The Nation August 31, 2011

Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

•32 dead in Ondo crash •Oyo to fight floods

Four-day deadline for Gaddafi’s men NEWS – Page 5

NEWS

•Demolition of buildings in Ibadan soon

•‘Surrender or face bullets’

Pages 3 & 10

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 7, NO. 1869 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

President urges unity at Sallah From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

T

HE President yesterday urged Nigerians to take advantage of the nation’s diversity to propel development.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan spoke when he received a delegation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muslim community, led by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

The President said: “We thank all of you and we know as a nation we have challenges within this period. All Nigerians are clamouring for development; we need employment for our young people; we need power for our household use, commercial and industrial activities; we need food for our people; we need security for those who want to move around safely from one point to another. All these are possible, if all of us collectively call on Allah to make it possible.”

The President said having interacted with Muslims during the Ramadan, he had concluded that we all need to be our brothers’ keepers.

“I interacted with quite a number of Muslims within this period. I hosted some people during the fast breaking sessions. I listened to radio and television comments on it and the conviction is that this is a period when we have to be our brothers’ keepers. Irrespective of the language we speak, irrespective of the part of the world or country we come from, a period that Allah has made it possible for us to interact.

“If we look at ourselves, some of us are Continued on page 4

INSIDE •Sultan condemns bombing, Jos religious violence •Sallah at Ikoyi Prison •Kano suspends Durbar over emir’s illness AND MORE ON PAGES 4,7&54

TIMES:: Moslems on their way to prayers pass by an armoured tank mounted by a soldier at the Emir’s palace as security •A SIGN OF THESE TIMES is strenghtened during the Eid-el-fitri in Bauchi ... yesterday PHOTO: NAN

UN House attack: Nigeria on trail of al-Qaeda agents Security agencies shake-up likely Ki-Moon: UN to tighten security

A

FTER preliminary investigation into the bombing of the United Nations (UN) House in Abuja, the search for alQaeda bases has started in Chad and some key states in the North.

Some of the states are Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Katsina and Kano.

It was also learnt that the search has the backing of the international

From Yusuf Alli, Onyedi Ojiabor and Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

community, especially the UN, which said last night that security would be tightened at its stations worldwide.

The Federal Government is yet to release the bodies of the victims of last Friday’s suicide bombing be-

cause FBI, CIA and other experts are probing the nature of the bombs used.

Many countries, including the United States (US) and Britain are collaborating with the Federal Government to rid Nigeria of terrorism, The Nation learnt yesterday.

Besides a close monitoring of the Boko Haram sect, the hunt for al-

Qaeda agents will be extended to many parts of the North.

A top security source, who spoke in confidence, said: “It has been established that some religious extremists who have a strong link with al-Qaeda have established bases in the North under the guise of propagation.

“Security agencies are focusing on

the North, but with particular emphasis on Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Katsina and Kano states. The confessional statements of the three suspects arrested have given sufficient clues that these bases exist.

“But there is a suspicion that the al-Qaeda bases in the North may be Continued on page 4

•POLITICS P17•SPORTS P23•LIFE P29•MONEY P45•NATION INVESTORS P47

2

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

3

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

NEWS IBADAN FLOOD OF TEARS

•Make-shift bamboo that replaces the Apete bridge that caved in after the flood

Man drowns in Odo Ona

T

HE Ona River (Odo-Ona), Ibadan which overflowed its banks in the aftermath of last Friday’s downpour and wreaked havoc on residents, yesterday claimed yet another life, four days after the rain.

The latest victim, described as a washerman was swept away while laundering clothes in the river at Apata, Ibadan.

No fewer than 30 people were either said to have died or missing

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

after Friday’s downpour in the city.

The Ona River where the man simply identified as Isa drowned had flooded many homes and destroyed property worth several billions of naira .

Residents said Isa was wellknown in the area for using the river to wash clothes.

Officials of the state Fire

Service who came to the scene to rescue him told The Nation that they received a distress call from a resident.

The fire team, led by a Principal Official , Mr. Sunday Akinola , left the scene after their inability to locate Isa’s body.

Some officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission {FRSC} and the Civil Defence also joined the rescue team.

Isa’s elder brother who identified himself as Abdulraman said: “ We

were both coming from Oluyole where we had gone to collect clothes from our customers but when we reached the River bank where we usually wash clothes , he { Isa} went close to the river bank only to slip into the water and was immediately covered up. Since I don’t know how to swim, I had to run to seek for help”.

The incident triggered a traffic jam on the Odo-Ona – Apata road as sympathisers gathered to watch what was happening and possibly assist.

Ajimobi to demolish buildings

O

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday vowed to demolish structures obstructing water channels in Ibadan, where flood killed several residents and destroyed property worth billions of Naira last Friday.

He spoke at a special prayer organised in memory of those who died The governor who cut short his pilgrimage to Mecca, returned to the country yesterday. He said his government will step on toes to free water channels and save residents from untimely death. He said although owners of the structures would fight back, his administration would not look back in its determination to save the lives of the people.

Ajimobi blamed the flood on human factors, which can be averted

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

if residents obey the law.

He said:“This administration will offend many people, especially people that have structures along the drainages in the state. My government will demolish them all.

“I know there is going to be resistance from different quarters, I can assure you that by the special grace of God, we shall overpower them, no matter how highly placed any of them might be. We will demolish the structures and free our people from untimely death.”

The governor urged the Chief Imam of Ibadan land, Alhaji Busari Haruna, and other religious leaders to pray for his administration to succeed in its plan.

“I know that these people, the owners of the structures that we are

planning to demolish, would fight back from different angles. Some of them would engage the services of herbalists to fight us but with your prayers, the powers of their juju will be neutralised.” “ Ajimobi also laid part of the blame on the doorsteps of his predecessor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, for the poor road construction and rehabilitation embarked upon by his administration. He said residents contributed to the disaster through refuse dumping in water channels.

The governor commiserated with the families of those who died in the flood and prayed God to comfort them.

He said he had contacted President Goodluck Jonathan, who promised to assist the state with relief materials.

•Ajimobi

UI loses N10b property From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

T

HE University of Ibadan (UI) yesterday declared losses estimated at N10 billion during last Friday’s flooding in the city.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on an assessment tour of the crisis areas within the campus said it was impossible for the institution to handle the repair alone.

Destroyed by the flood were the fish farm which harboured different species of fish worth N300 million; several animals at the Zoological garden, books estimated at N2 billion as well as the teaching and research farm. Also affected were many buildings, laboratories and equipment. Thirteen electric poles were pulled down by the ravaging flood.

The flood also sacked rooms on the Ground Floor of the Obafemi Awolowo Hall.

Adewole, therefore, pleaded with the federal and state governments, corporate bodies as well as wellmeaning individuals to come to the aid of the institution.

“There is no way we can handle this alone. For us to return to our form, we certainly need government’s assistance because this devastation is quite massive,” he said.

The Head of the Department of Fishery, Dr. Bamidele Omitoye told the VC that some special species of fish including claias gariepinus, heterobranchus bidorsalis, oreochromis niloticus, and parachana obscura sourced from different places had all been swept away by the flood.

Olubadan, Oyelese to govt: declare Ibadan disaster zone

T

THE Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Samuel Odulana and former Minister of Power and Steel, Elder Wole Oyelese have called on the Federal Government to declare Ibadan, the Oyo State capital a disaster zone.

The monarch and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain made the call yesterday in their response to the havoc caused by the flood which swept across the city..

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

The Otun Olubadan, Chief Omowale Kuye, who spoke on behalf of the Olubadan-in-Council during an on-the-spot assessment of the damage at Apete in the city said the declaration would pave the way for the reconstruction to put Ibadan back on its feet.

He was accompanied by other high ranking members of the coun-

cil including Chiefs Lekan Balogun and Eddy Oyewole. They explained that the tour ordered by Oba Odulana helped the traditional council to have an on-the-spot assessment of the negative impact of the havoc.

The Olubadan-in- Council insisted that government needs to take urgent steps to prevent a recurrence of the disaster by declaring Ibadan a disaster zone to allow for the urban renewal that is required.

Chief Kuye said: “The government must make sufficient preparation for the future. Now it is impossible for students to cross the river and traders are not able to go for their business. The loss of lives gives Olubadan a lot of concern. The flood was beyond control.”

Oyelese, in a statement, said the magnitude of devastation caused by the flood was a thing of great sorrow for all indigenes and the

whole country.

Stressing that only God can console the bereaved and other victims, Oyelese expressed his condolences.

Calling for an approach akin to that of Chief Bola Ige during the 1981 Ogunpa flood, Oyelese called for the declaration of Ibadan as a disaster zone to allow for concerted efforts by the Federal and state governments to offer a permanent solution to flooding in the city.

4

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

NEWS

•President Goodluck Jonathan with Super Eagles and Chelsea FC midfielder Mikel Obi during his visit to the State House in Abuja ... yesterday PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

Sultan condemns bombing, Jos violence

T

HE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, yesterday described Friday’s attack on the United Nations (UN) building in Abuja as abominable.

He spoke in Sokoto in his Sallah message to the Muslim Ummah.

His words: “We, therefore, seriously condemn this act while commiserating with those who lost their property and condoling with the families of those who lost their lives.

“We hereby call on the Muslims not to allow themselves to be used by our enemies in achieving their desired goals.

“We should not allow them to cause us to commit acts prohibited by our religion.

We, therefore, call upon all

those involved in this nefarious act to fear God and desist from committing this grievous act.”

The Sultan urged Boko Haram members to seek avenues of dialogue with the leaders on Nigeria’s problems.

Alhaji Abubakar also stressed the need for all to assist in providing solution to such serious problems through peaceful means and dialogue.

He said: “We vehemently condemn yesterday’s unfortunate incident of violence in Jos, which caused the loss of lives of many people.

“While we condole with the families of those who lost their lives, we would like to reiterate our call on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, investigate the

incident and bring the culprits to book.

“It is high time for the government to prevent any future recurrence of such acts of violence in this country.”

Muslim clerics also condemned the bombing and urged the Boko Haram sect to sheathe its sword.

The religious leaders spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Alhaji Lateef Okunnu, the President of Ansar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria, described the bombing as “barbaric, uncalled for and wicked”.

“It is a matter of great concern that needs fervent prayers to God for peaceful co-existence among peoples of the world,” Okunnu said.

Continued on page 54

•Gombe State Governor Hassan Dankwambo and Emir of Gombe Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar during the Eid-el-Fitri prayers in Gombe ... yesterday Continued from page 1

tall, some are short, some are fair, some are dark and all are designed by Allah. If Allah wanted all of us to be of the same height, we would have been the same height.

So, there is a reason for the diversity and the diversity should be used to help us develop and not to separate us.

“All the fast breaking sessions urged our Muslims brothers to pray for the development, economic growth, peace and security in the land so that we will get foreign direct investments. No country stands on its own now; even the giant countries need to live with other countries.

And for us to get attracted, we must maintain peace and security in the country,” he said.

President urges unity at Sallah Dr Jonathan asked Muslims to continue praying for the government and the nation to meet the yearnings of the people.

He added: “No matter the efforts we make, we are humans and if Allah does not sanction it, it will not work.

We believe that with your prayers, things will be well in this country.”

He also congratulated the Muslim Ummah on the successful conclusion of the Ramadan fast.

Said the President: “It is not easy to fast for a month and having participated in it for the past five years,I know

that it takes a lot of sacrifice, commitment, dedication and faith to do that successfully.”

On the delegation were the ministers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed and Ms Olajumoke Akinjide; former PDP chairman Dr Ahmadu Ali, Corps Marshal of the Federal road Safety Corps (FRSC) Osita Chidoka and Chief Imam of the National Mosque Ibrahim Mohammed.

There were also the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Dikko.

UN to re-assess security threat, says Ki-Moon

T

HE United Nations will soon conduct a global threat review in the wake of the deadly attack against the UN compound in Abuja. The attack claimed 23 lives.

Eleven of the people confirmed to have died in last Friday’s attack are UN staff, including one international staff member – Ingrid Midtgaard of Norway.

Thirty-two others are receiving treatment in hospital.

Secretary-General Ban KiMoon told the Security Council last night that he has received a briefing from Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gregory Starr, who visited the scene of the attack at the weekend and spoke with survivors.

“What we know is that this attack was the work of a suicide bomber who rammed a sport utility vehicle, at high speed, through the exit gates of the UN compound,” he said.

“The UN House in Abuja, home to 26 agencies and programmes, is a well-built structure, with robust security measures. This attack is therefore cause for a serious re-assessment – not just in Nigeria - and not just in highthreat locations, but worldwide.”

Mr. Ban said a global threat review would begin shortly, separate to the full review of the attack and the security measures in place in Abuja.

“Meanwhile, we are doing everything possible to assist the victims and their families.

That will include trauma counselling for those who

Nigeria on trail of al-Qaeda agents Continued from page 1

feeder types with big bunkers in Chad and Mali.

“We are really mopping up and combing some Northern states where these bomb suspects have been operating from.

“The fact that the North shares borders with a few war-ravaged countries, like Chad, fuels the suspicion of infiltration of Nigeria by al-Qaeda members.”

There was an indication last night that the delay in releasing the bodies was at the instance of FBI, UN and foreign security experts probing the incident.

A source, who is part of the ongoing forensic examination, added: “These foreign investigators have sought to examine the lethal impact on the victims to determine the nature of the bombs used.

“They have established that the bombs used are not the types that Boko Haram members could handle, in view From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

might need it,” he said.

Ki Moon said the security of UN staff remained paramount, particularly as the UN is being increasingly targeted by terrorists worldwide.

“We must draw the lessons to be learnt from Abuja. And together, we must commit the effort and resources to implement them. Our goal must be to stay, not leave, in difficult security conditions. We must continue to carry out our vital work, not lock ourselves behind fortresses. We must manage risk, not become risk averse.”

UN/Under-Secretary for

of the fact that most members of the sect are not highly-educated or sophisticated.

“They are actually working on a theory that some elite might also be behind the spate of bombings in the country.

“They seem to believe that the affected elite have been acquiring these lethal bombs and using agents to perpetrate the violence.”

A major shake-up in the nation’s security network is on the way, The Nation has learnt.

The looming changes, our correspondents gathered, may not be unconnected with the worsening security challenges facing the country.

A Presidency source said yesterday that the changes, which may sweep off some top security chiefs in the various agencies, may be announced by President Jonathan immediately after the Eid-el-Fitri holidays.

The source said that President Jonathan might have been convinced

Security Gregory Starr yesterday in Abuja said security should not be blamed for last Friday’s bomb blast at the UN building.

Starr, giving an update on the incident, said adequate security measures were put in place before the blast to secure lives of the workers and the UN property.

He blamed the attack on the UN building on religious extremism of the attackers, whom he said are opposed to the UN stance against global terrorism.

Starr said Nigerian security officials are leading the investigation of the blast.

He confirmed that security officials from the United

to make the changes aimed at injecting fresh blood and new ideas into the security network.

The source maintained that Friday’s bomb attack may have left President Jonathan with no other option than to overhaul the system.

Though the source tried to downplay the impending changes “as mere change of batons with nothing special about it”, it was gathered that they will be far-reaching.

Likening the attack on the UN building by Boko Haram to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York, the source recalled that after the September 11 attacks, measures were taken to overhaul the security network.

The coming measures, according to the source, may also be a way to reassure apprehensive Nigerians and the international community that the Federal Government is on top of the security situation.

States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) are in the country on the invitation of the federal government for assistance.

Starr said: “So, we carefully analyse where we spend our security money. We looked at this country as one with low or medium security threat.

This is not the kind of country we expected this kind of attack.

“We think that the security measures we took, despite this heinous attack, saved a tremendous amount of lives.

Over all, the security situation we believed to be low or medium grew to be incorrect; we need to take further measures in the future.”

“We take the responsibility of the security of our personnel seriously, but like I said, it is a combination of what we get from the host government and the type of things that we do for ourselves,” Star said, adding: “But, every dollar that we spend on security is money that is not going to healthcare, development programmes and the type of things the UN is expected to do.

“We look to our host gov-

•Ki-Moon

ernment to provide our security over all. We support or reinforce host governments’ efforts with our internal efforts. Similarly, the investigation that is being conducted is being done by the Nigerian government.”

On whether some bodies are still under the rubble, the Resident Coordinator in charge of Information, Mr. Daouda Toure, said: “What we can say at this moment is that all the bodies were taken out of the building, but some body parts could have remained in there because some people were really so badly injured.

“That is why the access to the premises is limited for now. We are working with NEMA and other institutions to make sure that all the remains, if any, are taken out.”

CORRECTION Terrorist attacks on the United States took place on September 11, 2001 and not September 9, as published in yesterday’s story, ‘Probe confirms al-Qaeda link in UN House attack? The error is regretted.

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

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

5

NEWS ENDGAME IN LIBYA

•A poster of Libya's embattled strongman Moammar Gaddafi sits in a garbage container in a deserted street in Tripoli...yesterday.

UK wants police to probe murder

T

WENTY-SEVEN years after a policewoman was murdered outside the Libyan Embassy in London, Britain is planning to dispatch detectives to Tripoli, the Libyan capital, to investigate the unresolved killing.

Policewoman Yvonne Fletcher was killed in front of the Libyan Embassy in 1984.

“That’s our hope, yes”, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron said when asked whether the Metropolitan Police would be able to send officers to Libya.

Libya’s ruling interim council has been fighting to end the remaining resistance after its supporters seized Tripoli and ended Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year reign.

“Clearly, the NTC (National Transitional Council) have got their priorities now, which is establishing security. But we are in discussions with the NTC on a number of issues (and) in due course we hope that that’s a position we can reach,” the spokeswoman said, referring to a police visit.

Fletcher, 25, died after being hit by a shot fired from the embassy during a demonstration against Gaddafi.

After an 11-day siege, 30 Libyans in the embassy were deported and no one was ever charged with her killing.

Her death led to Britain severing diplomatic relations with Libya for 15 years.

Officers from Scotland Yard were allowed to go to Libya last year to investigate the case.

Last week, The Daily Telegraph named a Libyan diplomat, who it said had been seen firing a machine gun from an embassy window in 1984.

An NTC minister had on Sunday said that Libya would not extradite Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and British media reports say the NTC has also ruled out handing over any suspect in the Fletcher case.

PHOTO: AFP

Fleeing Gaddafi’s daughter Aisha delivered of a baby in Algeria M

UAMMAR Gadhafi’s daughter and a former United Nations (UN) Good-

will Ambassador, who has kept a low profile during Libya’s violent uprising, has been delivered of a baby girl in Algeria, sources close to her family told the Cable Network News (CNN).

The baby was born shortly after Aisha entered Algeria. Gadhafi’s only daughter is doing all right, the sources told CNN. Algeria’s Foreign Ministry had on Monday announced that Gaddafi’s wife, Safia, and three of his children, including Aisha, had entered the country.

The family members arrived in Algeria via the Libyan border, state media reported, citing the ministry.

Aisha had been expected to give birth in September, sources close to the family told CNN. Known in the Arab media as the “Claudia Schiffer” of the region, the striking blonde beauty was once considered her embattled father’s best asset. But, unlike her brothers, Aisha Gaddafi has largely kept out of the public eye as rebels continue to quash the last pockets of resistance

from her father’s 42-year-old regime.

Many observers expected Aisha to show more support for her father’s increasingly beleaguered regime, especially when a Non Allied Treaty Organisation (NATO) airstrike in April killed her brother, Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, and her own daughter — one of several Gaddafi grandchildren who died in the attack.

One source told CNN that, at the time, she was struggling through a “difficult pregnancy.”

It was on “humanitarian grounds” that the Algerian government allowed family members of Gaddafi into the country, Algeria’s representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York said on Monday.

The members of the Gaddafi family in Algeria do not hold political office and are therefore not subject to the same scrutiny by the international community, reasoned Mourad Benmehidi, Algeria’s Ambassador to the UN. “The wife of someone who has grievances with the international community is not necessarily subject to the same grievances,” Benmehidi told CNN. The government in Algiers feels

it important to balance Algeria’s obligation of hospitality to the family members seeking refuge with its obligations to the international community, Benmehidi said.

Benmehidi said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had been informed.

The UN had on Monday officially confirmed receipt of a letter from Algeria regarding the admission of members of the Gaddafi family.

In February, as Moammar Gadhafi called on the military to crack down on anti-government protesters early in the Libyan conflict, the UN terminated his daughter’s stint as a Goodwill Ambassador in Libya for the UN Development Programme.

In an interview on Libyan staterun television at the time, Aisha Gadhafi said she had heard the news.

“I can’t verify if it’s true or not, but all the Libyans who know me ... know that I am the goodwill ambassador with or without the United Nations,” she said.

She had been named to the position in 2009 to address HIV/AIDS and violence against women in Libya.

A lawyer by profession, she is also known to toe a very tough political

line. She has been a longtime, loud supporter of anti-government groups — except at home — including the IRA and the insurgents in Iraq.

She was famously part of Saddam Hussein’s defense team when he was tried. He ultimately was convicted and hanged.

When The London Telegraph asked her how she felt about Iraqis who say Hussein slaughtered thousands of their countrymen, she replied, “You are bound to meet people who may be against your policies.”

•Aisha

Four-day ultimatum for pro-Gaddafi fighters

S

URRENDER by Saturday, or face the consequences. That was the counsel of Libya’s interim leader Mustafa Abdel- Jalil to forces loyal to embattled Libyan strongman, Muammar Gaddafi.

Abdel-Jalil warned that the proGaddafi forces would face full military action if they failed to surrender towns and cities still under their control before the expiration of the four-day ultimatum.

Officials of the National Transitional Council (NTC) have accused

neighbouring Algeria of an act of aggression for admitting Gaddafi’s fleeing wife and three of his children.

Algeria’s Foreign Ministry had on Monday admitted that Safia, Gaddafi’s wife, his daughter, Aisha, and his sons Hannibal and Mohammed had entered Algeria.

“Beginning from this Saturday, if there are no peaceful indications for implementing this, we will decide this manner militarily. We do not wish to do so but we cannot wait

longer,” said Abdel-Jalil.

Anti-Gaddafi forces have converged on Gaddafi’s country home Sirte, from East and West, but have stopped short of an allout assault in hopes of arranging a negotiated surrender of Gaddafi’s birthplace.

The embattled strongman had been on the run since his foes captured his Tripoli compound on August 23 and his 42-year-old rule collapsed after a six-month uprising backed by the Non Allied Treaty

Organisation (NATO) and some Arab states.

A spokesman for the NTC said it would seek to extradite Gaddafi’s relatives from Algeria, which remained the only country among Libya’s neighbours that refused to accord the NTC recognition.

Nearly 60 countries have acknowledged the NTC as Libya’s legitimate authority. Russia, China, India, South Africa and Brazil are among those which have so far withheld recognition.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

6

NEWS ENDGAME IN LIBYA Cameron chairs National Security Council meeting

Zimbabwe expels Libyan Ambassador Taher Elmagrahi

T

HE Zimbabwean’ government has announced the expulsion of Libya’s Ambassador, Taher Elmagrahi, who last week abandoned Col Muammar Gaddafi and switched allegiance to the rebels.

For joining protesters who stormed the embassy and raised the pre-Gaddafi flag, the envoy and the entire embassy officials were given 72 hours to leave the South African country.

Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister,Taher Elmagrahi said it did not recognise the rebels under the aegis of the National Transitional Council (NTC).

President Robert Mugabe has been a close ally of the embattled Libyan strongman, who bankrolled the African Union (AU).

Only a few members of the AU have recognised the NTC. South Africa had last week blocked moves at the United Nations (UN) to give the NTC access to Libyan government funds.

Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, from Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party, said Mr Elmagrahi and all his staff now had 72 hours to leave the country.

“Once you renounce the authority that gave you the letter of credence and then proceed to pledge

allegiance to another authority... it means that act deprives you of your diplomatic standing,” he said.

When he switched sides last week, Mr Elmagrahi said: “I am not Gaddafi’s ambassador. I represent the Libyan people.”

Reports say Mugabe and his allies are wary of the revolutions which have toppled three long-serving North African leaders this year.

More than 40 activists were arrested in Zimbabwe in February after watching videos about the Egypt uprising.

Mugabe has condemned Non Allied Treaty Organisation (NATO) intervention in Libya and alleged that oil was the main cause of the conflict.

Banks face myriad difficulties in trying to return corrupt Gaddafi money BANKS are facing enormous legal and logistical challenges as they try to repatriate the billions of pounds worth of frozen Libyan assets invested in the war-torn North African state, industry officials said yesterday.

The process could take years to resolve even though the United Nations (UN) has already unfrozen some $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid which will be sent to the country.

The fears followed the dislodge-

ment of Col Muhammar Gaddafi’s dictatorship by rebel fighters and the formation of Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) in Tripoli.

It is estimated that as much as $120 billion of Libyan assets are sitting in bank accounts across the world, including up to $17 billion in the United Kingdom (UK) alone.

UK foreign secretary William Hague said yesterday that it might take a while to repatriate frozen Libyan assets.

The United States (U.S.) and South Africa last week struck a deal that will see $1.5 billion of frozen money released for humanitarian aid by the U.N. The South African government initially had concerns about money being sent to the NTC, which it has not recognised.

But diplomacy has softened the South African stance over this.

Alan Bacarese, special counsel at Peters & Peters, the London law firm, pointed to the difficulties that Austria had recently in trying to return money frozen by U.N. sanctions to the rebel forces in Libya.

He said that the Vienna government wanted to hand over some •1.7 billion but was faced with the thorny question of who exactly to return the money to.

Banks will face this dilemma even

•A scarecrow depicting Gaddafi stands in central Tripoli ...yseterday.

B •Gaddafi

after the U.N. reverses its sanctions against Libya.

Bacarese, who was previously head of legal and case consultancy at the International Centre for Asset Recovery in Basel, Switzerland, said that usually a central bank would be the recipient of the repatriated money — not a rebel group that has just overthrown a government.

“That isn’t going to chime in these days of enhanced due diligence.

Banks and indeed, governments, depending on where the assets are held and how, have got to ensure that they are returned to the right organisations. Of course, if they don’t, and they return it to the Central Bank of Libya in Tripoli, which at the moment is the subject of one of the targeted sanctions, they could be technically in breach of the sanctions. They are really caught until the sanctions are lifted,” he told Thomson Reuters.

PHOTO: AFP

RITISH Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday chaired a National Security Council meeting on Libya Yesterday’s parley was prior to a scheduled international conference, taking place in Paris, France, which Cameron will co-host tomorrow.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said the meeting had “discussed developments on the ground, the humanitarian situation and the unfreezing of assets, and they looked ahead to the Paris conference”.

Asked about details of the Paris conference billed for tomorrow, the spokeswoman said the agenda was still being worked through with French officials.

The spokeswoman said the possible capture of Muammar Gaddafi was a matter for the Libyan people, but added that Britain was supporting the National Transitional Council (NTC) in the “broadest terms”.

Asked to confirm that the United Kingdom (UK) was playing no role in the hunt for Gaddafi, the spokeswoman added: “We are not going to go into detail, but we are contributing”.

Ojudu urges world leaders to save black migrant workers

T

HE international community has been asked to stop the systemic killing of black migrant workers by Libyan rebels. Senator Babafemi Ojudu in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, said it is disturbing that innocent black migrant workers are being targeted and killed by Libyan rebels.

Ojudu said since the rebels are people who claim to be fighting for freedom, there was no need for them to be killing those who are darker than them in complexion. While condemning the act, the lawmaker representing Ekiti Central maintained that world leaders must caution the freedom fighters before it gets out of hand. He noted that several reports had shown that migrant black workers from countries like Nigeria, Ghana and other nations had been killed in their numbers, as their dead bodies litter the streets of Libya, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan should also be able to caution the rebels since he seems to be familiar with them, as he had openly endorsed the National Transitional Council (NTC).

Senator Ojudu, who explained that the AU had attributed its refusal to endorse the NTC to the senseless killing of migrant blacks, said this is not a time for President Jonathan to bury his head in the sand, but rather a time to set a clear line between the fight against oppression and racism. He said if the rebels did not stop the act at once, they would have successfully told the whole world that they are racists and not freedom fighters.

Counsel predicts legal battles over repartriation of Libyan funds

A

SPECIAL counsel at a London law firm, Peters & Peters, Alan Bacarese, has predict-

ed a spate of legal challenges to the movement of funds back to Libya.

He pointed to UK court cases brought by corrupt Nigerian state officials trying to prevent their money being returned to Africa. Gen Abacha died in 1998; his family and associates are estimated to have looted some $3 billion public funds.

Bacarese said that although there was often overwhelming evidence that such officials had been involved

in corruption the legal process was long winded. “None of the money that is the subject of sanctions is going to move anytime quickly. Much more problematic is where it is going to and who is it going back to,” he said.

Robert Palmer, a campaigner at anti-corruption body Global Witness, said that the issue with the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, was clearer.

Banks would know whose customers’ assets had been frozen. The problem lay with other Libyan in-

vestment vehicles which are vaguer about their ownership.

There is even less clarity in Africa and the Middle-East about what does and does not constitute Libyan money, he said.

“Governments outside the European Union (EU) and the U.S. have been less determined in implementing the U.N. freezing sanctions,” he told Thomson Reuters.

Earlier in the year, Global Witness published a leaked document detailing how the LIA held nearly $65 billion worth of assets, including more than $1 billion with HSBC.

Palmer said that it was unlikely that the frozen Libyan money would be unlocked in one go and handed directly over to the NTC and that there would be checks and balances to ensure that the money did not find its way back into the hands of Gaddafi or his cronies.

The lifting of sanctions could also cause some money to slip under the radar.

“If you lift the sanctions it means that smaller pots of money that governments are not aware of will be able to be liquidated and moved,” he said.

Palmer said that the way transactions were structured meant it would be very difficult for institutions to identify assets that dictators controlled.

Gaddafi is believed to have used the son-in-law of his daughter to hide his assets and the fact that his name was unknown helped Gaddafi hide and control these assets.

Palmer called for cooperation between any new Libyan government and the authorities in the U.S. and UK to identify and return stolen assets.

7

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

NEWS EID-EL-FITRI CELEBRATION Amosun, Mimiko: govt needs prayers

O

GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his Ondo State counterpart, Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday urged Muslims to pray for the success of those in government.

Amosun spoke at the Lantoro Praying Ground in Abeokuta during the Eid-elFitri prayer to mark the end of the Ramadan fast.

He enjoined Muslims to complement government’s efforts at ensuring peace and tranquility, saying; “it is in the atmosphere of peace that development can thrive.”

The governor assured the people that development would start soon in terms of good roads and other infrastructural facilities.

Mimiko urged Nigerians to sacrifice for the good of the country.

He spoke while hosting the Moslem community in the state, led by the Chief Imam of Akure, Alhaji Adbul Hakeem Yayi Akorede.

Mimiko said: “I want to enjoin you all to continue to be your brother’s keeper; we must live in peace with our neighbours, we must imbibe, at all times, the spirit of oneness, piety, self sacrifice that we all went through during the fasting period. We must emulate the teachings and ways of the Prophet Mohammed (SAW) if all our sacrifices and fasting must make any meaning before Almighty Allah.”

Sulu-Gambari prays for peace From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

T

HE Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari yesterday prayed for the peace and stability of the country and congratulated Muslims across the globe on the Eid-el-Fitri celebrations.

He also urged Muslims all over the world to continue to live in peace and harmony with adherents of other faiths.

His words: “It is in the best interest of the nation that all hands should be on deck to ensure peace and security which are vital ingredients for prosperity and rapid development.

“I commend the law enforcement agents in this state for maintaining peace and minimising acts of violence and horrendous crimes.”

The monarch spoke while addressing Muslims at the Ilorin Eid Praying Ground.

He urged Muslims to use the occasion of the Eid-elFitri to renew their commitment to the Qur’anic injunction enjoining them to live in peace with their neigbours.

The emir appealed to “our religious leaders, both Muslims and Christians in Ilorin and the state to continue to live happily and harmoniously as preached by the two holy booksBible and Quran.”

Sulu-Gambari, quoting from the Qur’an, asked Muslims to practice their religion and allow others to practice theirs without let or hindrance.

In his sermon, the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammed B. Salihu admonished Muslims to allow the lesson of the Ramadan reflect in their daily endeavours.

Alaafin urges search for peace

T

HE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has urged Nigerians to eschew acts that are detrimental to national security and peaceful coexistence.

The Alaafin in his Eid-el Fitri message, told Nigerians to always remember that they have no other country, hence the need to be patriotic and positive–minded about its progress and development.

Condemning the bomb blast at the United Nations (UN) House in Abuja, the Alaafin appealed to Nigerians to co-operate and support the President Goodluck Jonathan administration in the task of reforming the country.

•From left: Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed and Minister of Transport Senator Idris Umar during Eid-EL-Fitri prayers at the National Mosque in Abuja ... yesterday.

PHOTO AKIN OLADOKUN

Tight security in Jos after violence

C

ALM has returned to Jos after Monday’s violence that claimed 10 lives. Security has been beefed up in and around the city as Muslims celebrate Eid-el Fitr.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that fierce-looking personnel of the military Special Task Force (STF) were on patrol, in areas considered as flash points yesterday.

Mobile policemen were in other flash points while vans conveying armed soldiers and officers of the local security outfit, “Operation Rainbow’’ patrolled the city.

