activism.

The debate was followed by a press conference organised by the media team of the electoral committee, where students were informed about the modalities of the election. The conference was attended by all aspirants and students.

According to the leader of the media team, Solanke Abiola, the process would afford students opportunity to choose the best candidates freely in a free and fair proc-

•Students voting online

ess.

The following day, a manifesto day was held for the candidates to sell their programmes to students.

This was held in the multipurpose hall of the university. The manifesto was not without jeering by the audience, who booed some aspirants to disapprove their candidature.

On the day of the election, students trooped en mass to the Mahmood Yakub Lecture Hall at 9am for accreditation. By 11:22am, the voting commenced at the 500capacity computer laboratory. Stu-

dents were given a code to login and vote for their candidate of choice, while agents of respective contestants monitored the exercise.

A staff of the ICTREC, Mrs P.A. Aiyelotan described the exercise as peaceful and orderly, promising that there would be improvement in subsequent exercise.

The election ended at 4:26pm. The chairman of the electoral committee, Olumide Ajulo, announced result a few minutes later.

It was gathered that 3,915 voted.

The electoral committee declared Olawale Olajumoke, an Animal

Physiology student, as the president-elect, having polled the highest number of votes. Others elected include Oluwafunmilayo Olaoye, Vice President, Samuel Opaleye, General Secretary, Ebunoluwa Oyedokun, Assistant General Secretary, Seun Akosile, Public Relations Officer, Oluwatobi Okaigbua, Social Director, Habeeb Tijani, Welfare/Business Director, Kayode Oluwaseun, Director of Finance, and Anjola Shoge, Secretary of Treasury.

While many students hailed the process as successful, some com-

plained about their inability to log in with the code they were given.

Solomon Ayodele, a student, decried the log in problem, saying several students may have changed their mind to vote because of the problem.

He said: “I was in the hall for more than 30 minutes and unable to login because the page was not loading. I observed that some of my colleagues could not vote due to the wrong codes given to them. But then, the process was peaceful and free. I hope the problem would be rectified before the next election.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

43

CAMPUS LIFE

I

WANT to tell you a story. It is a tale of grit, grace and sheer resolve to challenge generally accepted norms. It is a story anchored on the capacity of the human spirit to rise above the powers of darkness and bring hope to generations to come. It is a story laced with love and empathy for those who cannot speak for themselves or stand up for themselves when it matters. It is a story told by young and old, rich and poor; a story whose impact shines on like sands in the seashore.

Few years ago, a young lady was angry with happenings in the country: corruption battled for the soul of the nation. Campuses revelled in total decay and reckless abandon. Religious leaders shelved aside the gospel of redemption for the frenzy of miracles and wonders. Nigerian graduates wandered the streets furtively in search of non-existent jobs. The art of leadership was lost. And so, the followers wobbled in a ditch. A nation tottered vulnerably on the fringes of a precipice.

And later, that anger translated into an idea that would grow to be bigger than its initiator, the late Ngozi Agbo. With the same fervency with which the fury became an idea, the initiative soon found a willing army that was ready to carry that gospel to every doorstep. Nigerian campuses were the battlefield. The Nation, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and its bottling partner, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited became the megaphone to get the message heard in a noisy world.

Just last week, the students gathered at the comfy Citilodge Hotel to share that story; to

Telling the coke story chart the course for a nation in need of direction, leadership and voice. “When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful,” crooned Pakistani education rights activist, Malala Yousafzai. But the beauty was the fact that, that voice has inspired scores of young people across the country to drive the gospel of change. From those who have added the Campus Life pullout to their weekly menu, to those who expend their energy, time and resources to send in stories from their various campuses, the impact of that idea has grown like wild fire.

Of all the impactful sessions that trailed the workshop, Campus Life alumni session topped them all. For brand strategist and street-to-school advocate, Jumoke Awe, Business Day’s Energy reporter, Femi Asu, Francis Egwuatu, who was recently crowned Mr Universe Nigeria and yours sincerely, success stories and testimonies soaked the atmosphere. If anything, the session provided the needed springboard to drive home the point that all of us can reach the stars when we maximise opportunities. “On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves or lose our ventures,” says William Shakespeare in Julius Caesar.

As we recounted our stories to the expectant crowd of students that sunny afternoon, I saw strands of hope and promise platted on their flat faces. I saw optimism and faith oozing from

their unwavering gaze. I saw renewed determination to take spaces and succeed together.

Above all, I saw the possibility of a better future for those who commit their lean resources to follow their dreams, braving the odds.

As we narrated our struggles, fears, shared hopes and teary climb to the top, the students watched as though we possessed all the powers and savoir-faire to do it all. What many did not realise was the fact that aside the luxury of grace at our disposal, commitment to our passions – even at the expense of material gains – has remained the secret of whatever we become today. As Catherine Pulsifer reminded us, the most important element in the failure equation is our personal commitment to keep trying.

And today, Coca-Cola Nigeria and NBC have given us a voice; a voice to silence impunity and right wrongs, a voice to neutralise the darkness that hounds us as youths of Africa’s most blessed nation and yet suffers the worst of deprivation. The firms have instilled in us a sense of pride, hope and achievement. They have taught us how to be different, how to win, how to kiss the stars of heaven and how to appreciate the glow of the sun every day.

That voice continues to lend credence to the quest for national integration, converging youths from various parts of the country twice every year to share common aspirations. And

By Gilbert Alasa at a time when Nigeria is embroiled in religious and ethnic tensions as well as discordant sentiments, which push us further apart, bringing folks together under one platform could serve as antidote to our divisiveness.

But the biggest story from the conference is about Aunty Ngozi and us. It is about somebody taking the initiative to forge new paths and build bridges for those folks suppressed by the corruption of the system. It is about how young people can re-adjust the clock and spearhead the gospel of national renaissance. The story is about the virility of synergy between individuals and organisations to re-direct the pulse of society. Alexander Smith was quick to remark: “A man doesn’t plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity. Aunty Ngozi, The Nation and Coca Cola system did just that.

Gilbert is a corps member, NYSC Ado Ekiti

Curbing campus vices

P

OOR academic performances and failure among students of tertiary institutions in Nigerian are resultant effects of evil or immoral behaviours and activities such as cultism, drug abuse, campus cohabitation, prostitution, among others.

It has also been argued from another view point that peer influence and pressure are causes of students’ participation in social vices that results in poor academic performance and failure. Whatever the case may be, peer influence plays significant role in this regard. As a background to this, it will be pertinent to look at cultism, drug abuse, campus prostitution and how they affect students’ lives and performances on campuses of Nigerian tertiary institutions.

History shows that cult activities in tertiary institutions began at the University of Ibadan.

The first secret cult in Nigeria came into existence in the 1950s, when a group of seven students led by Professor Wole Soyinka founded the Seadog Confraternity, also known as the Pyrate. Aig-Imoukhuede, Pius Oleghe, Ralph Opara, Nat Oyelo and Professor Muyiwa Awe, were the founding fathers of this cult, at the University of Ibadan. The sole objective of the cult was to fight colonialism, to end tribalism and elitism, and to ensure the dignity of man.

Their ideas were both patriotic and altruistic, as it was not imagined as a secret cult. The objectives revolved around the maintenance of polite behaviour among people of the different background and chivalry portrayed the dreams of the founders. Its members engaged in humanitarian activities such as donation of

By Ahmad Muhammad Auwal blood to hospitals to save lives and presentation of gifts to orphanages, to assist the hopeless in the society.

Today, the reverse has been the case. Secret cults constitute themselves into a protection group that fight and advance the rights and privileges of their members, including harassments, brutalization, and sometimes killing of fellow students who challenge their members and lecturers who fail them in examinations. Many students have been lured into joining secret societies through deception. Such deception include becoming one of the untouchables once you are a member, controlling the most beautiful girl on campus, passing examinations without study, and so on.

The effects of cultism on students and their learning processes cannot be overemphasized.

This is evident from the existence and modes of operation of cult groups on campuses.

Clashes between members of different cult groups result to killings, destruction of facilities and disruption of academic activities.

Findings also reveal that more than fifty notorious cult groups exist on Nigerian campuses and have also resulted to the death of thousands of students. They include Black-Axe, Eiye, Mafia, Maphite, Klansman, Black Beret, Black Cat, Black Cross, Jurist, Mgba Mgba, Thomas Boys, Black Brassier, to mention a few. These groups operate in different levels at universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

Cohabitation has also become a common

phenomenon among students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Campus marriage, as it is fondly called among students, is a situation whereby a male and female student lives together in a rented apartment outside the school as husband and wife. Living in alone is now a thing of the past as some students want to experiment the bliss of marital life before leaving campus and getting married proper.

In this pattern of settlement, male students assume the role of a husband and his girlfriend, the wife. This relationship has every attribute of a real marriage, except that pregnancy is avoided and the consent of the parents of both parties is not neccessary. In a nutshell, the male student- often referred to as the husband- relies on his parents for money to become the breadwinner as he provides the female student with money for food, sightseeing during weekends and most often, provides the female with money for her upkeep. The female student on the other hand cooks, cleans up the house and satisfies her man’s sexual appetite.

The consequences of this immoral act is failure or poor academic performance, as some only remember that they are students actually when examinations come knocking, when they have spent better part of the semester practicing family life. On the other hand, it also results to unwanted pregnancy, which in turn leads to one or two of the students dropping out of school. In some cases, it results to the death of the female student in attempt to abort such pregnancy.

Moreover, drug abuse and consumption of harmful substances among students has ex-

tended to include not only male, but female students of tertiary institutions. Apart from alcohol, marijuana and tobacco, students have cultivated the habit of consuming substances such as cocaine, heroin, morphine and paregoric methadone. These substances or drugs are dangerous to healthy living as they reduce physical and psychological sensibility. They adversely affect excellent academic performance among students.

To remedy our campuses from this tragedy, and to avert indecent and evil practices among students, governments and authorities of high institutions in Nigeria should actively monitor the movement of students. This can be achieved through the provision of security personnel who are well-trained in human psychology to be able to identify drug addicts and cultists on campuses.

Guidance and counseling units should be created in institutions where there are none, and should be strengthened in institution where they exist. Students should be mandated to attend counseling sessions.

Authorities of high institutions, particularly the students’ affairs division and the security units, should monitor carefully the activities of all registered students’ unions, associations and clubs. This is because many cult groups operate under the guise of registered social and cultural associations. These will help to avert all indecent and evil practices on campuses and produce well-trained and excellent students.

Ahmad, 300-Level Mass Comm., NSUK

We are in interesting times

By Sehindemi Ajose

I

T is no longer news that the Boko Haram insurgency has taken over the Northern part of the country. The insurgents have stepped up their bloody war by hoisting their flag in some cities in Borno State. This has its message: government is becoming irrelevant.

While bloodletting is going in the North, the South is not settled by hike in school fee.

Some campuses have been shut, following students’ protest.

The country is being pushed in different direction by its internal problem such as bombing, kidnapping and armed robbery but the Federal Government seems not to care about finding a lasting solution to these challenges.

Boko Haram appears to have become uncontrollable. From all indications, it appears

the criminals are gaining the upper hand in a bid to achieve their inordinate ambition.

The situation in the North would have been difficult to solve because of its many parts, but how about bringing down school fees?

The Federal Government may have ordered the school managements to hike the fee through the back door, given its directive during the last Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, that universities should be self-sustaining.

This, however, has been rejected by students of affected institutions, who feel they are already been over-charged to get education that is supposed to be their right.

From federal to state schools, it has been the same story. Schools are shut over students’ confrontation. While many rejected the fee increment, others said they were not getting value for the money being paid.

Universities’ Pro-chancellors have given theor imprimatur to fee hike as their chairman , Prof Kimse Okoko, while presenting Committee of Pro-chancellors’ position in a communiqué at the end of its meeting recently in Abuja, said additional funding through tuition was required to salvage the education system from rot and reduce over dependence on federal grants.

The Pro-chancellors argued that rather than dwell on the notion that high fees may take

university education beyond the reach of the poor, the real focus should shift to how to make loan available for indigent students, which include the revival of student loans schemes, bursaries and scholarship, among others.

The Pro-chancellors seem to have expand the logic of their opinion too far, but the question is: will the loan or scholarship initiative work in a country battling with corruption in all facets of its life? Would the benefit be given to students who merit it?

If hike in tuition would solve challenges in education sector, why did local ASUU chapters not support the hike?

Whether increase in tuition alone will supplement and balance Federal Government’s grants to schools, it is left to be seen, but this is also an avenue for schools to be held accountable on how funds are being used and look at other areas through which they can generate funds.

From University of Ibadan (UI), where the school has the sole right to sell drinkable water throughout the campus, to Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), where various means of funds are generated through schemes like OAU bottle water, filling station etc. and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) to other Universities in the coun-

try, the amount being generated internally varies.

The internally generated revenues of the schools have been greatly enhanced with the permission of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to schools, to conduct their Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for thousands of applicants seeking admissions and with each school not charging less than N5,000 per student. This is a huge revenue.

All these give rise to question as to how higher institutions spend their internally generated revenue. And for a school like OAU, this is one of the main reasons why the students union leadership is at loggerheads with the management over the recent hike in fees that resulted in closure of the campus for over a month.

The Students’ Union leadership maintains that the school is on a sound financial standing, given what it got from the pre-degree programmes and its recent grant of N8 billion World Bank. This is aside the expected ASUU grant that will come in tranches. So why should an institution such as OAU contemplate to hike school fee? Indeed, we are in interesting time.

Sehindemi, 400-Level English Literature, OAU

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

44

CAMPUS LIFE Group tasks students on wealth creation From Oluwafemi Ogunjobi OAU

T

HE Bastiat Society, an international free market think-tank organisation, has educated the youth on the need to generate wealth from their talent.

Its country Director, Adewale Bankole, spoke at the maiden African Students for Liberty (ASFL) Conference held at the expansive Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan (UI).

Bankole said the group was out to educate young professionals and entrepreneurs on the need to derive values from their abilities.

He said: “A society built on limited individual knowledge is a free market’s greatest weakness. It leaves those within the system vulnerable to those who claim that their perfect knowledge or theory is more valid than individual knowledge or the individual will.”

Bankole said unless individuals restored popular confidence in an economic order based on freedom, the society would continue to be under an immoral economic system based on absolute power, theft and envy. “Business must take the lead in defending the morality and productivity of free societies,” he said.

He called on students to join group of wealth creator, adding: “It is only through personal development and liberty that you can achieve prosperity.”

•OOU main gate under the lock and key

Students condemn school closure T

O forestall breakdown of law and order, Ogun State government has directed the management of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago Iwoye to shut the campus indefinitely.

In a release by the Secretary to the government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, the decision to close the university was taken in the overall interest of peace and order.

The government said students threatened to foment trouble as

From Sanya Boluwatife OOU they rejected all entreaties and concessions made by the government on their demands. The government advised parents to call their wards to order, noting that it would not tolerate any act that will disturb the peace enjoyed in the state.

Some students alleged that they were flogged by policemen deployed in the campus. It was gath-

ered that some students, who wanted to use Automated Teller Machine (ATM) on the campus, were beaten by the police.

Adeniyi Shofoyeke, a 200-Level Pharmacy student, said: “I believe the total shut down is a misuse of power by Governor Ibikunle Amosun. It is clear he has disappointed the students. The closing down of the school is uncalled for because students have been peaceful in their agitations.”

The Students’ Union president, Olusegun Ifade, said: “The closure is illegal, unacceptable and uncalled for. Our agitation has been peaceful. We understand that there are some people who want to hijack the struggle, but we are not political. This is purely students’ struggle. We also don’t want the security agencies on our campus.

We call on government to re-open our school and withdraw the army of occupation on the campus.”

On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600

•Provost of Oyo State College of Education, Prof Gbemiga Adewale (second left) with the Registrar Mr Niyi Fehintola, Liberian, Dr Olatunji Olaojo and Bursar Mr Olusegun Olaewe after the reception for the newly appointed principal officers of the college

M

EMBERS of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Governing Board have visited the Ekiti State Permanent Orientation Camp in Ise-Orun Emure as part of their effort to ensure seamless operation of the scheme.

Addressing corps members during the visit, the chairman of the board, Dr Gordon Bozimo, lauded the discipline displayed by the corps members, noting that the board was impressed with their attitude.

Bozimo reiterated the board’s commitment to the security of corps members during their service year, saying: “I want to inform you that the board is not unmindful of the happenings in the country and has made concerted efforts to address some of these challenges. The board has made a special case to the Federal Government about your security and efforts have been made to redouble the certification of all

‘Corps members’ safety is our priority’ From Gilbert Alasa NYSC ADO EKITI NYSC Orientation Camps with armed personnel for 24-hour surveillance.”

Bozimo urged the corps members to shun partisan politics in the coming 2015 general elections, stressing that the youth must remain positive and use their God-given energy to inspire sustainable development.

The state co-ordinator, Mr T.C. Ibeh, thanked members of the board for the visit, noting that the camp was peaceful and devoid of violence.

Ibeh, who hailed the corps mem-

bers and camp officials for their patriotism, said he would embark on landmark projects to make the orientation course memorable.

He listed some of the projects to include installation of Closed-Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV), replacement and repairs of damaged water pipes at the secretariat, construction of an extra six-room VIP toilets and renovation of hostels’ roof.

Ibeh praised the Ekiti State government for supporting the programme, stating that the partnership would contribute to improve corps members’ welfare in the state.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

45

WAEC fees: Gombe pupils bemoan government’s failure

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HE ambition of thousands of secondary pupils in Gombe State to further their education has been endangered by the state government’s failure to pay their 2014 West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) examination fees.

This development is coming on the heels of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo’s declarations that education is his administration’s priority.

A candidate at the Government Day (Pilot) Secondary School, Gombe, Ahmed Ishaq Usman, said it is disappointing that the results of public secondary schools candidates who sat for this year’s West Africa Senior Secondary School Examination (WASSCE) were not released together with their counterparts in private schools .

He said: “Government is not being fair to us and we wonder maybe its because many of their children are studying outside the country.

“We are appealing to government to correct this injustice because it is we from poor families whose results are being withheld.”

Another candidate, Ibrahim Nasir

By Vincent Ohonbamu, Gombe

Jalo, a resident of Jekadafari quarters, who wrote his examination at Government Day Secondary School, Gandu in Gombe, described the situation as surprising. According to him, government’s inability to pay their examination fees amounted to tampering with their future.

“We were puzzled when on the day they said results were released, we all rushed to the café. Our mates who wrote their examination in private schools have got their results, but we did not get ours.

“We asked why and we were told that it is because government did not pay for us. This does not amount to justice,” he explained.

Jalo appealed to the government to look into the situation and help those of who want to further their education.

The state Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Aishatu M.B. Ahmed, when contacted for comment, said she was in Abuja for a meeting and refused to speak on the issue.