Deputy Chief Medical Director and Chairman of the ECWA Churchowned Hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee, described the situation as “very serious’’.

Monday’s violence, which started around Farin Gada and Gada Biu areas, threw the metropolis into confusion as fear-stricken residents ran for safety.

The violence was triggered by a clash between youth groups as the Izala Islamic sect faithful went to Rukuba praying ground to mark the Sallah festivity.

Other sources blamed

the violence on protests

by Gada Biu community residents over the planned use of the Polo Ground for Eid prayers.

Police Commissioner Dipo Ayeni assured residents that the Sallah festivities would be hitch-free, stressing that his men were prepared to secure residents from any attack.

Ayeni advised the public to be security conscious and report any suspicious movement to the Force.

The government has condemned the violence and advised people against taking the law into their hands.

Aregbesola advises Nigerians to be closer to God

From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

The monarch commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the Ibadan flood disaster, and prayed Allah to put an end to such calamity.

He assured the people of the state of good governance, adding that the Abiola Ajimobi–led administration would not disappoint in improving their socio–economic wellbeing.

Contrary to speculations that the monarch was flown abroad for medical treatment, the Alaafin yesterday went round the ancient city in a motorcade amid jubilation from thousands of residents.

With the tight security in place, residents appeared to move about freely.

“We are ready to safeguard lives and property and people should go about their normal businesses,’’ STF spokesman, Capt, Charles Ekeocha, told NAN. The peace enjoyed by Plateau residents over the past weeks, was shattered on Monday morning in an orgy of violence that left 10 people dead and 40 others were taken to the Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) with gunshot injuries.

Dr David Lass, BUTH

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

•Aregbesola

O

SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday advised Nigerians to see the end of the holy month of Ramadan as a peri-

od to draw closer to God. Praying for an end to the violence across the country, the governor called on Muslims to see the violence and disasters as a call for greater dedication to the wishes of Allah.

In a Sallah message signed by his Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola was quoted as

saying that having spent a month of fasting and re-dedication to God, Muslims have a duty to continue to seek His favour.

The governor added: “These cases of violence, destruction of human lives call for concern. For these reasons, we need to get closer to God and as the holy month of Ramadan comes to its end, we need to re-dedicate our lives to the fear of God in all we do.”

The governor also called

on other leaders to show passion for service to the people, adding that governments only exist to serve the people.

“Those who lead should constantly bear it in mind that they only hold their mandate in trust for the people. The people are the true custodians of power and the only way to show this is dedicated service to the people.

When people are happy, we can be sure of peace in our land,” Aregbesola said.

Kano suspends Durbar over emir’s illness

T

HE fanfare associated with Sallah celebration in Kano State was absent yesterday, following the poor health of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero.

The frail-looking emir, who managed to attend the Eid-el-Fitri prayers at the Kofar Mata Eid Praying Ground, was unable to rise unaided. He was assisted by Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

It has been the tradition

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

of the emir to celebrate Sallah by visiting the governor and participating in the Durbar.

The Commissioner for Information, Prof. Farouk Jibril said the suspension of the Durbar became inevitable to allow the royal father have enough rest to recover from his health condition.

Jibril urged the people to pray for the speedy recovery of the emir, whom he described as an embodiment of the culture and tradition of the people.

He was, however, silent on the ailment the emir is suffering from.

Kwankwaso prayed for the quick recovery of the emir, and assured the people of the security of their lives and property.

He reiterated his adminis-

tration’s determination to fast track the socio-economic development of the state, using agriculture as the spring board.

Kwankwaso called on the people to pray for the peace and stability of the nation.

“This is the time to care for the sick and the physically challenged in our midst, even as we reflect on the teachings of Ramadan.”

The Chief Imam of Kano,

Sheik Sani Zaharadeen, enjoined Muslims to exhibit the virtues of Prophet Mohammed and be of good conduct.

Zaharadeen, who is a former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, said: “Throughout the glorious month of Ramadan, we were of good conduct and we were in a constant state of purity. The end of Ramadan should not be the end of our act of piety. We

•Kwankwaso

should rather continue to exhibit the good virtues of Prophet Mohammed, Peace be upon Him.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

8

NEWS EID-EL-FITRI-CELEBRATION Amaechi calls for unity, peace

R

IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi yesterday urged Muslims in the country to further consolidate on the peace and unity of the country as they celebrate this year’s Eid-El-Fitri.

In a statement by his spokesman, Mr. David Iyofor, Amaechi congratulated muslims on the completion of their fasting, adding that the Sallah celebrations call for a reflection on the state of our nation and how to further strengthen our union.

“As Nigerians we must exhibit oneness to be able to stand strong together through diverse difficulties and challenges, and achieve our goals as a nation. We must focus on the things that bind us together. This is why we celebrate together.

“I congratulate and rejoice with all our Muslim brothers and sisters, I believe that your prayers during the Ramadan fasting would be for the ultimate good of our country.”

He urged Muslims to, in the spirit of the Eid-El-Fitri celebrations, strive to live in harmony with their fellow Nigerians and be good citizens of the country.

The Governor further assured Muslims in Rivers State of continued support and wished them a merry celebration.

Imbibe Prophet Muhammed’s virtues, says Yuguda From Austine Tsenzughul Bauchi

B

AUCHI State Governor Mallam Isa Yuguda, yesterday joined Muslim faithful to observe the Eid-el-Fitri prayers at Bauchi Central Mosque in front of Emir’s Palace Bauchi.

Among the prominent Muslims at the prayers were the Bauchi Emir, Dr. Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, top government officials, politicians and businessmen.

The Eid prayer was moved to the Bauchi Central Mosque due to an all- night heavy rain that rendered Prayer Ground in Bakaro water logged and unsuitable for the prayers.

The prayer was observed under tight security as the usual Durbar (ceremonial horse riding) associated with the festivity was postponed due to the weather.

In his sermon, the Chief Imam of Bauchi Central Mosque, Alhaji Bala Ahmed Baban-Inna admonished the people to support and cooperate with government in its efforts to take the state to loftier heights.

The cleric praised the Yuguda-led regime for embarking on people oriented projects and programmes, urging the administration to ensure adequate security of lives and property of the people of the state.

•From left: CSP Lukman Adejumo, Mr Bodunde Tiamiyu, 1st Vice-President, NASFAT, Mr Bayo Alabidun,Mr Biyi Bamgbose, National Publicity Secretary , NASFAT, Deputy Chief Of Staff to the Ekiti State Governor Mr Mojeeb Jamiu, missioner, Alh Abdul Ganiy Bello, and Business Secretary, Alh Mikhail Ojerinde, at the NASFAT Eid ground at the old secretariat Ikeja...yesterday

How Ikoyi Prison’s inmates celebrated Sallah FTER 30 days of fasting and prayer Muslims all over the world yesterday in their millions celebrated the end of self denial.

Inmates of Ikoyi Prison, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, were part of the worldwide celebrations as the Muslims among them wore white flowing gowns, rejoicing with representatives of Muslim and Christian Organisations, Non Governmental Organisations (NGO), friends and relations who had come to spend time with them.

This reporter was part of the crowd. Ordinarily, he might not have been allowed in, but had to deploy his reportorial skill in getting in.

The standing rule is that, you cannot see any prisoner, unless, you write an application to the prisoner through the prison controller. Once the prisoner gives his consent, you will be allowed in.

This reporter met a young man who came to see a friend. The man, Akeem Ayinla (Not real name) wrote a joint application, which was submitted.

From the moment you submit your application, the warder smiles at you. In submitting application, you are expected to “back it” up with a hundred naira note or more. Because of the huge traffic yesterday, many were willing to play ball, but my newly found friend refused.

All the same our application was taken inside.

A

For inmates of Ikoyi Prison, it was a Sallah with mixed feelings yesterday, but for the warders, it was a day of blessing. OLUKAYODE THOMAS, who was with them, reports.

After about thirty minutes, a warder returned with the approved application.

But before we could proceed inside the prison, the warder lectured us for a few minutes, “ The prison is different from the outside world, he said slowly. “We have laws, and if you flout the law, we will ensure that you are prosecuted and sent to jail.

As at today we have 1869 inmates, but I can assure you that we still have room for more.

“The first law is, you must not smuggle Indian hemp or alcohol into the prison.”

The way the warder harped on this warning gave the impression that smuggling is a common practice.

Next, he warned against smuggling in telephone handsets into the prison, “Some women hide phones, in their ‘private banks,’ if you try it and you are caught, the phone will be seized.’’

After his lecture, we then proceeded inside. At the entrance, you are expected to drop your phone and tip the warder attending to you, af-

‘The prison is different from the outside world. We have laws, and if you flout the law, we will ensure that you are prosecuted and sent to jail. As at today we have 1869 inmates, but I can assure you that we still have room for more’ ter which you get an identification tag. Failure to “drop” may deny you entry.

Relations and friends who came with Sallah food and other goodies quickly complied, but my new friend and I refused to ‘drop’. The warder in charge here collected my camera, but he refused to give me and my friend tallies.

After about five minutes delay, he said some inaudible words but allowed us in.

The security was brisk. In

no time we were inside.

Waiting a few meters from the entrance were inmates who were expecting their loved ones.

Upon sighting visitors, the inmates would practically throw themselves at the visitors, both engaged in a long embrace. You could hear whispering of Barka de Sallah. And some back slappings. And sobs.

Among the inmates were some Asians.

Inside the prison are two offices designated for receiving visitors. Here convicts in blue prison uniform are asked by warders to call prisoners who have visitors.

But these convicts will not do your bidding until they are tipped. One noticed that some of the inmates were not wearing the blue uniform.

An inmate said there were not enough to go round. Another alleged that inmates with financial muscle pay to avoid wearing the blue uniform.

The Ikoyi Prison’s exterior looks okay even if it begs for painting and general cleaning of the environment. The interior is however a different matter. Save for one

small building that appears recently built, the others are decaying. The volley ball court inside has seen better days. The general environment is not conducive for human habitation.

Many of the inmates however look well feed despite the shabby environment in which they are.

Though, one could not get access to where they sleep, majority of them complained about overcrowding.

No wonder their mood changed once the warder announced it was time for their visitors to leave.

It took over 20 minutes to find my host. He was located by a sympathetic warder after others we had sought assistance from had failed to find him.

When he finally appeared, he had a sad tale to tell. He was working as a guard at an estate in Akesan. The landlords association gave him a gun to aid his work.

But on a particular day in 2008, armed robbers invaded the estate, and shot at anything in sight.

He returned fire and in the process, a resident of the estate died. He was arrested by the police and has since been at the prison awaiting trial.

There are hundreds like him in the prison.

Religious organizations also came to minister to the souls of the inmates. They also brought food and other materials for their comfort.

Sultan calls on stakeholders to renew commitment

T

HE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called on stakeholders in the Hajj operation to renew their commitment to the successful conduct of this year’s Hajj.

“Presently, preparations are about to be completed on the 2011 hajj operation. So, I am making this call in my position as the leader of the Nigerian pilgrims (Amirul Hajj),” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Sultan made the call in Sokoto

on Tuesday in his Sallah message to Muslims in the country.

Abubakar urged the pilgrims be good ambassadors of Nigeria in the Holy land, respecting the laws of the land and following the instructions of their leaders.

“The authorities, on their part, should take necessary steps to punish the defaulters whether among the leaders or the pilgrims in general,” the Sultan further urged.

Abubakar commended the efforts of Sokoto State Gov-

ernment for its development and welfare programmes to its people.

“The efforts towards the establishment of state-owned university are gigantic ones in educating our children, fighting illiteracy and providing employment to the people.

“The Ramadan feeding programme which was extended to all the 23 local government areas of the state has proved the government’s concern towards enhancing the lives of its people,” he added.

Abubakar also commended the Federal Government for improving the welfare of the people of the state especially, its resolve to rehabilitate the Goronyo dam and major roads destroyed by last year’s flood.

He asked Muslims to fear Allah and desist from acts prohibited by Him, adding: “we should always do good and desist from evil acts for the sake of Allah so as to gain His Mercy.

“We should always continue to pray to Allah for whatever befalls us. We pray to

Allah for good bumper harvest and to provide us with good health and peaceful coexistence in this country and countries of the world.

“May He also protect us from all kinds of calamities, those we know and those we do not know,” Abubakar said, even as he congratulated the Muslim Ummah for successfully completing the Ramadan fast.

The Sultan urged them to sustain the good virtues learnt during the period and to desist from condemning one another

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

9

NEWS EID-EL-FITRI CELEBRATION

•Oba of Lagos Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu (right), Lagos State Commissioner for Works Dr. •President Goodluck Jonathan with some kids during a sallah homage by the Muslim community Obafemi Hamzat (representing Governor Babatunde Fashola), Alhaji Femi Okunnu and Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju in the Federal Capital Territory to the President at the State House... yesterday

•, President, League of Imams and Alfas, South West and Edo, Sheik Mustapha Ajisafe (left) delivering a sermon to Muslim faithful at Oke Baale Praying Ground, Osogbo...yesterday. In the front row are: Osun State Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Alhaji Basiru Ajibola (second right), Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (third right). With him is Senator Bayo •Muslims praying in Ibadan Salami. Beside the Ataoja of Osogbland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji is behind the Commssioner

•Alhaji Muraino Oluwa, Baba Adinni of Ojoraland (left), Oba of Ojoraland, Oba Fatai Oyeyinka •Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu, in his royal cart after the celebration Aromire and Chief Wasiu Ademola Ojora, Aro of Ojoraland at Ijora ground, Lagos in Yola... yesterday

•Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari (left) with Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed at the praying Ground in Ilorin.. yesterday

•Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (left); Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruk and former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida at the Minna praying ground PHOTOS: OMOSEHIN MOSES, ISAAC AYODELE, ABIODUN WILLIAMSAND NAN

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

10

NEWS Hoodlums abduct Ondo LP chief’s mum From Damisi Ojo, Akure

M

RS. Cecelia Omogbehin, mother of the Chairman of Ondo State Sports Council, Mr. Bamido Omogbehin, has been abducted.

About seven gunmen kidnapped her in Okitipupa Local Government at about 7:30 pm on Monday.

It was gathered that the criminals trailed Mrs. Cecilia from her shop to her home, where they collected the phones of the people in the house, before driving her away in her car.

Mrs. Cecilia’s car was abandoned by the sea in Igbokoda, where they might have taken her away in a ferry.

One of her children, Omogbehin, said her abductors have not contacted the family.

Bamido, a former state legislator, said: “It is unfortunate that my mother has been kidnapped. She was returning from her shop when the kidnappers followed her.

“Uptil now, they have not contacted the family. I don’t know what my mother has done to warrant this kind of treatment.”

Police spokesman Adeniran Aremu said the police are making efforts to apprehend the abductors.

Aregbesola hailed on N19,000 minimum wage

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun State yesterday praised Governor Rauf Aregbesola for increasing the minimum wage to N19,000, as against the N18,000 stipulated by the Federal Government.

In statement by its Chairman, Elder Adebiyi Adelowo, the party urged labour leaders to reason with the government.

Adelowo said: “Though this is a state that has been brought to its knees economically by almost eight years of visionless leadership, the governor still finds ingenious means to better the lot of workers.

“The state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

such a paltry sum that almost all allocations from the Federation Account are spent on salaries.

“That compels the governor and his team to look for creative ways of embarking on development projects.

For instance, had the governor not been visionary enough, the state would have been affected by flood as is the case in many other states, but because he saw it coming, he had ensured adequate dredging of the rivers before the rains started.”

These and many more, Adelowo said, should compel the workers to show concern for the state’s finances.

Amosun visits slain ACN member’s family

O

GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday visited the family of Chief Yomi Bamgbose, who was killed last Saturday by unknown gunmen.

He was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Funso, and members of the State Executive Council.

Amosun described Bamgbose’s death as “shocking and unbelievable.”

He said the late Bamgbose was a dedicated leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), who believed in good governance.

Amosun said: “God knows best for taking his life at this critical period. I am confident that God will reward him positively for his good works while alive.”

He prayed that God would comfort the family.

Fayemi’s wife promises to assist Ibadan flood victims HE wife of Governor Kayode Fayemi, Erelu Bisi, has said Ekiti State would send relief materials to victims of last Friday’s flood in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

She urged the public to assist the victims.

Mrs. Fayemi spoke in Ibadan last Monday, while assessing the damage done. She was in the company of the wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi.

Mrs. Fayemi said: “I’m here to show solidarity and support toMrs. Ajimobi. I pray that God Almighty will replenish all you have lost. May the souls of all that died rest in peace.

“I’m sure the Oyo State government is on top of the situation. We, in Ekiti, will continue to support them with our prayers. We are working towards sending relief materials to support their efforts.”

Mrs. Ajimobi reassured the people that the government was sensitive to their plight.

She said: “Our visit today is to reassure the people that the government is on top of the situation. Though, the damage is much, we will get over it with the support of everybody.

“The State Executive Council, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and relevant agencies are working round the clock to ensure that we find a lasting solution to the incident urgently.

“It is only God that can replace the loss, but we will try our best to let the people know that this government is sensitive to their plight. The government will continue to supply relief materials to the victims.”

T

•From left: Ondo State Deputy Governor Alhaji Ali Olanusi; Governor Olusegun Mimiko; Chief Imam of Akure Shiekh AbdulHakeem Akorede; Chairman, Moslem Welfare Board, Alhaji Ibrahim Jimoh and others, during a visit to the Government House after the Eid-el-Fitri prayers...yesterday

32 dead in Ondo road accident

T

HIRTY-TWO persons have died in an accident that occurred on the AkureOgbese road in Ondo State.

The accident, which occurred on Monday evening, involved two Abuja-bound Toyota Hiace commercial buses that were coming from Lagos and a

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

trailer.

In an attempt to overtake a trailer, the buses ran into a trailer with registration number XN 769 ABC. The trailer and the first bus that ran into it burst into flames, roasting all on board.

The second bus with registration number XZ 976 AKD did not burn, but all its passengers died immediately.

Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) Mr. John Meheux said 14 persons in the first bus, a Toyota Hiace, and the two occu-

pants of the trailer were burnt beyond recognition.

Meheux said 18 passengers, including the driver, died in the second bus.

He said three others were injured.

The bodies have been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital’s mortuary in Akure, the state capital.

Fashola commiserates with Abuja blast victims

L

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola has commiserated with the victims of last Friday’s bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja.

He prayed for the quick recovery of those injured and the repose of the souls of the dead.

Fashola spoke during a special prayer session organised for Nigeria and Lagos State in Mecca.

He prayed for peaceful coexistence, unity and love.

Fashola said collaboration between leaders and followers was necessary to achieve an orderly society and sustainable development.

He said: “If the leader de-

•Seeks co-operation between leaders and followers sires a progressive and orderly society, it would be difficult to attain the goal without the cooperation of the citizenry who constitute the followership.

“The role of followership is critical because if simple regulations made even for the benefit of the people are not obeyed, it would be difficult to achieve orderliness.

“For instance, even when people are told to move out of bad buildings to avoid disaster, they fail to obey.

When fingers are pointed at leaders, followers also need to examine themselves.”

The governor said while people in the United States

readily heeded warnings by the government to evacuate areas that would be affected

by Hurricane Irene, it was difficult getting people to move away from floodprone areas in Lagos.

He said: “God has been benevolent to Nigeria; what remains is for the people to do what is right and work hard. With a geographical location that is not prone to earthquakes, hurricanes and related natural disasters, all that is required to make our country a trade and economic hub like China is hard work.

“Nigeria has a clear advantage in terms of natural re-

sources, human capital and stability. We should not turn against ourselves.”

Fashola urged the people to pray for wisdom for leaders at all levels.

Also present at the session were Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture Oyinlomo Danmole; his predecessor Mr. Tunde Balogun; Commissioner for Information and Strategy Aderemi Ibirogba; Commissioner for Special Duties Wale Ahmed; Secretary to the State Government Mrs. Oluranti Adebule; a former aide to the governor Mr. AbdulLateef AbdulHakeem; among others.

Ondo ACN criticises Mimiko on councils’ administration

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State yesterday criticised the alleged illegal approach adopted by the Governor Olusegun Mimiko administration in the governance of local government councils.

ACN Media and Publicity Director Gbenga Akinmoyo lamented that the councils have been under the control of caretaker committees since the inception of the Labour Party (LP) government 30 months ago.

Akinmoyo said: “When Mimiko assumed office in February 2009, one of the first things he did was dissolve the local government structure put in place by former Governor Olusegun Agagu. The matter is unresolved as it is still before the court.

“By appointing members that will form a new Electoral Commission in the

•Govt: our actions are legal From Damisi Ojo, Akure

state, Mimiko is acting in contempt of the existing judiciary ruling; and when he is ousted in the next election, will his appointees not be the subject of the same judicial confusion.

“The Constitution is very clear about the tenure of any Interim Council Chairman.

They have three months tenure, which is extendable by another three.

“The installment of Interim Chairmen for 24 months is a rape on the Constitution of this state, an action for which a responsible and responsive House of Assembly ought to bring disciplinary proceedings against the governor.

“We are astounded by the 3am Sunday dissolution of

the former interim chairmen and the appointment of a new team without the approval of the House of Assembly as required by the Constitution.

“The fact that the nominations would have been rubber-stamped is immaterial, what is important is that Mr. Governor has failed to follow the stipulated procedure laid down in the Constitution.

“It was announced that the House of Assembly approved the list of members nominated to administer the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODSIEC), was this also done at the 3am sitting at the Government House in Alagbaka on Sunday, which promoted the announcements on Monday morn-

ing? The House did not sit on Friday, so where was the approval given?

“In the opinion of the ACN, the governor appears to have learnt nothing from advice and criticisms about his handling of the local government councils.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kolawole Olabisi, dismissed the allegations, saying: “They are borne out of mischief. What the governor did was very legal and he got the permission of the House of Assembly, contrary to these wild and unfounded allegations.

“The governor sent the list of prospective ODSIEC members to the House last week in conformity with the law.

“In passing it, the House gave a tacit approval to the governor to reconstitute interim committees pending when ODSIEC would announce a time table for the election.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Arik Air begins flights to Asaba on Sept 2

BY Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

A

RIK Air would begin flights to the new Asaba airport on September 2, the company’s Managing Director, Mr Chris Ndulue, said last Monday.

The carrier, he said, would operate direct flights from both Lagos and Abuja to the new airport.

In a statement, Ndulue said the new route would be the 20th domestic destination served by the airline.

He said a Bombardier Q400 aircraft, with a configuration of 10 business and 62 economy class seats, would be deployed to the route.

The Arik Air bos said: “The new services to Asaba International Airport will offer a highly attractive alternative to passengers using the existing flights to Osubi Airstrip, Warri.

‘No need for EU banks to recapitalise’

We are to revisit the concept of the Free Trade Zones across the country with a view to reviewing their operations in order to align them with the transformation agenda of Mr President.

-Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment

Sept deadline for rescued banks not sacrosanct, says AMCON T

HE Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Mustafa ChikeObi has said it is optional for five of the intervened banks that signed their Transaction Implementation Agreement (TIA) to hold Extraordinary General Meetings before or after September 30.

This clarification came on a day the corporation said it plans to raise the limit of its bonds issuance programme to N4.5 trillion, from N3 trillion.

The AMCON boss told The Nation that since the interbank guarantee from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the banks is still intact till December 31, the banks can still have time to plan for effective date for the EGMs. He said AMCON did not

• Seeks bonds limit of N4.5tr

By Collins Nweze

mandate banks to hold EGMs before September 30, but only advised that the affected banks do so.

The AMCON boss said the banks are already seeking approvals from the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) after which they would get court approvals.“If a bank has good reason for not holding its EGM before that date, it is still acceptable.

AMCON cannot fix EGM for banks, but can only advise on how best to handle the issue,” he said.

Chike-Obi had earlier said that he expected five of the nine rescued banks to call EGMs September 30, to enable shareholders sign

recapitalisation deals with their investors. He also said he expected shareholders to accept the deals, or the regulators would need to explore all options to protect depositors, employees and the financial markets.

Afribank, Bank PHB and Springbank were nationalised earlier this month after they failed to show ability to recapitalise.

The other rescued lender, Unity Bank, has already recapitalised.

Intercontinental Bank, Oceanic Bank, Finbank, Union Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank have signed agreements with investors, but shareholders have yet to accept the deals. “If they go to EGMs and decide to reject the

deal, then it will be clear those banks will not be able to recapitalise themselves and regulators will need to step in. But I don’t expect them to do that,” Chike-Obi said.

He explained that a bank cannot recapitalise on its own, but could explore other options to achieve the objective.

The CBN and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) had in July 2009, carried out a special examination of all the 24 banks with aim of assessing their health, with particular focus on liquidity, capital adequacy, risk management and corporate governance practices.

Ten banks were adjudged to be in grave states with deficiencies in capital adequacy.

Of these, eight also had significant deficiencies in li-

‘Deutsche bank knew mortgage firm it bought lied’

T

HERE is no need to recapitalise European banks over and above what has already been agreed as a follow-up to European banking stress tests, the European Commission said yesterday.

Managing Director International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde urged global policy makers to take urgent action, saying European banks needed a “mandatory substantial recapitalisation” to prevent a renewed world recession.

Asked if Europe should do more on recapitalisation of banks than it had already done, a Commission spokesman said: ”I don’t think so. This discussion has already taken place between the EU and the IMF and the IMF is well aware of the results and the followup decided after the stresstests,” Commission spokesman Amadeu Altafaj said.

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

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

quidity, risk management practices and corporate governance policies. The 10 banks got a lifeline of N620 billion in the form of Tier 2 Capital.

AMCON, which took over three of the banks (Spring bank, Bank PHB and Afribank) this month and transferred their assets to three new banks (Keystone, Mainstream and Enterprise) has injected N679 billion into the institutions to bring them to the required capital adequacy level.

Meanwhile, in a notice published in one of the national dallies, AMCON said an “extra ordinary general meeting of bondholders”of the company, will be held on September 30 in Lagos, to consider and approve the plan to raise the limits on the corporations’ bonds.

D

• From left: Chairman, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Otunba Femi Deru; Minister of Trade & Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga; Group Managing Director/CEO, Union Bank Plc, Mrs Funke Osibudu and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) representative in Nigeria/Regional Director, West Africa, Mr Patrick Kormawa, at meeting between the Ministry and stakeholders in the agribusiness and allied industries, in Lagos.

Chinese firm, SEPCO blame PHCN for plant crisis

S

EPCO111, the Chinese engineering firm that constructed the Olorunsogo – Papalanto Power plant in Ogun State, has alleged that untrained members of staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) that man the power station are liable for damage to most of the plant’s turbines.

The Project Manager of SEPCO111, Mr Li Xianlai, said lack of expertise on the part of the PHCN’s staff was responsible for why only six of the eight turbines are working. Before the Minister of Power’s (Prof Barth Nnaji) last two weeks, only two turbines were working, four were just recovered and two are currently not functional.

He said lack of experience of the PHCN staff and inadequate gas supplies to the plant were some of the reasons the plant have not been

• Says govt owes $2m

By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

working at optimal capacity.

“Six units of the eight turbines are running currently.

One has a major problem caused by cleps from the national grid. The other has problem and the part has been ordered from China,” he said.

Xianlai, who spoke with newsmen on Monday at the project site, said in line with the agreement, 20 PHCN staff were sent to China on training on how to run the turbines, but regretted that after they gained the requisite expertise on how to man the facility, they were deployed elsewhere.

He explained that those on ground running the turbines are not only inexperienced

but are equally causing major damage to it even when the existing operational manual for the turbines were written in both English and Chinese for consultation when necessary.

“One has a major problem caused by lack of technical know-how on how to prevent the cleps from the national grid. When the power plant was being constructed, some staff of PHCN (20 in number) were sent to China for training on how to operate the plant but to our surprise, after the training and handing over, the staff trained in China were not sent here.

“They brought people that were not trained and who do not have the experience on how to run the plant.”

He said despite the fact that

the Phase 1 of the project was completed and handed over to the Federal Government through PHCN in 2009, his company – SEPCO111, is still maintaining the turbines at a great cost, spending “over $2million on spare parts alone in the last three years.

“There is provisional running period of one year and for over three years after handing over to PHCN, we are the one still running it at our own cost. We have not received money from the government of Nigeria. We are still expecting the government to refund us,” he said.

He said the reason for the current boost in generation from the plant was that SEPCO111 transferred gas meant for Phase 11 to phase 1, but added that the situation will not endure if gas supply by the appropriate agencies, is not improved upon.

EUTSCHE Bank AG knew in 2006 that a mortgage company it was preparing to buy lied to the United States government about its mortgages, yet went ahead with the purchase and should be held financially responsible, the Justice Department said on yesterday.

According to the department’s amended $1 billion complaint filed yesterday evening with the US District Court in Manhattan, Deutsche Bank was “on notice of and expressly assumed responsibility” for wrongdoing at MortgageIT Inc, which it bought in 2007.

The government according to Reuters, first sued Deutsche Bank and MortgageIT in May, saying they misled the Federal Housing Administration into believing that mortgages issued by MortgageIT qualified for federal insurance, when the quality was so poor that nearly one in three defaulted.

Deutsche Bank had previously sought to dismiss the complaint, in part by arguing that the government failed to show it assumed MortgageIT’s obligations.

But the government said the bank, in conducting due diligence prior to the merger, knew MortgageIT violated rules of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which the FHA is part of, and made false representations to the agency.

It said Deutsche Bank had access to several letters showing that MortgageIT did not review all early payment defaults, and had access to managers who knew that misconduct was taking place.”

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

12

BUSINESS NEWS Soyinka, Fashola, others for NIM Golden Jubilee conference

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

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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

1.

2.

3.

4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

1. Arik 2. Aero 1.

2.

3.

4.

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

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

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

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

2.

3.

4.

5.

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

08.40 08.40 14.55 15.10 17.40

1.

2.

3.

4.

Arik Aero Arik Aero

LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

09.1 12.50 12.55 15.55

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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

08.50 09.45 09.40 14.00 15.45 19.55

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

LAGOS – UYO 10.35

11.35

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

LAGOS – MAIDUGURI 1. IRS 11.15 13.15 2. Arik 15.50 18.00 LAGOS – ILORIN 1. Overland 07.15 2. Arik (M/T/TH/F) 17.30

08.00 18.00

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

By Adegunle Olugbamila

N

• Deputy Registrar (Technical), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr. Abel Aig Asein; past President and Chairman of Session, Alhaji Idris Sulaimon and President, Prof Francis Ojaide, at an event in Lagos at the weekend.

‘OPEC’s oil output nears three-year high’ • West Africa crude buoyed by tight supplies, force majeure

T

HE Organisation of Petro leum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) oil output is expected to rise to its highest in almost three years due to higher Nigerian exports and smaller increases from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers, a Reuters survey indicated yesterday.

Supply from all 12 members of OPEC is expected to average 30.15 million barrels per day (bpd) this month, up from 30.07 million bpd in July, the survey of sources at oil companies, OPEC officials and analysts found.

The survey showed no sign, yet, that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are cutting back on the extra supplies they provided to help cover the loss of Libyan output. August’s total is expected to be OPEC’s highest since October 2008 based on Reuters surveys.

OPEC’s Gulf members boosted supplies unilaterally after African countries, Iran and Venezuela blocked a Saudi-led proposal to increase output targets at OPEC’s last meeting, which was held on June 8.

Output is expected to decline this

By Simeon Ebulu with agency report

month in countries including Angola, Iran, Libya and Iraq, the survey found.

OPEC has not officially changed its output policy since cutting output by a record 4.2 million bpd in December 2008 to 24.84 million bpd for 11 members, all except Iraq, to combat falling prices and a collapse in demand.

Since their June meeting, OPEC officials have acknowledged the target is no longer valid as actual supply is so much higher.

OPEC does not provide timely official production figures so the oil industry relies on outside supply estimates from news agencies, consulting firms and government organisations.

Meanwhile, West African crude oil differentials strengthened on yesterday, supported by relatively small loading programmes made tighter by a force majeure on Nigerian benchmark Bonny Light.

Healthy refining margins in the United States and Europe for distillate-rich crude also supported levels.

But the recent rise in prices has deterred demand from some U.S. buyers and several Indian refiners have opted not to take October West African cargoes, cancelling tenders and reissuing them for November.

Nigeria was due to export 1.85 million barrels a day (bpd) of crude oil in October, down from about 2 million bpd in September. In addition, Shell has declared force majeure on exports of Bonny Light until October, after attacks on pipelines.

Qua Iboe: offered well over dated Brent plus $4.00 per barrel with talk of one seller at plus $4.60 and potential buyers around dated plus $4.20.

However, no cargoes were yet reported sold at that level.

Suncor Energy bought at least two cargoes of Qua Iboe at around dated plus $4 last week, the highest level since April. Bonny Light: despite the Shell force majeure, spot cargoes reported available and valued close to dated Brent plus $4,00.

Bonny output has averaged around 220,000 bpd so far this year, up from 160,000 bpd in 2010.

Forcados: assessed at above dated Brent plus $4.50.

Africa’s first microfinance fund launched

E

UROPEAN Investment Bank in collaboration with other development agencies has launched a 15 million euro European Solidarity Financing Fund for Africa.

The fund, the bank said, will provide the much-needed microfinance funds for poor rural households across Africa and help finance small scale investment in agricultural activities.