•From left: Director of Training, Nigerian Army, Major General Bamidele Ologundudu, Director of Nigerian Army Library Services, Col. Charles Adisa Bossman and Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Education Corps, Major General Adedapo Adebayo at the opening of 2014 Median Book Fair of the Nigerian Army Library Services at Ikeja Cantonment Lagos…on Tuesday.

PHOTO ADEJO DAVID

Sokoto votes N246m for students scholarship abroad

A

BOUT N246.17 million has been earmarked by the Sokoto State government for the sponsorship of 143 indigenes of the state in Bangladesh, Sudan and Niger Republic.

Governor Aliyu Wamakko, who disclosed this in Sokoto while delivering his farewell message to the beneficiaries of the gesture drawn from the 23 local governments of the state said students were drawn from various courses cutting across Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, Medical Laboratory Science and Nursing, among others.

He said the gesture was an addition to similar ones since 2007 to date.

He said: “Currently, there are various indigenes of the state

From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

undergoing numerous graduate and post-graduate programmes in African countries, Asia and Europe, among others.

“This is to help in bolstering the state’s manpower and we had ensured equal representation of the beneficiaries from the 23 local governments of the

‘You should excel in learning and conduct, be law abiding, as well as be of good behaviour, ceaselessly as good ambassadors and image makers of Nigeria’

state.”

Wamakko said further that the gesture was aimed at providing the much-needed medical and other skilled manpower for the state and the country in general. He promised to do everything possible to restore the lost glory of the state as a centre of learning.

He warned students not to allow themselves to be dissuaded by foreign influence, adding: “You should excel in learning and conduct, be law abiding, as well as be of good behaviour, ceaselessly as good ambassadors and image makers of Nigeria.“ The students’ spokesman, Abdul-Aziz Gada, thanked Wamakko for the gesture, pledging that they would live above board in their studies.

Set good examples for children, parents told

A

N education consultant and psychologist, Mrs. Ena Agodo, has called on parents to set good examples for their wards.

She gave the advice while addressing the graduation of Darforte International Schools, Ahmadiya Bus stop, Lagos.

Her words: “Charity begins at home. No matter what the school puts in place for the children if the home environment is not conducive to learning, the children cannot excel. So, I want to tell parents to make the home peaceful, neat and caring. Let the children learn how to use their time. Parents should teach them morals such as hard work, integrity, discipline, patience and friendship. Let all parents set good examples for the children to follow.”

Mrs. Agodo advised grandaunds on how to choose a career. “The best way to decide

By Medinat Kanabe

the profession to pursue is to follow your natural abilities and interest. Do not base your decision to on money,” she said.

She emphasised the importance of deep thinking in the journey of life. She advised graduating students to embrace vigorous thinking as a way of life.

The school proprietress, Princess Titilade Ijiwole, disclosed that the school has installed Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) in response to security challenges in the country. According to her, the new device would enable the school management monitor movement around the school in order to take appropriate action in the event of security breach.

She assured parents that the school will continue to maintain high standard in every aspect of education of the children.

Lawmaker awards bursary

A

•Governor Wamakko presenting an admission letter to one of the beneficiaries

saved in Machine 45- Edu this week folder

lawmaker, Hosea Agboola’s has disbursed N15million as bursary and scholarships to over 1,500 indigent students of Oyo North Senatorial district. The gesture, according to Agboola, was in fulfilment of his electoral promises to his constituency.

Agboola, who is the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, said at the awards presentation in his home town, Igbojaye, Oyo State, that each beneficiaries received N10,000. The aim of the bursary award, he said, was to ensure that students are committed to their studies and respect the rules and regulations of their institutions.

He urged them to desist from anti-social behaviours, saying that the only way to give back to the society is to give the youths the education assistance in order to make them relevant in the society.

“This is the only way I can give back to my constituents. I cannot give you fish all the time, but I must be able to teach you how to catch fish for your own benefit.

“Education is the only means of being a respectful citizen in the society. It will help you to excel in this world and with your little ef-

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

forts, the sky is just the beginning,” he said.

He congratulated award recipients and urged them to make good use of the money.

The lawmaker also commissioned a block of three classrooms and an ICT centre in each of the 13 local governments of the districts.

Schools that benefitted include The Apostolic Church Basic School III; Olopemarunin Ogbomosho South; Ori-Oke Community Senior High School, Ogbomoso North; UMCA Grammar School, Olorunsogo; Nybrosis Primary School, Oke-Suna Tege, Kisi in Orelope Local Government; Gboro Community Secondary School, Saki in Saki West Local Government; IDGS Secondary School, Iseyin Local Government and Nawarudeen Primary School, Okaka.

At the Baptist High School, Saki, which is his alma mater, a fully equipped ICT centre with was constructed while same was replicated at Baptist Secondary Grammar School, Ago-Are and Igbojaye Community High School.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

46

CAMPUS LIFE SCHOLARSHIPS

AAUA FILE

Don seeks review of calls for Yoruba language grammar

A

PROFESSOR of Comparative Grammar in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN), Olu Akeusola, has called for a critical review of Yoruba language grammar.

He made the call during his inaugural lecture titled: Preserving Yoruba language through linguistic vaccination of comparative grammar at the NOUN Headquarters, Victoria Island.

Olu, who categorised language errors into phonological, morphological, semantics and syntactic, noted that such errors are not common in European languages such as French, because they are well developed and checked to guide against bastardisation.

“We would like to point out the fact that French grammar through the years has been well developed by the government and the people of France. More so, they established Academy to keep the language under check and guide against its bastardisations. These distortions or misconceptions are not, therefore, common or that numerous in French language as we would see in Yoruba language.

“We would like to conclude this aspect by saying that Yoruba grammar, just as it is been done to grammar of other languages, should be critically reviewed and grammatically filtered. Our scholars should endeavour to fully apply new theories towards studying, analysing, appreciating, describing and teaching this noble language,” he said.

Akeusola, who is also the Provost, Michael Otedola College of Edfucation Noforija Epe, urged Yoruba scholars to be openminded and tolerate constructive criticism geared towards developing the language.

His words: “Scholars of Yoruba language should also be broad minded enough to tolerate criticism of the language and their works on it without being prescriptively rigid thus, sticking to their guns on all issues concerning descriptive analysis of the language.

“It is through this openness and tolerance of scholars from other domains and academic spheres that the study of the language could grow; for it could be sometimes and somehow difficult for a typical Yoruba man, who is a linguistic expert on the language, to see some of these errors we are highlighting. Whereas there are a lot more ungrammaticality in the socalled grammatical structures of the language. Civilisation and westernisation should not be allowed to bastardise our language.”

Responding to a question on the efforts of Lagos State government at ensuring that the language does not go into extinction, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the state still retains Yoruba language as a subject in public schools. She urged parents to teach the language to their children at home to prevent its extinction.

• Akeusola

APPROACHING DEADLINES GATES CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS GATES CAMBRIDGE TRUST MASTERS/PHD DEGREE STUDY IN: UK Course starts October 2015 Brief description: Gates Cambridge Scholarships are are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

Host Institution(s): University of Cambridge, United Kingdom Field of study: Any subject available at the University of Cambridge Number of Awards: Gates Cambridge Scholarships are

extremely competitive: over 4,000 applicants apply for 95 Scholarships each year.

Target group: Citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom.

Scholarship value/inclusions: A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge, namely: the University Composition Fee and College fees at the appropriate rate, a maintenance allowance for a single student, one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course, and inbound visa costs.

The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis such as family allowance, conference attendance, fieldwork allowance, some fourth year funding for PhD scholars and hardship funding.

Eligibility:

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are: • a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom.

• applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study: PhD (three year research-only degree); MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree); or a one year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)

• OR already a student at Cambridge and want to apply for a new postgraduate course. For example, if you are studying for an MPhil you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to do a PhD. However, if you have already started a course, you cannot apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to fund the rest of it.

• OR already a Gates Cambridge Scholar and want to apply for a second Scholarship. You must apply by the second, international dead-

line and go through the same process of departmental ranking, shortlisting and interviewing as all other candidates.

Application instructions: Applications for 2014 entry have now closed. Applications for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship for October 2015 entry will open on 1 September 2014.

You must apply for admission as a postgraduate student to the University of Cambridge and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship at the same time, using the one application pack. The deadline for applications is 2 December 2014 for citizens other than the US and 15 October 2014 for US citizens.

Website: Official Scholarship Website: http:/www.gatescambridge.org/ Related Scholarships: List of UK Scholarships

‘Students must commercialise ideas’

N

IGERIAN students should be taught how to commercialise ideas to create more employment opportunities, Manager, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Southsouth Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC), Mr. Emeka Nnamani, has said.

Speaking during the second graduation of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) EDC, where about 1000 people graduated, Nnamani said: “We must teach our students how to commercialise ideas borne out of theories learnt from the regular school programmes.”

He said stakeholders in tertiary institutions must be made to understand that entepreneurship programme is not just a mere general study course, but a programme designed to instill an entrepreneurial mind-set in students.

He decried the alarming rate of unemployment among university graduates, saying more should be done to achieve the compulsory

• From left: Librarian, Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igboora, Dr. Olatunji Olaojo; Provost, Prof Gbemiga Adewale; Bursar, Mr Olusegun Olaewe and the registrar of the institution, Mr. Niyi Fehintola, at a reception for the newly-appointed principal officers of the college. entrepreneurship development programme meant for students.

The Vice-Chancellor, UNICAL Prof James Epoke, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the centre and its graduands.

He urged graduands, who cut across various disciplines in the institution, to practice what they

had learnt to justify their stay at the centre.

He stressed the need for consistency in whatever business the graduands set out to do.

Director of the Centre, Prof Usang Bassey, said the centre was established to make students learn and embrace entrepreneurship.

“The Entrepreneurship

Development Centre, UNICAL was established to make students look beyond the white-collar job mentality,” he said.

The second graduation, according to Bassey, has produced graduands across various trades such as water treatment, event management, computer repairs and fish farming, among others.

• Prof Orubuloye

• Aare Babalola

• Prof Obi

which was signed by Anant Nepalia, said: “In the era of technology-driven education, how top world universities can help in raising the excellence standards of the universities in countries like Nigeria is key. It is of tremendous opportunity to meet and reach out to top emeritus professors of other universities, who are in the forefront to improve the quality of higher education, thus they are appointed as visiting faculty or advisors/mentors to your institution”.

“The conference offers attendees a variety of learning experiences and networking opportuni-

ties. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please note that participation is limited and is by invitation only.”

ABUAD’s Founder and President, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), said the university is thrilled by the invitation, adding that it is ready to be partners in this drive.

His words: “We are also looking forward to the opportunity of interacting and brainstorming with emeritus professors, who are in the fore front of improving the quality of higher education and exploring the possibility of partnering with them.”

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

ABUAD’s dons for Oxford varsity symposium

A

FE Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) will join other world-class universities in a three-day symposium at Balliol College, University of Oxford.

The event, which began yesterday and ends tomorrow, will see two distinguished professors from ABUAD, Israel Olatunji Orubuloye, a professor of Sociology and member, Board of Trustees of ABUAD and Gabriel M. Obi, a professor of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, delivering separate papers on: “The potential impact of technology on higher education: An imperative for a paradigm shift” as well as: “Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti: Model of reformative and transformative higher education in Africa, ABUAD as a case study.”

The invitation is courtesy of the United Kingdom-based University of Cambridge, Institute of Education (UCIE) Professors’ Network.

ABUAD Public Relations Officer, Tunde Olofintila, said the in-

By Adegunle Olugbamila

vitation was contained in a letter dated April 10, this year.

According to him, ABUAD’s participation in the forum has become an additional feather to the cap of the four-year-old university, which he said is blazing the trail at every front.

One of the critical issues to be explored, he siad, is: “How in the era of technology- driven education, world top university can help in raising the excellence of standard of universities”.

According to Olofintila, the letter,

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

47

EDUCATION

Kaduna SUBEB gets Certificate of Credence

T

HE Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has been awarded a certificate of credence by the Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), for its outstanding qualities in the administration of primary education in the state.

Presenting the award to SUBEB Chairman, Mr. Ishaya Dary Akau, at the board’s head office, the Executive Director of the NGO, Prince Saleh Musa Yakubu, said the organisation’s primary responsibility is to expose corruption and corrupt leaders.

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

He said after probe of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDGs) in the 23 local government areas of the state, SUBEB was found to be outstanding in its dealings.

“Kaduna SUBEB has been found to have a transparent and effective quality control mechanism in contracts awarded and schools administration. In our investigations, we also found out that SUBEB is the most ethically responsible MDAs in the state,” he said.

He continued: “We are engaged

in giving the public ethical education and value orientation.

We do not patronise criminals in public offices. But while we go after corrupt individuals with the intent to expose their corrupt activities, we reward Nigerians found to be doing the correct thing without their consent. We do so by going down to the interior, meet traditional rulers, students, teachers, conducting opinion polls, visiting projects, raising questionnaires, and drawing an objective conclusion before awarding an individual or organisation found worthy.”

According to Yakubu, the

organisation is self reliant through membership subscriptions, unsolicited support from individuals, who are happy with the NGO activities.

“SUBEB has demonstrated transparency under the leadership of Mr. Ishaya Dary Akau as the chairman, and we found him worthy of the award,” he said.

Responding, Akau said he was humbled by the presentation leading to the award, adding that he would not have succeeded without the support of the entire workers.

He said the mission of SUBEB is to always work together with

other stakeholders in order to prepare children to be self reliant and lifelong learners.

According to Akau, if the right action was taken at the basic level of education, it would not have resulted in the failure experienced at secondary and tertiary institutions.

He said: “If pupils were well taken care of from when they were small, they would have grown up to be a better person in life. We are doing our best and we will not relent. To me, the award will further ginger us to intensify efforts and build on our achievements and successes.”

Legacy School clocks 25 •Extend scholarships beyond orphanages

By Adegunle Olugbamila

•Vaughan

A

S Legacy Schools, Akowonjo, in Lagos rolls out the drums for its Silver Jubilee celebrations, the school is set to extend its yearly scholarships to more deserving pupils.

It also made calls to the public to send their wards to sit for her entrance examination, which comes up on Saturday, September 13 at the school premises.

Shortlisted pupils, according to the school, will enjoy a 50 per cent discount in tuition and cost of books.

Already, application forms, which attracts 50 per cent discount, are on sale to interested candidates. It closes tomorrow.

According to Legacy Head of School, Sunkanmi Vaughan, the board of the school has approved special scholarship for children endowed in fields such as academics, sports, ICT and music.

Speaking with The Nation, Vaughan said over the last 15 years, Legacy Schools have committed to

offering scholarships to children in orphanages. However, the board of the school has approved same gesture to more deserving pupils as part of activities to celebrate its 25 years of existence.

“In the last 15 years, we have remained committed to our scholarships, which are mainly for children of the Little Saints Orphanages which forms part of our corporate social responsibility. But as part of our 25 years anniversary the board (of the school) feels gifted children should also enjoy same privilege.

“For now, we are targeting children from Year seven and above because we believe this category of pupils are a bit more matured and can do things quite independently.

We are though, not yet specific on the number of children to be considered for the scholarships. However, for a start, we are not looking less than 50.”

As part of the celebration, Vaughan said a standard hostel and two Olympic-size swimming pool would be commissioned next month. The school, he added, is planning its alumni reunion to coincide with the school valedictory service next year.

Legacy School was founded in 1989 as an elite international school. Its mantra is anchored on ‘providing a premium education with strong emphasis on morals’.

It is a Cambridge Associated School accredited by the British Council/Cambridge International Examination Board. Legacy Schools is also accredited for the Nigerian Curriculum by Ministry of Education at both state and Federal levels. It is a boarding /day school, which operates various arms including crèche, preparatory and high school.

•From left: Tachie-Menson, Zainab, Mr Mashood Olawale (Zainab’s father) and CEO PDR Media Services, Mr Akinleye Olu-Phillip.

C

National Spelling Bee to begin next year

OME April next year, the maiden edition of National Spelling Bee Competition will kick off in Africa’s most populous nation-Nigeria. Interested states willing to enroll their wards would be allowed to participate by formally applying for the forms, which will be available in November. Twenty five pupils, each representing 25 schools, will be taken from each state, said Young Educators Foundation (YEF), organiser, of the event.

The grand finale, according to its organiser, has been tentatively fixed for April next year in Calabar, Cross River State.

Explaining to reporters what the event is all about, YEF Country Director, Mrs. Eugenia Tachie-Menson, said the contest is targeted at primary school pupils between ages eight and 14.

According to her, YEF is an NGO that promotes literacy and education,

By Medinat Kanabe

noting that the foundation is also a franchise holder of Scripps National Spelling Bee, United States. Ghana is the only African country to participate in Scripps National Spelling Bee in partnership with two consulting firms, PDR Media Service Nigeria and Business Interactive Consulting International.”

She said the major objective of the competition in Nigeria is to encourage pupils to improve on their knowledge and application of the rules guiding the use of English Language.

According to her, YEF, last year, underwent the trial version of the contest in Osun State to understand the challenges and prepare better this year.

“We are very pleased with the over-

whelmingly successful implementation of The Spelling Bee in Osun States, where the eventual winner, Zainab Olawale of Unity School, Osogbo was rewarded with an all expense-paid trip to the 87th Scripps National Spelling Bee of the USA, as a guest. We remain grateful to the State of Osun and the office of Sheri Care Foundation (a foundation initiated by the wife of the State of Osun, Alhaja Sherifa Aregbesola) for welcoming this programme into Nigeria,” she said.

Mr. Emmanuel Afful, a Linguist and Lead Trainer of the competition, said selected teachers from the 25 schools would undergo one-week training to be led by Linguistics trained officials from Ghana. After this, the teachers, she added, are expected to impart their newly acquired skills onto their pupils before presenting them for the competition.

Youths get leadership training in US

S

• Mrs Duyile (right), Dr Dula (middle) and other participants in Maryland USA during the event.

OME young Nigerians have arrived the country after a two-week leadership training and mentoring in the United States of America.

The youngsters, who were drawn from different secondary schools, attended a Global Youth Leadership Programme were accorded a rousing reception at the Prince Georges County, Maryland, which also featured notable community leaders, including Dr. James Dula, a retired Airforce chief, Dr Frank Forka, Director of Africa Trade Office USA, Rev. Michelle Agnew, Director of Youth at Greater Mt Nebo in Maryland and members of CTU news crew.

The scheme was initiated by Mrs Remi Duyile, a youth advocate, to expose and engage Africa’s young leaders between ages 10 and 17

By Bode Monogbe

to where they can learn best practices, have positive mindset and ultimately, ‘I can do’ attitude and spirit at a very young age. The young Nigerians interacted with leaders of strategic institutions that collaborated with the programme.

They enjoyed a tour of the White House, the official residence of the US president. They also had the privilege of sitting in galleries of the America’s Senate and Congress where they watched the legislative arm of the US government in session. Thereafter, some of the pupils interacted with some of the lawmakers and community leaders, who lectured them on how leadership qualities could be imbibed.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

48

EDUCATION

Why we visited Amaechi-Rector

T

HE Rector of the newly-established Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas in Bonny Island, the headquarters of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Prof. Elijah Tamuno Iyagba, has stated that the principal officers of the institution decided to visit the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to inform him that all hands are on deck, and that they are ready to get to work.