Three social investors with more than 25 years of experience working with microfinance institutions, agricultural cooperatives and small businesses in emerging countries will provide specialist support to the fund also known as FEFISOL fund.

These include French development association Solidarite International pour le Developpement et

By Daniel Essiet

l’Investissement (SIDI), who will manage of the FEFISOL fund, Belgian development organisation Alterfin and Etimos from Italy .

The fund is expected to double in two years and will assist microfinance institutions that help poor households in rural areas where no formal lending exists.

Rural microfinance will support income generating activities and reduce dependence on outside help. ”The European Investment Bank recognises FEFISOL’s dedicated support for organic African farmers and improving access to fair trade markets. We are committed to helping microfinance foster economic development and poverty reduction across Africa.” said European Investment

Bank Vice President responsible for Africa , Plutarchos Sakellaris. ”Microfinance is key to enhancing economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa . The FEFISOL initiative will reach remote rural communities, helping small businesses develop and progressively reduce poverty.”

Added Marie-Hélène Loison, Head of the Private Equity Department of PROPARCO, the private sector arm of AFD. ”During our 25 years of activities as a social investor, we noted that the microfinance sector, especially in Africa , had ample room for further progress; that this called for a new stage of development, to respond to new needs for financing the impact – both economic and social – of the sector, particularly in the rural context.

OBEL Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, Lagos State Gov ernor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and the former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Kanu Agabi (SAN) will be some resource persons at the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) Golden Jubilee Celebrations billed for Abuja next month Others distinguished personalities to deliver papers include Katsina State Governor Shehu Shema; and Vice-Chancellor University of Port Harcourt Prof Joseph Atubokiki.

NIM President, Dr Sally AdukwuBolujoko, stated this during an interview with The Nation at the institute’s headquarters in Lagos, She said most papers to be presented will revolve around economic management and governance.

The conference with the theme: Governance in the 21st Century Nigeria, NIM president added, will hold at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Besides, Dr Adukwu-Bolujoko said the conference would pave the way for both past and presidents of the body as well as other stakeholders to appraise the performance of the institute in the last 50 years and make projections for the future.

She said: “We are going to Abuja for three days to talk about how Nigeria will be governed in the 21st century. We are bringing Prof Wole Soyinka to deliver the opening lecture. We believe Prof Soyinka has seen the world to tell us how we can compete with other developed and fast developing nations. We are bringing Governor Babatunde Fashola to come and tell Nigerians how governing in itself could be an enterprise. We are also bringing a Ghanaian who is the Head of Department of Economics, Oxford University.

ABC Transport wins award

A

BC Transport has emerged the best transport company for the year 2010 at the Fifth Lagos Enterprise Award in Lagos.

The ceremony tagged Lead Award took place at City Mall, Lagos Island. The event, according to a statement, attracted many important government functionaries, technocrats and industrialists.

ABC Transport beat two other contenders in the road transport operator category to clinch the muchprized trophy. To ensure transparency in the selection process, the auditing and verification processes for the awards were carried out by seasoned personnel comprising brand and marketing professionals.

Among the criteria used in assessing the nominees and selecting the eventual winner were safety, size of network, on time performance and product offerings ranked the most.

The Commercial Manager of the firm, Mr Uduak Tom, received the award on behalf of the company. On the award, he said: “Our thanks also go to the organisers of the award for their contribution to the growth of the transport sector in Nigeria through the awards.”

Odu’a Chair challenges firms on productivity

N

EWLY appointed chairman, Board of Directors, Odu’a In vestment Company Limited, Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has urged management and staff of associate and subsidiary companies to build a united and progressive team that will add value to the conglomerate.

Speaking during a visit to Odu’a

Printing and Publishing Company, Odu’a Telecoms (O’net), Askar Paints, Nigeria Wire and Cable Plc, Lafia Hotel, Premier Hotel and Cocoa Mall projects all in Ibadan, and the Odu’a-Oyo Farmers Academy, Awe, Oyo, Alli advised the workers to support the realisation of the objectives of the founding fathers of the conglomerate.

"I charge you to work with greater impetus and be dedicated to the vision of the founding fathers of this great patrimony called Odu’a Investment Company," the chairman declared.

The Odu’a Chairman specifically tasked the management of these companies to justify the huge financial input made into them by

ensuring that the companies were consistently run in a profitable manner.

Speaking at O’Net, Alli advised the management to explore the potentially huge market in the South west and make the telecoms firm a preferred brand by ensuring that its services were more effective and accessible.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

13

ISSUES

Should FAAN, NCAT, others be privatised?

• Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Since the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah-Ogiewmonyi, hinted that the Federal Government planned to either privatise or commercialise some agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), opposition has been mounting against the proposal. KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR writes that stakeholders are divided on the issue.

H

ER innocuous remark set off a chain of reactions. When she spoke about the planned privatisation and commercialisation of some aviation agencies to enhance their projectability, she probably thought she was speaking the mind of the industry.

But is privatisation and commercialisation the way to go? Many stakeholders in the industry do not think so. Thus, they are not buying into the Avaiation Minister, Mrs Stella OduahOgiemwonyi’s agenda.

Privatisation or commercialisation means different things to different people in the aviation sector, depending on the way the issue is broached. Opinion as to which suit the industry remains divided among stakeholders. Some think it is privatisation, other prefer commercialisation.

The raging battle sprang from government’s proposal to go for either privatisation or commercialisation in a bid to rejuvenate the industry. Aware of the loss government and the industry suffered in the wake of the collapse of

Nigeria Airways, Mrs Oduah-Ogiemwonyi is worried that unless certain measures are taken, the fortune of the aviation sector would nosedive and many airlines, including many service providers will collapse.

Some stakeholders are vociferous in their opposition to the government’s proposal under its transformation agenda. They argue that the process leading to either or both options may not be transparent, adding that previous attempts did not yield results.

Speaking on the platform of the aviation union grand alliance, some union leaders including the National President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Safiyatu Mohammed, said the government could not be trusted to carry out a transparent exercise in the privatisation of institutions, such as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna State. NCAT, he said, was not established for making profit, but for building capacity in manpower development for the aviation sector.

Mohammed explained that the rationale for government’s plan to either privatise or

commercialise such capacity building institution, is borne out of lack of industry experience by those saddled with the task of running the industry. He said overseers, ought to be grounded in the nittygritty of the institutions they are managing.

If it were so, he argued, they should know that such key institutions should not be classified as profit making and, as such, should not be assessed with profit making pedigree in mind. NCAT, he added, is the college tasked with the mandate to produce experts , such as pilots, air traffic controllers, air traffic engineers and other categories of aviation professionals.

He said much as the government is poised to either privatise or commercialise some of the aviation agencies, it would be a misjudgment to go ahead and privatise agencies, such as NCAT, which mandate, according to the Act establishing it, is for the training of key professionals in the sector. Any attempt to deviate from such mandate will not serve the collective purpose for which it was established.

Mohammed said: “There is a process to be followed if government wants to privatise

any agency in the industry. The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has a list of companies to be privatised, we can report to anybody that NCAT is not part of such organisations, because it was established by an Act of Parliament for the training of pilots, air traffic engineers, air traffic controllers and other professionals.

“If NCAT is to be commercialised, many ordinary Nigerians may not have the opportunity to become pilots because the fees to be charged may be out of their reach. If government gives money to the college to acquire aircraft, build an aircraft maintenance hangar, privatisation is not the way to go. The aviation unions will stop at nothing to ensure that the college is not commercialised.”

Also speaking, the National President of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Comrade Benjamin Okewu, said workers in the aviation industry are proposed to the planned privatisation of NCAT, affirming that if government is allowed to forge • Continued on page 14

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

14

ISSUES

Should FAAN, NCAT, others be privatised?

• Continued from page 13

ahead with the proposal, that will be another opportunity to sound the death knell for the aviation sector, as the repository of training for the industry would have been mortgaged.

Okewu said: “How can anybody be contemplating the privatisation or commercialisation of a college for aviation, when the sole purpose is for the development of training of pilots and air traffic controllers? It is like anybody considering the privatisation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Can the regulation of the aviation industry be considered for commercialisation. It is in that breadth that one is looking at NCAT. Such a proposal, to say the least, is unpopular, unacceptable, as aviation workers will resist it with all the weapons at their disposal.”

“That was how they killed Nigeria Airways, the former national carrier,” he said, adding: “government is on the verge of taking another wrong step that will move the aviation industry backward.”

“Why can’t government consider ways of assisting domestic airlines that are struggling to survive; rather than considering how to either commercialise or privatise the college for aviation training?”he asked. “Why can’t government consider how to review the national civil aviation policy, which is long overdue, as it affects issues bordering on the negative impact of the Open Skies Agreement the Federal Government signed with the United States of America over 10 years ago, as well as the dual designation and multiple entry point by foreign airlines into Nigerian airports?”he queried.

Deputy General Secretary of National Union of NUATE, Peter Ogaba, said if government goes ahead to privatise NCAT, it will be encouraging brain drain, because the college is the only institution that can guarantee the integrity of training for the aviation sector.

He said the value of NCAT could not be quantified in monetary terms, arguing that it is unthinkable for government to consider any possible commercialisation of the college.

Ogaba affirmed that if the commercialisation of the college is allowed, the dearth of pilots that persists in the industry will continue, as the rescue mission the college is playing in bridging the gap in expatriate quota could become a thing of the past.

An aviation expert, Dauda Ajeye Nuhu, said: “There is, no doubt, that the condition at the international airports, such as Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State, have deteriorated to a severe point of reproach to Nigeria as a sovereign nation. Security, sanitary and operational matters seem to be the crux of the issues at the forefront beside corruption. Poor services, as some have observed, have fallen short of local standards.”

Nuhu gave reasons why the airports and other agencies should not be done away with.

He argued: “Nigerian airports should and must provide pivotal security to the national security beside our military defense systems, whether such airports are large, small; international or local. Any port or airport provides a possible entry point for normal business people, but also a possible access to adversaries. Safeguarding these airports should be a foremost consideration and should never be left to second party or contractors. Imagine trying to keep our country men and women safe by contracting our defense system services to a foreign nation that may potentially be a foe!”.

In making a case for either privatisation or commercialisation, Mrs. OduahOgiemwonyi said: “The change that we desire and which we are vigorously pursuing, cannot be funded from public resources alone. We need the private sector to partner with us to deliver the huge promise which the aviation sector holds for the growth of the Nigerian economy.

“But the partnership must of necessity put the interest of the ordinary Nigerian first and above other considerations. Huge op-

portunities exist for the public private partnership in the aviation sector and we urge investors, both foreign and local to take advantage of these opportunities to invest in the development of facilities including parks, terminals, hangars,” she stated.

“Already, we are studying and evaluating the terms of the existing concession agreements to ensure that they are in favour of the Nigerian people. We shall, however, not hesitate to revoke or renegotiate, where necessary, the terms of any of the agreements if we discover that they do not serve the greatest interest of the greatest number of the Nigerian people.

“The physical structures at the airports are in the process of getting immediate face-lift.

In the first phase of the airport remodelling plan, 12 airports will experience total transformation, not only in aesthetics but in service delivery.

“In the next six months, Nigerians will surely begin to see the new face of the aviation industry.”

Speaking on the development, an aviation expert Daniel Omale, said: “There has been a lot of debate over the rationale behind the privatisation of airports. Critics argue that given the importance of airport infrastructure, private players would overcharge and exploit the public. On the other hand, proponents of privatisation argue, because of poorly managed public airports. Further, that privatisation also brings in the muchneeded capital and the efficiency introduced by market forces. However, governments across the world have been careful to prevent market failure by actively regulating airports.

“The issue is how to effectively manage airport facilities since in reality, FAAN lacks the drive to offload its burden. While most industry stakeholders find it hard to swallow the privatisation bone, there is really no other way of salvaging the system from total collapse. Those in charge of managing airport facilities are conspicuously mismanaging the funds, as public properties are grossly misappropriated. But with private funds, there will be checks and balances. On the other hand, the current concessionaires, who know the loopholes of how carelessly public utilities are managed, take advantage of the weakness in the system.

“There has to be a consistent policy towards steering FAAN to a profitable organisation. Public-private partnership, if legally documented and properly managed, should take care of the lapses with the current concessionaires.We support the privatisation of some of the airports in Nigeria, but FAAN cannot start by privatising its most lucrative airports. In any company privatisation programme, the unprofitable ancillary would have to go first and then, if necessary, private partnership could be sought to further enhance profitability of the viable section.

“For us to understand airport privatisation, let us look at India. The Indian civil aviation sector is in for a major overhaul over the next few years. Major policy changes are taking place because of a shift in the mindset of the government from considering air travel as elitist, to making it available for the common man. This has led to the liberalisation of air travel services. The entry of low cost carriers is expected to cause a sharp increase in air traffic by eliminating the price premium of past years - analysts estimate 10 to 20 per cent growth in traffic in the next five to 10 years.

“The airports in India are inadequate for handling this increase in traffic. The Naresh Chandra Committee Report identifies a number of loopholes in the current system and suggests improvements. The government decided to privatise airports in order to in-

• Mrs Oduah-Ogiemwonyi

• Capt Araba

• Demuren

• Aisuebeogun

duce efficiency and avoid the burden of investing in new airports. This is in line with world trends, where airports are seen more as businesses than infrastructure providers.”

Recently, FAAN Managing Director Mr Richard Aisuebeogun said: “Nigerian airports are currently undergoing a turnaround. The development, which is part of the dividends of democracy in the Africa’s most populous country, is underlined by an extensive improvement of infrastructure at the airports.

The improvement programme is implemented by the FAAN, which owns and manages 21 airports in the country.

Among the critical projects are runway rehabilitation and extension, apron construction and extension, perimeter fencing, terminal building remodeling and rehabilitation of access roads, improvement of power and water supply.”

Aisuebeogun said the on-going make-over has been made possible by the efficient utilisation of the authority’s internally-generated revenue and the intervention of the Federal Government. Even more exciting to stakeholders is the revelation by Aisuebeogun that FAAN was studying proposals for more ambitious upgrades, which may include new terminals and greater private sector involvement in the development of infrastructure in both the aeronautical and non-aeronautical spheres in and around the

airports.

“The aim,” he said, “is to strategically reposition our airports, especially the international ones, to make more meaningful contribution to the growth of Nigeria’s economy. We want our main airport at Lagos to serve as a regional hub, and we are sparing no effort to attain that.”

Aisuebeogun is also keen to tap into Nigeria’s newfound US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category One Status.

In addition to other benefits, the certification allows Nigerian registered aircraft to fly directly to continental United States.

The attention to the airports is understandable. Civil Aviation is one of Nigeria’s growth sectors, accounting for about 17 per cent of its GDP. Nigeria at present has 24 airports, five of them international (including those in Gombe, Asaba and Uyo owned by state governments; 226 heliports and helidecks. The international airports are preferred destinations for over 27 foreign airlines, which operate into the country from virtually all parts of the globe.

Years of neglect by successive governments led to progressive decay in infrastructure. It meant that some facilities at the airports would sometimes not function at optimal standards of efficiency. Worse, many of the facilities, including the terminal building of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, were built in the ‘70s as part of the Airport Development Programme, which envisaged the development of airports in all the state capitals; now they are all reeling from the strain of huge maintenance costs due to ageing and poor funding.

But Mr Aisuebeogun said he and his management are undaunted and have been working hard to reverse this trend.

He added: “All our projects have been carefully designed and executed to uplift the standard of infrastructure and facilities at the airports. Some of them have been completed while others are still on-going.”

‘If NCAT is to be commercialised, many ordinary Nigerians may not have the opportunity to become pilots because the fees to be charged may be out of their reach’

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

15

16

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

17

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

Mr Louis Odion is Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation. In this interview with OSAGIE OTABOR, he shares his views about conduct of credible elections in the state and what it means to work with Governor Adam Oshiomhole.

‘Culture of service taking root in Edo’ H

AVING worked with Governor Oshiomhole for a while now, how do you see his vision and mission in Edo State?

Our prayer is that his mandate is renewed next year when he is due for re-election. We are confident that the election will be a walkover. I believe Edo people have seen the difference in governance.

People were once told in this state that after payment of salaries, there was little or nothing left for development. But within three years, the Comrade has been able to transform the state dramatically and people are beginning to wonder whatever happened between 1999 and 2008. Edo people are really appreciative of quality and they know that the governor is sincere.

You could see a practical demonstration of that in the last general elections. When Comrade took over in 2008, ACN was in minority in the House of Assembly, but in the last election, ACN won 19 out of the 24 seats at the assembly.

That is an expression of the confidence that the Edo people have in the administration. The election will just be a formality. Edo people have been able to see what democracy really means. Before now, to get elected in this state, you needed the anointing of godfathers, but with Oshiomhole, that has changed. We are enthroning a culture of merit, rather than godfatherism. Edo people have seen the light and they are not ready to go back to darkness. We may not have reached the promise land but we have since, put Egypt behind us. Oshiomhole vision is to reposition the state to becoming the economic centre in the country where people lead with dignity led by government that is responsive and responsible to the people.

When Oshiomhole said people should lead in dignity. It speaks to his campaign of the fact that our vote should count. By restoring the sanctity of the voting in our polity, the dignity of our people has been restored. To that extent, we are confident that the Edo that Oshiomhole will be leaving behind in 2016 will be far greater than the Edo he inherited. The signs are already there.

Explain what you meant by policy and implementation.

It boils down to bureaucracy.

That is not peculiar to Nigeria. The new approach to governance is to bring in task force to achieve set out objectives. You have Ministry of Works to deliver roads. You will find that the vision in setting up the ministry is hampered by bureaucracy. We have Rapid Response Agency which is to respond to public needs because we are in a hurry to serve the people, to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. In private sector, if you do not

meet target you are fired unlike the public sector where you have to issue query.

Your political opponents usually speak of high taxation in the state…

In biblical age, there was taxation even in civilization before Christ came. Taxation is what defines the relationship between the government and the state. Without tax, you don’t have the right to demand good governance. When you pay tax, you have right to demand good roads. Since we have oil boom, attention has shifted from the agricultural sector. We need to ask ourselves, what happens when the oil dries up. Taxation is nonnegotiable as far as governance is concern. The problem dates back to military government. When soldiers are not elected, they felt they do not have the moral right to ask for taxes and because they did not ask you for taxes, they weren’t responsible to you. If you drive round Edo State today, you will road being constructed with a sign-post, ‘tax payers’ money at work’. We have over 190 projects going on simultaneously across the three senatorial district to which N120bn has been committed. This is largely from taxes people are paying. When people see roads being constructed, water flowing, they are happy to pay tax.

Those criticizing our tax system, I think they are backward. They were in power for close to 10 years, they didn’t do anything. We would rather do something and be talked about rather than fold our hands and do nothing and share resources to godfathers. We have said bye to that culture.

The state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Orbih, alleged in an interview that the state is in the red…

You are dealing with mischief makers. When he says Edo is in the red, let him give us the statistics. They were here for nine years, nothing was done. The Edo we met was in deplorable condition. You could barely move from one end of the state to another. The story then was that once salaries were paid, there was nothing for development. The money was used to service the godfather and party leaders will sit down and share the remaining thereby shortchanging the people they should be responsible to. We want to be challenged with the facts and figures. Things are looking up in the state. We have done much in less than three years. Governor Oshiomhole has done much to cut down on the cost of running government. It was a deliberate effort to cut down overhead in the state. Out of every one Naira that Edo earns, 65 kobo goes into projects. The projects affect the people. The governor should be commended. The IGR used to be N300m but today it is N1.3bn. the

money that used to go to pockets of godfathers is now servicing Edo people. That is why they are angry.

They are hungry. They have been put out of business. They saw governance as a meal ticket without bothering if the lives of those who voted them have been affected.

These guys are out of power. They are hungry. I understand their psychology. The people are more enlightened now. They have seen light. They are not going back to darkness. We want to be engaged in ideas. If we are indebted, how do we pay salaries? In the past, the money used to go to godfathers. We have been able to deploy ICT. All ghost workers are being fished out of the system. We would not be distracted. Their strategy is to distract us. The facilities now in Edo are world-class. We are not just tarring road, we are furnishing roads. We are providing walkways, drainages. What PDP government of our recent history was doing was just pouring asphalt on roads. Building world-class roads does not come cheap. The mentality of the PDP is to keep rehabilitating roads every year.

From Journalism to commissioner, how are you coping with the transformation?

It is quite interesting. All my working life, I have always been in the private sector. This is my first public sector experience I will gather. I have done about six weeks here and it has been an eye-opener.

The experience I have gathered is something you will not get from any university. I am getting to learn a number of things and come to realize why there is often disconnect between policies and implementation.

What do you mean by eyeopener?

In the private sector the guiding philosophy is speed in anything that is being done. You realized in the private sector that if you don’t get things done, you are wasting resources and materials. When you set target, you also set timeline to get to your destination. To achieve that, you would have allocated resources. In public service, the orientation is quite different. You have to be patient to get things done.

What have you seen as your challenges?

I don’t see challenges. I am a positive-minded person. When I said challenges, I was conscious of the fact that I wasn’t coming to enjoy, I was coming to work, so, bearing that in mind, I try to apply myself productively to achieving goals I set for myself. I don’t see challenges, I see stepping stones.

What steps are you taking to revive the Nigerian Observer and Edo State Broadcasting Service?

I am a journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in the print. I take that charge to revive the state-

•Odion

‘We want to be engaged in ideas. If we are indebted, how do we pay salaries? In the past, the money used to go to godfathers. We have been able to deploy ICT. All ghost workers are being fished out of the system.

We would not be distracted. Their strategy is to distract us. The facilities now in Edo are world-class’ owned media as a challenge. In my first outing to the Edo Broadcasting Service and the Nigerian Observer, what I found was mind-boggling. I am a product of the print sector. I know what we put in place to get papers out. Go to Observer, you will find out that most of those facilities are not there. For instance, the pre-press being used there now was acquired in 1968. That technology is antiquated. To be fair, the Governor has been trying to get them running. I was told before Oshiomhole came that to find Observer to read was difficult. The effort made last year was palliative. It was just to get the paper running until such a proper time to reposition the paper. With my coming on board, I want to believe that the process has begun. The problem with the Nigerian Observer is not only material, there is the human factor. You have workers who need some re-training. Some seem to have lost hope in the future of the company. I reassure them that there is hope because the Governor is committed to uplifting the Observer. Comrade said he used to read the Observer in Kaduna. Observer now circulates mostly within Benin City. We want to reposition it to reclaim its position in the industry. Observer will do well by remaining a regional paper, by remaining an authoritative source with regards to information in Edo State. Our primary constituency is Edo State. As at last count, we have five universities in this state. There is massive investment in infrastructure. The vision we have is that Edo State in the nearest future will become the hub of investors. We also need a media that we will take advantage of when the economy will swell up in the nearest future.

Many commissioners have come with promises, but the state of the media remains the same in your state…

I don’t agree that Observer cannot be rescued. It appears to be the only surviving state-owned media in the country. That shows that the Edo people see it as a heritage that needs to be preserved. We share in that aspiration that Observer is too dear to us to allow it to go under. I disagree that the paper cannot be run efficiently. What really counts is having the right people to run it.

The vision we have for Observer is not the piece-meal approach. We are planning not only to invest massively in the equipment and also to re-train the workers. I don’t see any viable printing press in Edo state today with the capacity to print for many local newspapers.

Our vision is to set up a modern press that will also engage in commercial printing. It will also provide jobs. Our own strategy is holistic. It is not just do things but do things that will be profound. We want to re-train the personnel too.

If the experiment has failed else where, maybe it wasn’t properly managed. We will ensure we get the right people to manage the Observer. Oshiomhole has commenced the process of turning around the EBS. The current signal from the transmitter is not state wide. To demonstrate his commitment, the state government has procured transmitter for the radio station and that is being installed.

In a matter of weeks, the FM station will be on. The same thing will apply to the television station.

If our predecessor has done something, we would have been thinking of the next level or probably putting EBS on satellite. The situation we found when the government came on board was zero level type of facilities.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

18

POLITICS

‘Ogboru is a victim of conspiracy’

S

INCE the final judgement dismissing the petition of Chief Great Ogboru, a lot of comments have been made by certain observers of the unfolding political drama in Delta State who, despite their pretence, are members of the PDP and who obviously are diehard supporters of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. Considering their vituperations, these commentators have not been fair, not only to Ogboru but also to Delta State. They have also not been fair to the suffering masses of the state who have been arrogantly and consistently denied their mandate?

Their comments have centred largely on the personality of Great Ogboru, the petitioner and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, DPP, in Delta State. The commentators have also vehemently canvassed the view that Ogboru should discontinue with his petition and instead work with Emmanuel Uduaghan in what they considered as the way forward for Delta State.

In various statements to the media, they have cast aspersions at Ogboru and have labelled him a desperado whose only ambition is to be the governor of Delta State at all cost. But while advancing their unhelpful view on the need for Ogboru to throw in the towel now, they have deliberately ignored the sacred and the allimportant mandate that the people of Delta State freely gave Ogboru during the governorship elections.

The question now is about what really is at stake in Delta State and what the future holds for the state in the face of persistent rape and the continued usurpation of the inalienable right of the ordinary citizens of the state to freely choose their leader.

Again, what is the future for democracy in a state where a tiny cabal is in ascendancy and has thus far managed to hold on to the levers of power against the popular wish of the people?

Again, what are the issues at stake in Delta State? Should political debates, albeit one sided, focus mainly on the need for Uduaghan to remain in office at all cost, legitimately or otherwise? Is Ogboru really a desperado? What manner of politics is Ogboru really playing in Delta State?

Considering Ogboru’s pedigree and his relentless pursuit of a cause very dear to his heart, is the time not ripe for discerning minds in the state to start to appreciate the positive roles he is playing in Delta politics?

And talking about Ogboru’s style of politics, have these commentators really sat down to understand and properly define his politics? In a nutshell, what do these commentators think about his politics? Is Ogboru’s politics progressive, reactionary or is he contributing meaningfully to the political development of Delta State?

Is he really what his opponents want us to believe: a political devil’s advocate whose stock in trade is litigations and endless litigations?

It is important at this juncture to look at the January 6 2011 court ordered re-run election and the shocking July 25 2011 verdict of the governorship election petition tribunal which dismissed Ogboru’s petition.

Although, we now know, according to a report by Saharareporters, that Uduaghan’s victory at the tribunal was bought. Since this report has not been denied by Uduaghan and the PDP, it is safe to assume that the report was true and that the Delta State government spent a whopping N2.5 billion of tax payers’ money to procure uduaghan’s phoney victory at the tribunal.

The re-run governorship election was ordered by the court of appeal in Benin after it cancelled the 2007 governorship election in Delta State. The re-run election held under very unusual circumstances and as anticipated, the election was alleged to have been rigged in favour of Uduaghan.

Expectedly, Ogboru went to court to

•Ogboru

By Doyin Iyiola

challenge the outcome of this election. And since then, there has been a debilitating political logjam in the state.

Then it was time for the general elections in April 2011. Despite the persistent logjam, both Ogboru and Uduaghan, contested the 26 April elections. Again, Uduaghan emerged questionably as the winner. Ogboru again headed to court to seek redress.

That petition is currently being heard by another election petition tribunal.

With bated breath, Deltans are awaiting the tribunal’s verdict.

Given the number of litigations relating to rigged elections in the state, especially the ones in which Ogboru was a candidate, some of the commentators have suggested that it was time to put a stop to them. This call, according to them, was informed by the need to allow the state move forward. In their view, Uduaghan needed a respite for him to govern the state well as these litigations amounted to needless distractions.

They argued that Ogboru’s constant resort to courts was self-serving and that it betrayed his desperation to become the governor of Delta State.

But is this really the case?

No doubt, Delta State, like any other state in Nigeria needs effective leadership. The state has since 1999 and particularly since 2007 being under relative siege. It has not really enjoyed good governance and it has had its affairs poorly managed by a leader with questionable authority and one that has continually had to battle with the issue of legitimacy.

The state has become comatose and its resources continue to dwindle. The state remains in dire straits as poor infrastructure, pervasive corruption, mass unemployment and youth restlessness continue to plague the state.

Politically the state is in a sort of a quagmire as state functions are subject to the whims and caprices of one man. The government is exclusive and instead of the state advancing politically, it is shamefully retrogressing as it remains in the firm grip of a self-serving powerful but tiny cabal.

It is self-evident that the cabal is only interested in exercising power to better the lot of a minority group to the detriment of the larger teeming masses of the state.

The Issues

The real issue relating to the ongoing election petitions is the sacredness of the people’s mandate. It is self evident that the state is in a very precarious state due to the manner her affairs are being managed. The people of Delta State are being continually denied the benefits of good governance by a legitimate government.

In the state, elections, especially the governorship elections, are not won on the basis of good programmes and electoral promises but rather, elections are won on the basis of sheer brigandage, political thuggery and insidious godfatherism.

The issue now is whether the peo-

ple have the right to fight to reclaim their mandate? Is Ogboru right to doggedly fight to reclaim his stolen mandate regardless of how many times he does that? What have been the direct benefits of these litigations to Deltans?

What are the implications of these ceaseless petitions on the state’s fledging democracy?

Most commentators blame Ogboru for disturbing Uduaghan and consequently slowing down the pace of development in the state. Ogboru in all the cases is the petitioner and not the respondent. Commonsense suggests that a petitioner would more than likely want his case determined soonest. The petitioner is the complainant seeking redress and would understandably want the case resolved within the shortest time possible. In the case of Ogboru versus Uduaghan, it has been the respondents who have filibustered and wasted time to deny Ogboru justice. And they deserve the blame for long period of hearing of Ogboru’s petitions.

The petition against the 2007 governorship election lasted three and a half years. It was finally resolved on November 9, 2010 when the election annulled and a re-run was ordered. That meant that Uduaghan stayed in power illegally for three and a half years. The January 6, 2011 re-run petition was also delayed for five months for non-availability of space for the judges to sit.

And yet, all manner of frivolous applications were filed by the respondents in the tribunal in a desperate bid to truncate the exercise.

Curiously, the tribunal sat for just 25 days and a verdict was eventually reached. This was a landmark decision and a unique precedent that will go a long way to prove that election petitions could be determined within a month and not three years. With the amendment to the electoral laws now, such petitions can be resolved within six months.

However, Ogboru’s determined pursuit of his sacred mandate through the courts has helped the state in so many ways. This is a fact that the PDP apologists fail to acknowledge. First, it has brought about the emergence of a credible opposition party in the state. Today, Ogboru’s party, the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, has a senator, members of House of Representatives and almost half of state legislators. This was a party that had no single candidate in the various parliaments before the 2011 general elections in April.

This is a fantastic way to deepen democracy.

Ogboru had helped in bolstering the people’s confidence in the judicial process not only in the state but nationally.

And significantly too, his petitions have become of tremendous national relevance as they have become case laws. He has recorded huge landmarks as his cases have provided authorities to determine issues such as the issue of Judgement in Rem. The issue of Burden of Proof in Election matters, importance of documents in proof of election petitions, and the relevance of Form E125B and EC40 et all have been established, using authorities from his petitions.

In a nutshell, Ogboru has helped in expanding the frontiers of the election judicial processes and has encouraged aggrieved politicians to seek redress through the courts, instead of seeking alternative but violent solutions. He has helped in deepening democracy and has continually demonstrated the right of the people to make choices, form associations and choose their own leaders.

It is therefore unreasonable for anyone to suggest that Ogboru should not exercise his fundamental right to seek redress in court. If we are to avoid anarchy and enthrone the rule of law in Delta State, all Deltans must speak with one voice and must be prepared to contribute to any effort that will ensure the enthronement of genuine democracy in the state.

By Doyin Iyiola, media consultant to Chief Great Ogboru.

Ekiti State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Funminiyi Afuye spoke with Deputy Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the minimum wage crisis and way out of the logjam.

‘Revenue allocation should be restructured’

W

HEN will the state pay the N18,000 minimum wage to workers?

The Federal Government has not paid. The minimum wage issue is a legal issue. Ekiti State will not make its workers to suffer. Be that as it may, there is the need for the revenue to accrue.

Federal government is taking the chunk of the money. The states are just groping. It has its own implications on revenue allocation. The Federal Government cannot just create problems for the state. Revenue allocation should be restructured for the states to be able to pay. But it is a constitutional matter, which no state has control over. There must be a financial back-up to enable the states to pay. It is not only minimum wage that the people need. The people must be fully empowered. It is not the workers alone that require money to survive. What about the ordinary man on the street? The masses of our people must not suffer. It must be a total empowerment of our people and that is what our government is doing.

How do you react to critics who say that the government is demolishing people’s houses in Ekiti?

Fayemi Administration is embarking on urban renewal. We have started in Ado-Ekiti. The import of this is beyond the ken and comprehension of those who lack affective orientation and value. They say the government is demolishing. When you make the cities attractive, they attract investor as havens of peace, beauty and what humanity represents. Shanties are being demolished to pave way for a beautiful society and tourism will flow from there and it is a good source of income.

What has changed in Ekiti State since Dr Kayode Fayemi assumed office as governor?

Essentially, there is peace in the land, unlike what we had in the past.

Governor Kayode Fayemi has brought peace, which is the foundation of progress. This is the fallout of the electoral legitimacy given to him.

People are working and cooperating with the governor to have performance legitimacy. We cannot compare this administration with the previous one because, judging by the verdict of the court, there was no government It was chaos all over the place. There is peace now and it is translating to development.