He stated that the polytechnic, in spite of being a federal institution, is located in Rivers State, stressing that Amaechi must be formally informed of their arrival and to familiarise themselves with him.

Iyagba gave the assurance when he led other principal officers of the polytechnic on a courtesy call on Amaechi at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

He assured Amaechi of the commitment of the principal officers of the institution to achieve its goals.

He noted that citing of the polytechnic in the oil-rich coastal Bonny would afford Niger Deltans more opportunity of gathering maximum knowledge in oil and gas activities.

The rector also recalled that the

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

idea for the polytechnic was first mooted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and recently approved by President Goodluck Jonathan, with a take-off grant of

‘This started 14 years ago. It was to be a National Technical Institute by the Rivers State government and six years later, the Federal Government, under President Obasanjo, asked the PTDF to take over the construction of the institution at the time, as a way of providing opportunities for Niger Delta youths’

about N1billion.

Iyagba said: “Your Excellency, as you may be aware, it has been a long road. This started 14 years ago.

It was to be a National Technical Institute by the Rivers State government and six years later, the Federal Government, under President Obasanjo, asked the PTDF to take over the construction of the institution at the time, as a way of providing opportunities for Niger Delta youths. Later on, the present Federal Government upgraded the status to a polytechnic and finally, just a few months ago, we were appointed as the pioneer principal officers to kick-start the institution.

“Yes, it is a federal institution, but it is in Rivers State and we felt that we must come and formally pay you a courtesy call.”

Amaechi, in his response, lauded the principal officers for the visit and hoped that the objectives of the establishment of the polytechnic would be realised.

He said: “Let me welcome you to Port Harcourt. Most of you, I guess, must come from this part of Nigeria and I wish you all the best. I hope that you achieve the objectives. God bless you. Thank you very much”.

•From left: Representatives of Delta State and winners of the Primary School category Enameguono Aroesiri and Adarerhi Efere; General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Mobil Producing Nigeria Mr. Paul Arinze; representatives of Imo State and winners of the Secondary School category Adolalom Obinna and Omoniwu Benjamin, at the NNPC/MPN/STAN National Science Quiz Competition finals in Asaba, Delta State.

Amosun admonishes corps members on community development

O

GUN State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has charged corps members across the country to come up with ground breaking community development projects that will impact positively on the lives of residents of their places of primary assignments.

He also urged them to discourage any act of violence that could put them in disrepute as leaders of tomorrow, but rather strive to be partners in progress in their various communities.

Amosun, who gave this advice at the closing ceremony and terminal parade of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 2014 Batch B Orientation Course held at NYSC Orientation Camp, Sagamu, said corps members should endeavour to keep the scheme’s flag flying in their quest for new grounds without attempting to drop the ball.

He charged them to contribute their quota through selfless service in order to leave remarkable imprint on the sands of time.

He also admonished them to

By Adegunle Olugbamila

move and relate freely with their host communities as well as share the hopes and aspirations of the people of the state.

“I want to congratulate you on the successful completion of the rigourous and captivating three weeks orientation course. This one year of compulsory national service is a time your God-given talents and energy would be fully stretched from time-to-time.

“Make sure you contribute your quota through selfless service to your host communities. I charge you to keep the flag flying and possibly, strive to break new grounds. Come up with ground breaking community development projects that will impact positively on their lives.

“As good ambassadors of the country to your various locations where you will spend the next one year, apply caution in your activities. Shun violence and discourage any act that can truncate the peace being enjoyed in the state,”

Amosun urged.

While commending the dogged determination and visionary skills of the brains behind the scheme established for over four decades, Amosun pointed out that the NYSC scheme remained one of the unifying factors that has survived this long in spite of the twin scourge of terrorism and economic downturn facing the nation.

He charged employers to discourage the idea of rejecting corps members posted to their organisations, assuring that “the state government would not relent in providing the necessary ambience for a hitch-free service year.”

The governor reiterated that the state’s board of the NYSC which was inaugurated recently, would further see to the welfare of the corps members and strengthen the existing structure.

Amosun promised openness to partnering with any willing individuals or organisations in the tireless efforts to maintain security of lives and property in the state.

EDUTALK Qualifications shake up

with

N

KECHI (not real names) finished secondary school with a strong desire to further her education over a decade ago.

She made good grades in her O Levels and was ready to study for relevant entrance examinations needed to gain admission into the university.

However, there was a snag - her family was not financially-buoyant enough to sponsor her education. In such situation, it was easy to convince her to marry Policeman James (not real names), who promised to send her to school. He

Kofoworola

Belo-Osagie Kofosagie@yahoo.com 08054503077 (SMS only)

did - a mushroom school where she earned an unrecognised diploma.

Nkechi got a job with a Mortgage Bank as a computer operator. But it was not long before her more educated superiors noticed her brilliance.

Give her a task, and she delivers with precision. She began taking on added responsibilities - and was promoted for her excellent delivery.

She rose to become the Head of Operations. Nobody remembered that she had no qualifications. She did not further her education either.

The question that readily comes to the mind of the reader is why did she not gain qualifications on the job? No right-thinking person in her position would have been unconcerned about that - and she wasn’t. But her husband got her salary. Every month, like a dutiful and submissive wife, according to her interpretation of the African culture, she gave her salary to her husband. He took it and left her with nothing for herself.

The only things he gave her were three children and a lot of beating. It was because of the incessant beating that Nkechi’s boss graciously transferred her to the Southeast. The move also signified the end of her abusive marriage. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards, the bank ran into difficulties and was bought over. That was when trouble started for Nkechi.

With no qualifications, her job was at risk, despite her performance. She lost her job when she could not present any certificates for confirmation.

Fortunately, she was later employed by a client she had met in the bank to run his business which she still does successfully.

For me, the moral of the story is the need to re-design our education system to recognise skills. If Nkechi could rise to the position of Head of Operations of a bank without tertiary education, our education system should be designed to assess her skills against conventional educational qualifications and place her on a level equivalent to the skills she possesses. That is what the National Vocational Qualifications Framework was designed to address. However, the framework has not been completed since being introduced during Mrs Obi Ezekwesili’s tenure as education minister (2006-2007).

If the framework is in place, people like Nkechi would not have to apply to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and struggle with one million others for admission to get qualifications to work. Rather, she could get recognition based on her skills. She could also gain admission through direct entry to earn a degree if she desires.

I hope in future that our education system would become so dynamic and innovative that if she doesn’t even need to go back to the university for a first degree, she can take courses in areas of deficiencies and be recognised.

In the United Kingdom, a person can be accepted by universities for Masters degree without a first degree based on skills and work experience.

Nigeria needs to learn from the UK experience. This craze for certificates is only breeding graduates with little to show beyond the qualifications they parade. Our system should stop limiting people or placing unnecessary obstacles in their paths (e.g the HND/BSc dichotomy). People should be able to aspire to whatever position they desire as long as they reach it.

While in the UK, a person without a first degree can be accepted for Masters once he can convince the university of his skills and competencies, in Nigeria those with HND are not allowed to apply for an academic Masters. Even with a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), some universities do not allow it. Some do not even allow HND holders to do PGD. I wonder when we will leave all such rigidity behind in Nigeria.

We have examples of successful business owners in Nigeria who started without university degrees. An example is Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi, founder of Ruff n Tumble, a children’s clothing fashion line. She did not complete her first year studying Law in the university. But if she were to apply to a UK university for a Masters, she would be accepted because of her business exploits.

Our tertiary institutions need to embrace international best practices.

We cannot expect every professional to follow the same path, especially as many of our youths spend more than one year at home after their secondary education before gaining admission.

‘Nigeria needs to learn from the UK experience. This craze for certificates is only breeding graduates with little to show beyond the qualifications they parade. Our system should stop limiting people or placing unnecessary obstacles in their paths (e.g the HND/BSc dichotomy). People should be able to aspire to whatever position they desire as long as they reach it’

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

51

THURSDAY AUGUST 28, 2014

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

NIGER BY-ELECTION The stage is set for the senatorial by-election in the Niger East District, Niger State. The battle is between All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates. Who wins? Correspondent JIDE ORINTUNSIN examines their chances at the poll.

PDP, APC battle for Niger East senatorial seat O

N Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct the senatorial by-election in Niger East District, Niger State. The winner of the poll will replace the late Senator Dahiru Kuta in the Senate.

His death had altered the political calculations, ahead of next year’s elections. Now, there are new permutations and projections. But, owing to the vacancy, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) now have the opportunity to test their strengths at the poll.

In Niger East, there is a re-alignment of forces. The ambition of some politicians is also threatened.

Before his demise, Kuta had hinted that he would be recontesting next year. He was warming up for the primaries. Stakeholders were expecting an epic battle between him and Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu at the PDP primaries. Although the governor has denied nursing the ambition, his body language and moves by his loyalists gave him out.

Sources said that, for Aliyu, the senatorial bid is a “Plan B.” But, it became the main agenda when he lost out in the scheme to replace Vice President Namadi Sambo as the running mate to President Goodluck Jonathan in next year’s election. The Niger governor is a powerful voice among PDP governors. He was also the controversial leader of the rebellious G7 PDP governors. That was his undoing when the PDP thought about a replacement for the Vice President.

The INEC had earlier announced August 16 as the tentative date for the by-election. But, few days later, the commission shifted the election by two weeks. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Emmanuel Onucheyo, hinged the shift on logistic problem. He said the postponement was valid under the electoral law.

Three political parties - the All Progressives Congress (APC), the All Grand Progressive Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) - are competing on Saturday.

David Umaru, a legal practitioner, is the APC candidate. He emerged as the flag bearer at the indirect primaries, and later, the direct primaries.

His challenger at the intra-party contest was Hon. Adamu Bala Kuta, a former member of the House of Representatives. Some people have alleged that he was sponsored by the PDP. Kuta, a product of David Umaru political structure in 2006 failed in his bid to stop Umaru. But, Umaru defeated his political son at the primaries in Minna, the state capital.

In the PDP, there is also political scheming. The party had earlier settled for a consensus candidate. The former deputy governor, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu, was endorsed as the candidate. But, following the emergence of another aspirant, Hon. Abdullahi Musa, a former federal legislator, the party opted for primaries.

At the shadow poll, Nuhu defeated Musa.

At the primaries, Nuhu, who enjoyed the backing of key party leaders, polled 99 per cent of the delegates’ votes. Incidentally, the two major parties, the APC and the PDP, have not experienced post-primary crisis.

Similarly, the emergence of Hon. I.M. Bello as the APGA flag bearer

• Aliyu

• Jega

• Musa

‘Stakeholders expect a free and fair election where only the wish of the people will be fulfilled and a true representative of the electorate in the Niger East District will emerge’ • Shem

• Umaru

was also without rancour. He was unopposed. So, he emerged as the candidate without stress.

The battle for the seat is however between the candidates of the two major parties, Umaru and Nuhu, of the APC and the PDP respectively.

Stakeholders do not see Bello, who hails from Kusheriki, as a serious contender. He is perceived as a spectator.

Although he pasted some posters on the walls of buildings in some towns, he is not perceived as a threat by the APC and PDP flag bearers.

For the APC, the by-election is an

opportunity to reclaim the zone. For the PDP, it is another opportunity to prove that the late Aweisu Kuta’s victory in 2011 was not a fluke. Although the APC candidate, Umaru, has not held public office, he is a household name in the district. He has connections. Any opponent that underrates him does so to his peril. He is loved by constituents because of his generosity.

A grassroots politician, Umaru, who was eyeing the governorship, opted for the Senate, based on appeals by

many stakeholders that he should vie for the seat. His political structure and network cut across the cultural divides in the area. He is a businessman with interest property development and the service sector. Many believe that he is a man of credibility and integrity who will endow the seat with honour and visibility. Political watchers believe that, in a free and fair election, the odds may favour the APC candidate.

The PDP candidate is also a seasoned politician. He has served as the deputy governor for eight years. But, he has

made a lot of enemies. These foes are now beaming a searchlight on his tenure. In their view, he has some questions to answer. His past actions and inactions, failures and shortcomings are now blown beyond proportion by those trying to abort his senatorial dream. Others have pointed out that, despite being a rich man, Nuhu is stingy, a vice that his opponent is cashing on. Thus, in this electioneering period, he has been on the defensive. Although the state government is backing him, some constituents are not convinced about his candidature.

This development has forced the party to mandate all political appointees from the zone to join his campaign team. They have also been directed to deliver their wards to the PDP. However, efforts to reach out to some aggrieved grassroots members of the party from the zone are not yielding dividends.

Another challenge is the agreement purportedly signed by Nuhu to step down for Governor Aliyu during next year’s election. This has not gone down well with the people of the zone, especially the Gbagyi stock. To them, the agreement is injurious. They also believe that, if Aliyu becomes the senator, they will be further marginalised.

If Nuhu wins the election, it will seal Aliyu’s fate. His senatorial bid next year may hit the rock. There are puzzles: will Nuhu step aside for the governor at the PDP primaries in October? Will he vie for the position again? Is the Chief Servant jettisoning his senatorial ambition, despite the huge political investment?

No doubt, the by-election is another popularity test for the PDP. For the ruling party, it is a must win election, if it must continue its dominance of the state.

However, the poll may serve as an opportunity for the opposition to reclaim its alleged 2011 stolen victory. It was alleged that the PDP denied Inuwa Zakari of the defunct Congress for Positive Change (CPC) victory in the National Assembly election.

The success or otherwise of the byelection rests squarely on the INEC. Although the APC has challenged the neutrality of the Resident Commissioner.

Stakeholders expect a free and fair election where only the wish of the people will be fulfilled and a true representative of the electorate in the Niger East District will emerge.

Rivers ex-SSG seeks support for Jonathan

R

• Dr Jonathan

IVERS State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Hon. Gabriel Pidomson has called on the people to support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election. He enjoined Northern politicians to give the 2015 project maximum support, in appreciation of the gesture of the founding fathers of the Niger Delta to the North in previous dispensations. Pidomson spoke in Port-Harcourt, the state capital, when members of the Vanguard for Good Governance (VGG) paid him a solidarity visit at his campaign office.

The former Secretary to Government (SSG) explained that a bloc support for the President is in the interest of the state.

He said President Jonathan has per-

formed, despite the distractions.

Pidomson said the President has good plans for the country, urging Nigerians to allow him to complete the unfinished business.

He said the transformation agenda is on cause, adding that the President needs the support of stakeholders to succeed.

In his view, President Jonathan is determined to built on his performance in the first term, if given another opportunity.

The aspirant unfolded his agenda, assuring that he would reposition the state for excellence.

Pidomson, who is a former federal lawmaker, promised that, under his leadership, the state a Rivers

will co-operate with the Federal Government to attract more dividends of democracy.

He explained that Rivers State has abundant resources that have not been tapped.

Urging the people to endorse the President for re-election, he said a vote for his is a vote for national progress and prosperity.

The leader of the group, Comrade Chinwendu Marcus-Amadi, pledged the support of his organisation to the aspirant.

He said: “We assure you of our unflinching commitment to the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, and your emergence as our governor in the election.”

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THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

NATURAL HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of people rely on herbal medicines. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA and WALE ADEPOJU take a look at the place of herbal medicines in the face of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.

U

The herbal medicine magic

NTIL now, herbal medicine was not embraced by many. It was something people used behind closed doors to avoid being called names. But these days, many use herbal drugs and they prefer to consult herbal medicine practitioners than going to conventional hospitals.

According to Prof Simeon Adesina of Drug Research and Production Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, the use of natural and herbal remedies is on the rise.

Adesina said many of the remedies deal with the whole person (holistic) rather than treating a specific disease or symptom. Sometimes, he said, they heal aches and pains that over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs can’t, adding headaches, joint pains and premenstrual syndrome are some examples.

He said in contemporary medicine, herbalmedicine has played some significant roles, adding that vincristine and vinblastine are isolated from Rose periwinkle and used to treat childhood leukaemia and Hodgkin’s disease; reser pine is extracted from African or Indian Rauwolfia and used in tranquillisers; diogenin extracted from yam and used in the treatment of rheumatism and to produce oral contraceptives and shea butter which shows nasal decongestant activity etc. Non-plant medicines include the bee venom which is used in the treatment of arthritis and the civet cat exudate which has an anticonvulsant effects. Plant extracts and chemicals with muscle relaxant properties are used by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) to assist in child deliveries.

People, he said, often use natural and herbal remedies for long-term (chronic) conditions that haven’t been successfully treated with Western medicine. They also use these remedies to improve their quality of life, he added.

In 2006, a Professor of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Prof Tolu Odugbemi, said in Nigeria, majority of citizens still use medicinal plants and visit traditional medicine practitioners for their health care needs.

At this year’s African Traditional Medicine Day, the Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, proposed that traditional medicines should be incorporated in the medical curriculum across the Federation.

The minister said medical practitioners ought to equip themselves with expert knowledge of traditional medicines. “Traditional medicine is undoubtedly, a reliable alternative approach to healthcare delivery in the metropolis, because, it is cheap, eas-

T

ily accessible and efficacious,” he stated.

World Health Organisation (W.H.O) defines traditional medicine as the sum total of all knowledge and practices, whether explicable or not, used in diagnosis, prevention and elimination of physical, mental or social imbalance and relying exclusively on practical experience and observations handed down from generation to generation, whether verbally or in writing Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Kemi Odukoya said drugs in today’s society are products of research and development by major pharmaceutical companies, but among the most important raw materials researched and developed are naturally occurring materials obtained from plants. Hence, when we take well packaged medicine today, it is well to remember that we might be taking a processed plant product.

She said interest in medicinal plant as an emerging health aid has been fuelled by the rising costs of prescription drugs in the maintenance of personal health and well-being and the bio-prospecting of new plant derived drugs. Based on current and research and financial investments, medicinal plants will, seemingly, continue to play an important role as a health aid. “The use of medicinal plants constitutes an important part of traditional medicine, which is a part of African heritage, though; modern orthodox medicine has improved the lot of many cultures.

“Modern medicine complements traditional practices as is obtainable in industrialised societies, e.g China, India and Ghana. In these societies, herbal remedies have become more popular in the treatment of minor ailments and also, account of the increasing costs of personal health maintenance. Indeed, the market and public demand have been so great, that there is a great risk that many medicinal plants today, face either extinction or loss of genetic diversity.”

An alternative medicine practitioner, Dr Solomon Abutoh said traditional medicine is firmly entrenched in the country’s health care delivery system.

The Federal Ministry of Health, he said, recognises it, and as such, there is a lot of deliberations between the ministry and traditional medicine practitioners.

He said there are the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FEDCAM) in Abuja for the training and development of traditional medicine, and private ones across the federation.