In concrete terms, what are the achievements of the administration?

Let us start with education. Government convened the education summit. the summit dissected the education sector in the state and came up with the issue of restructuring at the tertiary level. There were three universities in place, which were not more than glorified secondary schools. The three were merged and it is now Ekiti State University. The meaning of this is that there will be internal expansion. The university is now steered towards becoming what a university should be; a citadel of knowledge. That was the thoughtful outcome of the education summit of all stakeholders in the primary, secondary and tertiary levels to meet the peoples’ yearnings and justify the description of Ekiti as the ‘Fountain of Knowledge’. Now, promotion for students will be based on examination, unlike before when they were promoted without any criterion.

What about the welfare of the people?

The administration has been implementing free medical services for children, pregnant women, disabled and aged. Government has embarked on the free medical mission. The first phase was across the senatorial districts. The second phase has started from Ekiti North. You will marvel at the turn out. About 150,000 participated in the exercise. People were screened for high blood pressure, cataract, and ailments that could not be handled at that level were referred to the General Hospital. Drugs were given. The quality of drugs was worth N5,000, N10,000, N15,000.

People were happy. Primary health care system is growing in Ekiti State.

How is the administration fighting the infrastructure battle?

Ten major road contracts have been awarded and some of them are nearing completion. The Ilwe/Ado Ekiti, Ilawe/Igbara-Odo, Igbara-Odo/ Ikere, Afao/Ilupeju. Iworoko/Igede roads have been awarded. The ‘previous government’ never completed any project. The state government is networking with the federal government. There was a visit by the governor to the federal ministries, departments and agencies three weeks ago. He held discussions with them on the implementation of federal government projects in Ekiti State.

How is the government tackling unemployment in Ekitiland?

The government started by trying to have a database for youths. 20,000 were initially expected, but about 150,000 showed up for the project. The thing has to be done in phases. We started with 2,500. They have been trained. It will be in batches. Government cannot be the employer of labour. The government is trying to re-orientate our youths to be selfemployed. What the government is doing now is to develop the youths to work for themselves. In that wise, the middle class, which is the bastion of any economy, will grow. No government has taken the issue of women empowerment seriously more that Ekiti government. The number of women in the cabinet and House of Representatives is encouraging. The deputy governor is a woman. The wife of the governor is not relenting. Tourism is growing.

Go to Ikogosi warm spring. It was a waste before, but by the time the administration is celebrating its first anniversary, it will be the pride of Ekiti.

When you assess all these, you will conclude that, in the next two years, Ekiti will become an Eldorado. Agriculture, the mainstream of the economy, will be pursued vigorously. We are returning to the farm settlements of Awolowo era. We will not limit activities to farming. We will improve on canning.

•Afuye

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

One blast too many

•Bloodshed, infamy as Boko Haram bombs UN house in Abuja

N

IGERIA may have finally joined the list of infamy among the comity of nations, as her emboldened hate gang unleashed a gruesome suicide bomb on the Abuja Head Office of the United Nation’s last Friday.

The devastating attack, for which the Boko Haram group (a.k.a the Yusifiyya Movement) has claimed responsibility, is the worst so far since this group began its terrorist attacks in Abuja and parts of Northern Nigeria last year.

According to one Abu Kakah who reportedly spoke to journalists in Maiduguri on Saturday via the telephone, Boko Haram struck the UN building because it considers the U.S., the UN and the Nigerian government as common enemies and would continue to attack them because they infringe on the rights of Muslims.

The ‘spokesman’ did not expatiate on the ‘rights’. He instead, threatened more

‘Hitting the UN office in Nigeria which houses about 26 different organs within it has been conjectured to be more political than religious advocacy because Nigeria is at peace and she has existed over the past 50 years as an established secular state, without such deep-seated extremist religious tendencies’

terror in parts of the country, abused the Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of Muslims in Nigeria and warned that over 100 youths are waiting, itching to be deployed to the suicide mission.

This particular suicide bombing is a cause for worry for Nigeria and Nigerians for several reasons: One, the Boko Haram which has been detonating at least an explosion a week in Maiduguri and parts of the North of Nigeria, has raised the stakes, both in terms of their method, the magnitude of the explosive device and their targets. The suicide bomber reportedly beat security measures by ramming through two exit gates, running against traffic to reach the entrance of the UN House before setting off what must be massive explosive devices which wreaked serious havoc on the building.

Apart from causing extensive damage to the building, the fatalities are multinational. Among the dead and injured were whites, blacks, Asians, old, young and even children. Friday’s blast attracted instant worldwide attention and condemnation because it is not in ordinary situations that the UN is attacked.

Before the Abuja blast, the UN had only been previously attacked in such extreme war zone as Baghdad in Iraq and Kandahar in Afghanistan.

Hitting the UN office in Nigeria which houses about 26 different organs within it has been conjectured to be more political than religious advocacy because Nigeria is at peace and she has existed over the past 50 years as an established secular state, without such deep-seated extremist religious tendencies. Not a few Nigerians are therefore of the view that extending the confetti of explosions to the UN is a ruse to give an international cover to the machinations of a section of

the Nigerian elite who are aggrieved at their loss of power. They are simply putting an Islamic veneer to what is largely their personal political vendetta.

By engendering relentless mayhem, they seek to cause enough agitation in the polity to lead to a destabilisation of the government of the day. Those who make this argument buttress it with the fact that these bombings, especially last Friday’s, are too expensive and sophisticated campaigns for an ungrounded sect such as Boko Haram to carry out.

Even Islamic clerics have condemned the dastardly act, noting that no true Muslim would slaughter innocent people, including fellow Muslims and children who have committed no offence whatsoever in the holy month of Ramadan. All the dead and maimed are neither American nor Nigerian governments; they are ordinary people seeking their daily bread.

We urge the Federal Government to live up to its responsibilities and arrest a situation which has become an utterly embarrassing security challenge. Explosions had happened near the Eagle Square, Abuja; Army barracks had been hit, the police headquarters was breached and now the UN office. The Federal Government is everywhere else but on top of this matter. Abuja is not too vast to be put under a close-nit security network.

On the other hand, we appeal to the Boko Haram group to rethink its strategy if only in the interest of hapless innocent Nigerians. If truly it is fighting the cause of Islam, it must outline its grievances and seek redress through dialogue. Hate-mongering, killing and maiming will never solve any problem.

Grace under pressure • This is what Mikel has displayed by playing for his club despite the kidnap of his dad ·HE abduction of Michael Obi, the father of John Mikel Obi, a Nigerian international who plays for Chelsea Football Club of England reverberated around the world. To most Nigerians, it was yet another demonstration of how insecure their nation had become; to the outside world, it was one more addition to the ever-increasing pile of horror stories about Africa’s most populous nation.

But the behaviour of Mikel Obi, the individual at the centre of the storm, is outstanding for the way in which he displayed courage, professionalism and calm in the face of immense pressure.

The footballer had apparently been informed of the kidnapping just before they were due to play Chelsea’s first game of the 2011/2012 Season in the English Premier League. In spite of his obvious fears for the wellbeing of his father, Mikel went ahead to play the game. As he later explained, he did this in order not to let either his family or his team down.

Such a display of professionalism is all the more amazing, given its rarity in Nigeria. This is, after all, a country in which many individuals entrusted with positions of great responsibility do not see the need to carry out their duties with any commitment.

In contrast, Mikel realised that his decision to continue with the game would amount to a powerfully symbolic statement: in essence, a refusal to be intimidated by those who were seeking to prey on his achievements by kidnapping his

T

father. The fact that he went out and played what was, by all accounts, an above-average game, testifies to the sincerity of his actions. He was fully aware of his professional commitments and clearly understood that he was under obligation to fulfil them, regardless of his personal troubles. This is the kind of attitude that has to become more prevalent in Nigeria if it is to fulfil its globally-acknowledged potential. The history of the world’s great nations is full of men and women who knew that rapid national progress required an intense focus on duty and sacrifice.

Interestingly, the much-maligned Nigeria Police matched Mikel’s positive attitude with some professionalism of their own. After some dithering over whether the footballer’s father was “missing” or “abducted”, the police swung into action, and their efforts resulted in the apprehension of the abductors 10 days after the kidnapping. Their ability to locate them and rescue the abducted man without loss of life is a pointer to what the police are capable of when they put their minds to it.

Now that the elder Obi has been safely returned to his family, and his famous son’s mind is now at rest, the danger is that the country may not learn the vital lessons the kidnap crisis has thrown up.

Apart from the obvious need to work on the socio-economic issues that have made kidnapping so widespread, Nigerians must learn from the way in which Mikel faced this difficulty. It was not a sportsrelated challenge: had it been, Mikel

would probably have known what to do.

Indeed, his distinguished career is replete with examples of how he overcame the various obstacles that faced him on the sports field. The kidnap of his father was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and in addressing it, he fell back on the enduring principles of courage and faith.

Significantly, he does not appear to have tried the typically Nigerian tactic of throwing money at the problem: he simply appealed for those who could help in the recovery of his father to come forward.

Like all great sportsmen, Mikel has demonstrated his virtues off the field of play. If his compatriots could bring similar attitudes to bear on the various aspects of their own lives, Nigeria would be well on its way to achieving its manifest destiny.

‘It was not a sports-related challenge: had it been, Mikel would probably have known what to do. Indeed, his distinguished career is replete with examples of how he overcame the various obstacles that faced him on the sports field. The kidnap of his father was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and in addressing it, he fell back on the enduring principles of courage and faith’

What’s secret about World War II?

G

OVERNMENTS, even the most democratic, are reflexively determined to keep as many secrets as they can. The Freedom of Information Act, enacted 45 years ago, is an essential corrective. The process is still too daunting and bureaucratic and in many cases far too slow with some requests languishing for more than a decade.

The Obama administration has prodded noticeable improvements.

But 14 of the 35 busiest agencies fielding FOIA requests have backlogs older than two years and continue to lose ground, according to the latest watchdog accounting by the National Security Archive at George Washington University.

Eight bureaucracies had requests more than a decade old.

The oldest, about allied activities during World War II, was filed May 8, 1991. A cobwebbed runner-up is a 1993 query about the Sicilian mafia in the 1940s, according to the study, which FOIA-ed pending FOIA requests to get a handle on the backlog.

Proper security safeguards were written into the law, which otherwise allotted agencies 20 to 30 business days to process a request. The main reason delays get out of hand appears to be the law’s referral process allowing separate agencies to claim partial jurisdiction, or “equity,” over a FOIA request.

The White House laid down steps for stricter response times in 2009, pruning an estimated backlog of more than 130,000 requests by tens of thousands. Still, only 49 out of 90 federal agencies had put improvements in place as of last March, according to the study.

Congress has amended the law six times over the years, in hopes of improving citizens’ access. It is back on the case with proposals for a commission to pinpoint problems and propose solutions. Surely taxpayers deserve an even stronger fix as the shadows linger and lengthen.

• NewYorkTimes

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye

•Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•General Editor Kunle Fagbemi

• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Chief Internal Auditor Toke Folorunsho

•Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli

•Senior Manager (sales) Akeem Shoge

•Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

•Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina

•IT Manager Bolarinwa Meekness

•Group Political Editor Bolade Omonijo •Group Business Editor Ayodele Aminu •Abuja Bureau Chief Yomi Odunuga •Sport Editor Ade Ojeikere •Editorial Page Editor Sanya Oni

•Pre-Press Manager Chuks Bardi •Press Manager Udensi Chikaodi •Manager, Corporate Marketing Hameed Odejayi • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

S

IR: It is a well known fact that insecurity has enveloped the landscape of Nigeria and had increasingly led to public outcries and calls for Military assistance to the Police to maintain law and order in the country. There are daily occurrences of robbery incidents all across the country leading to several loss of lives with scores being maimed.

The incessant ethnic, communal and political clashes in Nigeria have taken a wider dimension, leading to colossal loss of lives and property. Cases of kidnapping and militancy across the country have exposed the helplessness and inefficiency of the Nigerian police in the face of such a disturbing phenomenon.

The campaign for the introduction of State Police was given prominence by former governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during their tenure as governor of Lagos state. Now, this campaign is again being promoted

by Nigerian Governors Forum led

by Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, the Rivers State Governor. Media reports showed that this is one of the conditions presented to President Goodluck Jonathan before his single tenure bill can be supported by the governors.

My argument on this is that we still have some religious, ethnic, cultural and political challenges. It is against this background that I urge that we again think twice before considering the introduction of State Police. This policy is ill-timed, do not have a fertile soil that will enable it germinate and produce its desired fruits.

In the US where this policy is in place, an average American sees his/her fellow American as one, same and, not based on the religion or ethnic group the other belongs.

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 1000 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.com

Rethinking State Police in Nigeria There is one law that governs all irrespective of race, colour, religion or political leaning.

The real reason(s) why the Nigerian Police have performed poorly over the years is not because it is been controlled from the centre, the basic causes of its abysmal performance had been analyzed by experts in security matters. Nigerian Police force, they have affirmed, needs far reaching reform including, higher welfare package, sophisticated security weapons, contemporary gadgets, sound training and re-training, rewards for

achievements and punishments for failures. These and many more, they posited, will ensure that men, women and officers of the Nigerian Police perform their duties better.

For a State Police that is desirable, every Nigerian must be able to live in any part of the country without fear of molestation by the so-called indigenes of such community.

Again, in Nigeria there is always a battle of supremacy between settlers and indigenes, majority and minority tribes. We must deal with these challenges, to allow all Nigerians see themselves as one and

the same first before we consider State Police coming in place in our national security system.

The demand by some state governors for the creation of state police is not because they are keen to provide security for their people, but for their myopic, selfish, and parochial interests. What the governors want is the absolute control of the police in their states so as to coerce their opponents to do their will without any question; to further terrorize opposition groups and appear and seen as the king of the jungle. This is just the

Salami: This injustice must be challenged

S

IR: It was Plato, the great thinker, that said, “Justice is the interest of the stronger party.”

The reprehensible denouement being witnessed in the nation’s judiciary starkly exposes the true hypocritical character of a supposedly democratic regime that deceptively makes the rule of law its daily recital. Once again, it puts the sincerity and commitment of this administration to the tenets, pathos and ethos of democracy to test.

That President Goodluck Jonathan is lending support to injustice and is offering his approval to judicial rascality provides grounds for one to doubt his Nehemiah mission at the Presidency.

Justice Ayo Salami, the President

of the Court of Appeal (PAC), had told this nation in the most unambiguous diction that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Katsina-Alu asked him to allegedly dissolve an electoral tribunal the former had constituted so that “justice could not be done” and specifically instructed him to ask the tribunal judges to uphold the result of the 2007 governorship election in Sokoto State in favour of the PDP. The CJN told Salami that if the result as declared by the INEC was voided or upturned by the tribunal, it would bring down the reputation of the Sultan of Sokoto. Salami disobliged the CJN, believing that the action would subvert justice, even as he saw no reason how the

outcome of a post-election litigation would affect the reputation of the Sultan of Sokoto.

This is the cause of the dissonance between the two top judicial officers in the country and on which account the PAC is being persecuted.

President Jonathan’s endorsement of Justice Salami’s removal has been widely faulted because the PAC had already challenged in court the recommendations of the panel set up by the National Judicial Council on the stasis.

Many Nigerians, including this writer had lost confidence in the Nigerian Judiciary long, long time ago. In 1980, the Rivers State Government destroyed a vast rubber plantation in Sagbama LGA (now in

Curbing farmine in African countries IR: The various images been flash around the world by international media showing famine ravaged African countries called for concerted efforts to ameliorate this scourge that is inflicting serious pain on children, the old and women through acute shortage of food, water and medicament. Their plight should be of concern to all people around the globe.

The various countries that are affected with this pandemic should draw the attention of the world, particularly the rich

S

simple truth. For instance, many of the governors who recovered their mandates through the courts will not have succeeded if we had state police in operation.

It is diversionary from the real issues of governance in their various states. Apart from Lagos state, all other states solely depend on the statutory monthly federal allocation to function. None are looking inwards to raise their local revenue thereby creating jobs for the teeming populace of the states, and using the internally generated revenue to transform their states to meet with modern time.

The Chibuike Amaechi led Governors Forum will do well if they press for the centre to allow the states control electricity, roads, before delving into security. For now, security is still better in the hands of government at the centre.

• Uzodinma Nwaogbe Uzodinma65@yahoo.com

countries of Africa, before other world super power would come to their rescue. The case of Somalia that have witnessed incessant war for the past twenty years did not help the situation. The children in that country are malnourished and hit by various kinds of ailments that are very disturbing to the entire world.

In the past, there were some philanthropic initiatives but not again at the moment.

We would not forget musical concerts like we are the world that drew the attention of the world to

the plight of those famine ravaged countries.

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia must be commended for its kind assistant by sending most of the rams slaughtered during the period of holy pilgrimage to famine areas around Africa. This has gone along way to bring relieves to famine areas of Africa.

It behoves on the various countries in Africa to introduce a system of agriculture that will ensure mass food production in the continent to stem the avoidable cases of famine affecting the

continent. FADAMA farming should be encouraged to assist various farmers during the dry season.

African countries are blessed with vast arable land and good climate for production of cash crops and other related crops for cultivation.

The teeming unemployed youths of African must be engaged in agricultural activities in order to safe guard the continent from relying on other nation for such assistant in future.

• Bala Nayashi Yashi Area , Lokoja

the present Bayelsa State) to site a teachers’ training college. The owner of the plantation, Mr. Captain Alemu, now in his early 80s, was never paid a kobo as compensation!

Alemu took the the Rivers State Government to court to press for damages. The matter lingered for more than 26 years in court and the old man gave up on the case because he had no money to pursue further litigation. Why would a judicial system, the supposed last hope of the common man, deny justice to the old farmer in this clear case for restitution, if not for the kind of malfeasance we see today rearing its ugly head in the Nigerian Judiciary? Alemu is today living in Sagbama in reduced circumstances because he was denied the fruitage of his big investment of a life time.

Talking about justice and the rule of law, we all saw the role the present administration played in the last general elections in some parts of Bayelsa State, and the role it continues to play in the post-election litigations there to turn justice on its head.

There is too much injustice in the land and if this nation continues to reward criminality, then we will see more organized crimes like the Boko Harams springing up in all parts of the country. This is what the SalamiKatsina-Alu debacle metaphorizes.

• Oscar Kubuye, Yenagoa.

21

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

EDITORIAL/OPINION

Flood; Okonjo Iweala’s naira value; Bolt Bomb Blast in Abuja

T

HE calculated, malicious and murderous tragedy in Abuja caused by the Boko Haram underscore the fragility of life showing that Tony human life is beyond our Marinho control. It also reminds us of the seriousness of politics and the need to upgrade security, rescue and health care facilities. Unfortunately Nigeria failed to improve its police investigation skills. Yes, there was spectacular success with Michel Obi’s father.

Congratulations! But for years, after several assassinations and bombings, we have appealed to government to comply with modern international forensic laboratory standards.

How will our poor police respond to the UN Investigation Team’s request for suspects, photographs, and fingerprint databases!

Inspector General or his representative: I de com! I will send for the files from Lagos, Zaria and Enugu. We are still working on our computerized photograph and fingerprinting database. We are about to award the contract. Can you re-apply in 2015?

Yet, huge sums are allegedly allocated annually for the purpose of improving forensic pathology in the police budget for the last 30 years? Civil Society should use the Freedom of Information Bill to demand answers to our forensic failure.

The Ibadan Flood of 2011 again reveals how powerless we are when natural disasters strike. Fellow Nigerians have been drowned, swept away by a wall of water or crushed by a concrete wall weakened by water. The death and destruction were widespread but well covered by government. The correct innovation of using a helicopter is welcome. After the deputy governor’s aerial tour hopefully, the State Emergency Management Agency also used that helicopter for a scientific survey with experts? We proved that helicopters are for surveys and to bring aid to the suffering citizen! The Wife of the Oyo State Governor was involved in bringing succor to the citizens. Relief materials were immediately distributed. The night security situation is also

T

WO months ago, when it occurred at the Police headquarters in Abuja, there were doubts if a suicide bomber was actually involved. Even when another one was quickly stopped in its track by vigilant policemen at the Police headquarters in Maiduguri a few weeks later, not many believed the man involved was really a suicide bomber. But what happened last Friday at the United Nations’ building in Abuja has completely changed all that.

Now, doubts have given way to reality and the era of suicide bombers has finally arrived in Nigeria.

The bombing has attracted wide condemnation across the globe.

Ban Ki-moon, UN SecretaryGeneral, described the incident as “an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others”. This view was also echoed by Barack Obama, the American President, who also condemned the “horrific and cowardly attack”. According to him, “the people who serve the United Nations do so with a simple purpose to try to improve the lives of their neighbours and promote the values on which the UN was founded – dignity, freedom, security and peace.”

Long before a man who claimed to be a spokesman of the Boko Haram sect claimed responsibility for the attack last week, accusing fingers had pointed in that direction. It is no news that the sect could have been responsible as the spokesman admitted. What is news, however, is the resolve of the sect to bomb an international agency like the UN at this material time.

Some people have attributed this latest dastardly act by the sect to events lined up to mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11,

important as many walls were destroyed. Police patrols must be beefed up. The media coverage was good but needed to be continuous.

The police and traffic wardens needed to be out there ensuring traffic flow. Road junctions are the first casualty of an unnerved population. Some security agents stayed out and were actually the heroes that need media recognition.

However, our preventive measures need multi-pronged serious upgrade. The Police Emergency Button should make police pour onto the streets.

Were any of the effects of the flood disasters around Nigeria, North and South, preventable? Yes. Late Professor C O Sowunmi of the University of Ibadan fought against any building being built on the water ways of Bodija, Ibadan.

Now he is dead and all that area is built up. Where does the water flow? At the UI Secretariat road ‘bridge’ near Mobil Petrol Station, the leaders blocked a large drain with rocks to allow vehicles to drive over the drain forcing rainwater onto the road destroying part of the road. This shows that local and individual leadership is important.

We have been privy to the ‘foolish’ discussions from the retired army officers ‘Mess’. Nigeria is a laughing stock with a poor power supply while calling itself ‘the giant’ or ‘the heart’ of Africa- Nigeria. Pitifully, Nigeria’s heart is beating with a million plus generators poisoning the air. Know that there are few or no generators in Ghanaian, Ivorian, Congolese, Sudanese, Burkinabe, Senegalese, Ethiopian or Libyan homes and offices. They have permanent power. Prerevolution fuel in Libya cost 10 Cents or N15/ litre – no ‘stupid subsidy’ or ‘deregulation’. Nigerians de sufffa o! We have been living a lie – ‘Great country’ rubbish! Which country has such a poor power supply, roads or water and sanitation system and still sings the praises of its past selfstyled ‘foolish’ rulers? Only Nigeria! We have been raped, robbed, ruled and ruined by clueless, visionless arrogant rulers who equate 2,000Mw to be ‘enough’ for 100m people and who could not deliver 1,000Mw of power per year while they were in maximum political power a total of 20 or so years -20,000 lost Megawatts. Tropical Storm Irene has rendered 4million in the USA without power for a few hours

or days. Nigeria’s political Hurricane and over100 million people rendered without power for 30 years. In fact Nigerians have only themselves, not self-proclaimed ‘foolish rulers’ to thank for surviving in this geographical expression sewn together by the colonial amalgamation of 1914.

Nigerians have been cheated!

In all the financial economic team muscle flexing we have no word about the government’s plans for the naira value. It is the naira value that renders each Nigerian rich or poor. A weak naira means that the Federal Government can meet its internal bills with fewer dollars as the petro-dollars will buy more naira. Much was made of the fact that the Minister of Finance, Mrs Okonjo-Iwaela and we praise her for forgoing a World Bank salary for Nigeria’s paltry effort unless one is a National Assembly millionaire person. She is to be paid in naira and hopefully the economic team will strategise to improve its value over four years to $1: N88.

Usain Bolt bolted early and was disqualified from the 100m race for. This ‘mistake’ allowed his friend, protégé and compatriot, Blake, to become World Champion- till Bolt takes the title back! He now has a moment in the sun which Bolt will reclaim soon. Bolt shares his glory - a false start or a startup for a friend? Of course, Bolt may have simply misread the starting gun- an expensive miscalculation from the Bolt of lightening.

‘In all the financial economic team muscle flexing we have no word about the government’s plans for the naira value. It is the naira value that renders each Nigerian rich or poor. A weak naira means that the Federal Government can meet its internal bills with fewer dollars as the petro-dollars will buy more naira’

The Abuja Satanic Bombing 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre in New York by al-Qaeda.

If this is so, then it means that the activities of Boko Haram in the recent past have attracted the support of other deadly groups operating elsewhere. After the recent attack on the Police headquarters in Abuja, some members of the sect had claimed that many members of their suicide squads have just returned from training in Somalia and are roaring to go into action.

If the Somalia connection is true, then that is a clear signal that the activities of the sect have gone beyond the kid gloves treatment it has been receiving from the Nigerian government. Somalia is home to the al-Shabaab group, an al-Qaeda cell whose terrorists’ activities have seized the horn of Africa by the jugular. They have imposed their vicious interpretation of the Islamic Sharia law, which is similar to that of the Talibans in Afghanistan on their people. The only difference is that Somalia has been gripped by leadership tussle for so long and the group has virtually cashed in on the leadership vacuum to propagate their nebulous version of Islam.

But that cannot be said of Nigeria where a leader is in charge in Abuja, except that many people believe that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has not been firm enough in dealing with the terrorists’ threat to the nation’s peace and stability. This argument is buttressed by many instances in the past. On October 1, 2010, a twinbomb blast rocked the capital city very close to the Eagle Square,

‘By and large, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that there are some people in Nigeria today who are averse to peace in the country’

where the events marking the country’s 50th independence anniversary were being held, with many visiting dignitaries, including Jonathan himself in attendance. A visibly perplexed Jonathan had gone on air to debunk accusations that elements of the Niger Delta militant movements could have been involved. But events that followed may have thoroughly embarrassed the president.

Again, when the Boko Haram sect took their deadly campaign to the Police headquarters in Abuja about two months ago, rather than descend heavily on the appalling security situation in the country, the President merely said that it was not an isolated case. The next thing he did was to set up a fact-finding panel to look into the issue. If I may ask: what other facts did the president need to know that the Boko Haram sect had declared total war on the country and his government? Assuming he does not know, and therefore needs to be properly advised, what type of advice has he been receiving from the hordes of advisers and aides running rings around him? How do you dialogue with a deaf and dumb? If it is true that they abhor Western education or do not want to be part of civilization, can mere dialogue make them retrace their steps? They have crossed the Rubicon a long time ago, and it appears there is no retreat, no surrender.

But beyond the initial demands of the sect, it is believed that the Nigerian government’s recent sudden and controversial recognition of the rebel group in the Libyan imbroglio may have been the catalyst for last Friday’s bombing. It is a known fact that Muammar Gaddafi, the embattled Libyan leader, has never hidden his disdain for Nigeria and its leaders.

Sometime ago, he openly called for the division of the country along religious lines, the type of ideology Boko Haram seems to propagate.

Now that he is drowning, Gaddafi may decide to pull all the strings he could muster on the road to perdition. After all, he has the financial muscle to do just that, coupled with an unparalleled appetite and rich reputation for terrorism. He could have found a willing tool in the hands of the sect.

Besides, now and again, there are rumours making the rounds that the Boko Haram sect may be contemplating to visit their terrorists’ acts on Lagos and other areas outside their present enclave.

If that happens, then the country could slip into a wider conflagration, the end of which nobody can safely predict. That is why it must be understood that no group or section of the country has monopoly of violence.

By and large, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that there are some people in Nigeria today who are averse to peace in the country.

This opinion is supported by the torrents of misfortunes since the presidential election in April which witnessed a widespread orgy of violence and killings in some northern states of Nigeria. The emergence of Jonathan as winner of that election is believed to have infuriated some northern members of his own party – the Peoples Democratic Party – who believed it was a northerner’s turn to be president. They based their arguments on an unwritten rule that rotates the presidential candidates for Nigeria’s main political party between the North and South. At that time, some notable Northern leaders openly said they would make the country ungovernable for Jonathan.

There is also this strong belief that some elements within the nation’s

Dele Agekameh security apparatus, both in the lower and officers’ cadres, may have developed sympathy for the satanic sect. This is probably responsible for the ease with which they carry out their nefarious machinations without being detected. In a country where corruption walks on all four, this may not be impossible going by Nigerians’ proclivity for filthy lucre.

Whatever way the latest attack is viewed, the international dimension of the attack has simply confirmed that what is involved has traversed the capabilities and capacity of Boko Haram. Simply put, the sect’s operation has been hijacked by a more sinister and daring group within and or outside the shores of Nigeria. The whole thing bears the full imprimatur of an al-Qaeda plot using foreign suicide bombers. I don’t believe there is any Nigerian who wants to die for the fun of it, except, of course, if that Nigerian is thoroughly hypnotized like we witnessed in the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s episode a few years back.

Send reactions to: 08058354382 (SMS only)

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION FROM THE CELL PHONE ‘In the matter between the PCA and the NJC, I submit that the NJC be disbanded, an enabling law created whereby men of honour, integrity, reason, logic and commonsense will be made members e.g six most senior and retired chief judge with the most senior as chairman, three most senior lawyers with the most senior as secretary...’

• Justice Salami

For Omotoso Gbenga For the NBA to declare a boycott on NJC, in my own opinion, we don’t have a judicial system, but rather a conglomerate of judicial Boko Harams. From Oghenerobo Immanuel.

The NJC/Salamì face off has exposed the quality (or lack) of our judicìal appointees - for the love of God what right does a judge that does not understand the word sub-judice have to preside over matters? I think the whole lot of them need to be retrained by eminent members of the bar.

Sir, you don’t have to conclude that President jonathan was misled. Don’t you have to know by now the whole script that the NjC is acting was written by Jonathan and PDP. It is time Nigerians realise that they have pushed the goat to the wolf by voting Jonathan. No second chance for sentiment. Wasiu. From Aba Gbenga dear, what has gone wrong with my rejoinder to one Jude Ogunjobi’s earlier piece on the Okun people in Kogi State.

I want u to please look into it. Silas Ajagun, journalist, Ilorin. . The judiciary is not on trial, it has been on trial and in a mess for over decades now. The rot and mess in the judiciary has been with us for a very long time delivering quetionable and oftentimes corrupted verdicts especially in election cases. Appointing inefficient, inept and corrupt persons to the bench, abandoning merit and quality. What is happening seems to be enjoying the sportlight because of the dramatis personae involved.

It is not new. The judiciary must be reinvented if our society is to make any meaningful progress and be respected in the commity of nations. Barr. Tsuwa Matthias Aondohemba. No 1 club Road, Bauchi.

It is now clear that we voted not for a man as a president, who cannot take the bull by the horns but a woman like shaft tossed around by the breeze. What a pity!

IBB devalued our Naira,brought SAP a theory without fact,forgot power production ,neglected education,messed up the armed forces.

Glorified corruption,destroyed agriculture production,and almost split the country by annuling a popular election. The mess IBB started was what OBJ came to correct.

Cardinal Arogundade of the Niger Ref- The judicial mess . Bros it is a fight between you people ( ACN) and PDP .

Uche Gabaolu . From Aba .

My own comment is that our able president was mis advised on the issue I dont know what the Attorney General ìs stil doing in the office by now Femi from Ekiti ‘RE:OBJ vs IBB: GEJ steps in’. Am not a politician but is a pity your paper is purely partisan.

It is trying to prove that the executive can still over shadows the judiciary. the overturned electoral victories of the PDP in Ekiti and osun states is still giving Jonathan and his party nightmares. and he will stop at nothing to punsh Salami for that.

OBJ VS IBB:GEJ steps in: Sorry to observe that in that encounter IBB was evidently denied fair hearing as OBJ did not give him any breathing space and the Moderator did not help matters. . .Barr.

A.Moronkeji.

In the matter between the PCA and the NJC, I submit that the NJC be disbanded, an enabling law created whereby men of honour, integrity, reason, logic and commonsense will be made members e.g six most senior and retired chief judge with the most senior as chairman, three most senior lawyers with the most senior as secretary, the most senior retired judge from each of the six geopolitical zones and five immediate chairmen of the NBA as members. This is if we want commonsence to prevail, if not, we can enlarge the membership of the NJC to include Tokyo and Eleweomo (factional chairmen of the NURTW, Oyo) as members, Ganiyu Adams of the OPC as a member, a nominee of Jomo Gbomo, a nominee each of the BOKO HARAM, Okada cyclists and MASSOB! The former guarantees the sustenance of the rule of law while the latter guarantees the sustemance of the rule of the jungle as flagrantly displayed by the five morons in the NJC. Again, bro Jonah should be prevailed upon to reverse his hasty and unconstitutional high-handedness as the Whales of Nineveh as still around today though in human form. This judicial rascality must not be allowed to stand. Kayode A. Abeokuta.

OBJ vs IBB: GEJ step in Mr President has done well by bringing the two OLD men together. The two OLD men should learn to show good example as former Presidents. Thanks to OBJ for keeping the khaki boys permanently in the barrack for the past 12years and forever, if for this alone OBJ has done well.

Olu Bala Lawal Osogbo, Osun State.

No matter how the wertern press wants to dress Salami in white robes, he is no saint. He is a cheap traitor only fit for the dirty tray of history.

Aloysius is judiciary killjoy, who else will like to name his child after him? knowing fully well what he portends; calamity at the twilight of his stewardship.

Jonathan, an unrepentant zoologist unequivacably has shown his stuff by going back to his professional calling. good bye democracy,welcome anarchy. b.o. jay kachia,kaduna state.

May be its too early, but i think i regret voting for jonathan. ogili y.

Dear omotosho,’re the judicial mess’ where do we run to? Our faith in God and hope in the judiciary but see now how they are emasculating the judiciary.we run the risk of people resorting to the rules of animal in seeking justice and redress.

Let those concerned be warned. The protracted cases of robberies and kidnapping is a sure sign of revolt.The courts can still redeem the situation but it has to be fast and equitable.GEORGE ABUJA. Its unbeliable that the judiciary can be rubished like this the outgoing cjn succeded in bringing the image of judiciary to the mud i want him to know that he is not the first cjn and he will not be the last cjn. The rot he brought to the nation judiciary is too monimetal ayedogbon segun iyara ijumu Dear Omotoso,the verbal altercation between obj and ibb is a drama of the absorlved among the cabal that are daily mortgaging the life of the masses of our people. who is really a fool? is he ibb who providence gave hin power to conduct free and fear election but was annuled by him or obj that providence did not allow to die in abacha gulap but rule for 8 years with failed state and later third time palava. paradoxically,for the general to dramtize their inadquacy publicly shows they belng to the wasted generation. tope

omobulejo,ifaki.

RE,THE JUDICIAL MESS.PLS CALL A SPADE A SPADE.Dont blame anyone bt President Jonathan,He seems more intersted in pleasing his party{PDP} at the expense of the interest of lager Nigeria.Yet he claims to be on a mission to fix Nigeria.I pity those Who put much confidence in him.This is just the begining of a total affront on the Nigerian State by the very people that are supposed to protect it.However,the consolation is that they cant pocket all of us the Nigerian People.We wil surely Resist them.frm Mohammed S in Lagos If somebody is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to speed him up.What he needs is education to turn him around.That is not the Goodluck jonathan we knew b4 elections Its a pity that our dear president has gone the way of the “Obasanjos” and the “Babangidas” who dont have regard for Nigerians or the constitution. God dey!

A man who wishes to make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good. Salami is like a crying free man Thank you for the imaginative write up on IBB vs OBJ:GEJ steps in. PLZ, I beg you WAkE Late Gani (san) to speak on the judicial mess!!! From Justice. o. otabor benin The judiciary is not on trial but Mr Alloysius Katsina Alu they have made justice Isa Salami a hero in this holy month. may continue to protect him. and to those who want castrate him, may their plane crash land any time they travel . ameen . toma .s.abdulmumini.

Justice Salami shud be reinstate back?

Is it a crime 2 be upright in this country?

Iread with keen interest your article titled the judicial mess. it is just to let President Jonathan know that his approval of an acting president of federal court of appeal is a violation of constitutional provision which can result to crisis, I expect attorney general to advise his boss on the illegality of the suspension of salami who was adjudged brilliant for promotion to supreme court. from barrister ajewole olusayo g.141 irojo ilesa osun state.

The judicial mess. It is a PDP's grand plan to make nonsense of the judiciary. Can Nigeria find a man of honour & integrity in d party? Ayuba Iliya.

It's an awesome drama. The out-going CJN has set a negatiue and irrpairable mess for our reputable bench Lets pray 4 Nig. Broher Gbenga. The Generals at the apex are tearing themselves to shreads so is our judicia- ry at the very top. Its serious.

Having said that the njc mised mr president on the iissue of jjustice Ayo Salamis case but it is quite unfortunate for mr president as d head of state to close eyes and use a decree to suspend Justice Salami on what we can think of an injustice of mr president or maybe he himself think dat if should salami continue to stay in office an axe may fell on him as a president because of d election dat took him to office is ful of malpractices The judiciary mess: The guilty are afraid.

The guilty will run while nobody persue them. Up CPC !

Our dear Editor, OBJ vs IBB: GEJ steps in Thank you for your imaginative, priceless "pennings", cranking out the tragicomedies of our national life. OBJ and IBB can afford to explore the limits of their freedom,but they should note that it is only when they peacefully die in their sleep that they can be said to have been spared the Rawlings treatment. However, to we their victims, whenever two disasters urge comparison on our minds, one tends to be less

•Jonathan

traumatic than the other. On the whole, our country's chances of making real her potentials are better without their like.

Adebayo Adedayo, Akure, OD. For Olatunji Dare Olatunji Dare, Thank you for placing MKO Abiola’s enigmatic posture in our memories in perspective.

You keep giving us excerpts from the “ Diary of a Debacle “ where can we see it to buy in Port Harcourt .

MKO ABIOLA:Man and martyr.

Sir,Abiola reaped what he sowed,that shows that money cannot buy everything,but i defended june 12 annulment because of the injustice. oluwemimo.kayode. sir k.

Dare, IBB,” A fool at 70", should have also apologised to Nigerians & Abiola’s family, for the anullment of, June 12,1993, general elections that gave way to the murder of MKO. I wish MKO, a post humius 74th birthday. Ntah MKO Abiola even in death we still love him.very bold, sincere, courageous, briliant, kind but trusted a bad friend-IBB. a martyr of our time. elder adelabu Agreed u are not a lawyer nor a jdge but what,s ur view:CPC filed case in court on sunday;GLJ signed Ayo Salami‘s suspension on SUNDAY...Greetings!

Your article today was excellent. You even forgot to add that his ticket was a muslim-muslim ticket being the vice was also a non xtian. But he still won. Abiola remains a martyr. God bless his soul, n you 4 reminding us.EDEM AKPAYEN, Abuja.

Your “MKO Abiola: Man and martyr” masterfully encapsulates the story in a way few, if any, could do. Thanks for it.

TF Some people a found of saying dat Abiola went into seeking political office nd died becus of d death of Simbiat who would have disalowed him through persuat ion on acount of her hatred for politic,thanks for espounding our knowledge that she actualy contested for Senate in 1979. Dsp. Omololu j.I.K. Sir,Citizen security is your business and mine. The action of the robbers wasting life of fellow citizens is condemned. Definitly they will never enjoy their loot. The Police will never do their work because of corruption and what we see them do on the high ways and at their stations. Greed and hate must be wiped out of our beloved country starting from President,Ministers, Senators Governors,National assemblies, State assemblies, LGA’s, Secretaries to Federal and States,Permanent sectries, Directors etc.down to messangers and securities at all levels etc. The State and LGA’s should guarrantee agric. loans to community farms to eliminate idleness among the youths etc.

Thanks. Stanley —PHC Today’s topic titled ‘MKO Abiola : Man and martyr’ is very insightful. It shows that the force of human evil, in the final analysis, is more devastating than the evil force of nature. It is particularly painful that the hero of ‘June 12’ that would have turned 74years this month, was killed for refusing ‘to break faith’ with the masses that voted for him.

MADAGASCAR TEST

Siasia begs Eagles to score goals Pg. 24

Yobo, Uche may join Eagles in Madagascar

Pg. 41

Nation Wednesday, August 31, 2011

PAGE 23

Pg. 41

Mikel visits Jonathan

•President Goodluck Jonathan receiving Super Eagles player, Mikel Obi at the Aso Rock villa, Abuja, when the later paid a courtesy call to show his appreciation for the successful rescue mission of his abducted father

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

24

41

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Osayomi shifts focus to relays, Africa Games

A

LL Africa Games defending champion, Damola Osayomi is not bothered by her inability to get into the final of the women sprint event of the 13th IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. She placed 8th in the first semi final race of the women 100m on Monday night here in Daegu.

“I did my best but was not good enough. I am not bothered by that as my focus now is to concentrate on the 4x100m relay slated for weekend. I just hope we can come out with a medal from that race,” observed Osayomi on her way to the Dining Hall of the Athletes Village yesterday morning.

She insisted that instead of brooding over inability to get into the final the same way she did at the 2007 edition in Osaka, Japan, “my main focus now

•Osayomi

is to concentrate on the relay training programme as well as look ahead to the All Africa Games in Maputo where I hope to defend my 100m and 200m titles.”

A four-time gold medalist at the African Championships in Athletics, Osayomi with a 10.99 seconds chalked up at the Sao Paulo, Brazil meet showed so much promise to make hay here until she had that awful semis race.

“I know everyone here wanted something from me but don’t also forget that as humans, we sometimes don’t always get our prayers answered,” observed the former University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) business administration undergraduate.

The Ekiti-born sprinter was psyched out of her melancholic mood the morning after the semis by Sunday Bada, the technical director of the AFN who told her she has her future ahead to think of. “ There is no need for Damola to feel bad she could not get into the final.

For some of us who attended five World Championships, we understand the pressure and what it means to compete at the highest level of athletics in the world. At just 24 years, Damola still has more years ahead to achieve her aim, that is if she puts in more efforts,” stressed Bada who ruled the quarter mile with an IAAF World Indoor title in addition to an Olympic 4x400m silver medal at the Sydney Olympics.

Odumosu fifth in 400m Hurdles

M

UIZAT Ajoke Odumosu yesterday failed to make the final of the women 400m hurdles after running 56.41 to place fifth in the semi final race won

by Russian Natalya Antyukh (54.51).

The Nigerian hurdler was clearly muscled out from the first 100m of

the race, trailing with no chance of finishing amongst the first two nor fastest losers.

Signs that the race will be difficult for Odumosu showed clearly from her first race in the Round One. She managed fourth place to narrowly squeeze into the semis.

Today is rest day in Daegu

A

PART from the men’s 20km Walk race and women’s 20km road race for women, today is a competition free day for athletes who have been battling for medals in this serene Korean city of Daegu.

As expected, most of the countries who have completed the events they registered for have started moving out of the Athletes’ Games Village.

The Kenyans in particular have most of their athletes who have completed their events to leave for Nairobi yesterday (Tuesday) en-route Maputo for the All Africa Games.

The East African nation is closely

behind USA on the medals chart with 3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze. USA leads with 4 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medals.

Russia tie on the same level of medals with Kenya while Germany has 1 gold 2 silver and 1 bronze medals. Jamaica is fifth with 1 gold and one silver so fare after four days of competition.

DAY-FOUR TABLE (Top Five) G USA 4 Kenya 3 Russia 3 Germany 1 Jamaica 1

S 4 2 2 2 1

B 1 1 1 1 -

Obinna Obiefule to dump Malta’s ARSAXLOKK FC of Malta overtures new signing, Obinna Obiefule

M

has promised to turn down overtures from Malta Football Authority just like he did when the Beninoise FA approached him recently to switch nationality because of his love to play for Nigeria and hoping to get a call up from the Super Eagles selectors before long.

The younger brother of one time Super Eagles’ midfielder, Paul, told NationSport from his base that he would never trade off his country of birth for anything in the world even when the invitation to the senior national team seemed to be too long in coming.

Speaking in the wake of his fourth goal in two matches for his new club, Obinna believes that his own time will surely come to don the green white colours of Nigeria and will be proud to wait for that time to come soon.

On the African Nations Cup Qualifier against Madagascar on Sunday in Antananarivo, the former Sliema Wanderers goal poacher reminded the

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri Super Eagles of the crucial nature of the tie stating that it is a must win one for the country if the country wants to have some realistic chance of making it to Gabon/ Equatorial Guinea CAN 2012.

“We have a game and a very important one for that matter. It is a must win game for Nigeria and we need to win it by all means. The complaint on the substandard nature of the field and the hotel shouldn’t be an issue at all. The most important thing is for us to play and win and ensure we make most of the bad nature of the facilities on show in Madagascar to our advantage because Nigerians will not take any excuses if we fail over there.”

Obinna who netted a hat trick on his debut for his new club got his team’s consolatory goal in their 1-2 loss to Hibenias FC last Friday in the latest round of the Maltese league. He got the goal in the 44th minute of the match and it was his 4th goal in two matches.

Eagles will cope without Odemwingie –Green

N

IGERIA Football Federation (NFF) technical committee chairman, Barrister Chris Green has enthused that Super Eagles will cope without West Bromwich Albion forward, Osaze Odemwingie.

Odemwingie who is highly expected to return to Super Eagles action after he missed the team’s previous two matches due to a face-off with coach Samson Siasia is still ruled out from Sunday’s crucial 2012 Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar, in Antananarivo no thanks to a recurring ankle injury.

Odemwingie is not the only casualty as the trio of Danny Shittu, Kalu Uche and Taye Taiwo are the latest Eagles missing from the battle of Antananarivo.

Unruffled by the spate of withdrawals occasioned by injuries, Green told SuperSport.com that

although Odemwingie will be sorely missed but that his absence will not affect the fortune of Super Eagles in Antananarivo. “It is quite unfortunate that Osaze Odemwingie is out of the Nations Cup match against Madagascar due to injury. “His absence will be felt, he is a key player.

“Well, the team has played two vital matches without him and they notched up good results, I am sure the coach has capable replacement.

“Coach Siasia should see it as a challen ge and go ahead to prosecute the game without him.” Green expressed optimism that Eagles will record a re-sounding victory over Madagascar.

“The game is a must win for us and I know the players are seeing it from that angle. There is new spirit among the players, that spirit will see them overcome their hosts,” he said.

NFF to petition CAF on the state of Antananarivo Stadium •To make alternative plans for accommodation if Eagles’ coach rejects host’s arrangement

T

HE Nigeria football Federation (NFF) has concluded plans to report to the Confederations of African Football (CAF) on the woeful condition of the Antananarivo Stadium the turf billed to host the win or burst weekend African Nations Cup Qualifier between Madagascar and Nigeria.

Speaking with NationSport Tuesday morning, the Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee Department, Barrister Christopher Green said that based on the recommendation of the advance team of delegation sent to Antananarivo, the Football House would have loved a better stadium ahead of the one approved for the match but that the NFF became vexed when it was reliably told that the substandard stadium was the best the country could offer.

He noted that even though the letter to CAF would not force the tie away from Madagascar but that it would be known to CAF that the Super Eagles played the match with a complaint lodged to the continent’s football governing body and also to put it on record that it was reported.

Barrister Green expressed optimism that the Super Eagles would brave the odds and get the much needed victory since they have plied their trade in Nigeria before departing overseas and that he expected the stadium earmarked for the Sunday tie to be improved upon since the advance party sent to Madagascar to inspect the pitch noted that work was still ongoing on the alleged below par Stadium.

“It is their home and they have every right to enjoy their home. As it is now, the information we got is that apart from that stadium there is no other stadium in that country with improved facilities. We are going to make do with what we are presented with.

“We still have to inform CAF of our findings so that it will be on record that the stadium was well below the required standard. We have to prepare against all odds because that is the situation we have found ourselves and we must make the best use of it.”The truth of the matter is that when those that went on inspection of the pitch went there work was still ongoing on the Antananarivo stadium and so that means that the stadium might still be improved upon before match day. “ Meanwhile, the NFF has reiterated its resolve to make another arrangement on the accommodation for the Super Eagles in Madagascar if the Assistant Coach of the team, Salisu Yusuf rejects the one put in place by the host.

Speaking on the issue,” Barrister Green opined that, “On the accommodation issue, the report we have got showed that the Hotel

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri provided by the host is also substandard. Whatever it is, that will not be any problem to us if it is not good enough we are going to change it for the one that will befit the status of our players so as for them to be very comfortable and be ready for the match.”

MADAGASCAR TEST

Siasia begs Eagles to score goals N

IGERIA’s coach Samson Siasia knows that anything other than victory in Madagascar will leave the Super Eagles floundering in their bid for a place at the Nations Cup Siasia said his squad must prove their worth in their crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Madagascar on Saturday.

The Super Eagles are second in Group B, three points behind Guinea, with only two games remaining.

Siasia has been forced to make major changes to the line-up, with a number of high-profile stars being ruled out.

“I think this is a great opportunity for other players to prove their case to the national selector,” Siasia said.

Regular national team players like Osaze Odemwingie, Kalu Uche, Danny Shittu and Taye Taiwo are all out of the game.

There is also concern over the fitness of striker Peter Utaka and the availability of defender Chibuzor Okonkwo.

Siasia has been forced to hand late

call-ups to South Africa-based Gege Soriola and Emmanuel Ekpo - who plays in Major League Soccer in the USA. “There are enough strikers and midfielders in the original squad to compliment the team at this trying moment,” Siasia told BBC Sport.

“We must win in Madagascar [and] we have strikers that can score goals.”

The Nigeria squad will fly straight to Bangladesh after the game in Antananarivo to play a friendly with Argentina on 6 September.

But Siasia insist his priority is securing a ticket to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

“We are taking it one step at a time, the game in Madagascar is like a cup final, we are going there to fight for all three points,” the coach said.

“Argentina is only a friendly, we do not have any point to prove to anyone.

We’ve got to win our next two matches in our [Nations Cup qualifying] group to secure qualification.

“The two matches (against Madagascar and then at home to Guinea in October) are the biggest games we have to face now.

“Missing some of our players is a wake-up call that we have to do it the hard way.”

In the group’s other game, Guinea play Ethiopia in Conakry on Sunday.

Mikel visits Jonathan

Moyes to fall back on Yobo, Yak

J

D

OHN MIKEL Obi on Monday visited Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to express his gratitude to the government for the safe return of his father.

Mikel’s father, Michael Obi, was kidnapped in Jos and held for nearly two weeks before he was rescued by security forces in Kano.

President Jonathan is said to have kept a close interest in the matter, and Mikel, who is in camp with the Nigeria national team preparing for a 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier, took time out to go thank the President personally.

Jonathan assured Mikel that the government was committed to ensuring the safety and security of the lives of all its citizens.

NIGERIA/MADAGASCAR TIE

NFF delays Golden Eaglets’ Sundowns to off-load Salami coaches contract talks

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the new technical crew of the Golden Eaglets would be officially offered contract to resume work as the

Yobo, Uche may join Eagles in Madagascar

J

OSEPH YOBO and Ike Uche may join the Super Eagles in Madagascar as both players try to sort out moves from their current clubs.

Samson Siasia has laid down a deadline of Tuesday for all players

to arrive at the Super Eagles Transcorp Hilton Hotel lodgings, but defender Yobo and forward Uche have been given a little more time to sort out their futures before the transfer window snaps shut on Wednesday.

Yobo is negotiating a move away from Everton, while Uche could also be on his way out of Real Zaragoza.

“Its their future and that is very important so if they cannot finish on time, they will be excused to join us in Madagascar,” Siasia said.

On Tuesday morning, 12 of the 13 players in camp trained at the Abuja National Stadium. Emmanuel Emenike, was excused as he arrived just before the team departed to the stadium.

Striker Brown Ideye arrived at the hotel just as the squad got back from training.

PLAYERS IN CAMP John Mikel Obi Victor Anichebe Ahmed Musa Fengor Ogude Dele Adeleye Joel Obi Peter Utaka Chinedu Obasi Obinna Nsofor Solomon Okoronkwo Dele Aiyenugba Emmanuel Emenike Nosa Igiebor Brown Ideye

NFF approves Portugal for Dream Team V’s training tour •U- 23 to commence camp September ending

T

•Yobo

HE Nigeria Under-23 national team Dream Team V will open camp in the country in the concluding week of September before traveling to Portugal on training tour in October for their preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Qualifying Play offs slated for November through December 2011 the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reliably informed NationSport.

The NFF Technical Committee Department Chairman, Barrister Christopher Green noted that the rationale behind the September ending commencement of the camping exercises was to give the Dream Team V players and the technical crew ample time to prepare for the Qualifiers which he reckoned that picking one of the four slots to next year’s Olympic Games would be the ideal tonic to appease Nigerians over the team’s failure to qualify for the All African Games slated for Mozambique when Ghana stopped their quest in Kumasi.

He explained that just like the Football House has been doing to all its national teams since the current NFF Board assumed duties last year, the Austin Eguavoen led Under 23 team would have every support and backing of the Federation to ensure that the London 2012 Olympics does not elude the country.

“They will begin to camp in October.

You know that ours is early preparation and we don’t wait until any competition catches up with us. In fact take it or leave it, by the end of September they would have started camping in Nigeria and by October they will move over to Portugal

•Mikel

AVID MOYES could call upon Joseph Yobo and Yakubu to come back into the Everton squad and rebuild their careers if they are still at the club on Thursday.

The Everton manager has not picked either player to feature in any of the Blues’ opening three games of the season, and says neither wanted to be at Everton this summer, but if they are not sold he will offer them both a chance to rejoin the Everton side.He said: “Once maybe the deadline goes I will look at where we are.

Both players when they were away (this summer) made it clear that they didn’t want to come back and play, but they are back at the moment.

“I have spoken to both the boys, they are fine, they are working well, they are getting on with things, if they are still here after the deadline they will come back into the fold.”

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri for camping outside the shores for final preparation. They will not be going to Turkey as was wrongly quoted in some papers (not SportingLife).”

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri handlers of the cadet Eagles immediately after the African Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifier against Madagascar billed for this weekend in Antananarivo.

The Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Barrister Christopher Green made this known in an exclusive interview with SportingLife.

He averred that all NFF’s thoughts are on the make or mar AFCON qualifier between Nigeria and Madagascar with a win very pivotal to the further involvement of the country’s senior national team in the race for Gabon/Equatorial Guinea 2012 Nations Cup either as Group winners or as one of the two best runners up.

Barrister Green who also doubles as the Chairman of the Rivers State FA adds that the NFF will call the quartet of Manu Garba, Nduka Ugbade, Emmanuel Amuneke and Emeka Amadi to a meeting towards fashioning out contract formalities to enable them commence work on revitalizing the school boys’ team immediately the Antananarivo showdown is over.

“As soon as we are back from Madagascar the contract talks between the NFF and the new appointed coaches of the Golden Eaglets will take place. We have to get this all-important-tie off our minds before talking about other things.”

N

IGERIAN striker Gbolahan Salami is facing a bleak future at Mamelodi Sundowns after the club decided not to register him with the PSL for the new season despite having arrived as a big signing in the off-season.

Sundowns have instead registered young Zimbabwean striker Simba Sithole as the fifth foreigner to exhaust their foreign quota.

The Brazilians foreign list already has the Zimbabwean duo of Nyasha Mushekwi and captain Method Mwanjali, Mozambican winger Elias Pelembe and Nigerian midfielder Solomon Okpako.

With Johan Neeskens preferring Sithole ahead of Salami, the Nigerian will now be possibly loaned out or transferred to another club proving a waste for Patrice Motsepe who splashed R2,5 million to bring him to South Africa.

Sundowns have already tried to push Salami to Maritzburg United where he lasted just 45 minutes in a training match before being deemed to be below what was expected of him.

With the transfer window closing tomorrow and with Salami stuck with a three year contract at Chloorkop his options are now thin though the reality is that he will not play for Sundowns this season.

•Salami

Crown FC players on three-day warning strike

T

HE three-day warning strike embarked upon by the players of Crown FC of Ogbomosho entered day two yesterday over the club’s refusal to pay up their sign-on fees and other accumulated wages owed them.

The players who made a distress call to NationSport pointed out that the strike action would take another stern dimension any moment from Wednesday if nothing is done to ameliorate their suffering since the beginning of the season which is barely four matches to end.

The players berated the poor attitude of the management of the club expressing their reservation at their non-chalance on their plight, since the commencement of the league season stating that they have planned to go to the various houses of those saddled with the responsibilities of running the club’s day to day activities so as to ensure that the backlog of debts owed them would be sorted out to before the league season ends.

From Tunde Liadi, Owerri

“We started a three day warning strike on Monday and by Wednesday (today) if nothing is done to offset most of the monies owed us we have planned to take some actions which the management of the club may not like. We are humans and we deserved to be treated as such. Since the beginning of the season we are yet to collect a dime out of our sign on fees and the salaries too have not been regular.

“They have been promising us to come today and tomorrow without anything concrete done to pay even part of it. We can no longer hide it anymore and that informed this warning strike and if nothing is done at the expiration of the ultimatum, what we are going to do will not be palatable to the handlers of the team. We deserved our wages having worked tirelessly for the club all these while.” A member of the Ajileye Boys who craved anonymity told

SportingLife.

When contacted, the media officer of the club, Kunle Oyeleye denied that there was any strike action currently embarked upon by Crown FC but stated that the Oyo State reps actually gave days off from training to members of the team after the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) is yet to fix a definite date on when the remainder of the league season will be played stating that any plan of such does not emanate from the club.

“I am not aware of any strike action because the players and the coaches are currently on break owing to break in the Nigeria premier League. I am not aware of anything of that sort as the media officer of this club.”Oyeleye confirmed.

Crown FC is still at the wrong end of the NPL table and will need more than miracle to survive the chop at the end of the season if the current face off between the players and the club top hierarchy is not nip in the bud.

APPEAL

PLEA

INAUGURATION

NGO canvasses good governance

Govt urges speedy completion of projects

NEMA sets up information committee

Lagos

Kaduna 37

27

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31, 2011

Adamawa

40

Page 25

Email: news_extra@yahoo.com

A

TOUR of local councils in Nasarawa State has provided the governor’s wife Hajiya Salamatu Almakura with further information on the needs of the people.

They want more focus on widows and other categories of the needy in the state.

They also want better education for the girl-child, and skills for the teeming jobless people at the grassroots. And they want the governor’s wife to act as a facilitator who would attract development to areas often neglected by the government.

Mrs Almakura had gone round the state to thank the people for voting her husband, Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura into office. By her own admission, the people gave her a warm reception everywhere she went. They presented her with prized gifts, some even offering well-prepared local meals. The governor’s wife savoured it all. But they also told her what they expect from her and the new government headed by her husband.

Hajia Almakura also has her own ideas of making a difference in the lives of her people. Her project, Mother and Childcare Enhancement Foundation (MACCEF), is about to be inaugurated. The foundation is focused on boosting healthcare, the girlchild, skill acquisition, among others. The people were eager to see the project in action.

But when she took the tour of all the local government areas in the state, it was not to immediately fulfil all the campaign promises. She just wanted to say thank you to those who made it possible for her and her husband to get into office as she prepares to unveil the pet project.

The tour which lasted five days, bore all the imprints of the campaign days. Women and youths took the pain to wait for her, to see her and give their support.

In almost all the headquarters of the various local government areas, Mrs Almakura could not find enough words to thank those she said stood with them through thick and thin until the dream of Nasarawa State was achieved.

The governor’s wife had a word of advice for the women and youths in the state: unity. She urged all to come together to support the government and foster a new Nasarawa.

After the electioneering battle, everyone in Nasarawa ought to see the state as one and work together to accelerate development, which many say has eluded the state since its inception.

She assured the people that the promises made will be kept, adding that peace

•Hajiya Salamatu Almakura being presented with a traditional food during the tour

Nasarawa awaits Almakura’s wife’s project Foundation to cater for expectant women, girl-child Council chiefs urge focus on widows, skill acquisition From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

and unity are required for meaningful development to take place.

Regarding what the people expect from Governor Almakura, she ptomised that the present administration will not go back on

on the promises made during the campaigns.

She also advised the people of the state to bury their political differences and team up with the administration.

The governor’s wife stressed that when her pet project becomes fully operational, it will, among other things, cater for pregnant

women, infants, and tackle maternity mortality. She also said the foundation will promote the girl-child education, skill acquisition and sensitise pregnant women on the imperatives of ante-natal and postnatal care.

•Continued on Page 26

22-member committee to clean up Abuja

A

•Mohammed

TWENTY-TWO member committee composed of line directors has been inaugurated by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to clean up Abuja and its environs.

Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide inaugurated the committee which has a 30-day duration.

Akinjide said that the Green and Clean Greater Abuja Committee has an expanded responsibility to remove all accumulated trash in the FCT and all satellite towns so as to promote a hygienic environment.

The minister, who urged community and union leaders to support the programme, said the plan was to make the city a shining example to others.

From Bukola Amusan

“We want to change the ethos so that the people will avoid throwing trash where they live. We want the people to imbibe the culture of cleanliness as it obtains in Singapore where if you trash the environment you will have to face the enforcement,” Akinjide stressed.

She said the issue of cleaning the environment will be expanded to include the issues of mast installation so as to ensure that the various service providers install them at the right places. They are not supposed to be installed in schools, hospital and residential areas where they may constitute environmental hazards.

Reeling off the terms of reference, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Biodun Olorunfemi said the committee has been mandated to clean the city, ensure the greening of the territory and all the parks as well as recommend appropriate waste management system, among others.

The chairman of the committee and Director, Monitoring and Inspection, Jumai Kwanashi said that the task of cleaning the FCT within one month is an uphill task but assured that the committee will strive to make it a reality.

Other members of the committee are the Director Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Dr Sule Yabo; the six area council chairmen and the Onah of Abaji, Alhaji Baba Yinusa, among others.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

26

T

HE Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Semitex Group of Companies, Mr Tajudeed Bisimilahi, has said many Nigerian youths are jobless because the government lacks creativity.

Bisimilahi said despite its lack of solution to the problem of unemployment in the country, the government has also taken steps that have further reduced the available space in the job market.

He said government must include the youth in any planning that is going to affect them. He added that failure to do this would spell doom for the country.

“We cannot afford to just watch the government play with our future,” he said.

Speaking on the public hearing on the privatisation of public companies by the Senator Ahmed Lawanled Adhoc committee, he said it has been quite revealing.

He advised the committee to look beyond Nigerian corrupt political leaders but also to investigate and expose their foreign collaborators when submitting their report.

At the public hearing, former Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mallam Nasir El-Rufia and others openly accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of circumventing the privatisation rules of competitive bidding.

Obasanjo was said to have influenced the purchases of most of the companies to individuals and some foreign collaborators (companies) in which he has substantial economic interest.

Bisimilahi, a youth advocate

‘Why many youths are unemployed’

By Nneka Nwaneri

from Kogi State opined that the privatisation processes were well intended but for the unassuming and evil gang -ups by foreign business cartels that worked systematically to ruin our local industries to pave way for a none competitive atmosphere for the economic advancement of their home industries in Europe, America and Asia .

He stressed that “no foreign investor has the interest of Nigeria in mind. Rather, they are interested in exploiting the opportunity for economic benefit of their country.

He said: “The privatisation of Ajaokuta steel company depicts a typical example of EuropeanAmerican capitalist conspiracies which, regrettably, is the most monumental economic tragedy for the country. “ Selling the Ajaokuta steel company which is economically strate-

gic in the country’s economy, the interest of Kogi State indigene and that of Nigerians ought to have been preferentially considered and given first right of offer. That way, the sole of Ajaokuta would have been saved as Nigerians would see it as their heritage and will strive to make it work . “ Ajaokuta steel, we learnt, was sold at less than 20 per cent of the actual price to an Indian business concern ( Global Infrastructures Company), a company that claimed to be among the best steel companies in the world but was discovered to have been less than six mouths old in existence and lacked any technical expertise in steel industries.

“The Chinese have developed their steel industries, therefore are out to destroy our steel industries to protect their home industries from competition.

“It is obvious that they may have sponsored incompetent people to collaborate with our selfish

It is obvious that they may have sponsored incompetent people to collaborate with our selfish political leaders who, for material gains, mortgaged the feature of Nigerians yet unborn by giving away such magnificent venture to highly incompetent company

political leaders who, for material gains, mortgaged the feature of Nigerians yet unborn by giving away such magnificent venture to highly incompetent company.

He added that the operational Assets, machines and structures of the company as at today have been vandalised.

Bisimilahi further stressed that this forms the basis upon which Kogi State youths who witnessed the dismantling of equipment by the Indians , organised serial protests to further curtail looting of the companies equipment.

He reiterate the need for urgent intervention failure of which the youth may wish to protest to reclaim their heritage by force .

“Indeed , one cannot imagine the level of destruction and degradation at Ajaokuta steel complex. It’s so sad that commuters who pass through Ajaokuta can’t help but weep for this country.”

On the importance of a steel industry to Nigeria, the Kogi State-born industrialist said: “If Ajaokuta steel is working optimally, it would have employed directly about 50,000 Nigerian youths.

“The construction sector would have been steel-driven. Steel would have replaced woods that are being used today.

This, he added, could have aided in substantially reducing the impact of global warming as a result of deforestation .

He also disclosed that the high crime rates and youth restiveness

could as well been reduced should more jobs have been created.

Still on advantages, Bisimilahi inferred that Ajaokuta steel would have provided materials for the production of the much- expected made-in-Nigeria cars and other industrial goods such as electric transformers, industrial machines and so on.

The youth leader stressed that Nigerian youths are the greatest losers in the privatisation saga in terms of loss of jobs in these ailing industries.

Proffering solutions to the privatisation crises, he said: “The committee, when submitting its final reports, should recommend total revocation of the failed companies, most importantly Ajaokuta steel and should be given to renowned and competent organisations through an open and competitive bidding process.

“Nigerian youths are hoping that President Jonathan should do all he can to revive Ajaokuta steel so that some of the youth can be employed. By so doing, the country will start reaping the enormous economic benefits that draws from owning such a gigantic steel industry.

“It is also important that former President Obasanjo who is the progenitor of the failed privatisation be asked to tell his own side of the story; at least not to penalise him but for government to note mistakes and corrections be made in that direction so that future privatisation processes can be made right,” Bisimilahi stressed.

and fairness in appointing our indigenous sons of Lafia as Permanent Secretaries and also improvement of electricity within and outside the local government, improvement of water supply and construction of roads amongst other within the short time”.