•Prof. Onyebuchi

He said the FEDCAM was closed sometime back due to some problems, adding: “it will soon be reopened.”

Abutoh, who claimed to have potent cure for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), said he was ready to surrender his formulation to scrutiny by experts, especially the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

He said there are policies supporting traditional medicine (TM) in place. “TM is recognised, especially in teaching hospitals, across Nigeria. There is an integration of TM going on around the world. WHO supports TM practice, and as such encourages its growth,” Abutoh said.

A naturopath, Dr Gilbert Ezengige said TM is a part of the country’s health care delivery system.

This, he said, was why the Federal Government was trying to regulate it.

He said the government rejected Nano Silver for patients of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) because of some reasons which were known to the National Council on Health (NCH).

According to him, it was the NCH that stopped the product from being administered on Ebola patients.

“It is not the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, as being speculated in some quarters. The NCH comprises of orthodox medicine practitioners and traditional and alternative medicine practitioners.

The committee, he said, evaluated the product before arriving at the decision to stop its use in Nigeria.

“There are various yardsticks used to determine if it should be used or not. Some people see it as an insecticide while others take it to be a food supplement. Many people did not see it as potential cure for Ebola virus, as the drugs, such as ZMAPP and others, were only used as experimental drugs,” Ezengige said.

Meanwhile, Nigerian owned Biotech Company involved in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of Nanosilver, Minerals for Life Limited has cleared the

•Prof. Odugbemi

air over the controversy surrounding the product, saying it never claimed that Nanosilver was a cure for Ebola.

In a press statement issued in Lagos and signed by the Coordinator Sub Saharan Africa, Mr. Adetunji Fadayiro, the company stated that its brand, Nanosilver is classified as a dietary supplement.

According to Fadayiro, Minerals for Life caters for numerous customers who utilise Nanosilver Solution as an immune booster in a number of health situations.

He expressed worry that their clientele have in recent days drawn their attention to a claim that Nanosilver solution which is marketed for human consumption and ingestion is a pesticide.

“Stating that it is therefore pertinent to address the information in the public domain, he said: “Nanosilver is approved by the USA department of Agriculture and Food, with a pesticide registration.

Nanosilver is also approved by the same USA Department of Agriculture and Food with Food Establishment approval.

Amongst other approvals Nanosilver is approved for purchase by the USA Government Veterans Hospital Association (both as a disinfectant and supplement).

Nanosilver has well over 15 government approvals for various uses.

“Minerals for Life Ltd in keeping with its goal of preserving life, donated our Nanosilver immune booster (which currently has the status of a food supplement), to assist the patients of the current Ebola outbreak because of the history of the use of Silver Solution. Minerals for Life Limited did not claim Nanosilver as a cure for Ebola,” he explained.

He further congratulated the Federal Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Ministry of Health for their proactive approach in fighting the Ebola disease, that has resulted in the recovery of some patients treated with antibiotics and a cocktail of immune boosters.

“Minerals for Life look forward to the total containment of the Ebola disease and a healthy population of Nigerians,” he stated.

NAFDAC cautions media on natural products adverts

HE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged media organisations to henceforth, request for its advertisement approval before publishing any of its regulated products, especially herbal products.

The agency made the appeal in Lagos at a Forum held for stakeholders in the advertising sector. It said it was a violation of the provisions of Food and Drugs law to carry such adverts without its approval.

NAFDAC is worried by the prolifera-

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

tion of advertisements of herbal products with misleading and false claims of treatment and cure of various ailments including HIV/AIDS; Hepatitis; kidney diseases; drug addiction; mental sickness; asthma; cancer, among others.

According to the Director, Registration and Regulatory Affairs, NAFDAC, Mrs Monica H. Eimunjeze, the agency has observed the misleading claims in the advertisement of many regulated products which has not been properly checked by

the Media, “We want the Media to acquaint themselves with appropriate and relevant NAFDAC advertisement approvals in place before publication.

It is worthy to bring to your notice that product registration is not the same with advertisement approval, but both must be properly aligned. There are rules guiding the advertisement of regulated products which must be strictly applied to protect the unsuspecting public, the law criminalises this act.” she stated.

Henceforth, all Media Houses are expected to ask advertisers for NAFDAC ad-

vertisement approval before publishing any adverts on NAFDAC regulated products.

Many representatives of different Media orgainsations were present, so also Secretary, Broadcasting organization of Nigeria (BON), Olusegun Olaleye; Special Assistant to the DG, NAFDAC, Mrs Elizabeth Awagu; First Vice president, Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (ADVAN); Chairman STB-MCCAN, Sir Steve Omojiafor; and Registrar, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCAON), Alhaji Bello Kankarufu.

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NATURAL HEALTH

Some natural ammunition against Ebola Virus fever (4)

E

XACTLY 666 years, a devastating epidemic or pestilence thundered through Europe and wiped out about 200 million people or nearly half of the continent population at that time. In the past three weeks, this Column has been featuring reports of it from eyewitnesstohistory.com, to invite attention to the devastation and decimation of a continent, and to the lessons we can learn from it to save our people from Ebola epidemic 666 years after. It is remarkable to learn, as featured in the column of Thursday August 14, that where father fled from infected children and wives abandoned infected husbands, while thieves raided infected and abandoned homes, turned corpses over and stole money from their pockets... and did not get infected. The secret? They took herbs, particularly garlic and apple cider vinegar. Someone has asked me if disease such as the plague or Ebola is not a way of cleansing the earth of its human dross. I am incompetent to answer the question. Maybe such a pestilence as this has to do with spiritual indolence, maybe it is divine wrath. One Christian priest from Spain who went to pray for Ebola virus fever patience in Liberian and touched him has contracted the virus and dies. He probably underestimated what happened in Europe 666 years ago or thought he was a Daniel.

The patient, too, has died. It is a question of “my people die in ignorance”.

This is a serious lesson for Nigerian churches which pack people in multitude; the virus may be intense and with unimaginable devastation, especially at those prayer sessions where everyone holds his neighbours’ hand. One need to visit: witnesstoworldhistory.com The Black Death, 1348

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OMING out of the East, the black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25 percent and 50 percent of Europe’s population had fallen victim to the pestilence.

“The plague presented itself in three interrelated forms. The bubonic variant (the most common) derives its name from the swellings or buboes that appeared on a victim’s neck, armpits or groin. These tumors could range in size from that of an orange to an egg. Although some survived the size from that of an egg to that of an apple. Some survived the painful ordeal, the manifestation of these lesions usually signaled the victim had a life expectancy of up to a week. Infected fleas that attached themselves to rats and then to humans spread this bubonic type or the plague.

A second variation - pneumonic plaque attacked the respiratory system and was spread by merely breathing the exhaled air of victim. It was much more virulent than its bubonic cousin - life expectancy was measured in one or two days. Finally, the septicemic version of the disease attacked the blood system.

“Having no defense and no understanding of the cause of the pestilence, the men, women and children caught in its onslaught were bewildered, panicked, and finally devastated. The Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio lived through the plague as it ravaged the city of Florence in 1348.

The experience inspired him to write the Decameron, a story of seven men and three women who escape the disease by fleeing to a villa outside the city. In his introduction to the fictional portion of his book, Boccaccio gives a graphic description of the effects of the epidemic on his city.

The Signs of Impending Death

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HE symptoms were not the same as in the East, where a gush of blood from the nose was the plain sign of inevitable death; but it began both in men and women with certain swellings in the groin or under the armpit. They grew to the size of a small apple or an egg, more or less, and were vulgarly called tumours. In a short space of time these tumours spread from the two parts named all over the body. Soon after this the symptoms changed and black or purple spots appeared on the arms or thighs or any other part of the body, sometimes a few large ones, sometimes many little ones. These spots were a certain sign of death, just as the original tumour had been and still remained.

No doctor’s advice, no medicine could overcome or alleviate this disease. An enormous number of ignorant men and women set up as doctors in addition to those who were trained. Either the disease was such that no treatment was possible or the doctors were so ignorant that they did not know what caused it, and consequently could not administer the proper remedy. In any case very few recovered; most people died within about three days of the appearance of the tumours described above, most of them without any fever or other symptoms.

“The violence of this disease was such that the sick communicated it to the healthy who came

cines.

“Other again held a still more cruel opinion, which they thought would keep them safe, they said that the only medicine against the plague-stricken was to go right away from them.

Men and women, convinced of this and caring about nothing but themselves, abandoned their own city, their own houses, their dwellings, their relatives, their property; and went abroad or at least to the country round Florence, as if God’s wrath in pushing men’s wickedness with this plague would not allow them but strike only those who remained within the walls of the city, or as if they thought nobody in the city would remain alive and that its last hour had come.”

The Breakdown of Social Order

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NE citizen avoided another, hardly any neighbor troubled about other, relatives never or hardly ever visited each other. Moreover, such terror was struck into the hearts of men and women by this calamity, that brother abandoned brother, and very often the wife ,her husband. What is even worse and nearly incredible is that fathers and mothers refused to see and tend their children, as if they had not been theirs.

“Thus, a multitude of sick men and women were left without any care, except from the charity of friends (but these were few), or the greed, of servants, though not many of these could be had even for high wage, moreover, most of them were coarse-minded men and women, who did little more than bring the sick, what they asked for or watch over them when they were dying and every often these servants lost their lives and their earnings. Since the sick were thus abandoned by neighbours, relatives and friends, while servants were scarce, a habit sprang up which had never been heard of before. Beautiful and noble women, when they fell sick, did not scruple to take a young or old man servant, whoever he might be, and with no sort of shame, expose every part of their bodies to these men as if they had been women, for they were compelled by the necessity of their sickness to do so. This, perhaps, was a cause of looser morals in those women who survived.

Mass Burials

“T •Ebola Virus

‘It is remarkable to learn, as featured in the column of Thursday August 14, that where father fled from infected children and wives abandoned infected husbands, while thieves raided infected and abandoned homes, turned corpses over and stole money from their pockets... and did not get infected. The secret? They took herbs, particularly garlic and apple cider vinegar’ drink and be merry, to go about singing and amusing themselves, satisfying every appetite they could, laughing and jesting at what happened. They put their words into practice, spent day and night going from people’s houses doing only things which please them. This, they could easily do because everyone felt doomed and had abandoned his property, so that most Varying Reactions to Disaster houses became common property and any stranger who went in made use of bestial beUCH fear and fanciful notions havior, they avoided the sick as much as postook possession of the living sible. that almost all of them adopted “In this suffering and misery in our city, the the same cruel policy, which was entirely to authority of human and divine laws almost disavoid the sick and everything belonging to appeared, for, like other men, the ministers and them. By so doing, each one thought he would the executors of the laws were all dead or sick or shut up with their family, so that no duties secure his own safety.

“Some thought that moderate living and the were carried out. Every man was therefore able avoidance of all superfluity would preserve to do as he pleased.

“Many others adopted a course of life midthem from the epidemic. They formed small communities, living entirely separate from ev- way between the two just described. They did erybody else. They shut themselves up in houses not restrict their victuals so much as the former, where there were no sick, eating the finest food nor allow themselves to be drunken and dissoand drinking the best wine very temperately, lute like the latter, but satisfy their appetites avoiding all excess, allowing no news or dis- moderately. They did not shut themselves up, cussion of death and sickness, and passing the but whet about, carrying flowers or scented herbs or perfumes in their hands, in the belief time in music and such like pleasures.

“Others thought just the opposite. They that it was an excellent thing to comfort the thought the sure cure for the plague was to brain with such odours; of sick person and medi-

near them, just as a fire catches anything dry or only near it. And it even went further. To speak to or go near the sick brought infection and a common death to the living; and moreover, to touch the clothes or anything else the sick had touched or worn gave the disease to the person touching.”

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HE plight of the lower and most of the middle classes was even more pitiful to behold. Most of them remained in their houses, either through poverty or in hopes of safety, and fell sick by thousands.

Since they received no care and attention, almost all of them died. Many ended their lives in the streets both at night and during the day; and many others who died in their houses were only known to be dead because the neighbours smelled their decaying bodies. Dead bodies filled every corner. Most of them were treated in the same manner by the survivors, who were more concerned to get rid of their rotting bodies than moved by charity towards the dead. With the aid of porters, if they could get them, they carried the bodies out of the house and laid them at the door; where every morning quantities of the dead might be seen. They then were laid on biers or, as these were often lacking on tables.

“Such was the multitude of corpses brought to the churches everyday and almost every hour that there was not enough consecrated ground to give them burial, especially since they wanted to bury each person in the family grave, according to the old custom. Although the cemeteries were full they were forced to dig huge trenches, where they buried the bodies by hundreds. Here they stowed them away like bales in the hold of a ship and covered them with a little earth, until the whole trench was full”.

COLUMNIST’S NOTES My prayer since the 1960s when I studied bubonic plague in “O LEVEL” Health Science, also sometimes called PHYSIOLOGY and HYGIENE, is that we remain protected by the Lord against this scourge in Nigeria. It was brought from China to Europe by rats in Europe, today, you will hardly find rats in homes. The European learned a bitter lesson. The Chinese, like other Asians, add garlic to virtually all meals. The four thieves who survived in Europe ate garlic. Today, German doctors prescribe garlic routinely in hospitals. Many Nigerians hate the smell of garlic. Yet they live with rats in homes, offices, hospitals, markets and even restaurants!

Ebola can kill with the devastation of the plague. But in confronting it, many people, encouraged by doctors, are literally side tracking leprosy and treating ring worm as the Yoruba would say. Dr. Robert Young said in this column last week, and as this column has been suggesting in this series, it is the failure of the immune system, which has been brought about by junk or poison-foods, that urgently needs to be addressed, not the “sanitising” of hands. That means we must return to natural foods which God gave to us for the maintenance of the health of our bodies.

e-mail: femi.kusa@yahoo.com or olufemikusa@yahoo.com Tel: 08116759749, 08034004247, 07025077303

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NEWS

•From left: Chairman, Faculty of Pharmacy, West African Post-graduate College of Pharmacy (WAPCP), Dr. Uzoh Nelson Uwaga; past president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Azubike Okwor; Secretary-General, WAPCP, Prof Wilson Erhun and President, PSN, Olumide Akintayo, during the WAPCP/Association of Community Pharmacists seminar on harmonising pharmacists responses on the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Lagos.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

•From left: Managing Director, Sylken Limited, Mr. Uche Nwana; Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PCN), Lagos State branch, Mr. Gbenga Olubowale; Marketing Manager, Sylken Limited, Mrs. Maryjoe Ihejirika and Registrar, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, during the presentation of Eve’s Desire at this year’s Pharmacy Week in Lagos.

‘Policy reform needed for the aged’

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•From left: Chairman, Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, Dr Tayo Bello; Head, Retail Financial Services, Diamond Bank Plc, Aishah Ahmad; Dr Dozie; Non-Executive Director, PharmAccess/ Medical Director, Paelon Memorial Clinic, V.I., Dr Ngozi Onyia and Head, Retail Banking, Diamond Bank Plc, Jude Aniele at the launch of Diamond MediLoan QualityCare at the event.

Diamond Bank provides financial support for firms

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O you face financial constraint in running your healthcare facility?

Good News. Diamond bank is providing “medi-loan” for for entrepreneurs in healthcare sector to help them improve on their operating standard.

Dr Uzoma Dozie, the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of Diamond Bank, said the loan is to provide financial support for healthcare enterprise, “because the sector lacks access to capital and this initiative allows for free advisory services to improve the operating standard of the healthcare sector in Nigeria.”

Dozie broke the news at the launch of Diamond Medi-Loan Qualitycare which took place at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria.

The programme will be rolled out at these regions- Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu,Akwa, Owerri and Umuahia.

Dozie said most healthcare providers do not see the sector as a business. “I am canvassing for a change of attitude where medical activities will be conducted with all seriousness with business in focus, once the right setting is achieved.

“Any wonder Nigeria with 170 million population is far from achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and has one of the highest maternal death ratios in the world.”

He said: “Would be beneficiaries of Medi-loan Qualitycare include clinics and hospitals either in private or public primary and secondary healthcare; pharmacy and medical laboratory practices., he said.

By Inimfon Otung

Diamond Bank, he said, do not just provide lending services to customers but also provides technical assistance in terms of how to help improve the quality of its customers and how to run their businesses not only from the healthcare perspective.

He said with the Medi-Loan, the bank will provide the customers with assistant services to manage their health and business.

Dozie said: “the loan is mainly for the private sector but we are actually working with the public sector to provide the service. Pharma Access and Safe Care have been collaborating with the public sector to come up with the package to deliver it to private sector practitioners.”

Dozie said to be eligible for this service, the company or oganisation must have been in the business for two years, must have proper healthcare registration.

“The enterprise must have the

‘Once the loan is being offered, MCF will help to assess the loan, develop the business plan and put the practice into shape and hence provide business quality training for both the staff and facilities to aid growth’

willingness to work with Safe Care (quality standards), its must service at least 10 customers per day. Also, it must have no exclusive focus on affluent patients.

“Loans that would be offered are of different categories. They include N200, 000 to N1m for starters. For small loan it is N1m to 1.6 m, medium loan N1.6m to eight million. Large loan offered to the enterprise is between N5.6m toN8m,” he said.

Program Director of Medical Credit Fund (MCF), Uzodinma Ken Osisiogu, said MCF is the sister partner to Safe Care under Pharma Access.

“MCF stands in the middle of three parties coming together, which is the providers, the banks and the CFM team to ensure that pre-assessment is done for the parties. MCF assesses the business to know if it will be profitable.

“Anyone coming for the loan must be in business and the business must be profitable.MCF has the responsibility to come up with the business plan and therefore hand it over to Diamond Bank who does the regular credit due diligence (CDD).

“MCF provides the technical expertise before the individual or healthcare enterprise goes to the bank, then Safe Care implements what is in the business plan. This is done to ensure the loans will come back.”

Osisiogu said: “Once the loan is being offered, MCF will help to assess the loan, develop the business plan and put the practice into shape and hence provide business quality training for both the staff and facilities to aid growth”.

OLICY reforms are needed to ensure Nigeria cope with the growing care demands the elderly, the Director-General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO),Dr Gloria Elemo, has warned.

Speaking at a symposiumwith the theme: Nutrition and health of the elderly, organised by FIIRO and Dave Omokaro Foundation (DOF) in Lagos, Mrs Elemo said the number of elderly above 60 in Nigeria will rise greatly by 2020, thereby causing increasing demand for health and social services.

She said prompt action can save many lives, adding that better management of long-term health conditions will reduce the need for hospital or residential care.

He said many elderly have been living without social support from friends and relations, saying loneliness can affect physical wellbeing thus “it can be as damaging to older persons.”

Executive Director, DOF, Dr Emen Omokaro said there could be a range of community specialist health and care services to support primary care teams to keep people out of hospitals.

She said it is important to prepare health providers to meet the specific needs of older people, such as training in old age care, preventing and managing age related chronic diseases including mental, neurological and substance use disorders.

Others are designing sustainable policies on long term and palliative care and developing age-friendly services and settings.