These achievements, he said, have made the people of Lafia very happy. They rejoice in the fact that they have not produced a leader without foresight, and that they the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) administration in the state is for everybody.

Hajiya Salamatu Almakura told reporters shortly after rounding off her tour in Lafia that the purpose was to meet the people of the state and say thank you for their role in bringing her husband into office.

She also explained that she used the opportunity to enlinghen them

about her pet project that is due to get under way shortly.

She further explained that her project, though still in the pipeline, is all about mother and child enhancement.

The objectives, according, to her is to reduce maternal and mortality rate and also to help build the capacity of women as well as the youths and create awareness for them that roam the streets.

Once this achieved, she said, it will help to engage idle youths and end political thuggery, in which youths have been involved.

On her impression on the turnout of the people to receive her during the visit, she said “Oh my God, they really impressed me. I was overwhelmed with some local government areas and all I have to say is thanks be to God”.

Nasarawa awaits Almakura’s wife’s project •Continued from Page 25 Mrs Almakura told the people that she operates an open-door policy and will listen to whoever approaches her on matters of development.

She also used the occasion to call on the people of the state to support the administration of Governor Almakura in his efforts to develop the state.

She made a donation of food items including bags of rice to local communities.

Her plan to intervene in the lives of women and youths in the state could not have come at a better time as most of the Directors of Personnel Management (DPM) now in charge of all the local government areas in the state spoke on the need to do something urgently for the unemployed and those that need help.

In Kokona Local Government Area where she took time to condole with the family of its former chairman, Solomon Ngargbu who passed on recently, the DPM, Stephen Tapiri urged her to come to the aid of the young ones, especially the girls.

“Your Excellency, our youths, most importantly, the young girls and widows yearn to breathe fresh air. The air could lead to acquisition of skills in the face of harsh economic realities. We will appreciate profoundly if their problems

will be looked into and necessary step taken to address them,” he said.

While promising to give all the necessary support needed by the present administration in the state to succeed, Tapiri however pleaded with the government to look into the rising crime wave in his area.

He said: “As peaceful as the area is, the activities of men of the underworld appear to overtake our peaceful state.

“Our efforts alone towards curbing their nefarious acts will not be enough. I wish to passionately call on Your Excellency to partner with us in this direction so as to free the area of their activities, taking into consideration, our proximity to the nation’s capital, Abuja.”

While thanking the governor’s wife for finding time to come and say thank you to them, Apiri said his prayer and that of his people is for the present administration to succeed in order to justify the overwhelming support and patronage of the teaming populace which was exhibited during the April elections.

In Lafia, the DPM, Alhaji Abubakar Kaura who commended the First Lady for embarking on the tour said it will no doubt go along way in concientising the people to appreciate their civic responsibilities saying that it is also a clear demonstration of her strong support to the democratic government and political awareness in the state.

Your Excellency, our youths, most importantly, the young girls and widows yearn to breathe fresh air. The air could lead to acquisition of skills in the face of harsh economic realities. We will appreciate profoundly if their problems will be looked into and necessary step taken to address them

•Food items donated during the tour

He further maintained that “the laudable programmes of this administration have greatly improved the lives of our citizens in the state, especially your official and non governmental programme for our women are highly reciprocal”.

Kaura also informed Hajia Almakura that the council has purchased five cartons of virgina speculum for the take-off of the health facilities aimed at reducing the rate of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS in the area. She urged her to inaugurate the health facilities during her visit.

Kaura thanked her and her husband for a job well done within the short time that they came into office.

He said: “May I use this forum to express our profound gratitude and appreciation over the kind gesture

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

27

Benue inaugurates family support clinic

E

FFORTS to shore up the health profile of Benue State are yielding fruits as the state government inaugurated a Familiy Support Programme (FSP) clinic in Makurdi, the capital.

The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Terrence McCulley inaugurated the facility, with Governor Gabriel Suswam standing beside him.

The FSP clinic located in Kwararafa Quarters near Government House.

The diplomat urged the state government to evolve internal initiatives to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Performing the ceremony, Ambassador McCulley said the United States government spends about $5m annually to fight HIV/ AIDS in Nigeria.

He commended the state government for the steps taken to bring down the HIV/AIDS prevalence in the state.

In his remarks, Governor Suswam thanked the US government for showing interest in the heath needs of Benue people.

He said it gives him sleepless nights when Benue is mentioned in public places as ranking high in HIV/AIDS prevalence.

The governor also advised women to use condoms now that there is one specially made for them.

•Suswam (middle) and McCulley, to his right during the commissioning of clinic From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

“I understand there is condom for women,” he said. “Now that some men don’t like it, women should use it to help stop the spread of the dreaded disease.”

Council boss pleads for rebuilding collapsed bridges

T

HE Chairman of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, Hon. Musa Sule has called on the state government to rehabilitate the bridges that were severely damaged by a rainstorm that hit the council lately.

The heavy downpour destroyed many things in the area, the bridges among them.

The collapse of the bridges has brought untold hardship to the residents of the area who now resort to an alternative routes provided by the local government council.

Sule made the appeal while speaking with Newsextra in his office in Bassa where he stated that the bridges are on state government-owned roads.

He also said the council is facing huge financial challenges and will need the intervention of the state government for the bridges to take shape and be of use to residents of the local government.

The chairman also affirmed that his administration has created the environment for peaceful coexistence among the 15 dif-

From Marie-Therese Peter, Jos

ferent tribes in the area.

He also urged residents to see themselves as stakeholders in peace-building, and so ensure that peace reigns in the area.

The Council boss lamented the challenges the council is facing saying, “we are asking for the creation of one or two local councils from Bassa because Bassa is one of the oldest local government areas, created since 1976 with diverse ethnic tribes.”

He said: “This is the largest local government area and it has never been split even when smaller local government areas have been split. It would only be fair to consider a creation of another local government area to bring government closer to the people”.

Sule further urged public office holders to maintain an open door policy to enable good working relationship among the people.

The chairman also said he has improved the internal revenue base of the council through the building of lock-up shops.

The collapse of the bridges has brought untold hardship to the residents of the area who now resort to an alternative routes provided by the local government council

•Ms Aprile (middle), and Iyanda (left) with some beneficiaries of the NGO’s scholarship scheme

NGO canvasses good governance

C

HANGE-A-LIFE, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), has called for the entrenchment of good governance to enable Nigerians maximise the enormous resources in the country.

Its founder, Ms Funmi Iyanda, disclosed this when the Director of the McNulty Foundation, Ms. Aprile Age, visited the organisation in Lagos.

Iyanda noted that good governance will provide opportunities for all Nigerians, adding that her organisation has impacted many lives through its programmes tailored to provide scholarship for indigent students and widows.

Ms Age who was on a fact-finding mission to acquaint herself with the programmes and operations of selected civil society organisations in Nigeria, lauded the effort of the NGO, urging the founder to align with other organisations that have similar projects across the globe.

On her visit to Change-A-Life,

By Chuks Udo-Okonta

Ms Age met with the beneficiaries of the organisation’s scholarship schemes, their parents and other partner organisations. The children who are beneficiaries of the educational scholarships welcomed Ms Age with dance performances after her tour of the organisation’s programmes and office facility.

Ms Iyanda is a fellow of the Aspen Institute, United States of America, which recognises the best in high impact leadership by inspiring young people from around the world to make a real difference in their communities.

Change-A-Life Nigeria was founded in 2002, offering Iyanda a platform to intervene in the lives of less privileged people through its educational, business, and healthcare schemes.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

28

T

•Governor Shettima

HE Borno State government has said that plans are underway to address the current decay in facilities in stateowned tertiary institutions.

The Commissioner for Higher Education,Alhaji BelloAyuba, made the announcement while receiving members of the National Union of Borno State Students (NUBOS) in his office in Maiduguri.

Ayuba said that the creation of the ministry was necessitated by the government’s quest to lay solid foundation for the advancement of education in the state.

“The ministry was created in line with government’s policy of turning round the education sector in the state.

“Part of our mandate is to work out solutions to lingering crisis and decay in the sector,”he said.

Ayuba pointed out that the ministry had already made contacts with heads of the

Kebbi NUJ to screen members

T

HE Kebbi council of the NUJ will conduct a verification “to identify unqualified and quack members.’’

The Chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Tukur, told reporters in Birnin Kebbi that in addition to the verification, an enlightenment campaign would be conducted.

The campaign would help to educate members on the NUJ constitution, he added.

The chairman said the verification would pave the way for smooth conduct of election for new officials of the union.

He said: “Members are expected to pay their professional fees to enable them participate in the election.’’

He added that the enlightenment was to bring to an end the wanton unconstitutional conduct of some members “who ridicule the profession in public.

“We have come to realise that the lack of proper grasp of the NUJ constitution have led some members astray.’’

He urged chapel leaders to ensure regular meetings where issues would be resolved based on the provisions of the constitution.

The Secretary of the council, Alhaji ElYakub Dabai, said the leadership of the union would remain strict in guiding the professional conduct of members.

Kebbi Dabai said: “as we report on the society, we must be guided by the constitutional provisions of the NUJ.’’

B

Govt urges speedy completion of projects T

Borno to tackle decay in tertiary institutions

HE Kaduna State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Suleiman Richifa, has directed contractors handling road projects to speed up their completion.

He gave the directive while inspecting some ongoing state government road projects .

Richifa said that more than N1 billion

Borno institutions with a view to addressing the problems.

He advised the union to always adopt dialogue as a means of resolving differences with the government and condemned the use of violence and confrontations by students.

Mr Ahmed Yau, the NUBOS President, told the commissioner that the visit was aimed at paying homage as well as establishing channels of communication between the two parties.

Students of tertiary institutions had been at logger-heads with the state government over lack of adequate funding in the past few months.

The situation led to several months of strike by different unions, especially during the immediate past administration if of Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.

Emir praises Yuguda

AUCHI State Governor Isa Yuguda has been described as a visionary leader whose foresight and intentions for the state not only facilitated the rapid development of the state but brought a significant impact on the socio-political advancement of the country.

Emir of Misau, Alhaji Mohamadu Manga III, made the observation when members of implementation committee for the take-off of the newly created district, village and Hamlets heads visited him in his palace.

The Emir noted that the idea of creation of more districts in the state had been on the drawing board for the past 20years.

He thanked Governor Yuguda for taking such a bold step to create additional district and village areas for the six existing Emirate Councils in the state.

The Royal father further urged the implementation committee and the benefiting communities not to politice the

Bauchi From Austine Tsenzughul, Bauchi

issue, saying efforts should be directed to ensuring a lasting peace.

Earlier, chairman of the Committee, Surveyor Sa’idu Ibrahim Jahum told the emir that they were in his palace to seek his advice on how best to effectthe take-off of the newly created District and Hamlets in the state.

Customers owe PHCN N800m in Plateau community

T

•Emir of Zau-Zau, Alhaji Shehu Idris (left) being seen off by Iya Zau-Zau, Alhaji Iya Aminu (second right) and the Secretary to the Emir, Alhaji Shewu Garba at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja on his way to Kaduna after his return from a medical check-up abroad.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

Yobe Sharia Court of Appeal to try 1, 000 cases T HE Yobe State Sharia Court of Appeal has said that more than 1,000 pending appeal cases will be tried in September.

A statement issued by Muhammad Degubi for the Chief Registrar of the Court and made available to reporters in Damaturu, said the appeal session would sit for 25 days.

“The 2011 Sharia Court Appeal session shall sit between September 5 and September 30 in Potiskum, Gashua, Geidam and Damaturu, to cover the three Judicial Divisions and the Headquarters.

• From left: Mrs Orelope-Adefulire; Mr Bello and Hon. Oloro at the event

Yobe “The appointment of Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed as the new Grand Khadi accelerated the commencement of the appeal session,” the statement said.

It was gathered that the appeal session could not sit in the past one year due to non-appointment of a substantive Grand Khadi to head the court.

Police confirm killing of council chief

T

By Duro Babayemi

Abisogun Street.

Adefulire said the government is aware of the needs of the people as work has begun on some the projects requested for. She said as government was making effort to construct more drains, residents should endeavour to keep the existing ones clean.

She implored them to pack their refuse and patronise the PSP operators regularly.

The Deputy Governor reminded them that facilities provided in their area such as markets and schools are meant for their good and must be protected.

She said whenever any project is under construction, people working there should be monitored or supervised.

Adefulire promised to make the requests of the people known to the governor. In her entourage were the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello and chairman for the council, Mr Julius Olumuyiwa Oloro.

USTOMERS in Bukuru Town in JosSouth Local Government Area of Plateau are owing the PHCN N800 million, Mr Patrick Dalahol, the company’s Business Manager in the area has said.

Dalahol told reporters that the debt had adversely affected the operations of the company in the area.

“The money that PHCN generates from bills helps government in augmenting the cost of providing the essential service to the people. ’’ The Business Manager said that the district generated an average revenue of N36 million monthly and attributed the low income to the default in payment by some customers.

“Our monthly income would have been far more than that if the customers were paying their bills regularly.

“Our biggest challenge is that users of prepaid metres are by-passing them, thereby depriving the PHCN of its revenue,’’ he said.

“By-passing”, according to him is a situation where criminals connect light directly to their building without using the metre for billing.

Dalahol said that the district’s monitoring team had been strengthened to track down by-passers for adequate punishment.

C

Adefulire urges cleaner environment HE Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Joke Orelope-Adefulire, has urged Lagos residents to keep their environments clean and always clear the drains of refuse.

The deputy governor gave the advice during her visit to Ojodu Local Council Development Area while monitoring the monthly sanitation exercise for August.

Earlier, the chairman for the Community Development Association for the area, Chief Tewobola Olanrewaju had requested the clearing of drains from Oyemekun to Alagbole Canal, County Hospital to Alagbole Bridge and dredging from the bridge to Ogun River.

The community further sought construction of drainages at Dapsin Street, Yusuf/Banjo Street, Sunmonu Street and Daramola Street, among others.

Aguda community wanted an access road to the Bale’s Palace and Aguda Primary Health Care Centre as well as street light for

37

•Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu flanked by Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Mr Park Young-Kuk and Special Project, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Folake Majekodunmi Director, during the donation of two Hi-tech ultra modern mobile clinics to the duo of National Hospital Abuja and University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada, Abuja recently.

‘Embrace lessons of Ramadan’

C

HAIRMAN of Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area,Lagos State, Hon Hakeem Bamgbola and his MosanOkunola and Iru-Victoria Island counterparts, Hon Abiodun Mafe and Prince Muideen Daramola have urged Muslims to use the occasion of the Eid-il-Fitr celebrations to rededicate themselves to the values and virtues that would promote love, tolerance, brothers and unity among Nigerians.

Bamgbola and Mafe who just returned from Makkah, Saudi Arabia where the duo performed Umrah (lesser Hajj), told Newsextra that Nigerians especially her leaders should emulate their Saudi Arabia counterparts in the areas of selfless service and dedication.

Bamgbola urged Muslims to be grateful to Almighty Allah for being alive to witness the Id-El Fitr, noting that some people were not alive to witness the beginning of the holy month while some other people witnessed the beginning but were not alive to witness its end.

“As we celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah for the help and strength given to all faithful in the month of Ramadan, the lessons of the month; chastity, charity, compassion and self-denial, should not be lost in the celebration as it should reflect in our daily dealings with all men of different faith and persuasion,” he said.

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

Mafe urged them to ensure that peace which is one of the cardinal principles of Islam continues to reflect in all their dealings even after the Ramadan period.

Peace, he said, is very essential to the development of any nation and as such, no effort should be spared to ensure that peace prevails.

“I urged all Muslims to pray for the peace of the nation, pray for their leaders that they achieve their goals for the good of the electorate,” he said.

Daramola charged Nigerians to use the period of the Sallah celebration to embrace reconciliation and peaceful co-existence for the overall development of the country.

“Let us use the occasion of today for spiritual and moral rebirth as Ramadan embodies. Let us pray for the unity, progress and development of our state.

Even though the challenges of leadership, followership and state building are daunting, especially in the face of the current security challenges, they can be addressed with prayers, dedication and honesty of •Bamigbola purpose,” he said.

HE Borno Police Command has confirmed the killing of Alhaji Lawan Yarami, the Chairman,

Caretaker Committee of Kukawa Local Government Council.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Simeon Midenda, told journalists in Maiduguri that Yarami was shot dead by unknown gunmen at his Bulabulin Ngarnam residence.

“The killers got information about his coming to Maiduguri so they followed him to his house in the evening.

“They pretended to be his guests and asked for permission to see him,” he said.

The police boss added that the killers opened fire on him immediately and left him in the pool of his blood.

“It was much after that his neighbours raised an alarm, but the killers had already fled,’’ Midenda said.

Borno He said that the police had already started investigations into the killing.

“We are already working on some clues and we believe we will be able to unmask the killers in a very short while, ” he said.

Killings in Maiduguri had taken alarming dimension even with the heavy presence of military men under the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order.

A private lawyer, Malam Modu Denjami, was killed on August 16 at his residence in the same Bulabulin Ngarnam.

On August 19, three policeman were shot while watching a television programme at a residence in Bolori.

A pregnant woman, Hajiya Yakaka Abubakar, was shot dead on August 23 at her residence, also in the Bulabulin Ngarnam area.

BRIEFS

Traffic jam prevents minister from THE Minister of Power, Prof. Bart inspecting dam Nnaji, was on Saturday prevented from inspecting the Jebba Hydro Electricity Dam due to a traffic jam caused by two tankers which obstructed vehicular movement on the ever-busy Mokwa-Jebba highway.

The two tankers were stuck on a bad portion of the road close to Mokwa, leading to a traffic snarl which stretched for several kilometres.

The minister, who was billed to inspect the Jebba Dam on Saturday, was

Kaduna was committed to the construction of the 11.8 km access roads in Tsanganya-Hayan, Danmani-Rigasa and Narayi-Bayan Dutse Roads to ease vehicular movement.

He noted that there were no abandoned road projects in the state, but that there were few ongoing projects that were scheduled to be completed in March.

Richifa said he was satisfied with the pace of work on the projects, and praised some of the contractors for defying the rains.

Mr Samuel Omokhure,the Project Coordinator of Embrayo Nigeria Ltd, one of the firms, had earlier assured the state government of speedy completion of the projects.

Malam Musa Abdullahi, a resident of Rigasa, one of the benefiting communities, said the

•Governor Yakowa road projects had opened up the area for speedy development.

He commended the government for awarding the contracts for the road projects, and urged the contractors to ensure speedy completion.

Lawmaker urges govt to equip security oufits

P

EOPLES Democratic Party member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly,Alhaji Ibrahim Kabiru, has called on the Federal Government to provide adequate equipment for the nation’s security outfits to enable them to meet current challenges.

Kabiru told reporters in Sokoto on that providing essential working materials would enable the security officers improve the security situation in the country.

He urged the Federal Government to take decisive action to ensure safety of Nigerians wherever they are.

“The government must urgently beef up security in the country to bring to an end the rising bomb blasts threatening the peaceful co-

Sokoto existence of Nigerians,’’ he said.

Kabiru, who represents Kware Constituency at the Assembly, also called on security agencies to beef up surveillance and antirobbery operations to check the rising crime rates in the country. “ Nigerians must rise to the task and expose the people planting bombs in various parts of our country,” he said.

He explained that “the people involved live in our midst; it is our responsibility as good citizens to expose them for peace, progress and survival of the nation’s hard-earned democracy.’’

Edo pensioners praise Imuekemhe

T

HE Edo State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners has attributed the relative peace and harmony among its members to the spirited effort of the Secretary to Edo State Government, Dr. Simon Imuekemhe, when he was the Head of Service (HoS).

The union’s Chairman, Mr. Ikponmwosa Igbineweka said: “Dr. Simon Imuekemhe was the author of our being together when he was Head of Service. He stood his ground for our unity and laid a good foundation for his successor. Our plight as pensioners is not new to him because he is well grounded in them all”.

Igbineweka, who in company of his executives paid a courtesy call on the SSG said, “when you were retiring, we had mixed feelings because we saw you as our messiah and little did we know that God was preparing you for a better position.

“There were different groups that erupted in NUP and issues bordering on our entitlements.

When you were HoS, the issue of our three months salary in lieu of notice 1996 and 2000 which you worked hard to make sure were paid is still pending. We would be happy if you use your good offices to make sure they are paid”, he explained.

Replying, Imuekemhe said: “I am delighted to receive you as one of our members. This is the most important union in the service and this

union must survive and succeed in its programmes. It is not easy to have a united union in the state. I am happy the union is strong and winning back those members that were originally not supportive. It is not easy to build and whoever is building must not be tired. When you have dissidents in your union, they tend to cause more damage.

“My own philosophy was that we have only one Nigeria Union of Pensioners and it must survive. I want to thank the union for the industrial harmony that had existed. There was a time in the history of this state when pensioners barricaded the streets of Benin but not so in this administration. It is not that there are no issues but they have been properly managed.

“Governor Adams Oshiomhole takes the issue of pensioners very seriously and committed to your welfare. He made sure that you are paid first every month before other workers. We will continue to crave for your understanding.

“Most of the issues you raised are being looked into. On the issue of arrears, it is unfortunate that it was accumulated over a long period of time but in the nearest future, we will overcome.

Before my retirement, I paid over N4 Billion as pension before leaving as Head of Service (HoS); that was the aggregate or the total sum of money I paid during my stay in that office and nobody can say I collected anything from anybody.

forced by the incident to abandon the trip and head for the Kainji Dam. Mr Rasheed Adesoye, a tanker driver heading to Lagos, said that one of the tankers had been in the ditch for about a week before the other completely blocked the highway on Saturday.

He called on the Federal Government to assist road users by rehabilitating the major highway linking the southern part of the country with the north.

Deputy Gov survives auto crash THE Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Mr David Albashi, sustained serious injuries when his vehicle collided with another vehicle along the Cham-Gombe road on Sunday.

A sources close to the Deputy Governor told reporters in Gombe that the Deputy Governor’s orderly, Cpl. Thomas Nifwa, died on the spot.

The Deputy Governor’s convoy was coming from Cham, his village to Gombe, when he had a head-on collision with an on coming Golf car.

According to the source, Albashi’s car somersaulted twice and he sustained serious injuries on his head.

A hospital said that Nifwa’s body had been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gombe, while Albashi was being treated in the hospital.

Armed security operatives did not allow any journalist to enter the accident and emergency unit where Albashi was being treated.

Gombe State Government Officials declined to speak on the incident.

• From left: LASIEC Chairman, Justice AbdulFatai Adeyinka; Representative of Ojora of Ijora, Alhaji Oba AbdulFatai Aromire and Sheikh Abdullah Adam during the NTA end of Ramadan Lecture at Tejuosho, Lagos

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

Life

29

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Text only: 08023058761

•Crowd at the grove

PHOTO: EVELYN OSAGIE

A festival like no other • SEE PAGES 32

When children whisper in the dark

– Page 30

Keeping Areh’s legacy alive – Page 31

Diaspora arts: Introduction to African American arts

– Page 35

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

30

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•Some of the children in a performance last Friday

When children whisper in the dark After one month of training, members of the Children Creative Station presented Whisper in the dark at the National Theatre, Lagos, last Sunday, reports OZOLUA UHAKHEME, Assistant Editor (Arts).

L

IKE the Biblical injunction, except the audience tuned their minds to think like children, Whispers In The Dark, a play written by Noel Greig and directed by Josephine Igberaese, which went on stage last Sunday at the Cinema Hall One of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, would have gone with little or no impact.

At the media preview on Friday at the National Theatre, some of the kids exhibited their naivety, stage fright and raw talents, others demonstrated what they learnt from being groomed. But for some obvious lapses, such as lack of orderliness, sequence and confidence in presentation, the children showed traits of potential state or national troupers.

Whispers in the dark may go as a satire on the kidnapping phenomenon in the country, particularly in the eastern where residents of some towns are forced to relocate to other communities for fear of being kidnapped.

Director of the play Josephine Igberaese recalled her experience with the children, saying: “We had our fun, fights and lots more during the rehearsals after the audition. In fact, I enjoyed working with the children.

They tried their best. Some, who fell ill, never wanted to stay off the event.” The play was preceded by solo performances and group show by the Super 8.

Interestingly, the big revelation from the summer project was the discovery of six-year-old Uchechi Obiora, who is an embodiment of creativity even at that age. Dancing, singing and acting come to her

naturally and freely. She is not distracted by the audience unlike some who are shy on stage.

The play, which has a very large cast, is set in a community where giants outlawed songs and stories by kidnapping and killing. As few as the giants were, they tormented the majority of the populace who found solace in neighbouring communities where singing and story-telling are allowed.

But there are families, such as the Alfs, the Patchs and the Saucepans, the custodians of these cultures, who resolved never to stop the tradition. Sometime ago, the Alfs lost their sister when the giants invaded their village. But everywhere they go, they search for her, but to no avail until they got to the last village and found their sister dressed like a giant.

Faced with the challenge of being mobbed by her people, who suspected her of being a spy, she confessed that she too wanted to sing like them and that she is not a spy or giant.

The play was presented by children under the auspices of Children Creative Station, put together by the National Troupe of Nigeria, during the summer break.

The one-month event offered the children lessons in theatre with focus on dance, music, costuming and acting among others.

The programme is essentially designed to encourage the kids to start at early age in showing interest in creativity. Participating children are those between ages six and 15. It is supported by Fidelity Bank, Thomas Wyatt and Unilever.

Organisers of film fest call for entries

T

HE International Film and Broadcast Academy and Goethe-Institut are calling for entries from short film makers in the IN-SHORT 2011 festival. The festival will take place from October 13 to 15 in Lagos and the screening will be on Nigeria and German short films.

The films for entries are expected to last for 30 minutes.

There is no genre restriction, while the production year should not be earlier than 2009. The films must have an English subtitle if they are not short in English. All applications should be submitted in two copies on DVD pal format, a CD with short synopsis on the film, a text file with complete cast list, photos from the film, photo and biography/ filmography of director, filled application form and selec-

By Osas Robert

tion copies of the film on DVD pal format.

Short film makers in Nigeria are expected to submit their short films to compete for the public annual award in this year’s festival with the theme: Good thinking, Good moves.

Entry forms and guidelines can be downloaded from http:/ /www.inshort.org and completed form sent to Festival Director at 62, Akanro Street, Ilasamaja, Lagos or GoetheInstitut Nigeria at city Hall, 30 Catholic Mission Street, Lagos Island, Lagos Nigeria. You can send an email to inshortfilmfest@gmail.com / info@lagos.goethe.org. Entries close on September 10.

•Uchechi

PHOTOS: OZOLUA UHAKHEME

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

31

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•The late Areh

•Mrs Areh

Keeping Areh’s legacy alive A lecture on art and cultural enterprise will hold in Lagos in memory of the late Peter Areh, reports OZOLUA UHAKHEME,Assistant Editor (Arts).

I

N memory of the late proprietor of Pendulum Art Gallery, Mr Peter Areh, a lecture on art and cultural enterprise will hold in Lagos on September 24.

The Peter Areh lecture expected to be delivered by a senior lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Mr Krydz Ikwuemesi, will hold at the Aina Onabolu Building of the National Theatre. The theme is: Celebrating Tragedy: Art and Theatre in the anatomy of death and funeral in Africa.

Speaking at a media parley attended by Peter’s mother and sister, Mrs. Augusta Nnodu Areh and Ms Edith Chineze Areh, Ikwuemesi said the paper would “problematise death as an agency which triggers a chain of creative and symbolic

activities, beginning from the act and moment of dying, through the characteristics of good death and bad death, and the multifarious significations of actions in the funeral arena, which is also a political arena where all sorts of socially relevant negotiations take place.”

The lecture will attract the likes of Prince Yemisi Shyllon, Mr. Sammy Olagbaju, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, Mrs. Nike Okundaye, Mr. John Egesi and Alhaji Abdulazeez Udeh. The lecture will also witness the presentation of a book of poetry, All Things Will Die, edited by Krydz Ikwuemesi and Okey Nwafor.

It is being initiated in Areh’s memory as a rallying point for young artists, visual art scholars, and art collectors, en-

thusiast and for the production of knowledge.

It is hoped that every year, the lecture will be given in Enugu and Lagos by a resource person from Nigeria or elsewhere to be identified and nominated by the Art Republic.

But organisers of the Peter Areh lecture are unhappy with friends and close associates of late Peter Areh for their apathy towards organising a memorial lecture in Areh’s honour. Speaking on behalf of the organisers in Lagos at the weekend, Ikwemesi said it was sad that most of Areh’s close friends and associates could not show enough support for the organisation of the lecture at Enugu.

He noted that instead promises were made that were never met, adding that but for the Areh’s family support, the first leg of the lecture at Enugu would not have held. “I was disappointed at the absence of the late Peter Areh’s close friends at the Enugu lecture. But we had the support of the Areh’s family,” he said.

Initially, there were plans by some friends of the deceased to incorporate art exhibition into the programme, which he did not find too appropriate. He said: “I will not appreciate the commercialisation of memorialisation. There should be a level of selflessness.”

The maiden edition of the lecture is supported by PETAFUND, National Gallery of Art, CIDJAP (Catholic Institute for Development, Justice and Peace), OYASAF (Omoba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation), Kuroneko Gallery of Art and Craft, AGAN (Art Galleries Association of Nigeria), the Areh family of Onitsha and friends of Peter Areh.

The Peter Areh lecture is planned as a pilot edition and would be used to canvas for support and ideas to ensure that the lecture is continued beyond this first step. It is also intended not only to celebrate Peter Areh and the trials and triumphs of art and cultural enterprise in Nigeria, but also to create a discursive forum which artists and others can anticipate every year with pride and excitement.

Two years after the death of Peter, the state of his collection of art works is still shrouded in secrecy. According to the elder sister, Ms Edith Chineze Areh, the family is yet to know the true state of the late brother’s collection of art works and the gallery business. She said the family could not undertake immediate inventory of the gallery’s collection because of the nature of his brother’s death. The late Areh was murdered by suspected killers in his Lekki home on July 2, 2009.

“We don’t really know where all the collection of works in the gallery is now. We learnt that some of them have been allegedly moved to Enugu from Lagos. Also, we don’t know what has become of the art gallery Peter left behind. These are lots of issues the family is going to resolve. At the moment, we are not sure anybody is managing the art gallery,” Ms Areh said.

She explained that it took the family long time to consider discussing these issues with Peter’s wife, who, unfortunately, has not been too forthcoming. “Since May last year, we have been trying to reach her for talks but she has been inconsistent,” Ms Areh noted expressing confidence that the family would overcome the challenges.

Rage over sale of African artefacts in Netherlands

T

HE Executive Director, AFRICOM, Dr Rudo Sithole, has condemned the planned sale of some African objects

by Wereldmuseum. Sithole said the museum and government of Netherlands should engage professionals in Africa to establish if the countries would want their objects back. Wereldmuseum intends selling African collections as a way of raising funds for its future operations.

According to report, about 9,878 African objects are currently housed in the Wereldmuseum. Of this number, 353 are from Nigeria, 713 Angola, 68 Cameroon, 199 Ghana, 1,134 Congo, 391 Mali and 204 Benin.

In a statement posted on the blog, Sithole said: “I feel strongly that before selling the African objects the Wereldmuseum and even the government of the Netherlands must engage with the African countries and heritage professionals from which these objects originate so as to establish if these countries would like to have their heritage back.”

Judging by calls for the return of African cultural materials, it goes without saying that the affected countries would like to have their materials. The second question is “should the countries of origin be made to buy their ob-

By Ozolua Uhakheme Assistant Editor (Arts)

jects?”

“The answer should be in the affirmative only where there is proof that the objects were legally obtained and the burden of proof should lie squarely with the Wereldmuseum. In cases where the objects were looted, stolen or extorted they should be returned free of charge and maybe even with some form of compensation since the Wereldmuseum has benefited from these collections for many decades if not centuries.

“As a starting point, comprehensive information is needed on the 9,878 African objects in the Wereldmuseum.

From Kwame Opuku’s article we are informed that 713 are from Angola, 68 from Cameron, 199 from Ghana, 1134 from DRC, 391 from Mali, 353 from Nigeria and 204 from Benin leaving a total of 3,062. We, therefore, need information on where the rest of the African objects originate from. As a pan-African museums association AFRICOM is more than willing to partner with the African countries/professionals and the Wereldmuseum/Dutch government for information sharing and repatriation purposes.”

‘As a starting point comprehensive information is needed on the 9,878 African objects in the Wereldmuseum. From Kwame Opuku’s article we are informed that 713 are from Angola, 68 from Cameron, 199 from Ghana, 1,134 from DRC, 391 from Mali, 353 from Nigeria and 204 from Benin leaving a total of 3,062’

•Benin bronze

•Ife head

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

32

The Midweek Magazine

E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•From left: Mrs Laoye-Tomori, Duke and the Ataoja in a festive mood

A festival like no other Thousands of tourists and visitors converged on Osogbo, last weekend, for the Osun Osogbo festival, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.

T

HE throng moved in the same direction, heading for the grove. They were upbeat as they trudged on, chanting. It has become an annual ritual for many.

The glitz, glamour and enchanting feast of the Osun goddess attracted no fewer than 5,000 tourists. For some, it is another jamboree. For many, it is another tourist destination. For others, it kick-starts their August, every year. But to her devotees, it is more than just a festival.