She said the elderly need

By Daniel Essiet

health services offered from local settings and their homes.

To achieve this, she called on the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to design services for older people to ensure that the right care is delivered in the right place by teams with the skills to meet the health and care needs of people with age-related problems.

She said although most of the elderly are retired yet they could make important contributions to society as family members, volunteers and active participants in the workforce.

Nutrition expert, Prof Tola Atinmo, who chaired the occasion, said early intervention and better services in the community will give older people what they need and want.

He said any move to put the needs and wishes of older people at the centre of their health care is welcomed.

He said adults are also vulnerable to physical neglect and maltreatment.

Elder maltreatment, he said, could lead to physical injuries and long-lasting psychological consequences, such as depression and anxiety.

Patients with depressive symptoms, he mentioned have poorer functioning and this is common among the elderly.

Atinmo said the symptoms of depression in the elderly are often overlooked and untreated because they coincide with other late life problems.

“Whether it be depression, chronic illness or dementia the nation has a duty to act so older people have the best possible quality of life,” he said.

‘Pay attention to your health’

By Oyeyemi Gbenga Mustapha

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IGERIANS have been urged to pay attention to their health by having regular medical check-ups.

This, according to the Chief Executive Officer, Gowon Estate Hospital, Ipaja, Lagos, Dr Emmanuel Sunday Akinyemi, will ensure longevity.

Akinyemi spoke at the preharvest N100 million fund raising programme for equipping St. Joseph Hospital by the church’s Harvest Committee in the estate.

The event was held at De Santos Hotels and Suites, Akowonjo, Lagos.

Akinyemi said governments at all levels should partner with the church to increase funding of healthcare.

He said more Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres should be built in every local government to avoid mass drift and unfortunate surge to general hospitals and other Tertiary Health Institutions.

He urged policymakers have been enjoined to increase the budgetary allocation to health.

This, he said, will arrest the attendant increase in the mortality rate, saying the poor cannot afford to access treatment in the private hospitals.

Akinyemi warned against selfmedication, adding that people need to use only drugs prescribed by doctors.

He identified some deficiencies, such as obsolete facilities, inadequate personnel and lack of medically qualified professionals to manage such ultra modern medical facilities.

He thanked the committees for deeming it fit to raise fund to drive the effective healthcare delivery service.

He urged well-meaning people to assist the church to arrest the rising medical challenges in the society.

Akinyemi said the government alone cannot shoulder the ever increasing responsibilities of the sector, hence the need for individuals to help out.

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THE NATION

BUSINESS e-Business

e-mail: e-business@thenationonlineng.net

The journey has been long and tortuous. But the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says it is coasting home to giving Nigerians an all-purpose electronic National Identity Card, reports. LUCAS AJANAKU .

Long road to e-ID card

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FTER months of preparations, President Goodluck Jonathan will today launch the proposed electronic National Identity Card or e-ID Card for the whole country.

Analysts say the launch will mark a milestone in the nation’s quest for a reliable data base on national security.

Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr Chris Onyemenam, said the project is being managed in conformity with global standards and best practices.

He described the project as “a game changer”adding: “We are talking about unique identification of Nigerians and legal residents which must be relied upon by all.”

He said: “We have again proven that something good can come out of the ‘House of David’. The world is about to receive a unique card from Nigeria. For the first time, the national e-ID will have a payment solution, something that is unprecedented in the world and that’s why so many critics believed it can never happen. We are serious about the image of Nigeria and playing by global rules of engagement for such acceptance about issues around the dignity of the Nigerian international status.”

Nigerians have not forgotten efforts by various administrations in the past to create a dependable identity scheme in the country. The attempts did not only met with partial success but ended in a fiasco. These initial steps, including the creation of the National Department of Civic Registration (NDCR) and the Sagem deal it contracted, ended with more scandals than the actual results it originally set to achieve.

These circumstances had led to people viewing the sector with a kind of cynicism. Some even came to see the ID industry as a cash cow for contractors and the privileged class in government to line their pockets at the expense of public interest.

He said: “We needed to do more than the ordinary to convince Nigerians that we are up to the task.

“We have put in place an infrastructure that is technology-driven and based on a verifiable global best practice and this has been so acknowledged by an international standards institute.”

The current success started through the passing into law of NIMC Act by the National Assembly under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the administration of late President Musa Yar’Adua. The DG said President Jonathan, who was a part of the Yar’Adua government, is especially to be commended for insisting that the project be managed professionally and in accordance with the provisions of the NIMC Act without political interference.

According to sources, there is very little that NIMC inherited from the defunct NDCR that could be put into ready use.

This is because, the time it took to establish the commission and the winding down of operations of the old agency, there were also corresponding shifts in technologies and systems which are needed for the activities in the new setting.

The old workforce was not only over bloated; it lacked the specialised skills which was required to frog leap from the analogue system of the old to the digital

•Sample of the e-ID card on display

and biometric operations of the present.

He said the government of Dr. Jonathan insisted that the emerging identity sector in the country be run professionally by creating the enabling environment which allowed local practioners in the sector to be benchmarked against international best practices for world-class infrastructures, adding that the outcome what the country has today.

October last year, the President said valuable time and resources had unfortunately been expended in the past in an attempt at delivering an effective identity platform. He therefore urged that the pitfalls of the past be avoided.

“As we recalibrate our efforts, we must avoid the pitfalls of the past, and stay focused on achieving results,” the president said.

He identified the great potential which the sector has for the country and had, as a result seen it as a part of the Transformation Agenda of his government.

And this he demonstrated when he formally launched the enrolment exercise for the issuance of the NIN at the State House in Abuja last year.

“Today, our effort and commitment to work for a greater Nigeria has brought us here for the launch of an Enrolment Exercise for the Issuance of a NIN. The importance of proof of identity documentation as a critical social infrastructure for national development cannot be overemphasised,” the president had said, adding that the new identity infrastructure would aid the work of law enforcement agencies because of the ability to proof of identity of persons which the security agencies would have at their disposal. Another component of this capability is at the heart of the fight against corruption in the country.

Onyemenam said the consumer credit sector would equally be enhanced as banks, for example, would be in a far better position to know their customers along their financial history which is a means for creating access for the consumer sector of the economy.

The e-ID card will make authentication of persons possible. This will also drive the electronic payment system and reduce the cost of managing the currency component of the naira which is estimated to be as high as N1.93 trillion a year by the Central Bank of Nigeria

•Onyemenam

(CBN).

The new identify infrastructure would equally help government in the fight against poverty as it will enhance the introduction of social security or welfare payments which will create economic opportunities and lift the incomes of millions of Nigerians.

Onyemenam said the new national eID will attract positive recognition and respect for the country and her citizens especially at international gateways and land borders. He also said the agency has put in place the conditions for a global recognition for the National Identity Management Systems (NIMS) which was being systematically put in place.

According to him, Nigerians have taken their fate in their own hands more than ever before as the effort was entirely driven by local capacity. In other words, NIMC has bequeathed a genuine and verifiable identity that could be relied upon by the international community One significant achievement of NIMC which has contributed to the success of the project is the sensible collaboration which the commission went into with MasterCard, a United States (U.S.) global player in the electronic payment system landscape.

He said: “One of the most important functions is the payment function, which for now is supported by MasterCard.

And for MasterCard to accept to collaborate with us speaks volumes. It means that we have the right ideas and vision.

It’s our responsibility to ensure that the right qualifications or criteria that would qualify our cards to be accepted worldwide as a MasterCard card are met and observed and adhered to very strictly.”

The national e-ID card has Access Bank as the pilot issuer institution. Other issuer institutions which are to join in subsequent phases include Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa, Unity Bank as well as Skye Bank, Unity Bank and FirstBank.

Another significant achievement was the ISO/IEC27001:2005 certification which the commission earned on account of its information security management system which put the identity infrastructure in the country in at par with global standards.

He said it is important to point out that the international certification of the na-

‘The e-ID card will make authentication of persons possible. This will also drive the electronic payment system and reduce the cost of managing the currency component of the naira which is estimated to be as high as N1.93 trillion a year by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’

tional biometric infrastructure was conducted by the British Standard Institute (BSI), a UK agency with over 100 years in standards, in collaboration with the Lagos-based ICT firm, Digital Jewels.

“This certification is based on the audit of what we have put in place to ensure secure management of personal information and privacy of individuals.

So it means that we have kept faith with our promise to meet global best practice in the roll out of NIMS infrastructure. Our services and infrastructure can be relied upon by the world, simple,” he said.

Before the accreditation and award of ISO/IEC27001:2005 certification April this year, an independent laboratory and field test had been conducted on the New Smart National Identity Card and this indicated that the process was equally in line with the security recommendations and standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

NIMC said the successful testing confirmed that the new smart card would be used as a travel document when it is launched and issued to Nigerians, as it has all the security details for individual profiling and identification.

The agency explained that the Card Personalisation facilities had also passed the User Acceptance Test (UAT) which was followed closely by the successful testing and validation of the EuroMasterVisa (EMV) compliance testing.

Also, the test showed that the new eID card can be used at Point of Sale and automated teller machines (ATM) for transactions currently available on the conventional ATM cards.

A source in NIMC said the key thing about the milestone achievement is that it is based on technology which is concrete and verifiable while very few public-sector institutions have the international certifications which has conferred global credibility to the e-ID project in the country.

He said: “We opted for this as part of credibility-built measures as we know so many people have lost faith in the ability of the public sector to create a basic and support infrastructure to get this identity management issue behind us.

“We now need to achieve the GigE Vision Stream Protocol (GVCP) to silence them forever and face the more daunting task of sustainability.”

Laudable as this initiative is, considering the sheer size of the country and peculiar topographic terrains, it is hoped that the e-ID cards will get to the people for whom they were designed on time too.

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NEWS (SHOWBIZ)

Entries open for AfricaMagic awards

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ILM and TV talents across the continent are expected to get their works ready for the third edition of AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), organisers have announced.

A statement from Multichoice revealed that a special announcement will be broadcast on Africa Magic channels on Wednesday, September 3, at 7pm, and participants can begin to send in their entries from the same day.

As usual, winners will be announced at a glamorous ceremony, which will take place at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos in March 2015.

“We are pleased to announce the call for entry for the 2015 AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards. The African movie and television industry is brimming with exciting talents, and at AfricaMagic, we contribute to the industry by not only giving these talents the platform to showcase their art and celebrating their achievements, whilst also encouraging them to keep honing their craft,” said Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Regional Director for M-Net (West).

She said the AMVCAs was created to celebrate the contribution of African filmmakers, actors and technicians in the success of the continent’s film and television industry.

She noted that with the success of the 2013 and 2014 editions, preparations are in top gear for the 2015 show.

The scheme rewards excellence in the areas of acting,

•Monalisa Chinda and John Okafor at the award ceremony

directing, scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, makeup, sound and lighting, amongst other recognition categories.

At the second edition of the show which held early this year, award-winning actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim, won the laurel for best actress in Michele Racca’s Journey To Self, while Ghanaian film producer/director, Shirley FrimpongManso’s movie The Contract, was one of the biggest winners, carting away three awards, including Best Movie, Best Writer and Best Video Director. Also, renowned film and TV veteran, Pete Edochie, was honoured with the prestigious lifetime achievement award.

Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, expressed his delight at the growing success of the reward initiative, saying: “There have been two editions of the AMVCAs and so far, the improvement that this award has brought to African film production cannot be ignored. For us at MultiChoice, the success of these awards further showcases our commitment to recognising the amazing skills that exist in this ever-growing industry. Furthermore, our continued investment demonstrates our dedication in helping unearth and celebrate talent in the whole continent. I have much confidence that the next edition in 2015 will leave an even bigger impact on the

African film production industry than the previous two.”

Satisfied with the level of partnership with the Awards for the last two edition, Brand Manager for Amstel Malta, Hannatu Ageni-Yusuf said: “Amstel Malta is again pleased to be part of this year’s AfricaMagic Viewer’s Choice Awards. It is truly a unique platform which aligns perfectly with the brand’s essence, encouraging and also rewarding young ambitious Africans who have proved to be the best they can be.”

At the 2014 edition, Amstel Malta, which is the headline sponsors of the show, launched its new campaign, The Journey, which stars actress Genevieve Nnaji and football star, Mikel Obi. “This year, the brand is set to allow consumers witness the joys from being focused on their goals and even beating their best, while on their journey to success,” said AgeniYusuf.

The first edition of the AMVCA ceremony took place in Lagos on March 9, 2013, and was broadcast live from Lagos to DStv and GOtv audiences in more than 50 countries across the continent. The event drew big names from across the continent’s TV and film industry and saw the Best Actor and Best Actress in a Drama awards going to Nigerian OC Ukeje and Ghanaian Jackie Appiah, in the respective categories.

Organisers say entry for the AMVCAs is free and will close on October 31. They advise interested participants to log on to www.africamagic.tv for submission procedure and requirements.

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EEWAY has come the way of 30 aspirants, out of thousands that applied for this year’s edition of the popular Gulder Ultimate Search reality show.

As part of the prerequisites for selecting the finalists, a swimming fest is expected to confirm the applicants’ eligibility for the tough terrains of the show, which may contain waters, hills and rocks.

Organisers say those shortlisted for the next stage had passed the rigorous physical and swimming exercises, as well as interviews and medical examinations, and have been invited to Lagos to undergo further screening at the Lagos Leadership and Training School, otherwise called Sea School.

The show, which enters its 11 th edition this year, draws the 30 contestants from regional auditions which took place in Lagos, Benin, Awka and Port Harcourt.

The build-up to Gulder Ultimate Search 11, has witnessed many changes; which Onyeka Okoli, Senior Brand Manager,

A

•Gulder Ultimate contestants

Sea school training for 30 Gulder Ultimate Search hopefuls Gulder – Nigerian Breweries Plc., said is geared towards giving TV audiences a great viewing experience.

Interestingly, a new element in Gulder Ultimate Search 11 is the return of the Sea School exercise regimen, as there are indications that Aguleri, the choice site for the next show, is a riverine community in Anambra State.

Priding itself as Nigeria’s first and longest running reality TV programme, the Sea School exercise regimen is expected to run from August 27 to 29.

Okoli said: “We promised the ardent viewers and fans of Gulder Ultimate Search that this year’s edition would be different from that of previous seasons. We have managed to spring

quite a few surprises such as the new rigorous exercise regimes at the regional selections with the latest being the re-introduction of the Sea School training. Our viewers and the contestants should prepare for a life time experience. GUS will still spring a few more surprises. I can only urge the viewing public to stay tuned and expect the unexpected.”

Victoria Kimani out with Protoko dance video

T last, Victoria Kimani has released the much-anticipated visual for her song, Prokoto.

A highly energetic video, Prokoto, is the hit song by the Kenyan-American musician, who is signed to Nigeria’s label, Chocolate City, with a branch in her

East African home country.

Chocolate City reveals that the song, which features Tanzanian Bongo stars, Diamond and Ommy Dimpoz, was shot in Dar es Salam, Tanzania and Nairobi.

“Directed by Kevin Bosco, the video embodies everything East African,” the label

said in a statement.

“From the artistes to the locations, including the fashion and the dancing to the chakacha beat; the East African sound, is no doubt taking Africa by storm at the moment.”

It would be recalled that the Prokoto dance competi-

tion, which held shortly after the song was released, saw hundreds of candidates offering what they believe should be the official Prokoto dance, and finally, the Nae Nae-inspired dance move is revealed in this not-so-serious fun and colourful visual.

For Chibok girls, U.S singer holds concert in Nigeria

K

IM Poole, a singer based in the United States, has concluded her concert series tagged Music for Change concert, at Ziggies in Magodo, Lagos State over the weekend.

The concert which started last Friday at Grand suite, Magodo, according to the singer, was geared towards raising funds for the parents of the abducted school girls in Chibok community, Maiduguri, who she said would have exhausted all their resources by now.

She said the move also serves to use music to explore the importance of women’s education in a nation’s development.

“I and my six piece band implemented the first move to achieve my mission in Nigeria through the promotional performance of soul music, jazz, afro-pop and fusing different styles of the African music such as highlife and reggae. The concert also featured my performances and artiste workshops,” said Poole.

Describing music as the most powerful tool, she said the genre is one thing that can teach or heal people without their consent. The fundraising, she said, was to encourage peace building and conflict resolution in Nigeria at

•Kim Poole

By Olatunde Odebiyi

this time where there seems to be so much political strife.

“For the about 200 Chibok girls that were abducted, it is a thing of pity. I am not a politician but I know what it means to be a sister, daughter or mother of one of these girls. I can measure how my mother would feel, and to what extent she would go to look for me; what resources she would have exhausted to find me if I was one of these girls. This is why I want to dedicate the money raised from the concert to their accounts,” she said.

Poole who urged musicians to use their music as an instrument to inspire, change and encourage others, said the money raised would get to the families of the Chibok girls through the Rotary Club of Abuja.

Mode9 returns with Above Ground Level

N

IGERIAN rapper, Mode9, on Monday, August 25, dropped a new album, Above Ground Level.

Incidentally, the date coincided with the release of Asa’s third album, Bed of Stone.

In a recent interview with Hiptv, the veteran rapper described his new effort as “one that has a bit of everything for everybody.”

According to the artiste, the album features the likes of Don Jazzy, 9ice, Reminisce, Ice Prince and many more.

In 2012, the rapper who is regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading players in that genre became a debate when he granted an American cable TV network an interview, where he was reported to have said he was quitting rap music.

The artiste was said to have told the crew of BET he needed to devote the rest of his life to discovering and grooming new talents that will step in his shoes.

The rapper’s comments then left many music fans puzzled and wondering why he wants to quit

•Mode9

at a time the industry was flourishing.

However, Mode9 debunked the report,sayinghewasquotedwrongly.

According to him, “I never said I would quit rap music. I only said I would not do it forever. A lot of people misconstrued my words.

Whenever a good thing happens to me, it is never seen in the news.

Only bad things are mentioned.”

Mode9 who grew up in London, came back to Nigeria in 1979, and studied Building Technology at the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State. In his hay days as a rapper, he has won several awards, including three laurels as the 2006 edition of Channel O awards.

Film board out with new licensing guideline

•Ms. Bala

T

HE National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), has rolled out a new policy for a two-week maximum timeline for the issuance of licenses for movie distribution in the country.

The move, according to the agency, is to allow for ease, while also speeding up the licensing mechanism for movie distribution and exhibition in Nigeria. It says it

recognises distribution and exhibition as a key activity of the movie sector of the nation’s economy.

In a statement signed by Ceaser Kagbo, Acting Head, Corporate Affairs, the NFVCB said the new licensing regime will only benefit those that meet all requirements for any given category of license sought.

The new policy, which will take effect from October, will cease to recognise any distributor, exhibitor or exhibition premise without valid license.

To this end, “the Director General of the regulatory agency, Ms. Patricia Bala, has mandated the Licensing and Documentation Department to exercise due diligence and ensure that all applicants meet the stipulated requirements for the different categories of licenses,” said Kagbo.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

61

62

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE

25-07-14 DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 27-08-14

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 27-08-14

Flour Mills pledges sustained growth

F

LOUR Mills of Nigeria Plc yesterday outlined its growth strategy to the investing public with assurance that continuing investments and expansion of its businesses would continue to put the group on the pedestal for sustained growth in the years ahead.

At the presentation of “Fact Behind the Figure” at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos, group managing director, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Paul Gbedebo, said the group has been able to retain good margins on all its lines of businesses in spite of increased competition, thus in a better position to support its expansion.

He noted that the group has restructured and increased investment in its sugar company, which led to successful commissioning of a 750,000 metric tons per an-

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

nual sugar refinery built at a cost of $250 million in April 2013.

According to him, in furtherance of the its long term business model and growth strategy, Flour Mills had embarked on group restructuring, strategic business acquisitions and investment in its core food business and backward integration programmes.

He pointed out that the immediate past year was a year of transition and steady progress is expected in the years ahead as the investments kick in adding that its sugar refining subsidiary and the packaging business are well position for future progress.

“The group is generating strong cash flow from operating activities and is comfortably positioned for fu-

ture growth,” Gbedebo assured.

According to him, Flour Mills has continued to strategically invest in large scale commercial farming to support its food processing units with locally produced raw materials.

He outlined that the group had invested about N41 billion in capital projects in recent period including key projects such as flour capacity expansion in its Apapa mills, completion of Golden Snacks facility in Agbara, completion of Golden Sugar Refinery, establishment of new flour mill in Calabar, expansion of pasta & noodles lines and many major agro allied projects such as investments in Sunti Golden Sugar Estates and new animal feed mill and acquisition and development of large scale commercial farming.

THE NATION THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

63

MONEYLINK Union unveils Moneygram Back to School campaign

Ecobank seeks more capital

T

HERE are strong indications that Ecobank Nigeria is considering raising additional capital in order to boost its tier-1 capital.

Ecobank Nigeria’s total capital adequacy ratio at the end of the first half of 2014 stood at 13.3 per cent.

The additional capital will be a boost as the recent Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) draft guidelines categorised the bank as systemically important.

The lender, a subsidiary of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), recently raised $250 million in tier-2 capital, thereby lifting its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) to 16.5 per cent.

Adesoji Solanke of Renaissance Capital, said: “Considering the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) preference for tier-1 capital for a bank of this scale, we think the subsidiary needs a tier-1 capital injec-

Stories by Collins Nweze

tion.”

Group Chief Executive, ETI, Albert Essien, said recently that Ecobank expects South Africa’s Nedbank to convert a $285 million loan to shares in the Lome-based bank before the end of the year.

He was confident that Nedbank would exercise the conversion option and also top up the conversion amount, with $206 million to give it a 20 per cent stake in Ecobank.

After the Nedbank deal, Ecobank expects its capital adequacy ratio to hit 18.7 per cent of assets by yearend, up from the 17.5 per cent it was in the first six months of the year.

“The Nedbank stake is capped at 20 per cent. If they do convert, I think that will strengthen the business relationship that we have or had since 2008,” Essien said.

He added that: “The conversion

U •Ecobank Nigeria CEO, Jibirl Aku

will trigger reciprocal board seats.

We see it as very positive and we expect that it will happen.”

It is expected that ETI managementexpects will invest a portion of the Nedbank top-up into its Nigeria operations to boost capitalisation levels.

AMCON’s debt model adopted by Zimbabwe

T

HE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has created a company that would buy non-performing debts from banks. This is in line with the role of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) which bought non-performing loans from local lenders since 2010 when it was created.

The Zimbabwe Asset Management Corporation (ZAMCO) is expected to buy the loans under commercial terms, and assign collateral and all other rights, the central bank said in its monetary policy statement.

The company will seek “to clean up and strengthen banks’ balance sheets and provide them with the liquidity to fund valuable projects for the economy to rebound and to mitigate loss of confidence,” the statement added.

Non-performing loans at Zimbabwean banks rose to 18.5 per cent of total loans, or $705 million, in June from 1.6 per cent in 2009, the central bank said. The high level of bad debt is the key threat to the country’s banking industry, Hararebased IH Securities said in May. ZAMCO will finance the purchases through “a combination of non-funded lines of credit, new inflows, long-term bonds and Treasury bills,” Bloomberg report said.

The Zimbabwean version, ZAMCO, which will be supervised by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, bought $45 million worth of bad debt from three banks since August 15, the central bank said.

There are 19 banks operating in Zimbabwe, including units of London-based Standard Chartered Plc and Barclays Plc, as well as South

Africa’s Standard Bank Group Limited.

In the case of AMCON, it has acquired NPLs worth trillions of naira from Nigerian banks.

The CBN had on August 5, 2011, revoked the operating licenses of three banks including; Afribank, Spring Bank, and Bank PHB, which according to it, did not show enough capacity and ability for recapitalisation.

In their place, the CBN through the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, established Bridge Banks and transferred the assets and liabilities of the three affected banks to the bridge banks.

The bridge banks are Mainstreet Bank Limited (Afribank), Keystone Bank Limited (Bank PHB), and Enterprise Bank Limited (Spring Bank).

NION Bank of Nigeria Plc has launched the MoneyGram Back to School campaign expected to run till next month end.

In a statement, the bank said that as the new academic year approaches, the promotion will allow parents and guardians to send and receive money for school fees and other school related expenses through MoneyGram transfers from Nigeria or abroad.

Head of Retail Liabilities at Union Bank, Olufunwa Akinmade, said the bank’s partnership with MoneyGram would give its custom-

Bank, local govt partner on levy collection

S

KYE Bank Plc has launched an electronic point of payment solution expected to enhance more revenue for development for Ikorodu North Local Council Development Authority.

The solution is coming on the heels of dwindling allocations to all tiers of government in the country.

Unveiling the solution at Ikorodu, the Group Head, Revenue Collection and Franchise, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs. Bola Allison, said the product will check leakages and corruption in the collection process.

The product known as point of payment (PoP) solution, ensures that the citizens pay their taxes, levies and other statutory payments through customised point of payment terminals which are administered by the council staff.

Allison said the solution would make payment convenient as eligible tax and levy payers would not have to leave their shops or go to the banks to effect payment. She said tax payer would be protected as the PoP system generates receipts as evi-

Offer Price

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

168.45 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.39 1,676.09 1,118.84 121.30 121.16 1,117.51 1.2564 1.2237 0.9034 1,0739

• UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

Bid Price 167.01 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.69 1.33 1,676.09 1,118.03 120.45 120.30 1,116.70 1.2475 1.2237 0.8857 1.0739

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

Transaction Dates 27/08/2014 25/08/2014 20/08/2014 ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Monetary Policy Rate

12.0%

CHANGE

Foreign Reserves Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

17.11

18.85

1.74

PREMBREW

1.65

1.81

0.16

126.78

134.00

7.22

STERLNBANK

2.21

2.32

NASCON

9.50

FIDSON

3.20

Amount Offered in ($) 350m 400m 350m

Amount Sold in ($) 346.43m 398.77m 349.67m

CBN EXCHANGE RATES August 26, 2014

8.3%

BETAGLAS

•Skye Bank CEO, Timothy Oguntayo

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS)

Inflation: July

GAINERS AS AT 27-08-14

dence of payment.

Skye Bank, she said, was partnering with Citiserve and GEMS3 to ensure the success of the new solution.

The Executive Chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, Prince Adeola Jokomba, urged the people of the area to embrace the new initiative as it would check revenue diversion and ensures the council would have more money to undertake more developmental programmes.

DATA BANK

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

ers a fast, safe and secure money transfer option to meet their personal and business needs, especially during this ‘back to school’ season.

“We are also using the campaign as an opportunity to reward our customers,” he said.

He explained that as part of the promotion, customers who make MoneyGram transfers during the period would receive an instant gift from the lender, adding that Union Bank is able to offer this service as an agent of MoneyGram and the service is available to both customers and non-customers of the bank.

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

$39.6b

US Dollar

154.73

155.73

$110.44

Pounds Sterling

256.465

258.1225

Money Supply (M2)

N15.9 trillion.

Euro

204.1662

205.4857

0.11

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Swiss Franc

168.8455

169.9367

9.90

0.40

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

Yen

1.4876

1.4975

3.33

0.13

CFA

0.294

0.314

28.06

28.88

0.82

ETERNA

3.80

3.90

0.10

234.7445

236.2616

ACCESS

9.80

10.00

0.20

Yuan/Renminbi

25.1466

25.31

OANDO

25.05

25.50

0.45

7UP

GUARANTY

LOSERS AS AT 27-08-14

SYMBOL MRS

O/PRICE

C/PRICE

CHANGE

58.90

55.96

-2.94

232.11

220.55

-11.56

CONOIL

71.50

68.00

-3.50

BOCGAS

5.76

5.48

-0.28

FO

16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

Tenor

Rate (%)

Overnight (O/N)

10.500

10.500

Riyal

41.2558

41.5225

1M

12.175

12.101

SDR

235.0039

236.5227

3M

13.328

13.225

6M

14.296

14.-85

FOREX RATES

MAYB AKER

1.51

1.44

-0.07

COSTAIN

1.13

1.08

-0.05

R-DAS ($/N)

157.29

157.29

NEIMETH

1.14

1.09

-0.05

Interbank ($/N)

162.75

162.75

LIVESTOCK

3.28

3.14

-0.14

OKOMUOIL

34.65

33.51

-1.14

Parallel ($/N)

167.50

167.50

0.80

0.78

-0.02

WAPIC

WAUA

Rate (%)

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

Rates

T-bills - 91

10.00

T-bills - 182

10.07

T-bills - 364

10.22

Bond - 3yrs

11.37

Bond - 5yrs

11.41

Bond - 7yrs

11.86

64

THE NATION THURSDAY AUGUST 28, 2014

NEWS

Building collapses in Aba •Two escape death From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

TWO persons, a man and a woman, survived on Tuesday in Aba Abia State, as part of an uncompleted fourstorey building, on 125, Ngwa Road, Aba, collapsed into their compound.

Eyewitnesses said the survivors, Mrs. Ifeoma Chukwuma, a petty trader and Ogbonna Kalu, in his early 20s, had just left the kitchen and bathroom before the building fell on top of their house.

The Nation learnt that while Mrs. Chukwuma escaped unhurt, Kalu sustained minor bruises on his hands.

When our correspondent visited the scene, it was discovered that the collapsed building also damaged part of a nearby building at 123, Ngwa Road.

A source told our reporter that it was raining when building collapsed about 9:30am.

“The incident occurred about 9:30am while it was raining. The rain, which started on Monday night, continued till Tuesday morning.

“It was while we were waiting for it to subside or stop, so that we could go to our places of business that we heard a loud noise.

“Part of the four-storey building collapsed and fell on our house. It was nearing completion, as bricklayers have finished plastering it, waiting for carpenters to roof it.

“We thank God nobody died.

“In a bungalow behind the collapsed building, a youngman, Mr. Ogbonna Kalu, sustained bruises on his hands, while a woman, who sells African salad, Mrs. Ifeoma Chukwuma, escaped unhurt.”

A sympathiser blamed the contractor and the town planners for allegedly using substandard materials.

The sympathiser, who gave his name as Ephraim Nwoko, said: “Substandard materials were used to build the house. That was why it collapsed.

“I also blame the town planning authority for not doing their job.”

Funeral for Pa Umoh THE death has occurred of Pa Michael Paul Umoh. He died on July 29. He was 80.

A service of songs will be organised for the deceased today at 7pm.

Funeral service holds tomorrow at St. Philip Catholic Church, Ikot Ntot in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Interment and reception of guests follow immediately at Pa Umoh’s compound at Ikot Ntot.

•The late Pa Umoh

Tears as Akunyili’s body arrives in Anambra

T

HE arrival of the body of the late Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, caused emotions yesterday in Anambra State, with the governor’s wife, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano and others weeping.

The late Akunyili’s casket arrived in a black Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), owned by APAMs, at the Women Development Centre, Awka.

It was accompanied by the Knights of Saint John International about 2:10pm.

Those who trooped to the centre were screened for the Ebola virus disease by doctors and volunteers before and after the arrival of Akunyili’s body.

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), said Dora’s passage was a big loss not only to the Anambra people, but also humanity.

He said Mrs. Akunyili lived a life of somebody,

•Gowon, Obiano, Obasanjo pay tributes •Obi, Ngige absent From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

who had a premonition of her death and described her as a great fighter, who left a vacuum that would be difficult to fill.

“You cannot get another good wife like her again in this part of the world. Apologies to my wife and other women in this place.

“Goodbye Dora, your legacy will live in all of us,” Gowon added.

Governor Willie Obiano, an emotional, described Mrs Akunyili’s death as a deep wound that would take a long time to heal.

Said he: “She meant different things to different people. She was a great Ambassador for Ndi Anambra, Nigeria and indeed the en-

tire black race.”

Mrs. Bola Obasanjo, wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who called the deceased Sister Dora, said people had many things to emulate from the late National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) boss.

Mrs. Obasanjo, who invoked Akunyili’s spirit in Yoruba language, moved closer to her casket and said: “You were great, you were wonderful, you created a record that would be difficult to erase, Sister Dora.”

In an emotion-laden voice, Mrs. Obasanjo said Akunyili was a legend, even in death.

Mrs. Obiano could not hold her tears, as she wept after her tribute. Her husband drew her closer and kissed

her to assuage her feelings.

She said: “There are people whose lives give meaning to other people’s lives. You were my hero.”

Others who honoured the late Mrs. Akunyili included former Governor of the state, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who described her as a winner.

Literary giant Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Adesola Popoola, who represented pharmacists and members of the Nollywood led by Bob Manuel Udokwu, eulogised the deceased.

Others at the tribute included Senator Joy Emodi, members of the House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Chinwe Nwebili, among others.

However, the lawmaker representing Anambra Central and former governor of the state, Senator Chris Ngige and another ex-governor, Peter Obi, were absent.

•Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan (middle), his wife, Roli, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (second left) and others at the interdenominational thanksgiving service to mark the 23rd anniversary of the state.

Okorocha battles PDP over plans to scuttle NBA conference I

MO State Governor Rochas Okorocha lambasted yesterday the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its alleged unwarranted verbal attacks and criticisms on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) conference hosted in Owerri by the governor.

Okorocha said the attacks and unfounded allegations by the PDP were targeted at frustrating the hosting of the event.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor said the media’s onslaught on him, which had been on for two weeks, was meant to discredit him and cause the state the hosting right.

T

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

He recalled that the PDP earlier called for the cancellation of the conference on the pretext of checking the spread of the Ebola virus to Imo, saying when the plot failed, it resorted to a campaign of calumny against his person and office.

“When their plot to prevent the event from holding failed, they accused me of withholding the entitlements of past political appointees.

“In the media publications against the conference, which were signed by the acting publicity secretary of the

party in the state, Chief Enyinnaya Onuegbu, the party never told the world why it didn’t want the conference to hold in Owerri.

“It only talked about the rule of law, which it claimed Governor Okorocha breached by not paying the entitlements of the political appointees of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, which they could not pay. All these only explain the pitiable state PDP has degenerated into.

“Out of the desperation to return to power, the Imo PDP has embarrassingly become unpatriotic and grossly jealous of the Rochas Okorochas

administration. We won’t sympathise with them because they do not deserve any sympathy, having stifled the growth of the state for 12 years. This is why it is not surprising that instead of looking at the numerous socioeconomic advantages inherent in the NBA conference, the Imo PDP decided to be petty.

“The conference is in progress and by the grace of God, it will end on a successful note to the delight of men and women of goodwill within and outside Imo State.

It is noteworthy that what the PDP government in the state for 12 years could not do, Okorocha’s administration in less than four years has done and is still counting.”

FEC approves N4.2b power projects in Anambra From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

T

HE Federal Executive Council (FEC), approved yesterday N4.2 billion for two projects to boost power supply in Anambra State.

The Minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The two projects, he said, would be completed within 24 months.

Said he: “The Federal Executive Council has approved the award of contract for engineering design, manufacture, supply, construction testing and inauguration of Onitsha-Ifitedunu 132 KV Transmission line in favour of Messrs Sinotec-CCC international joint venture in the sum of $5,992,974.24, payable at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of payment N1,141,865, 028.73 inclusive of N271,912,872.12 for five per cent Vat and 10 per cent contingency with a completion period of 24 months.”

On the second contract, Nebo said: “Council also approved the award of contract for engineering design, manufacture, supply, construction testing and inauguration of 2x60 MVA, 132/33Kv substation at Ifitedunu and 2x 132 line bays extension at Onitsha in favour of Messrs MBH Power Limited in the sum of USD8,315,264.53, payable at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of payment plus N864, 274, 352.96 inclusive of N431, 852,916.28 for the right of way compensation, five per cent Vat and 10 per cent contingency with a completion period of 24 months.”

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, briefed the council on further donations received for the Safe School Initiative.

According to him, Norway has contributed $1.5 million to the fund, African Development Bank (ADB) contributed $1 million, while its President, Donald Kabiruka, donated $50,000.

While Britain contributed a million pounds, he said Germany is processing two million euros towards the initiative.

He said: “I want to use this opportunity to appreciate these governments, organisations and individuals that have made contributions.”

Urging other individuals to identify with the initiative, he said: “This means our friends are standing with us in dealing with insurgency in the country.”

Professionals back Onyebuchi’s impeachment

HE Enugu Professionals Forum (EPF) has supported the procedures followed by the authorities in Tuesday’s impeachment of the Deputy Governor Sunday Onyebuchi.

Other groups and notable persons also agreed with his removal.

The professionals, in a statement by the SecretaryGeneral, Nebechi Ugo, said it was satisfied that the parties in the matter were ac-

From Chris Oji, Enugu

corded fair hearing, while other necessary procedures undertaken from the day impeachment proceedings were started by the House of Assembly to the eventual impeachment, were religiously observed.

The group described Onyebuchi’s post-impeachment remarks, faulting the investigative panel’s report, as the ranting of a loser, saying the three arms of government in-

volved showed diligence and respect for the rule of law in conducting the processes leading to Tuesday’s action.

“The Enugu Professionals Forum monitored the impeachment of Onyebuchi, right from the beginning till the end and we’re satisfied and impressed with the fact that all due processes as prescribed by law were followed by the concerned authorities.

All the arms of government involved in the matter showed exemplary maturity

and due regard for the rule of law in all their actions.”

On the threat by the former deputy governor to go to court to challenge his impeachment, the group said: “He has every right to do so, but such efforts will end up in vain. We say so because all constitutional provisions were adhered to.

So, what is he going to rely on? It’s nothing but a futile academic exercise.”

The forum also flayed what it described as the “condem-

nable conduct of the former deputy governor throughout the trial because we watched as he sought to employ blackmail and undue sentiments in his defence, rather than addressing the charges against him directly.”