Chief Ajiboorisa Akanbi of Ile-Oloro family in Osogbo is one. He is a hunter and one of the keepers of the Osun Grove. He watches over the shrines, ensuring that they are kept clean. “I am the keeper of the gods, a chief priest and a hunter. I take care of the Osun grove. I come to the shrine very early and leave by 8pm daily. I have been a keeper of the gods all my life since the time of Oba Adenle.”

You will find him sharing the history of each deity to visitors, especially during the festival.

“This is Ogun … this one is called the Iya Abeji, that one is Larooye …,” he would say. The statutes had palm fronds that give them an eerie look.

With the number of tourists visiting the grove, many have wondered if there are certain taboos that visitors should uphold while there.

He said: “Osun is the goddess of fertility and kind-hearted deity. There are no taboos. Everybody is allowed to come to her.”

As a true custodian of the Osun goddess, he is sometimes found sitting close to the path leading to the Osun River, showering blessings on visitors going there. On their way to the river, they would bow before him, chanting Ore

Yeeeeeeye o. On this occasion, when the reporter met him, a call came in from his client whom he said had been having bad dreams lately. “She just left with the water from the Osun River. I have just reminded her that she should pray on it and some of it with her bath water. And she will not have such dreams again. Osun Water can do a lot of things to people.”

By the stream, visitors, who are mostly devotees, were busy snapping away as each took turn to pose by the statue of the goddess. Not far away, carpenters were at work, renovating the edifices in the grove.

Raufu Ajanaku, carpenter, who claimed to have worked with the late Susanne Wenger on the grove, and his crew hammered on. They were fixing and nailing together broken pieces, oblivious of visitors passing by. “She is one of those who brought us here. Before then, I was a sculptor,” he said of Wenger. “I must say nobody can take care of the grove like Mama Wenger: She loved it dearly. But I am happy that the government has started paying more attention to the maintenance of the grove.”

That evening, the place had an ethereal look as visitors strode in and out of the grove. It was evening before the grand finale of the festival.

It was completely empty except for monkeys, the workmen, some devotees and, of course, the statutes. There was this unspoken excitement in the air – the kind that often characterises the day before a great event. This year’s event began with a football competition won

by Golden Boys FC, Osogbo. Then, there was the traditional cleansing of the town called Iwopopo. An art exhibition was held followed by the celebration of the lighting of over 500-

year-old 16-point lamp. Next was the Ataoja’s Crowns Assemblage, Iboriade; traditional wrestling competition, beauty pageant, film show, among others. But the high point was last Friday, the royal reception for sponsors and dignitaries, which is preceded by the entrance of the Arugba from the palace to the grove. Everyone is seen snapping their fingers over their head, perhaps refusing a curse or merely following the trend.

But for the Australian couple Steve and Chrisanthi Madgwick, who were visiting for the first time, it was exciting. “I like it, especially the fact that everyone was getting rid of whatever curses or something that the lady was carrying in the calabash. In the morning, I joined some people at the river. I went to respect it. I washed my hands and saw people praying and crying by it. It was moving. They say if a woman drank the water, she would get pregnant. I did not drink it,” Chrisanthi said. It was their first time in the country, they said. They had read about it in a guide book and decided to experience it.

That morning as visitors walked into the shrine, they were confronted by the newly mounted gates laced with murals of the goddess. They were searched before going in. And as they went, they noticed that local and international brands struggled to outdo each other in display of their banners and canopies. The grove was full.

Tourism for development The reception at the dome was witnessed by the dignitaries from within and outside the state, such as the Deputy Governor of Lagos

State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and the Minister for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Edem Duke. Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was represented by his deputy, Chief Mrs Grace Laoye-Tomori. Their host, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, Olanipekun Larooye II, the Ataoja of Osogbo praised everyone, including the late Ataoja, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III. He said: “This marks the beginning in our land. Let us create a new unity and strength. Let us learn together, love together and stay together. I praised the government for his commitment towards the re-establishment of the Osun Grove. He is committed to the development of culture of the state determined to preserve the cultural dignity of the state. The road leading to the grove is reconstructed by the governor. I thank corporate support for the festival and dignitaries and tourists. Osogbo 2011 is just the beginning.”

The governments of Osun State restated its commitment to go beyond the funfair, harnessing its immense potential to development.

Aregbesola said it was unfortunate that for long the Osun Osogbo festival and other notable festivals in the state had been marked as mere jamborees without any attempts to make economic gains for the people of the state.

He said: “This invaluable treasure is one leg of the tripod of development for our state – tourism. The other two legs are agriculture and solid minerals. As you must have noticed, this year’s festival is like no other before it. Unknown to many people, tourism is one of the silent money spinning economic activities.

Also, not less than 800 jobs have been created •Continued on page 33

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

33

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•Tourists at the event

A festival like no other •Continued from page 32

during this festival, including tour guides. There have been physical face-lift of facilities and rehabilitation of roads leading to the Osun Grove.

There has also been improvement of the venue and services while car parks have been created.

Beyond what obtained previously, security, safety and crowd management have been improved. There are other attractions still that make this year’s festival unforgettable.”

The Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Home Affairs, Sikiru Adetona Ayedun, said, the focus of the Aregbesola-led administration is to go beyond the funfair to harnessing tourism for development, job creation and wealth generation, adding that policy would be put in place that would help achieve its goals.

The minister said the ministry would establish cultural and tourism centres across the country, saying that Osogbo would have one of the centres. This, he said, is meant to ensure that culture generates revenue for the members of the community and the state at large.

“It, therefore, behoves on us as a nation to look inward and harness the wealth deposited in the culture and tourism sector which has great potential of contributing significantly to our GDP. The Federal Government, on its part, will continue to give undaunted support and improve on policies that will further enhance and showcase our rich cultural heritage to the outside world with the aim of wealth creation for our people. We intend to train 3,000 culture entrepreneurs. Nigerian Week will hold in September in Brazil. By 2012, we will move the Abuja Carnival to other African countries. It will become a world-class African Festival of Arts and Culture. We will re-enact the Festac ’77,” he said.

Funfair and more Outside the grove, all kinds of artistic, dramatic and business activities went on. Brands promoted their products, mounting stands within the palace and across the town. R. Twining and Company Ltd, makers of Ovaltine beverage, which is barely a year old in the festival, gave out freebies to people. According to its Project Co-ordinator (Ovaltine), Mr Uche Moses, it is part of its marketing strategy as a new brand at the festival. He said the company decided to identify the brand with it because of the bigger brands that it attracts yearly. “The festival is an international event that attracts many brands and products yearly. Many are already identifying with it and we saw the need for our brand to be represented as well. And as such, we have decided to give out 18 grammes sachet of Ovaltine and a cup of ready-made chilled sampling so that anyone who is interested can taste the richness and be inspired to buy. And the experience has been fantastic. Last year, we pulled a lot of crowd and this year it is even better.”

Loudspeakers blared deafeningly, subduing the laughter and voices of people as they go about their businesses. The noise is a mixture of Islamic chants calling out in prayers; praise songs and church preaching, saying: Igbala wa ninu Jesu, e ronu piwad.” They blended with the contemporary music waftingfrom local music stores and brand stands scattered across the town, in addition to traditional music by popular artistes and devotees.

The merchants having seen the business prospects in such cultural and artistic ventures also seized the opportunity to do business on the side.

The traders came from within and outside the state. Mrs Modupe Ogunyinka came from Ogun State with the hope of catching into sea-

•Beauty queens at the grove

son of sales that is associated with the festival.

She specialises in print designs. Her visit to the town, according to her, is strictly for business, saying she is a Christian. It was her first time in Osogbo. As a Christian, she said: “I am based in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Although I have heard about the festival, it was a friend who told me about the business prospect of the festival. Every year, it is getting bigger and so, I felt people attending the feast are those that would appreciate the value of my products. I brought them here from Abeokuta on Wednesday with the hope that I would make great sales this period. And I must say that business has been good.”

She boasted about the quality of her ma-

PHOTOS: EVELYN OSAGIE

terials, saying: “You cannot compare Ogun State prints with Osogbo. Most of the people making them here came to learn from us.”

The Osogbo print makers did not agree.

Adewusi Alade, who runs Alade Print Gallery in the town, said: “Our prints are quality prints. We make use of quality materials that are durable. Those who know quality would value our prints.” But the prices of the prints differ from where the print was produced. It was learnt that prints from outside the state were cheaper than those produced in the town. Within the town Batik tops cost between N1,400 and N2,000; while tops sold by visiting printmakers cost N800 and N1,200.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

34

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

BOOK REVIEW

BRIEF

Title: Gentleman Igwe Author: Kevin Chrisanthus Number of Pages: 319 Publisher: Innovation Era Nigeria Limited, Abuja Year of Publication: 2011 Reviewer: Tayo Owolabi

Adire carnival: celebration of street culture

By Osas Robert

S

ELF-STYLED Lady of Africa, Oluwabukola Fasuyi will soon release her blockbuster movie entitled: Ife J’aye ju.

Ife Ja ‘ye ju is a result of years of painstaking research. It details the experience of several people as co-ordinated by an intelligent writer and producer. It is aimed at producing a classic piece that meets the demand of the moment and contains grains lessons for the next generation.

Set in contemporary modern Nigeria, the movie teaches the present generation that western ways may not end happily ever after and sermonises that all that glitters is not gold.

It is the brainchild of Fasuyi, who believes in the projection and preservation of African values, for which she plans a special carnival, tagged Adire Street Culture Carnival, with the theme: Our cultures in the spotlight.

The carnival slated for later in the year will feature a totally African orientation and traditional African cultural and social ensemble including music, food, drink, with the promotion of Adire as part of African culture.

E

VERYMAN has a root where he/she comes from.

Most times in life, knowing someone’s roots helps you understand the events that take place in their lives because in the history of man’s existence on earth, many people have traced their roots and discovered that what they are and what they’ll be to a large extent, is a progression of what already happened before then.

We often quote that “the evils men do live after them,” but in the case of His Royal Highness Chief Onwuameze Damain Ezeani, Igwe Ugonabo, Neni, I will say “the good men do also live after them”. This saying is well captured by the book Gentleman Igwe; a riveting authorised biographical tale of the traditional ruler of Neni, an important community of Igbo people in the South East of Nigeria written by Kevin Christiathus. It is interesting to see that Igwe Ugonabo of Neni has a wonderful background which is the main reason he is where he is today.

The book is rendered by the author from the omniscient point of view where he gives us an indebt analysis of the actions, emotions and thoughts of the characters in the book.

The book starts with the climax of the Igwe’s life which is his coronation as the Igwe Ugonabo, Neni.

No doubt, Africa is blessed with a rich cultural heritage that is, colourful and vast. The coronation of Chief Onwuameze Damian Ezeani as Igwe Ugonabo of Neni, wasn’t an exception in the display of the African cultural Heritage. The author spent adequate time to elaborate on the cultural practices that took place on that day. Igwe’s grandfather Ezeani Obidigbo descended from two hunters from Nimo who came to Neni on a hunting expedition. When the invading colonial masters, the British, came to Oye market square at Neni, Ezeani Obidigbo and others were taken to Agulu to see the “white men”. After their visit, it was clear to the colonial masters that he was a man of peace and they therefore did him no harm and worked with him. He was respected by the colonial masters for his wisdom and leadership qualities and this is qualities are evident in the life of the Igwe who is seen by younger ones, his peers and his elders as a man of great wisdom and intellect.

Chief Ezeani Obidigbo the grandfather of the Igwe as a Warrant Chief constructed the major road from Agu-Inyi junction at Adazi through Umukabia and Ugwudunu villages to Neni to Oye market square; from there he continued it to Eziaja boundary with Adazi Enu where Chief Jacob Ugboaja of Adazi Enu took over. This goes a long way to show us where the Igwe got the traits of being a selfless advocate for the people.

His father Patrick Udozo Ezeani (onye nkuzi) was a strict and intelligent man who moved about spreading the “Whiteman’s” education and religion. He was a man of integrity and refused taking the Ozo title then because of the pagan sacrifices, according to him, that clouds the event. He married Rose Maria Akuabata Ezeani who was, no doubt, the strongest influence on Damian the Igwe. She was strong and very beautiful. She was a leader as she led the Ugwudunu Catholic women for over 20 years. ‘Blood is thicker than waters as the say’ and this is so in the case of the Igwe as the leadership qualities of his grandfather, his father and mother are evident in his life today.

Chief Onwuamaeze Damian Ezeani was born on September 25, 1950 in a thatched mud house at Neni. He is the fifth of seven children of his parents. He is the first male alive because his elder brother Ifeanyi died during the Nigerian Biafran Civil War. Though not as smart and intellectual as his brothers he progressed gradually in school through the various classes.

As a child, he enjoyed the company of older people and this enabled him to gain great wisdom and knowledge about the culture and tradition of his people and the wisdom to advice people on the path to take. He left Neni for Lagos on January 3, 1965 to work as a trainee under Chief C.A. Ekwenibe of Ekwenibe and Sons. He acquired a lot of experience working there as he held several positions and imparted virtues into his fellow workers such as Chief Osita Benjamin. He showed himself as a worthy servant under Chief C.A. Ekwenibe by running his company as if it were his, no wonder God paid him back by giving him a faithful manager by name Mr. Hyacinth Ezuzobi who has managed Dakes Supermarket at Enugu since 1986 till date which is one of the Igwe’s numerous investements. Whatever one sows, that he reaps.

The book gives a full length picture of the life of the Igwe as the author makes sure he carefully captures the Igwe’s life from the days of his ancestors to his childhood, adolescent and adult ages and also his journey to the throne of Neni. The author makes sure he gives the adolescent and early adulthood age of the Igwe a very good treatment to help us understand why he deserves the throne and also show us vividly where he started from. The Igwe was a man whose childhood and youth was preoccupied by work and these forged numerous proficiencies and grounded the leadership traits which

Behold, Gentleman Igwe were inborn in him.The author started the book with the technique of a flashback by starting with the coronation day of the Igwe and then flashing back to the life of this rare gem to demonstrate to us how he earned the crown of Igwe Ugonabo, Neni.

The author (Kevin Christanthus) showed his extensive study into the life of the Igwe as he rendered this book from the omniscient point of view by fully accounting for the actions and in actions of most of the characters in the book. He demonstrated indepth knowledge of the Igwe’s life and background by careful arranging every event in its appropriate manner so as to create plausibility of the subject (the Igwe) in this biography. The author reveals the hidden motives of the Igwe in the book. The Igwe who never liked basket making tried avoiding it but was forced to do it by his teachers. The Igwe didn’t realise that all the positions he held and the career path he had chosen, which is business was what shaped his history today.

The rigours and vagaries of life which he experienced on his way to greatness paved a way for him to the throne and the author does justice to this fact by carefully illustrating how the career choice of the Igwe became a highway for him to ascend the throne.

I will say that that this masterpiece be handed to every young man and woman who aspires for greatness in life because the life of the Igwe shows a man whom out of hardship, poverty and lack, became a King. In the midst of the storms of life he was drowned and he waded the storm and today he seats at the throne of Neni because after every storm comes serenity and I strongly believe after reading this story that the people of Neni will not only know untold peace, prosperity, development and unity under his reign but, will confess that His Royal Highest O. D. Ezeani, is the greatest Igwe they have ever had or known.

‘The author makes sure he gives the adolescent and early adulthood age of the Igwe a very good treatment to help us understand why he deserves the throne and also show us vividly where he started from. The Igwe was a man whose childhood and youth was preoccupied by work and these forged numerous proficiencies and grounded the leadership traits which were inborn in him’

•Fasuyi

Pieces of dreams on show

A

N exhibition of paintings and drawings by two renowned artists Joe Amenechi and Albert Ohams opens at Solitude Hotel and Suites Garden, Oniru,Victoria Island, Lagos on September 16 by 5pm.The exhibition which will feature about 50 works by both artists in different media is expected to attract art collectors ,critics, businessmen and politicians.

Both graduates of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), they have excelled in their various techniques over the years.

Albert Ohams, a cartoonist of International repute graduated in 1990 in painting and has since been combing his talent on canvas and on the pages of the newspaper. Presently the Cartoon Editor of Sun Newspapers, Ohams displays his humour on canvas in some of his works that will be on display.

A recipient of Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) Prize for the Cartoonist of the year 2000, and the Diamond Award For Media Excellence (DAME) editorial Cartoonist year 2007,Ohams had his first solo exhibition titled Cultural Glimpses in 1995 at the Nigerian embassy in Israel and thereafter had other exhibitions subsequently.

On return to Nigeria in 1997, he had a solo exhibition The Long Trip at the National Museum, Onikan. Also he was among the participating artists that exhibited in Pair-A-Picture exhibition alongside British artists at the famous Guildhall gallery in London. He has taken part in several painting and cartoon exhibitions. A recipient also of the American Press Institute visual journalism workshop [ROI], some of the titles of his work to be displayed are That July 10th Flood,99 Standing 23 Sitting, Proliferation of Beauty Contests, Double Standard, among others.

Joe Amenechi graduated in 1985 and has been known for his creations that combine painting and print. He occupies a unique place in history of contemporary Nigerian art. Born in Lagos in 1961,his works talks about the preservation of traditional features of the lives of his ancestors which he represents with images, symbols and suggestive fetish objects. Joe worked as an intern for a year at Ovuomaroro Art Gallery in 1982 under the tutelage of Nigeria’s most iconic artist Bruce Onobrakpeya, while training as a Fine Art student at YABATECH.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

35

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

Diaspora arts: Introduction to African American arts

I

N December last year, Michael Harris, an eminent Art curator and professor of art History at Emory University, United States of America, invited me to make a work for display in a museum show entitled Beyond Bearden. The exhibition, a centennial celebration of the birthday of Romare Bearden (1911-1990), will open in the second week of September 2011 at the ultramodern Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. I welcomed the invitation to participate in this exhibition for several reasons.

First, I like Bearden’s work. He was a celebrated African American artist whose collage compositions added an innovative vision and a new visual language to the contemporary art of the United States. Second, the line up of other artists invited to participate in the show is impressive indeed, and I would like to be in this distinguished company. Third, the Gantt Center is located in a magnificent building in Charlotte, one of the most important cities in America, a city known as the banking capital of the United States. Above all, I see an opportunity to task my mind in a creative way, to produce a significant new work.

I agreed to participate in the exhibition, and immediately began to think about the form and content of what I would contribute to an exhibition organised to demonstrate Bearden’s legacy as a major source of influence and a distinctive talent in the art of the United States. Although I was not born in the United States, I have been living in America for 20 years. During this period, I studied the art history of the United States, in the course of obtaining a doctorate in the visual cultures of African and African American expressive productions, under the supervision of Henry Drewal and Freida High Tesfagiorgis among several other distinguished scholars at the eminent University of Wisconsin, Madison. Drewal supervised the African content of my training while Tesfagiorgis handled the African American component. But it was actually more complicated than this: they both overlap in their scholarly interests. Drewal’s focus includes African diaspora art, especially Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and Haitian visual cultures. Tesfagiogis is also an expert in the contemporary art of Africa, women’s art, and the visual cultures of Latin America. In addition to these two core supervisors were a number of outstanding scholars to guided and prepared me for professional practice: Professor Jim Dennis, an expert in the modern art of the United States; Craig Werner, who teaches African American literature, music history, and criticism; Nicholas Mirzoeff, the pioneering expert on visual cultural theories and criticism; and Rowland Abiodun, a professor of art history at Amherst College, who continued to instruct me on verbal and visual intersections of West African expressive cultures.

It the course of my interactions with these professors, I came across the works of several prominent African American artists. I will provide a long list, for the benefit of readers who are not quite familiar with African American art.

In these days of internet access, you may google the names of these artists to glean the details of their works, which are readily available online. Art history professors interested in offering courses on African American art may use the names that I have presented here as a structure. The order of presentation of these artists is intentional historical, to convey a sense of linear progression that we adopt in art history.

The first ship with Africans to land in the United States arrived in 1619. African American art therefore dates back to this historical moment. The oldest object associated with this culture is a drum found in Virginia, but which has now been relocated to the British Museum. The drum is by an unknown African American artist. Since that time, art historians have carefully studied African American artists, and consistently documented their works. The most impressive of these artists include Joshua Johnston 17961824), who worked in the American colonial style of portraiture; Robert Scott Duncanson (1821-1872), the awardwinning landscape painter; Harriet Powers (1837-1910), who elevated the art of quilting to lofty ideological levels; Edmonia Lewis (1843-1900), a neo-classical sculptor who enjoyed a hybrid Native American heritage; Henry Ossawa Tanner (1855-1937), an impressionist painter who brought unprecedented dignity to the representation of blacks in the United States; and William Henry Johnson (1901-1970), whose abstracted figurative work transitioned from his expressive early style known as “topsy-turvy”, to a more geometric flattening of the picture planes.

Other African American masters who made significant contributions at the turn of the twentieth century include Meta Warrick Fuller (1877-1968), whose sculptural cast, Ethiopia Awakening (1914), is arguably the masterpiece that marks the beginning of the Black Renaissance movement; Aaron Douglas (1899-1978), painter, printmaker, and draughtsman, is considered the most significant artist of

•Of the Blues, one night to stand by bearden

By Moyo Okediji

the Harlem Renaissance; Archibald Motley (1891-1980), a figurative painter, was an active participant in the Social Realism movement of the United States; Augusta Savage (1892-1962), a gifted artist and active teacher whose primary medium was sculpture; Charles White (19181979), whose mastery of expressive realism explored the plight of Black America before, during, and after the Civil Rights movements; Eldzier Cortor (b. 1916), who brought grace, elegance, and dignity to the elongated black female figure; and Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), whose “Migration Series” is regarded as the most eloquently expressive depiction of the massive movement of black people from the south to the north, after the end of the first world war.

He was only twenty-three years old when he completed the sixty panel series, which has been exhibited widely within the united States, and internationally.

Prominent among 20th century African American artists are Hale Woodruff (1900-1980), a painter and muralist who integrated African-inspired symbols into his compositions; Elizabeth Catlett (b. 1919), a wood sculptor whose name is associated with the representation of heroic female figures; Raymond Saunders (b.

1934), an expressionist artist whose stylized figurative paintings won him the first Prix de Rome awarded to a black artist; Faith Ringgold (b. 1930), who initially explored the traditional mediums of oil and acrylic on canvas, before she began to experiment with quilted painting; David Hammons (b. 1943), one of the most inventive minds in conceptual art; Betye Saar (b.

1926), whose incorporation of found objects offer biting commentary on social, political, and economic matters in the United States; Mel Edwards (1937-), a metal sculptor whose abstract compositions, especially his series, the “Lynch Fragments,” alluded to African mythologies as a means of engaging social criticism in the United States; Valerie Maynard (b.

1937), sculptor and printmaker whose work engages moral and ethical themes; Barbara Chase Riboud (b.

1936), writer and visual artist, whose experiments with contrasting materials accentuated the complementary principles of tension and opposite dynamics; and Jeff Donaldson (1932-2004), the painter and collage artist renowned as the founder of the famous AfriCobra movement, whose members include Wadsworth Jarrell (b.1929), Michael Olonade Harris (b. 1948, and Napoleon Jones Anderson (b. 1943).The later part of the 20th century heralded the contributions of Camille Billops (b. 1933), who uses her colorful compositions in different mediums to allude to the pop culture of the United States; Houston Conwill (b. 1947) who integrates words and images with historical references to Africa, into architectural structures; Carrie Mae Weems (b. 1953), a photographer who pioneered visual satires and puns about race and gender; Lorna Simpson (b. 1960), another photographer working around the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality.

Most prominent was Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), the irreverent and troubled young artist, whose work ignited a postmodern movement around graffiti art.

Many 21st century black artists in the United States engage what is described as Post-Black images. Prominent among them are painter Michael Ray Charles (b.

1967); installation artist Kara Waker (b. 1969); and photographer Rashid Johnson (b. 1977), whose work was included in the “Freestyle” exhibition curated by Thelma Golden (b. 1965) in the Studio Museum in Harlem, in New York. The Post-Black artists have often been criticised as controversial figures whose representations of the black body do not explicitly critique racism within the theory of counter-hegemony of oppositional aesthetics propounded by the cultural theorist bell hooks (b.

1952). The terrain of black art in the United States is com-

•Untitled by Mutu

plicated by the success of African and Caribbean immigrants, notably Renee Cox (b. 1958) from Jamaica, Wangechi Mutu (b. 1972) from Kenya, and Julie Mehretu (born 1970) from Ethiopia.

One of my favorite artists in the entire corpus of African American art is Romare Bearden, which explains my excitement when Michael Harris of the AfriCobra fame invited me to participate in the Beyond Bearden exhibition. Last week Michele Parchment, the director of the Gantt Center, sent me the following email message: “I do not know if Michael Harris mentioned it to you, but he has asked that the artists in the Beyond Bearden exhibition submit a paragraph or two on how Bearden has influenced their works. If I could have the statement by this coming Friday that would be great. Please let me know if this works for you.”

I responded to her request with the following statement: “Coffee and sunrise are embedded partners in the body of a reclining woman collaged on masonite in the 1970 work, Sunrise Coffee, by Romare Bearden. Unlike in the Romare Bearden’s montage, my setting is not sunrise, but sunset. Eugene Delacroix’s Algerian woman in her apartment faces the Bearden night with an insomniac resolve to awaken her creative spirit. Her glittering veil hides nothing. She is naked under skin, found playing the blues, her left fingers slowly picking apart the keyboard.

She sings,: horribly on a fire escape you walk all rare and resolved to drop and when they find you odalisque they will rend you terribly stitch from stitch till all your linen and limbs will fall….”

When you cocktail Romare Bearden with Delacroix, Renoir, and Kongo sculpture, in the elegiac “Odalisque” lyric of the Decemberists, a reclining nude emerges from a phrasing of jazz and guitar, born on a post-Picasso canvas. As Bearden discovered, “You have to begin somewhere, so you put something down. Then you put something else with it…Once you get going, all sorts of things begin to open up.” Coffee, the dark color of water when it crosses the Atlantic mind, is a terrible thing to waste—or taste black—as Bearden discovers in Sunrise Coffee.”

This statement explores myriads of influences in my own work as an African artist living in the United States. The allusions in the statement include European masters, with whom I was familiar long before my exposure to American art. My work is therefore situated in what I call the “Triangular Aesthetics,” a confluence of visual cultural expressions that incorporate African, American, and European elements and principles into a hybrid corpus that is indivisible and composite. This triangular aesthetics is the subject of my forthcoming book title Western Frontiers of African Art, which will be released by the University of Rochester Press in November 2011.

•Okediji writes in from United States of America

36

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com

•Okoroafor at the Hanging Lake, Awaye, Iseyin

•Ihuoma

Fueling the power of written words Anaele Ihuoma and Spencer Okoroafor came to seek peace with nature and, perhaps, the god of creativity at Ebedi. They found more. EVELYN OSAGIE, who met the writers at the Ebedi International Writers’ resort in Iseyin, Oyo State, reports.

L

AST Wednesday, the crack of dawn dragged on longer than usual at the ancient town of Iseyin, also known as ‘Ebedi’, Oyo State. The sleepy town was silent, oblivious that as it slept, two young men kept vigil writing their hearts away.

Anaele Ihuoma and Spencer Okoroafor felt lost to the world around them as they sat glued to their laptops, punching away ... putting finishing touches to their manuscripts. It was their last day as residents at the Ebedi International Writers Residency, Iseyin, and their manuscripts should have been finished by then, so they thought.

And so, they read and re-read it…perhaps dotting an ‘I’ here and crossing a ‘T’ there. They sat on the same spot for hours; and as it seemed, they never felt tired of writing. In fact, according to them, for nearly six weeks, they have spent an average of 19 hours writing daily, with only five hours of sleep. “We spent 19 hours; writing, including three hours of community work which is also part of the writing. It is like being in a world meant only for writers alone. And the calmness of Ebedi helps one to think and be inspired,” they said when our reporter visited them in the place.

Since its inception last year, Ebedi has become a writers’ haven of some sort where writers seeking refuge, peace and creativity, often found it and the cultural richness of the town.

As you walk into the scenic and serene environment of the town, the quiet atmosphere of House Number 1, Adepeju Alliu Street, would strike you as writer’s haven. The chirping of birds mixed with the early breeze in the morning adds to the creative ambiance. This, coupled with the fact that there was no writers’ residency in Nigeria, where writers can stay and finish their works, inspired the founding of the writers’ resort in his hometown, according to its founder, Dr Wale Okediran, former President, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

“The inspiration came from my frustrations in getting a quiet place to finish my manuscripts. Then, one weekend, my wife suggested we use the house at Iseyin, which was underutilised at that time. That was when I saw clearly the rich nature of the place and what it could mean to writers. The serene and beautiful location of Iseyin devoid of distractions would give them opportunity to concentrate on the work. And that gave birth to the international residency. The interaction between writers and students was meant to create a good harmony between the residency and the town. It will also encourage the students to read and write while improving the knowledge about the area,” he said.

Ihuoma and his colleague were not the first at the writers’ resort. Before them were three sets of resident writers who also spent six weeks eating, drinking, talking and thinking writing.

Accommodation, food, water, light and other exigencies were provided for them free, including an allowance for the six-week period. The first residents in the house were Abiodun Adebiyi and Lola Okusami who were there barely a year ago.

According to the out going residents, they would forever treasure the freedom, space and peace of mind that was presented them at the resort. The programme, according to them, gave them the opportunity to develop their stories into full-flegded novels. It was their first attempt at a novel, even though each has works on poetry and short stories.

“Although it was not here we conceived what we were going to write on because we had a proposal that we were working on which earned us a space in the residency, staying here gave us time to do research, write, think and develop our stories,” Okoroafor said. At the end of the residency, by the grace of God, I now have a work that is publishable. It is over 200 pages. If I were at home, it would have taken one year to complete. I would not been able to concentrate. I love the scenery, the calmness and the quietness of this place. It is refreshing.”

On his part, Ihuoma said: “I have benefited immensely from the project because of the conducive environment – calm and cool. Although I had a prose fiction, entitled Imminent River, in view when I came, I was also able to write poetry. And now a poetry collection is in course. The story has the heart of an epic, with a touch of history and business. Its key characters are from the Southeast. It is about building a business empire that dates from the contemporary times back to the days of slavery. I wrote the first chapter in 2006. Within the weeks I spent here, I have been able to look at it as a book. I literarily rewrote the work here at the residency. And I have written about 100,000 words.

“Imagine the noise, disturbance that one would have been faced with. If I weren’t here, it would have taken another five years. But we wrote without any disturbance. I used to wake-up and write at any time, including in the middle of the night. And it is the same with my colleague too. We usually have only five hours of sleep daily. The rest is writing. It is like living in a galaxy made only for writers. Being here together gave us the opportunity to exchange ideas and technicalities. Sometimes I experience writer’s block. And oftentimes, I had to re-work a chapter three to five times. One thing about writing a book is that as you write it, it writes you. And what you started with may not be what you will end up with.”

Okoroafor’s work, Bone of Contention, is a historical fiction based on a rulership tussle from his locality. The title, he says, is tentative. “I am looking at the historical traditional common in the east which is not unrelated from the fact that the Igbos are not used to the kingship system. In my community, Item, Abia State,

‘A good piece requires research, travel and money. This programme has given us the opportunity to do research. We had the house to ourselves with light, water, food, and we were given allowances for the period of our stay in the place. All we were to do was to write. Some of our colleagues who have moved outside the country come out with award-winning works because they have such conducive environment and systems that work. But the environment here in Nigeria is harsh and the systems weaken initiatives – creative initiatives, especially writing’

it was so much that the ruler had to run away from his place. I am pulling things from the past and present events.”

The residents completed their six-week stay at the resort last Thursday. However, they said, the Ebedi experience would remain evergreen in their minds. They also took time out to savour the historic and tourist wealth of the place, in addition to doing some community service such as teaching.

He said: “I have had a very exciting time at Ebedi. You can be sure that some of the experiences would form part of my novel.

We went to the Ikere George Dam,the Hanging Lake, Awaye, and other tourists and cultural sites in the town. I also enjoyed the community service aspect. We were able to chat with students, teaching them on English Language, literary studies and drama, in addition to mathematics, which I added because I realise students found it difficult to understand it. With the way, I am teaching mathematics, many would not believe that I left secondary school without knowing a single topic in Maths. I had a dream that some of them would have started writing creative works before we left. And thank God we were able to achieve it.”

Speaking more on his experience at the residency, he blamed the decline in the standard of literary works to the harsh environment, saying Nigeria needs more residencies. “Ebedi experience has shown that we need more of this environment because good writing takes time and consequence. There are so many distractions where I am based and concentration is minimal. And it is impacting on writing. The residency needs a homegrown donor agency. It worries me that the government is not interested in projects like this. Such programmes should be organised more.

“A good piece requires research, travel and money. This programme has given us the opportunity to do research. We had the house to ourselves with light, water, food, and we were given allowances for the period of our stay in the place. All we were to do was to write. Some of our colleagues that have moved outside the country come out with award-winning works because they have such conducive environment and systems that work. But the environment here in Nigeria is harsh and the systems weaken initiatives – creative initiatives, especially writing.”

They praised the organisers for establishing the residency programme. Okoroafor said: “I commend the organisers, especially Dr. Okediran, for establishing the residency due to his passion towards moving the Nigerian literature forward. I and my colleagues are from the east. He could have chosen people from his geographical background. This has also shown the objectivity of that it is residency is based on merit without tribal inclination.”