It noted that Onyebuchi’s public comments on the matter and constant reference to extraneous issues while still appearing before the panel were contemptuous and designed to cast doubts on the integrity of the members.

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NEWS ‘We didn’t reject Monye’

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•Amaechi addressing the people of Rumuepirikom.

Why politicians are after me, by Amaechi

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IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has explained why some politicians are against him.

Speaking during a tour of communities in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Amaechi said most of those opposed to him were people he assisted, through contracts, but who failed to deliver.

At Oro-Igwe, he said: “If you check Obio/Akpor, you will see how many persons have grown through me. Almost 80 per cent of those fighting me today are people I gave contracts worth billions of naira. They put the money in their pockets and did not deliver, and they claim they are Ikwerre people.

“The contract for the road at Eneka was given to an Obio/ Akpor son. The one for the internal road at Rumuolumeni was given to a Rumuolumeni son. They gave it to one of Obio/ Akpor’s sons to do. They have not done it. They have no fear, no shame. The worst money to steal is the one belonging to your people. Go and check Ubima road, as an ordinary Special Assistant to Chief Rufus

Kidnappers free Setraco workers From Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa

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OUR Setraco workers kidnapped about 10 days ago in Bayelsa State have been freed.

Caleb Agene, Otuke Magic Kingdom, Gabriel Oghene and Godwin Odukpong were kidnapped by gunmen around 9pm in Agbakabriye while working on the multi-million naira Ogbia-Nembe road.

Police spokesman Alex Akhigbe said a special squad was planning to storm the kidnappers’ den when the victims were released.

He said: “Some good Samaritans saw them close to Brass and helped them to Ogbia waterside. They were dropped on the Brass waters by the kidnappers around 5am and got to the Ogbia waterside about 7am.”

•‘I don’t compromise’ Ada-George, I did the road.

When I became the Speaker, I got Dr. Odili to do the road and the road lasted until I became governor.

“I did not touch Ubima money. I did not say ‘I want to be a big man, contractor, give me N40 million first’. I did not get one kobo from it. All the roads in Rumuepirikom (Minister of State for Education Nyesom Wike’s community) were done by this administration. I gave the contracts to your son and paid hundred per cent. But almost all the roads there have gone bad and they are not major traffic routes. This happened because of greed.

“As an Ikwerre man, what else can I do? Please tell me what else you want me to do that I have not done? I just did not do the road, I gave it to Ikwerre people to do. If you are not a good contractor, you look for a good contractor to do it for you, isn’t it? But if you are not a good contractor and do not hire one,

you will just buy one pay loader and begin to scratch the ground.”

Urging the people to beware of dishonest persons, he said: “Nobody should come here and lie to you. They are careless at talking. They lie a lot. As speaker for eight years and governor for seven years, tell them to show you my property.

“They are buying people’s land and building houses without fear. Ask them where they got the money from?’ If I gave them power and money and they couldn’t build roads for you, is it when they become governor that they will build them?

“It is funny that all the roads we did around here are broken down. They were executed by your sons. We will fix them again before I leave office. By latest October, a contractor will come to do them.

“I am an Ikwerre son. I don’t compromise and I don’t betray people. Anybody who says I betrayed him should come

forward. I hate dishonest people because I try not to be dishonest.

What I can’t do for you, I will tell you I can’t do for you. It iss good to sleep well, not wake up and have someone complain that u did not fulfill your promise. I am not among that lot.”

At Rukpokwu, Amaechi lamented that several indigenous contractors collected mobilisation funds and either abandoned the job or performed poorly.

Acceding to the people’s request for more primary schools, he said: “You need more schools to accommodate more children. It is our responsibility and there is no politics in it. Whether you vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), meeting your needs is my responsibility. There is no village without a primary health care centre or a model primary school.

“We are not here to campaign. I am here to see what I need to do before I leave office and to inspect projects I have

How my successor’ll emerge, by Uduaghan

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ELTA State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has broken his silence on his successor.

He urged aspirants to sell their programmes and policies to the people, instead of scheming to disqualify their rivals.

Uduaghan, who had been evasive on his likely successor, said only God could determine his successor.

He spoke yesterday at an Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter’s (Anglican Communion), Asaba, to mark the state’s 23rd anniversary.

Cautioning aspirants against mudslinging, the governor recalled that in the build up to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in 2006, he was disqualified by a screening committee in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, but was later cleared by an appeal

From Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

panel.

He said: “As an aspirant, tell the people what you want to do, let us have a clean electioneering campaign. Who God wants, He will put in office. Your campaign should not be about me or who I am supporting. It should be about what you can do for the people.

“I thank everybody that has indicated interest to take over from me in 2015. It is not easy to make up one’s mind to contest, but know that there is only space for one person at a time for four years.”

Uduaghan said Delta had cause to thank God on its 23rd anniversary because successive administrations had done well.

He said the service was to acknowledge God’s mercies to the people and pray for more favours.

The governor declared August 27 an annual day of thanksgiving, adding that a bill would be passed to that effect.

He said his administration’s Delta Beyond Oil Programme was a legacy that would stand the test of time because it involved going back to the economic activities people engaged in before the discovery of oil.

Uduaghan said: “We must go back to those things we used to do before oil was discovered - agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and others.”

He attributed the peace and development in the state to concerted and sustained prayers, urging the people to be more united and tolerant of their neighbours.

Uduaghan said: “What we need now is unity. We must eradicate bitterness. There is so much bitterness, which can lead to ethnic strife and security challenges.”

done. My children asked me what would be my greatest achievement when I leave office, and I said it is in the education sector. I am proud that when I get to the airport in Germany, children would come to me and say ‘Good morning sir, I’m a scholar of the Rivers State government; you pay my fees.’ I’m very proud of that.”

The people praised the governor’s “numerous achievements”.

The governor also visited Rumuokoro, Rumuigbo, Rumuepirikom and Rumuola.

HE Agbarho Political Forum, an Urhobo political organisation, has denied media reports that the Urhobo nation has rejected the candidature of Prof. Sylvester Monye in the 2015 governorship election in Delta State.

The group’s Chairman, Chief Joseph Inone, in a statement, said it was necessary to set the records straight.

He condemned a report in a national daily, with the headline: “Urhobo Reject Monye”, accusing the newspaper of misleading the public and trying to cause disaffection between the group and Prof Monye.

The statement reads: “The APF is not competent to speak on behalf of the entire Urhobo nation. The umbrella body that speaks for the Urhobo nation is the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU). It is therefore mischievous and wicked for any newspaper to have concocted that report from the bridgebuilding visit of Prof Sylvester Monye to the APF.” Inone said APF supports Monye’s ambition and that of any politician who has the interest of the Urhobo nation at heart.

“We of the APF do not pursue parochial, unprogressive or retardatory sentiments. Our major concern is the overall interest of the Urhobo nation. In that regard, we find in Prof Monye the qualities needed to advance the cause of the Urhobo nation in the next political dispensation,” he added.

•Monye

‘Poverty, bane of Nigeria’s development’ From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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MEDICAL expert, Dr Sola Olopade has described poverty as the major problem hindering the nation’s development.

He spoke at the 5th annual summit organised by the Center for Sustainable Development (CESDEV) University of Ibadan (UI) in collaboration with African Sustainable Development Network (ASUDNET).

The summit with the theme:”Sustainable Development in Precolonial, Colonial and Post-colonial Africa: Issues and Contexts”? was held at Trenchard hall,of the institution.

He said:”Africa can only be rescued from within and not by external forces. The continent needs to focus more on innovation, because development cannot come without innovation and research.” He added that research in science and technology should be given priority. “ A knowledge-based economy is crucial for Nigeria. Nigeria needs technical aid more than monetary aid for a sustainable development,” he said

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FOREIGN NEWS Senegalese WHO doctor with Ebola arrives in Germany A SENEGALESE doctor who contracted Ebola while working for the World Health Organisation (WHO)in Sierra Leone arrived in Hamburg on Wednesday for treatment at a tropical medicine unit, becoming Germany’s first patient with the disease.

At a news conference on Wednesday the clinic’s tropical medicine specialist said the man would not be given new experimental drugs such as ZMapp but that his treatment would at first focus on managing his symptoms.

The Senegalese doctor arrived in Germany on a specialist plane and was transferred to the university clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf in a special isolation ambulance, accompanied by a police guard.

The WHO had approached the clinic on Saturday to ask if they would accept the patient, Rico Schmidt, health spokesman for Hamburg city senate told reporters.

Doctors at the clinic declined to give details about the man’s condition due to patient confidentiality, but said the fact he was able to enter the aeroplane himself suggested he was well enough to benefit from treatment.

The patient, who has not been named, had worked in a laboratory in Sierra Leone that was testing for Ebola, the WHO has said. It shut the laboratory on Tuesday after he became infected.

Australian plane makes emergency landing •Elderly passenger seizes controls AN Australian pilot made an emergency landing after wresting back the controls of his light aircraft from an 82-year-old passenger who grabbed them midflight, the aircraft’s charter company said.

Police said the elderly man chartered the small fourseater Beechcraft Duchess plane on Monday for a business trip from the Sydney suburb of Bankstown to Cowra, a distance of about 186 kms (116 miles).

But he began acting erratically midway through the flight, moving to shut down the plane’s engines and seizing the control stick, a spokesman for charter company Australia by Air told reporters.

The 23-year-old pilot restrained the passenger and made a distress call before safely landing the plane in a field, police said.

“The pilot displayed excellent airmanship and skill during the landing, and we thank him for his professionalism,” the company said in a statement.

Police Inspector Mark Wall said the man was in stable condition in hospital in Sydney, with injuries to his face. The pilot was treated for shock and discharged.

Silva surges in Brazil’s election race A SURGING Marina Silva has narrowed President Dilma Rousseff’s lead in Brazil’s presidential race, a new opinion poll showed on Tuesday, paving the way for a likely second-round runoff in which the popular environmentalist looks wellpositioned to win.

Silva, who was thrust into the presidential race last week following the death of her party’s candidate, has 29 percent of voter support heading into the Oct. 5 vote, according to the survey by polling institute Ibope.

The poll showed Rousseff with 34 percent, down from 38 percent in the previous Ibope survey in early August. The other main opposition candidate, Senator Aecio Neves, has also dropped four percentage points to 19 percent since the last Ibope poll.

The election could decide whether the commodities powerhouse takes a more market-friendly direction that attracts investment needed to revive the world’s seventh-largest economy.

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A renowned defender of the Amazon rainforest who placed a strong third in the 2010 presidential election, Silva has upended this year’s race since declaring her candidacy last Wednesday. However, many political analysts warn that both Rousseff and Neves have plenty of television ad time, along with more powerful and better-funded parties behind them, to counter Silva’s rise before election day.

Silva surged 10 percentage points ahead of Neves, the centrist candidate favored by investors, and now threatens to dislodge the ruling Workers’ Party in its toughest election since it won office in 2002, the Ibope poll showed.

Silva’s big asset is her low rejection rate, just 10 percent compared with 36 percent of voters who said they would never vote for Rousseff, which indicates the president does not have much room to grow but her challenger does.

A feisty Silva took Rousseff to task in an election debate on Tuesday night when

Gaza truce holding but Israel’s Netanyahu under fire at home

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•Presidential candidate Marina Silva of Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) speaks during the first television debate at the Bandeirantes TV studio in Sao Paulo PHOTO:REUTERS

she touted her government’s achievements in improving social conditions and defending wages in the midst of global economic crisis.

“The colorful Brazil that President Dilma has described only exists in the cinema,” said Silva, vowing to shake up Brazil’s politics by governing without murky pacts with tradition-

al parties but also inviting their brightest minds to join her.

Analysts say Silva has benefited from sympathy over the tragic death of Eduardo Campos, who had invited her to join his ticket as his running mate, and they will be watching a series of opinion polls this week to see if support for Silva wanes after the initial surge.

Islamic State ‘committed war crimes’, UN alleges

SLAMIC State (IS) militants have committed “mass atrocities” in Syria and have recruited children as fighters, the United Nations says.

In a report, investigators say public executions are a “common spectacle” in areas run by IS, one of the groups fighting against Syria’s government.

The UN report details abuses by the Syrian government and several of the armed groups fighting it.

The report says the Syrian air force has used barrel bombs on civilian neighbourhoods.

“In some instances, there is clear evidence that civilian gatherings were deliberately targeted” by government forces, the investigators said.

“In government prisons, detainees were subjected to horrific torture and sexual assault.”

The findings are the result of interviews and evidence collected between January and July this year as part of an inquiry into human rights violations in Syria.

Among the other allegations of war crimes committed by the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad was the use of suspected chlorine gas, a chemical agent, in eight separate incidents in April and May of this year.

The period covered in the report coincides with the growth of IS in Syria. The group seeks to create an independent Islamic State in an area that stretches across Syria and Iraq.

It has attracted jihadists from across the region, as well as fighters from Western countries including the UK and the US.

The use of barrel bombs by the Syrian government has been widely condemned Islamic State militants are said to have recently gained control of a Syrian airbase in Tabqa, near Raqqa Training child soldiers In their report, UN investigators said IS was waging a campaign of fear in northern Syria, including amputations, public executions and whippings.

“Bodies of those killed are placed on display for several days, terrorising the local population,” the document says.

“Women have been lashed for not abiding by IS’s dress code. In Raqqa, children as young as 10 are being recruited and trained

at IS camps.”

UN inspectors were initially barred from Ghouta in Damascus where chemical weapons were allegedly used Paulo Pinheiro, the chairman of the UN panel, said the international community has failed “in its most elemental duties - to protect civilians, halt and prevent atrocities and create a path toward accountability”.

One of the investigators, Carla del Ponte - a former chief prosecutor of two UN war crimes tribunals - has urged world powers to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court.

Meanwhile, Islamic State militants have executed Syrian army soldiers and are holding a group hostage after capturing an air base in northeast Syria at the weekend, pictures posted on social media by supporters showed yesterday.

Freed American hostage speaks for first time

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ETER Theo Curtis, the freed American Journalist has spoken for the first tiem.

“I have learned bit by bit that there have been literally hundreds of people — brave, determined and bighearted people all over the world — working on my release,” he said outside his mother’s home in Cambridge, Mass.

Nancy Curtis has thanked the U.S. and Qatari governments along with what she

said were “many individuals” who helped negotiate the release of his 45-yearold son, who was held for 22 months. It’s not clear exactly how his release was secured.

“While the family is not privy to the exact terms that were negotiated, we were repeatedly told by representatives of the Qatari government that they were mediating for Theo’s release on a humanitarian basis without the payment

of money,” Nancy Curtis said in a statement.

Yesterday, Peter Theo Curtis said, “I had no idea so much effort was being expended on my behalf and now having found out I am just overwhelmed with emotion.” He added, “I suddenly remembered how good the American people are and what kindness they have in their hearts, and to all those people I say a huge thank you from my heart

•Peter Theo Curtis,, yesterday morning.

Girl, 9, accidentally kills instructor

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9-year old girl has accidentally killed her instructor during a training session in The Bullets and Burgers gun range in Mohave County, near Las Vegas, Arizona.

The facility allows kids be-

tween 8 and 17 to use the range, as long as they’re accompanied by their parents.

The shooting was caught on video by the girl’s parents, who filmed as instructor Charlie Vacca instructed the girl on how to handle the gun, first

adjusting her grip and stance.

The girl, dressed in pink shorts, can be seen firing one round, after which Mr. Vacca adjusts her grip. Then several rounds go off, and the girl loses control of the weapon, which keeps firing as it lifts up and

back. Vacca died at a nearby hospital..

To some psychologists, Tuesday’s tragedy highlights the dangers and implications of allowing children straddling childhood and adolescence to handle weaponry.

N open-ended ceasefire in the Gaza war held on Wednesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced strong criticism in Israel over a costly conflict with Palestinian militants in which no clear victor emerged.

Netanyahu, who has faced constant sniping in his cabinet from right-wing ministers demanding military action to topple Hamas, scheduled a news conference for Wednesday evening, expected to be his first public remarks since the Egyptianmediated truce deal took effect on Tuesday evening.

Palestinian health officials say 2,139 people, most of them civilians, including more than 490 children, have been killed in the enclave since July 8, when Israel launched an offensive with the declared aim of ending rocket salvoes.

Both Israel and Egypt view Hamas as a security threat and are seeking guarantees that weapons will not enter Gaza, a narrow, densely populated territory of 1.8 million people.

Under a second stage of the truce that would begin a month later, Israel and the Palestinians would discuss the construction of a Gaza sea port and Israel’s release of Hamas prisoners in the occupied West Bank, possibly in a trade for the remains of two Israeli soldiers believed held by Hamas, the officials said.

“On the land of proud Gaza, the united people achieved absolute victory against the Zionist enemy,” a Hamas statement said.

Israel said it dealt a strong blow to Hamas, killing several of its military leaders and destroying the Islamist group’s cross-border infiltration tunnels.

Indian girl, 7, survives being buried alive

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SEVEN-year-old Indian girl who was allegedly buried alive by relatives in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh has been rescued by a villager.

Police say relatives first tried to strangle her and then left her to die in a shallow grave. It is unclear why.

The man who found her in Sitapur district alerted police - she was taken to a hospital and is said to be doing well.

Police are looking for her mother, uncle and aunt who they say have fled.

The villager who rescued her followed the sound of muffled cries to the middle of a cane field where he found the soil moving.

Police allege the girl’s uncle and aunt had promised to take her to a fair, but then strangled and buried her near the village of Semri Gaura where she lives.

“When the girl became conscious, she began to remove the soil on top of her and clambered out of the shallow grave. Then she sat there and cried loudly when the villager spotted her,” Sitapur police chief Rajesh Krishna told BBC Hindi.

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NEWS Waiver for Ribadu, others splits PDP Continued from page 4

Ahmed Gulak and Dr. Umar Ardo.

The NWC raised a five-man panel headed by the National Legal Adviser to consider issues surrounding the waiver request and submit a report tomorrow.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “For the first time, Muazu faced a revolt from NWC members most of who opposed waiver for the three aspirants.

“At a point, Muazu stood up and was about leaving the meeting when some members prevailed on him that the issue could be resolved through legal

consultation.

“At the end of the day, the meeting agreed to raise a fiveman panel to consider all applications for waiver and the legal implications. Members of the panel are the National Legal Adviser; National Organising Secretary; National Publicity Secretary; National Financial Secretary; and National Vice Chairman (NorthEast).

“The committee is expected to submit its report tomorrow to the party leadership.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The screening of the aspirants has been postponed till Saturday.

“But the task of picking a candidate forced President Goodluck Jonathan to raise an eight-man committee, including three governors, to advise him.

A member of the NWC said:”What I can assure you is that PDP is trying to have a rancour-free primary to avoid losing the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

There were indications last night that the President has opted for an eight-man advisory committee on the way forward.

A top source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said the Presidency and the NWC had been con-

sulting on: •whether to zone the governorship slot or not; •what to do with the requests for waiver for Ribadu, Marwa and Gundiri; •how to sustain the unity of the party after the primaries for the governorship poll in October to avoid defeat; •should the acting governor be allowed to contest or not?

The source added: “The advisory committee is expected it to come up with a roadmap for the party.

“Like in the past, there are so many bigwigs in Adamawa PDP and unless the party manages the situation well, it might lead to a fresh crisis.”

Declare war on insurgents, ex-Service men tell President Continued from page 4

been awaiting political backing to move against the insurgents.

The source said: “There is pressure on the Presidency to rise to the threats posed by Boko Haram insurgency by giving the military the necessary backing to draw the battle line against the insurgents.

“Even serving and retired military officers are in favour of drawing the battle line against the insurgents with enhanced

funding and sophisticated equipment.

“If the Presidency is in support of a make or break campaign against the insurgents, then we should expect a fullscale war in Borno State.

“We have reached a stage that political expediency can no longer solve Boko Haram insurgency. The nation’s military is losing its hard-earned image to this insurgency.

“Even some of the 480 soldiers who came back from

Cameroon told their Commander that they were determined to return to GamboruNgala axis to confront the insurgents.

“What serving and retired officers are saying is that if the nation’s military can win a civil war in the 70s, it has the capacity to overrun the insurgents with political will and better equipment.”

Acting Inspector-General of Police Abba who spoke on an African Independent Televi-

Reclaim territories captured by Boko Haram, ACF urges military Continued from page 4

security challenges in the North especially the capture of some towns and villages by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

A statement by the forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, said: “The meeting expressed deep concern about the rapid escalation of the security challeng-

H

es in the North-East, particularly the capture of a large portion of the territories of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states by the Boko Haram insurgents despite the state of emergency and the heavy presence of the military.”

It queried “why our military now failing to quell such a rebellion by a band of insurgents?.

“ACF calls on the Federal

ello everyone and welcome. Today, we will be kicking off with two vital products designed to help men who encounter sudden erection loss during intercourse. The two products in question are the Stay Hard Vibrating Cockring and the Stay Hard Beaded Triple Cockring. If you are a man that gets a good erection and then loses it half way into intercourse, any of these Cockrings will help you. Cockrings are worn at the base of an erect penis during intercourse to enable a man maintain his erection for up to twenty minutes, even after he has ejaculated. They are cheap too. The Stay Hard Vibrating Cockring also gives women pleasure when used because it vibrates to stimulate the female genitals during intercourse. The Beaded Triple Cockring on the other hand comes in a set of three different sizes, so that the user has options and backups.

Premature ejaculation is another common male sexual complaint which disrupts the flow of intercourse and deprives women of sexual enjoyment. So today we have two additional solutions to premature ejaculation. The first is a penis sleeve called Enter the Dragon and it is worn over the penis like a condom. But it is thicker than a condom, can be used several times and it also lowers penile sensitivity because of its thickness thereby aiding the control of quick ejaculation. The name sounds funny but it works. Enter the Dragon penis sleeve also makes the penis look bigger and thicker so men will enjoy this aspect of it as well. We also have a new delay cream for stopping premature ejaculation called the Ultra Maximum Delay Spray. Like all delay ointments, the Ultra Maximum Delay Spray is applied on an erect penis minutes before intercourse to prevent premature ejaculation. In instances where total loss of erection is the case, then I recommend Hard Times Supplement or Epic Nights for men. These two are both new erection supplements and have already been discussed in previous weeks.

The next set of new products we have for today are designed purely for seduction. Do you know that there

Government to, as a matter of extreme urgency, investigate and unravel the actual reason for the failure of the military to live up to their past performance.

“ACF urges Federal Government to quickly take all necessary measures to reclaim the territories captured by the insurgents and restore the territorial integrity of Nigeria.”

It said.

sion (AIT) programme last night said: “It was not the first time the Academy would be attacked but our policemen had always successfully repelled them. This time around, they came with armoured vehicles with sophisticated equipment mounted on them. They also came in large number.

“As at today, 27 policemen have not returned but we have located them. We are doing everything to bring them back safely.”

Ladoja’s mum dies at 94 From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

Mother of former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja is dead.

Alhaja Alimotu Sadia Ladoja who died yesterday was 94 A source close to the family broke the news of last night. Her remains might be buried today according to Islamic rites.

The ex-governor was at the Mapo Hall in Ibadan for his Accord party rally on Tuesday where he received defectors from other parties.

are special perfumes that you can wear to increase people’s attraction towards you? Yes they exist and it is not magic.

They are called Pheromones and new in our collection are the Optimale Pheromone Cologne for men and the Infatuation Body Spray for women. So if you are the shy type that doesn’t know how to approach a girl or boy, these perfumes will make life easier by making your love interest attracted to you.

We also have new adult games designed for couples who need more excitement in their predictable sex lives.The are theForeplay in a Row Game and the Secret Vows Gameand they will give users tons of new romance ideas and activities that they will be happy with.

New toys for women are also available. They are the Vibrating Make Up Brush and the Waterproof Rabbit Pearl. The Vibrating Make Up Brush looks exactly like your typical female make up accessory but then, it vibrates.

Mothers with nosy children at home will love this product because their kids will never figure out that it is a vibrator.

The Waterproof Rabbit Pearl on the other hand is a multifunction rabbit vibrator of quality with the ability to stimulate the user in many ways, bringing proper sexual satisfaction and orgasms. It is also waterproof and can be used in the shower.

The last products for review today are two new sex education movies for adults. The first is the Guide to Oral Sex film and the other is Sex: A Life Long Sexual Pleasure.

Thanks to movies like these, adults are able to get basic sex education that they cannot get anywhere else without feeling embarrassed.

That is it for today. We will discuss more new products next week. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08027901621 or 08051924159or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

Shell eyes $5b from oil block sale Continued from page 4

said: “In 2014, we will make hard decisions about our next phase of projects. Capital discipline and potential returns will be critical factors in deciding which to take forward to development,” adding that Shell is cutting its capital expenditure from $46 billion last year to around $37 billion this year as it seeks to “moderate its growth ambition in order to free up cash flow.”

“Shell is shrinking this portfolio and cost base, with 2014 spending to be reduced by 20 per cent compared to

2013, and redirecting onshore investment to the lowest cost gas acreage with the best integration potential, and into ongoing exploration in liquids-rich shales. At the same time, profitable growth should continue in deep-water and heavy oil, where an industry-leading development programme is under way.”

“From 2014, tight gas and liquids-rich shale will have a different role in our strategy.

We now see them as an opportunity for the longer term rather than the immediate future.” He added.

Insecurity: Jonathan, Obasanjo meet Continued from page 4

firm that I met with Mr. President on his invitation. In fact, he had wanted to come to Abeokuta, but as a sign of respect to the Office of the President, I had to go. We had discussion on the country’s security issues and that is all.”

Obasanjo, who said he appreciated the invitation, said he would continue to make himself available for service on national issues and in the interest of peace and progress.

The relationship between the Obasanjo and President Jonathan is believed to be frosty. It is not known whether there was also an attempt at reconciliation during the meeting.

Last week, Obasanjo lauded the efforts of the Federal Government and the Lagos State government to curb the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease(EVD).

But he said if the same energy put into tackling EVD was applied in handling the abducted Chibok school girls issue the story would probably have been different to-

day.

The former President this week criticised Jonathan’s style of running the country’s economy, likening it to the era of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, whose military regime did not only inflict hardship on Nigerians but also wiped out the middle class.

On the Eggon/Fulani crisis in Nasarawa State, Obasanjo charged Benue and Nasarawa states to work together for the restoration of peace to the warring communities.

According to him, the two ethnic groups, Eggon (who are farmers) and the Fulani, who are herders, must understand each other and sort out their differences.

He said: “there is no way, such will not happen, but the two state governments should come up with a lasting solution. The farmers would want their crops to be protected, while the cattle men will also want their cattle to feed. So, the government should fashion out peaceful means to end the crisis.”

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

TOMORROW IN THE NATION

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

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HE death has been announced of Chief Samuel Olatunde Fadahunsi, CON, on August 12. He died peacefully after a brief illness at the Lagoon Hospital, Marine Road, Apapa, Lagos, in the company of his adoring wife, Chief (Mrs.) Elizabeth Iyabo Fadahunsi, his children and family. He was 94 and his death marks a watershed in the engineering profession in Nigeria, of which he was a pioneer and an icon. His contribution to the development of the profession in Nigeria is immense.

Chief Fadahunsi was one of Nigeria’s most accomplished and celebrated civil engineers.

In a public career spanning over 50 years after graduating in England in 1954 as a civil engineer, Chief Fadahunsi established for himself an enviable reputation as Nigeria’s leading water engineer. He initiated and was actively involved professionally in the building of water dams and supply all over the old Western Region. All these dams are still in existence today. In a fitting written tribute to him in 2009, his old friend and equally distinguished professional colleague, the Ven. Engineer P.B. Oyebolu, now deceased, described him as “a legend of our time, an astute and forthright Nigerian, a man of many parts, a great professional engineer, a man of principle and a deeply religious person”. No one who knew Chief Fadahunsi intimately will disagree with that estimation of him.

Chief Fadahunsi was born on March 17, 1920, in Ora, a village, near Ila-Orangun, into a well known Ijesa family with royal lineages on both sides. His father hailed from the Loro family, one of the ‘warlord groups’ of the Ijesa Council of Chiefs that assisted the Owa in running the Ijesa Kingdom, while his mother was a direct descendant of the ruling Owa, of the Bilaro royal family. It was he who founded the village of Itagunmodi, now famous for its rich gold deposit. Chief Fadahunsi was the nephew of the former governor of the old Western Region, Sir Odeleye Fadahunsi.

Among his numerous cousins were Professor Femi Fadahunsi of LUTH, Professor Akin Fadahunsi of Ahmadu Bello University and Olu Fadahunsi, a lawyer. All of them, though younger, regrettably predeceased him.

Chief Fadahunsi’s early life in Ora revolved around the local church. As he said, this was to have a profound influence on him throughout his life. The family’s life and activities centred mainly on the church where his father was a prominent leader. He remained a devout Christian and, until age related infirmities took hold of him, he worshipped regularly with his family at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos. His professional service and contribution to the church are invaluable. At Ilesa which he often visited, he worshipped at St. John’s Cathedral.

After primary schools in Ilesa, Osogbo, and Ibadan, Chief Fadahunsi’s early promise and brilliance took him to the prestigious Government College, Ibadan, in 1937, where he joined other equally brilliant Ijesa students. Among these were the late Professor Olu Mabayoje, the outstanding physician, the late Dr. Timothy M. Aluko, the well known writer who, like Chief Fadahunsi, later distinguished himself in civil engineering, Obi Obembe and Chief M.

VOL. 9, NO. 2,952

‘For her country, she gave her life. What will you give for your country? Instead of giving, aren't our leaders stealing the country blind? Dr Adadevoh deserves a monument in her memory so that generations unborn will know of her noble deed.’

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

DAPO FAFOWORA

FROM THE SUMMIT dapo.fafowora@thenationonlineng.net

Chief Samuel Olatunde Fadahunsi, CON (1920- 2014)

•The late Fadahunsi Apara, now 94, who read economics at Hull University in England, and later became the Chief Accountant of the old ECN. Mention must be made in this connection of another outstanding Ijesa Engineer, Chief Teju Oyeleye, who also passed on recently at 88. This first generation of Ijesa engineers dominated the engineering profession in Nigeria for a long time. All of them remained close friends for life. The Ijesa excel in engineering, law, medicine and religious evangelism, turning out some of the most distinguished professionals in their various fields.

Of that brilliant group, only the late Justice Kayode Eso was not at the Government College, Ibadan. He attended Ilesa Grammar School instead. But all of them, including Dr. F.A. Ajayi, who took a first class honour’s degree in law from the London School of Economics remained very close, and inspired a lot of younger Ijesa students, including this writer, to strive for the best always. But what is even more impressive about this distinguished Ijesa professionals was their intense loyalty to one another. Through my late father, I was privileged to have been acquainted with all of them and personally held them in high esteem for their professional integrity, humility and sincere friendship, all virtues that are now in short supply in our country.

In 1943, during World War 11, Chief Fadahunsi entered the newly established Yaba Higher College to read civil engineering, along with nine other students selected from

all over colonial Nigeria. This fortuitous situation was to make him develop a healthy relationship and respect for other Nigerians.

Yaba offered only a diploma course in engineering then. In 1946, Chief Fadahunsi graduated from Yaba with a diploma in civil engineering and took up appointment in the colonial Public Works Department (PWD). His first assignment as a trainee assistant engineer was at the Osogbo-Ede water supply, an experience that led him later in his professional career to concentrate on water engineering in which he was to excel. In 1948, two years after he left the Yaba Higher College, he won an open scholarship to study civil engineering at the Battersea Polytechnic in London.

After graduating in 1952 from Battersea with an honour’s degree in civil engineering, he spent two years working for Cubits, a well known British engineering company. He returned home in 1954 and was appointed a full engineer at the Public Works Department, from where he had won a scholarship to Battersea.

He had wanted to serve in either the old Eastern Region or the North. He was instead posted to Ibadan from where he was transferred to Osogbo as the District Engineer. Two years later, he was appointed the Town Engineer at the Ibadan City Council, succeeding an expatriate engineer. It was as the Town Engineer in Ibadan that he began to attract a lot of attention as a competent professional engineer. He returned to England in 1957 for post graduate training as a water engineer in which he began to develop keen professional interest. On returning home in 1958 he served as a Senior Engineer in various towns in the old Western Region, including Ibadan, Abeokuta and Benin, and was soon after appointed the Chief Water Engineer in the old Western Region. His senior colleague and close friend, Dr. T.M. Aluko, was appointed the Controller of Works, and later Permanent Secretary.

In 1959, he married his beautiful fiancée, Miss Elizabeth Iyabo Jonah, who was a senior staff of Shell and, soon after, left the Western Region public service to join the newly established Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB), first as a deputy, and later as the CEO of the agency. It was in this capacity that his reputation for professional diligence and competence

HARDBALL

W

HAT exactly does it mean to say that a country’s citizens do not know where they are going, or that the country itself does not know where it is going? The August 24 visit by a delegation of the Nigerian Market/ Traders’ Council to a former president of the country, Olusegun Obasanjo, was a time not only to consider the country’s trajectory but also to contemplate the puzzles? Indeed, the group’s mission to Obasanjo’s home in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was to seek answers to its apparent confusion about the country’s course, particularly in view of the approaching 2015 general elections, the evident heightening of centrifugal tensions and the threat of apocalypse.

The weight of the delegation reflected the importance attached to its objective. The 150person team, led by the council’s National President, Yeye Osho, had representatives from the country’s 36 states, including the

Who will show the way?

Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief Alaba Lawson.

Obasanjo was quoted as saying: “As for me, we don’t know where we are going yet; may God show us the way, the way that will make this country a great country.” He added: “If I see the way, I will tell you. I pray that God will show me the way; may God show you the way.”

Disturbingly, Obasanjo likened the state of the nation today to the notoriously despotic era of the late Gen. Sani Abacha who was the country’s military head of state from 1993 to 1998. In case he was unaware of the import, such a negative comparison actually implied the failure of Obasanjo’s party, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Or was such implication his intention? In other words, it could be that Obasanjo consciously suggested

that the President Goodluck Jonathan administration was the worst in the country’s history, given that Abacha’s regime allegedly held the odious distinction before now.

Possibly to reinforce the idea, Obasanjo said: “Tough times do not last forever. When tough times come, tough people get going.

We will keep going and we will survive this tough time.” Could this be a not-so-veiled statement indicating his position on Jonathan’s suspected interest in re-election?

What did he mean by “tough people get going”? Did he mean that Jonathan should be rejected? These interpretations may not be far-fetched, considering the wall between the two men despite Obasanjo’s well-known role in Jonathan’s rise to the presidency.

Also worthy of contemplation, Obasanjo

LAWAL OGIENAGBON

soared beyond the confines of the old Western Region. It was under his watch at the LEDB that the reclamation of Victoria Island, the demolition of slums in central Lagos, and the redevelopment of Iganmu in Lagos was intensified. He was also responsible for the development of FESTAC and Amuwo Odofin later. In 1972, he left the LEDB out of frustration, as he put it, following the series of probes of the agency by the military government of Lagos State. He was never found guilty of any financial or professional misconduct. He was subsequently appointed the Chairman of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), and later the Chairman of the Osogbo Steel Rolling Mills. On retiring from the public service, he set up his own engineering consultancy, the Comprehensive Engineering Consultants, with his cousin, Engineer Femi Fadahunsi, now deceased, as a partner. The company has been hugely successful. He was a former president of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and a former president of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). For his service to the nation he received the award of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), and several other national and international awards.

Chief Fadahunsi has been aptly described in the following words by his old friend, the late Justice Kayode Eso, JSC, himself a celebrated jurist: “He is, by every letter of the word, an aristocrat….but of the humblest piece of humanity. His kindness is proverbial….as he seeks to help others, a strange combination in a highly principled, soft spoken man”. His aristocratic bearing and impeccable manners, at home and in public, endeared him to many, including his professional colleagues. He was a man of deep conviction in what he believed in, and this often led him into trouble with the military authorities during the long period of military rule in Nigeria. In 1976, while working for a private engineering company on a water project in Abeokuta, Lt.-Colonel Oladipo Diya, the military governor of Ogun State, had him arrested and detained for a week on trumped up charges. He fought him to a stand still and had to be released as he was innocent of all the charges leveled against him by the military governor. Details of this ugly episode in his life and his frequent confrontation with the military have been given in his autobiography, ‘Reflections on the Events of my life’, published in 2010 when he was 90.

He had a fulfilling and very happy family life. His wife of over 55 years, Chief (Mrs.) Elizabeth Iyabo Fadahunsi, nee Jonah, a dutiful and devoted wife, was always at his side. They were virtually inseparable socially, even unto the end when Chief Fadahunsi had become quite frail due to old age. She was a gracious hostess who made everyone welcome in their comfortable home off Marine Road, Apapa. They have five children, all of whom are professionally accomplished. Our hearts and prayers go out to his widow, children, and family. A Commendation Service for him will be held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, on September 4 at 10 am, after which his remains will be taken to Ilesa for interment. The funeral service will be at the Cathedral of St. John, Iloro, Ilesa.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above said: “We all have contributions to make and should not leave our responsibility to others. If we fail to participate in things that are meaningfully positive for this country, you will be a victim and we all become victims.” Was this a case of seizing the moment to try to say something to his party, or to the electorate?

Whether Yeye Osho and her team understood Obasanjo’s comments superficially or essentially, they at least provided him with an opportunity to express his thoughts on the country’s worrying situation. Yeye Osho said the purpose of their visit was “to find out which direction we are going.”

Obasanjo said he didn’t know, and asked for divine intervention, which is sheer mystification. Isn’t it clear that the country is going in an unconstructive direction, and urgently needs the intervention of the people

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