Ihuoma added that Nigeria is in want of more people , such as Okediran, who are willing to make sacrifices for the progress of literature. “Not many people are willing to sacrifice towards a venture that is not immediately financially gratifying, like what Dr Okediran has done. We appreciate him and Nigeria, particularly its literature needs more of him.”

They have since returned to their base. Ihuoma lives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Okoroafor stays in Abuja. Both writers’ are award winners whose works have won Sparrow Prize and the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)/Funtime Prize.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

38

ABUJA REVIEW FCTA to offset contractor’s debts

T

HE Federal Capital Territory Administration is taking steps to settle the N24b debt owed contractors handling projects in the city.

It has also denied speculations that officials of the FCTA favour some contractors over others in the mode of payment.

To many, the nation’s capital could be described as a construction site, judging by the ongoing projects spanning from roads construction, houses to other critical infrastructure.

Indeed, construction companies, both local and foreign, are seen in the city centre and the suburb on daily basis moving heavy duty equipment, blasting rocks and excavating the soil. These projects are either private or government-sponsored.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, in an interview with journalists in Abuja recently explained that funding of government projects in the nation’s capital is sourced from both statutory and the national priority budgets.

What this means is that the Federal Government, from the national budget, provides funds specifically for the execution of critical federal projects in the same manner it does in funding key projects across the 36 states of the federation.

Decree six of 1976 creating the FCT clearly stipulates that Abuja will be treated just like the 36 states. In this regard, the territory benefits from the annual national budget aside its statutory budget.

An example of projects funded from the national capital budget includes the completion of the Shehu Shagari presidential complex awarded in 2006 to Messrs Gitto Nigeria Limited at the cost of N2.65b.

Others are the ongoing Airport Road expansion and the Kubwa expressway awarded at the cost of N257b, the Nigerian Cultural and Millennium Tower awarded in 2005 at the cost of N53.12b and the National Assembly Complex Phase II, awarded in 2007 to Julius Berger Nig. Plc. According to the minister, under the statutory budget, which is usually passed by the National Assembly (NASS), the administration makes a presentation of its total spending and expected revenue,

T

HE current road block mounted by the military on Abuja exit and entry roads have been described as archaic and incapable of detecting what they were meant to.

It has been observed that soldiers and policemen men at the road blocks have no modern equipment

•Abuja From Bukola Amusan

stating clearly, projects that will be executed within a particular year.

Such projects that are captured by this particular budget include the Galuyi-Shere and Apo Resettlement Housing Scheme valued at N7.47b and N2.56b respectively.

Under the scheme, about 3,153 housing units are expected to be built.

One issue which has however preoccupied the minds of most residents is the slow pace at which some contractors handle projects in the city. The paucity of funds has often been blamed as the possible reasons for such delays.

Some contractors have had course to defend themselves by citing non-payment of debts for contract already executed as the reason for the slow pace of work.

Director of the FCT treasury department, Mr. Ibrahim Bomai, in an attempt to explain the processes for payment of all contracts funded by the administration, pointed out that in order to ensure transparency in the system; government has in place two approval stages for all contracts executed in line with the Public Procurement Act. Investigations revealed that between February and July 2011 alone, total debts owed contractors by the FCT Administration stood at about N65b. According to the FCT Minister, the sum of N40b raised from internally-generated revenue (IGR), statutory allocation and loans from the Debt Management Office (DMO), has already been approved to upset these debts in order to enable contractors han-

After completion of all procedures outlined in the public procurement document, approval for payment of contracts in the FCT must receive the assent of the minister or the Permanent Secretary as the case may be, depending on a particular approval limit dling key projects to complete them.

The administration also said it has concluded plans to pay the balance of N24 b so that contractors will have the needed confidence to complete such projects within the stipulated period.

Critics however argue that officials of the administration indulge in selective principles as well as favouritism in determining which contractor should be paid at any given time.

But, Bomai explained that after completion of all procedures outlined in the public procurement document, approval for payment of contracts in the FCT must receive the assent of the minister or the Permanent Secretary as the case may be, depending on a particular approval limit. He said what contractors needed to understand is that no single individual in the FCT determines which contractor should be paid or not.

What is obtainable here, according to him, is that on submission of due process certificates of work

done by companies, a committee known as the cash flow management committee then steps in to determine the maturity or otherwise of such bills. This committee deliberates on criteria to be used for allocation of the usual scarce funds and then sends a written memo to the minister for final approval.

Interestingly, the committee comprises the executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Minister on Economic Matters, SSA on Budget Monitoring, the Chief of Staff to the Minister and the Director of Treasury also ensures that funds in its accounts are adequate and meant for the matured bills.

The actual allocation of payments of contracts, he explained, are then done based on lists forwarded by the various departments where such contracts were awarded after the final decision of the cash flow management committee.

No doubt, this system of accountability in the last three years, has

earned the treasury department of the FCT commendation by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

The Association of Indigenous Contractors, in a letter lauded the department’s continued interface with its members, a situation which they said assists in dousing tension among contractors.

But, a cursory look at the processes for the execution of contracts and payment of contracts in most departments and agencies of the administration indicates that, like every other government establishment, contractors make attempts to influence officials in order to ensure that they get paid in earnest and as a result, they take a step further to even offer bribe in this regard.

To check this trend, Bomai said contractors are discouraged from parading themselves especially around the office of the treasurer where actual disbursement of funds takes place.

Besides issues of payment, some contracts doing business with the administration believe that there is the need to provide an open playing field for local and international investors by adhering to the guidelines stipulated by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) in contract award and execution as well as payments.

The Director-General of the BPP, Mr. Emeka Eze, at a training workshop for senior directors of the FCTA in Abuja recently, raised serious concern on lapses in the system. He advised that it was imperative for ‘due process certification’ to be followed in the system.

Terrorism: Activists seek modern tracking methods From Dele Anofi, Abuja

to search vehicles other than the riffles they carry.

Abuja-based lawyer and human

right activist, Kayode Ajulo while reacting to the Friday UN building bombing said the current arrangement can only escalate traffic gridlock rather than fish out suspicious persons or vehicles with dangerous materials.

“It is imperative that the military road blocks at the entrance roads to Abuja i.e. Airport road, Nyanyan road and Kubwa road are immediately dismantled to pave way for modern searching equipment as the security arrangement of stop and search on these Roads is counter productive.

“The archaic road blocks are causing traffic gridlock, heighten Security tension and in my view this is a veritable target for bombers due to the high number of slow mov-

ing people and vehicular concentration on these roads”.

He pointed put that since the perpetrators seem to be unconventional in their approach, the tendency of transporting wholesome explosive objects would be minimal knowing that military personnel are on the roads.

Ajulo pointed out that the time has come for the government to invest in modern equipment that would aid the intelligence community in carrying out their duties more effectively.

“There is no way we can go far with this attitude of stop and check with bare eyes and guns, these people would not take the normal routes with their materials where they were sure they would be

checked at the road block.

“No one is saying the road blocks should be dismantled totally but they should be result-oriented, this present arrangement can only cause chaos. While I implore that no stone should be left unturned to fish out the criminals behind the bomb blasts it is hope that a more sophisticated method be employed than these crude ways of manual stop and search that portray Abuja as an occupied territory or battle front to the visitors to the Capital city.

“The presence of unending vehicular queues are enough to discourage a prospective foreign investor coming to Abuja for the first time,” he added.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

39

ABUJA REVIEW

T

HE Director, Development Control of the Federal Capital Development Authority, Dr. Yahaya Yusuf has denied demanding 10 units of houses from developers at the Sunshine Estate in Apo District of the city.

Yusuf, while refuting the allegation said he never met the developer handling the construction work until the day the demolition of the illegal estate started.

The demolition of the illegal estate, the director said, was necessary since it was situated on an illegal land that was planned to be a buffer zone in the FCT Master Plan.

“I had never known the developers until somebody appeared during the demolition exercise and asked whether I was the director.

The same individual later made the allegation that I demanded houses from him. Why would I ask for houses in an illegal area? It is not in my character to make such demands. I have been dragged before EFCC before and I came out clean.

“The Development Control Department has a timetable for addressing illegal developments from district to district. This is being coordinated by the Deputy Di-

Director denies bribery allegation Stories From Bukola Amusan

rector, Monitoring and Enforcement. Hence, it is a miscalculated falsehood to impress the public out of understandable pain that the director will negotiate for buildings already marked severally while the officers remove such structure as a routine,” he said.

Yusuf said the allegations were baseless, insisting that he never met anyone of them until Saturday, August 13 when the demolition exercise was carried out.

Recall that the demolition of the 172 houses out of a total of 475 units at the Sunshine Estate attracted the interest of the South East Revival Group (SERG) which described the action as a deliberate attempt to scare business of the eastern extractions from the building sector in the FCT. The group also alleged that Yusuf led the demolition exercise following failure of the consortiums handling the estate project to hand him

10 units of houses as a bribe.

“He (Yahaya) specifically requested that the consortium give him 10 units of houses in Sunshine Estate failure of which he will bring the entire estate down. You can see what the refusal of his attempt to extort has cost these hardworking business men,” Chief Willy Ezugwu, Coordinator-General SERG alleged.

Countering this claim, Mr Yusuf

dismissed the group for whipping up ethnic sentiments to gain public sympathy as well as to cause disaffection in the FCT and in the nation as a whole.

He challenged the group and the developers to check his antecedents as a public officer from Kwara State, through Kogi State to the Federal Capital Territory. He also demanded that they should produce the docu-

He (Yahaya) specifically requested that the consortium give him 10 units of houses in Sunshine Estate failure of which he will bring the entire estate down. You can see what the refusal of his attempt to extort has cost these hardworking business men

ment supporting their claims.

“In the letter of protest to the FCT Minister, the developers claimed to have had documents from AMAC in 2006 including titles and approved prototype building plans, even after the demolition exercise. The documents were not included in the letter sent to the Development Control Department.

“Area councils in the FCT had been stopped from issuing title documents on approved building plans since 2004, even within their zones of jurisdiction. By 2006, any document provided from the area councils on land had lapsed especially where the subject had not been developed before then,” Yusuf argued.

He further stated that the FCT Administration, through the office of Permanent Secretary, had warned against construction of housing estates beyond the Malaysia Garden which is along the same expressway, noting that the Sunshine Estate where the houses were removed was the only estate beyond the Malaysia Garden.

Council promises take-off grant for women trainees

W

OMEN currently undergoing training in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory have been assured of take-off grant in order to make them self-employed after their training session.

The women leader in the council, Hajia Aishat Yakubu who disclosed this after monitoring a skill empowerment session for the women over the weekend said “this is poverty alleviation because most of these women don’t have anything doing, most of them are not educated, and they are not government workers. So, with this empowerment training, they will no longer be left idle because this is enough for them to be occupied.

The income from these will be enough to sustain them rather than being in the house doing nothing.

“The area council, apart from giv-

ing them take-off grants, will also open a centre for them where they can display their wares and also train more women in the council without collecting any dime so that more women can participate in the training.

Mrs Nnenna Okpara, the founder

of Learn a Skill Development Initiative (LSDI) the non- governmental organisation that is facilitating the training, said the empowerment session was borne out of the desire to make poverty a thing of the past in FCT area council.

She said women are to be taken

I got the inspiration to start up something for women after being touched by their way of life that was not in any way appreciable. They were jobless and I said to myself that if these women are empowered, they will no longer constitute a burden on the society

•A lady haggles over the price of chickens during the Ramadan in Lagos

through the art of bead making, tie and dye and soap making, among others.

Mrs Okpara further said that as a student of law in the Bwari Law School some years back, she was sad seeing agile women that could be empowered running errands for students in the school.

“I got the inspiration to start up something for women after being touched by their way of life that was not in any way appreciable. They were jobless and I said to myself that if these women are empowered, they will no longer constitute a burden on the society.

“I believe if the women are adequately empowered and given some tangible amount to start some trade, they will be independent and will be able to sustain their families without begging,” she said.

Mrs Okpara said the foundation

had already written to the National Council for Women Development to seek possible ways of assisting the qualified ones among the women that are undergoing training.

“Members of these groups have a passion and a dream to develop women on how to become something from nothing, to expose them to things they can create with their hands and with little resources so that they can be wonderful people in the society,” she said.

She disclosed that the foundation would be launched soon in order to showcase some of its past projects to the public.

Most of the women trained in the various skills expressed their satisfaction over the initiative and also called on other groups and individuals in the society to bring more of such training to the area council.

•Traffic Jam at Dutse Junction on the Outer Northern Express Way in Abuja

40

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

There are always cases of contradicting reports as well as conflicting figures from different sources.

This indeed poses a serious challenge to stakeholders in management of information during the natural and human induced disasters

NEMA inaugurates information committee HE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has inaugurated its Media and Information Committee on Emergency Management (MICEM) in Nasarawa State to provide authentic reports on disaster cases.

The committee will therefore prevent conflicting reports of disaster cases in the country.

The inauguration of MICEM in three states of the North Central Zone comprising Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states, according to NEMA, is to ensure adequate dissemination of information to the media.

During the inauguration which had in attendance, the military, police, civil defence, road safety, fire service and Ministry of Information officials in Lafia, the NEMA Zonal Coordinator, North Central Zone, Alhaji Hassan Danjuma Aliyu said that different accounts made during the same disaster pose a serious challenge to stakeholders in the management of information during such crisis.

T

From Johnny Danjuma, Lafia

“You will agree with me that from past experience, there has never been a situation where two people gave the same report and information to the press,” he said.

“In short, there are always cases of contradicting reports as well as conflicting figures from different sources. This indeed poses a serious challenge to stakeholders in management of information during the natural and human induced disasters”.

Aliyu further explained that the purpose of the gathering was to inaugurate the MICEM at the North central Zone to ensure that accurate information is disseminated to members of the press during emergencies.

NACIMA Consultant, Media and Publicity, Innocent Adikwu who delivered a paper titled “The Role of Spokespersons During Emergency,” told those saddled with the responsibility of explaining matters to the press to be as open and transparent as

•Rehabilitation work being inspected by disaster management officials

possible during such cases.

He said that it is not practicable for information officers working in organisations to expect that the influence they have with

the reporters will hold in disaster situations because they are under pressure from their editors not to under-report or mis-report the incident at such times.

He advised spokespersons of such organisations to quickly roll out their programme of media briefing early enough to remove any fears of information hoarding.

dicate that this situation may change in the future.

Lamenting the level of poverty among the elderly people some of who had put their all to make the society grow and develop, Hon. Sanusi argued that “the persistence of extreme poverty, inequality and vulnerability are symptoms of social injustice and structural inequality. Social protection should be seen not as philanthropy but part of the rights of the senior citizens.”

As part of the day’s activities, the Council Manager, Mrs Bukola Dalumo gave some health tips to the elderly people in order to continue to be healthy and strong.

For instance, Mrs Dalumo advised the aged to regularly visit any nearby healthcare centre to be examined by medical personnel any time they experience signs of failing health, even as she urged them to take their recommended drugs always.

She also urged the septuagenarians to avoid taking heavy foods, saying

they should instead take light foods like pap, tea and other foods that will ensure that they remain healthy.

In a chat with Newsextra, one of the recipients of the council’s gesture, 81year-old Pa J. O. Famuyide expressed his happiness with the council for recognising that the aged in the society should be taken proper care of, even as he noted that for the council to decide to give some token to the elderly people for their upkeep is quite heartening.

“I am appreciative of the gesture of the Oriade LCDA in bringing together people of 70 years and above to give them some tokens in cash and material. This kind of thing obtains abroad where government puts in place policies and programmes that take care of the poor, the aged and the unemployed.

“This they call social security. The gesture is a good emulation of what is good. The medical aspect of the gesture is very welcome. My prayer is that

the gesture should be sustained so that we that have worked hard in the past when we were bubbling with energy.

This will make the present working generation to be hopeful that, after they had expended their energies in building the society, they would be taken care of,” he said.

Dignitaries who were present at the event were His Royal Majesty (H.R.M.) Oba Babatunde Lawal, the Onigbaruko of Irede land who is the chairman of the traditional rulers in the council, the Oviori of Ibeshe land who was represented by Chief Nuweni Akinola, Onilase of Ilashe who was represented by Chief Olusa, the Iya loja general, Oriade LCDA Alhaja Dosumu, CDC secretary Mr Okuola, and the council’s executive and legislative officials.

High points of the event were distribution of cash and other material gifts to the senior citizens and free medical examinations and dispensing of free drugs to them.

Council fetes senior citizens

O

RIADE Local Council Development Area of Lagos State has held its 2011elderly welfare programme. The event witnessed the convergence of about 150 men and women from 70 years and above who assembled at the Alhaji Yinusa Akinlola Memorial Hall at the council’s secretariat to receive some token of love and appreciation from the council.

Some of them were guided into the hall by their sons, daughters or relations. Others ambled in on their own at a snail’s pace aided by their walking sticks. Tough old age has taken a great deal of liveliness off them, some still walked into the hall with brisk and energy.

Declaring the event open, the chairman of Oriade LCDA, Hon. Ibrahim Babatunde Sanusi said the programme was a result of well-thought out welfare package of his administration for the elderly people who have contributed one way or the other towards moving the society forward, even as he noted that their contributions which impacted positively on the society should be appreciated. He added that it was his administration’s way of extending the dividends of democracy to the senior citizens in accordance to their changing needs.

Expressing his appreciation to the selfless contributions of the elderly people towards the state of affairs of the present generation, the council chief further said: “We owe our existence, fortune, and pride to the works and pains of the elderly. Old age is symbolic and gracious gift from God. It is only the villain that will not extol old age as a virtue. Old age has its infirmities and limitations. It is therefore our social responsibility to respect, support and adore old age.

“The purpose of this novel initiative is to drum up recognition and support for the elderly in our society.

It is part of the social responsibility of our LCDA to its people. The prime feature of today’s event will be the distribution of welfare packages to the elderly people who are 70 years and above.”

Noting that the issue of social security which is a programme that pro-

•Cross section of the participants

By Chinaka Okoro

vides social protection or protection against socially recognised conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others is alien to this part of the world, Hon. Sanusi said “it was time to for our society began taking care of the aged.

“We decided to provide this little assistance to our senior citizens because some of them are no longer able to meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing, access to free healthcare and other needs, due to poverty or lack of income because of unemployment, sickness, disability, or lack of energy to engage in one form of income generating venture or the other.”

The council chief also disclosed that social protection or security in subSaharan Africa tends not to be very developed and yet the growth of some of the region’s economies and concerted attempts to tackle poverty in-

SLIDING TACKLE

42

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Nasri—Arsenal can't compete S

AMIR Nasri insists Arsenal can no longer afford to spend big in the transfer market.

Nasri completed his long awaited move to Manchester City last week before making his debut in the weekend win at Tottenham.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, saw his side crumble in humiliating fashion at Manchester United with an 8-2 loss, but Nasri says that the club have to change.

The France international insisted it was the right time for him to leave, telling l'Equipe: "Yes, it was [the right time to leave], there are sure signs.

"The departure of Cesc to Barcelona is one of them. The defeat against Birmingham in the League Cup final was very harmful for the minds.

"Arsenal remains a big club, but the building of Emirates Stadium changed a lot of things. It has changed the ambitions, so far. But it is not Arsene Wenger, it is the club's politics, the officials.

"Arsenal doesn't have the

same funds. They can't make the same coups as before in the transfer market. They are rather forced to sell their best players and bet on young ones."

Nasri was asked about why he did not extend his contract at Arsenal last year, but explained: "Why didn't I extend at Arsenal last autumn?

They made me an offer and my advisers made another one.

"In this last one there was a clause that Arsenal officials didn't really accept.

"Then, it lasted. When they came back to offer me again in June, I made my decision. In my mind I wanted to leave, above all after the very difficult end to last season and I also already had nice contacts.

"At first Arsene Wenger wanted to keep me. Then, both clubs needed time to agree a transfer fee.

"My agents worked well.

With the lawyers they wanted everything to be in order.

When the transfer is big, you have to be patient. I am also

happy Arsenal could get a nice fee. I prefe leav

Venus makes winning return

r to •Nasri

e that w a y t h a n being a free agent. I did the same at Marseille.

But that €28million fee doesn't put me under any pressure."

The French star maintains he was d e l i ghted to join City, despite links also to their city rivals United.

"From the start there was unanimity about my arrival at Manchester City. The coach, the executive director Garry Cook and chairman Khaldoun al-Mubarak, I felt everyone wanted me," he said.

V

financially. The Yellow Submarines was forced to sell playmaking winger Santi Carzola and made a difficult decision in not selling forward tandem Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar despite getting some good offers.

"We had offers for [Giuseppe] Rossi and Nilmar, but their departures would have weakened the team," he said. "The economical differences lead to this."

OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...OTHER SPORTS...

WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS... Fabiana Murer wins pole vault gold

Rudisha wins 800m gold WORLD record holder David Rudisha won gold in the men's 800 metres at the world championships with a dominant display of front running in Daegu.

The rangy Kenyan, who broke the world record twice in a week in 2010, took the title in a time of 1:43.91 ahead of Abubaker Kaki of Sudan.

The bronze medal went to Russian Yuriy Borzakovskiy.

"Winning the world title is very important to me, more important than the world record" the 22-year-old Masai said.

"The title will remain with you for the rest of your life but the record can be broken."

Rudisha is unbeaten over the distance in two years, his last loss coming when he

failed to qualify for the 2009 world championship final in Berlin.

He made his intention clear from the start, outpacing Kaki at the line break to settle in comfortably at the front of the field away from trouble.

Double world indoor champion Kaki tucked in behind the languid Kenyan, and looked trapped when Borzakovskiy moved up on his shoulder before Rudisha pulled away down the back stretch.

"I controlled the race from the start, that was my plan, I did not want to make a mistake," he added. "And I also knew that I was in good shape. Nevertheless, I spared my energy until the last 150m."

YELENA Isinbayeva extended her string of disappointments at major events on Tuesday, going under the pole vault bar on her final attempt, while five other competitors were still going for gold at the world

•Isinbayeva

York.

VENUS Williams was broken by Willia Dolonts, the world No.91, in m s the fifth game but that seemed beg a n to spark her into life as she hit h e r straight back before US Open overpowering her opponent to challenge take the set. w i t h a Having started slowly in convincing 6-4 6-3 the first set, the American victory over Vesna was not about to make Dolonts on Arthur Ashe the same mistake in the Stadium. second, and she broke The 31-year-old a t t h e f i r s t American reached the opportunity before semi-finals at Flushing sealing victory with Meadows 12 months ago a service winner. but has played only three Williams, who is tournaments since then - unseed ed after dropping to while she has been out of 49th in the rankings, is now action since her fourth- likely to face Wimbledon semir o u n d d e f e a t t o finalist Sabine Lisicki in the Tsvetana Pironkova at second round.

Wimbledon in June.

But having been sidelined by The two-time former a virus since Wimbledon, champion, though, Williams was pleased with the overcame rustiness way she played on her return. and a slow start to progress in New

Federer fails to impress

Madrid, Barca rivalry killing Spanish Liga likes of Spain's top two teams Real Madrid beat Zaragoza 6-0 in the first La Liga matchday over the weekend.

The Villarreal supremo believes there is a huge gap between 'the Big Two' and the remaining clubs and noted that if nothing is done to solve this problem, La Liga can no longer survive.

"This is the league you want.

I sell players to balance budgets but others ask for credit and get it," Roig said.

Roig explained that it is very difficult to compete with the e

Manchester City midfielder, Samir Nasri insisting his former club Arsenal can no longer afford to spend big.

US OPEN

VILLARREAL PRESIDENT: ILLARREAL president Fernando Roig has called for changes to football in Spain so that it does not become a two-team show between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

"If you want the league to have only two matches, then there will only be two matches, but this is not good for football.

I give it three to four years.

Either this changes or we kill Spanish football," Roig said after Villarreal suffered a 5-0 loss to Barcelona on Monday.

"Arsenal remains a big club, but the building of Emirates Stadium changed a lot of things. It has changed the ambitions, so far. But it is not Arsene Wenger, it is the club's politics, the officials. Arsenal doesn't have the same funds. They can't make the same coups as before in the transfer market. They are rather forced to sell their best players and bet on young ones."

championships.

While the Russian was packing up her bag, Fabiana Murer of Brazil added the outdoor world title to the indoor championship one year before the London Olympics.

Murer set a South American record of 15 feet, 11 inches to beat Martina Strutz, who set a German record of 15-9. Svetlana Feofanova of Russia earned bronze at 15-7.

Tatyana Chernova ended the reign of Jessica Ennis in the heptathlon, rallying to take gold from the defending champion.

In the 800 meters, worldrecord holder David Rudisha of Kenya won his first world title, and defending champion Robert Harting of Germany won the discus with a throw of 226 feet, 3 inches.

ROGER Federer failed to impress d e s p i t e recording a 64 6-3 6-2 firstround win o v e r Santiago Giraldo at the US Open.

The fivetime former champ ion had looked o n course for a convinci n g victory as h e powered into a 5-1 lead i n little over 20 minute s.

Howeve r Federer struggles to find the consistency of old these days and he twice dropped his serve - the second time to love - before pulling himself together to take the first set.

The second was more of the same, with Federer

•Federer

getting off to a flying start, being broken back, and then pulling away again.

Despite the third seed's wobbles, Giraldo never seemed likely to pose more than a passing threat, and Federer was able to see out the match in an hour and 46 minutes.

However despite making 35 unforced errors in the match Federer, who faces Dudi Sela next, was content with his display.

He said: "It's always one of those moments you train for, to get on the first night of the US Open. You try to put on a good show and I was able to play a good match today, so I'm pleased. It could have been swifter maybe but I'm happy."

Federer put his slight struggles down to adjusting to the slower pace of the courts this year at Flushing Meadows.

Federer added: "You're not getting many free points on your serve and maybe that was part of the inconsistent play over the first two sets.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

43

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

44

INSURANCE

Why insurance growth is hindered, by expert P

OOR image and public acceptance have hindered the growth of the insurance industry, the Corporate Affairs Manager, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) Mr Tope Adaramola has said.

He said operators’neglect of professional public relations executives contributed to the problem.

“Coming to the realm of insurance generally in Nigeria, it is a known fact that the industry has continued to be bedeviled by multifarious problems, chief of which is image challenge. The problem of poor image and public acceptance has for long limited the growth capacity of the industry and its ability to contribute significantly to national

Stories by Chuks Udo Okonta

economy.

“This nagging problem has definitely necessitated the need for ingenious utilisation of public relations strategies by all actors in the industry. Unlike its ilk in America, Europe and other growing economies in Asia and in countries, such as South Africa, Egypt, Kenya etcetera, where insurance occupies commanding heights in the economy, the case of Nigeria is remarkably different.

“It is believed that insurance is bought in such economies, whereas it is sold here in Nigeria. Despite renewed efforts by the regulatory institutions and government to reverse the trend, the industry’s im-

age problem has remained a pain in the neck of the industry,” Adaramola said in a statement.

He noted that if there is a component of the industry that must imbibe public relations, mostly at the level of their individual practice, it is the insurance broking sector. It is noteworthy, according to him that Insurance brokers constitute a significant profile of insurance practice in Nigeria in terms of number of practitioners. He said they are also believed to control the lion’s share of the nation’s insurance business.

“With over 500 registered members of the NCRIB, there is hardly any nook or cranny in Nigeria where you are not likely to find a broker. Consequently, insurance brokers play pivotal intermediary

roles between the insured (the public), and the insurance companies.

“By their professional calling, the insurance broker engages in the selling of insurance products to both corporate and individual clients, assisting them to understand the technicalities of its services for their maximum benefit.

“It is a commonly held notion that the average client approximates the image and character of an insurance broker or an agent to that of the industry at large.

“These crucial duties predispose them to be well-rounded both in technical and interpersonal public relations and communication skills. Insurance, being an intangible product could only be as-

sessed, appreciated and accepted by clients depending on the personal presentation by the broker,” he added.

Adaramola noted that gone are those days when the utilisation of soft public relations skills, such as grooming, etiquette, poise and personal reputation management, were pushed to the background in preference for hard or technical skills or patronage.

He said most clients do not, at first contact, wish to be bordered with technical or highfalutin language of insurance. Rather what they are concerned with is the personality or presentation skills demonstrated by the insurance personnel, who is marketing them, or how he comes across as a professional.

Firm makes N4.76b profit

S

OVEREIGN Trust Insurance Plc recorded N4.76billion last year.

It’s Chairman, Dr Ephraim Faloughi, said at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos that the amount represents seven per cent increase over the N4.4 billion recorded in 2009.

According to him, profit before tax rose by 3052 per cent from N 13.19 million to N145 million last year.

“In the same vein profit after tax increased by 7257 per cent to close at N308million from N4.19 million in 2009. Consequently upon this performance, shareholders fund increased by nine per cent from N3.44 billion to N3 .75 billion.

The chairman said: “With these results, the resilience of our brand has once again been brought to the fore, with proven capability to bounce back to profitability from a weak position in 2009. ‘’We are committed to improving on our profitability going forward and will continue to ensure that we deliver superior bottom line accordingly.

“Moving forward, we understand the unprecedented dynamism of the business worlds.”

Accordingly, our strategic direction will be crafted to proactively envisage the likely opportunities that are inherent in the

industry and militate against possible threats that may adversely affect our operations.”

He said the capitalisation issue must be addressed headlong on a continuous basis. “Beyond our ongoing capitalisation, we will continue to fashion out more initiative aimed at building up our capital base and driving our growth,” he said.

He added that the company is aware of the imperative of embracing innovation and sound initiatives toward meeting its customer’s needs and creating bespoke service platform to ensure that they conform to best global standards and been flexible enough to meet its customers’ expectation.

“As the domestic economy expands, we are hopeful that the link between economic growth and common people will, ultimately, be established.

This, we believe, should translate to increased standard of living for Nigerians and improved purchasing power.

We expect more insurance awareness to be created and, therefore, will leverage on our expertise to create products targeted at the market we believe is a blue ocean that is capable of driving our growth objectives and open up the potentials of the company,” he added.

Royal Exchange, Army partner on retirement scheme

R

OYAL Exchange Plc has affirmed its readiness to assist retiring armed forces personnel in their pursuit of entrepreneurial success.

The Group Managing Director, Royal Exchange Plc, Mr Chike Mokwunye, made the promise during a courtesy visit by the company’s management to the Commandant of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Air Vice Marshall C.E. Aroriode.

Mokwunye said the visit was to see how the firm could partner with the Resettlement Centre and provide tailor-made financial services to armed forces personnel who are preparing for retirement.

He noted that the company, as a financial services provider, is poised to offer services to the centre and its members.

He said the microfinance bank, subsidiary of the company offers banking services to aspiring smallscale business entrepreneurs while the finance and investment subsidiary will help senior officers acquire personal assets/household items and the General and Life insurance subsidiaries will offer general risk and life assurance policies.

He said the company had taken note of the low insurance penetration in Nigeria and is embarking on a deliberate policy of developing and deploying an extensive marketing strategy that seeks to make Royal Exchange a leading financial services provider.

In his response, Air Vice Marshall Aroriode, said the objective of the centre is to prepare armed forces personnel, who are about to retire, for life outside the military.

• Faloughi (middle) flanked by Sovereign Trust’s Managing Director Mr Wale Onaolapo (right) and Company Secretary Olumide Oyewole at the firm’s 16th Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

Group seeks review of compensation bill

T

HE Accident Office Committee of the Nigeria Insurers Association (NIA) has called for the review of the Employee Compensation Bill (ECB) to enable it meet the public expectation.

Chairman of the Committee, Mrs Victoria Oguntoyinbo, who disclosed this in a recommendation to the NIA, called on the NIA to initiate moves to present a bill to the National Assembly for the review of the bill.

Chairman, NIA, Mr Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, said the review of the Act, will enable the public to maximise the potential benefits of the scheme.

“I wish to draw your attention to the employees’ compensation Act, which was passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by

President Goodluck Jonathan.

While concern has been expressed in respect of the Act in its present form because of the observed gap in its provisions, the industry has resolved to leverage on the Act and work with the relevant institutions in providing benefits in respect on insurance risks to victims of the work place accident. It is our expectation that an early review of the Act will be effected to maximise the potential benefits of the new legislation,” he said.

Insurers had opposed the passage of the bill before it was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan in December 2010. They considered the Act as inimical to their business, thereby putting-up a spirited opposition to the Act. Employees’ Compensation law

has vested the management of workmen compensation in the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and has effectively repealed the workmen’s compensation Act. It is believed that signing of the law would unravel the great opportunities in the sectors which insurers are biding to tap into.

For instance, in 2008, some developing countries, such as Singapore generated a premium of $189.8million; Hong Kong, $388.4million, Malaysia, $44.4million and Kenya, $31.1million, while Nigeria with a population of over 60 million workers was only able to generate a premium of $6.1million in the same year from workmen compensation business.

AIBA boss presents book

A

BOOK written by the President of the African Insurance Brokers Association, Dr Feyi Soyewo, will be presented to the public on September 13, in Lagos.

The book entitled: Insurance Broking in Nigeria, according to the author, will help reposition the operations of brokers and the insurance industry.

Soyewo, at a press parley in Lagos

said the book provides the history of insurance broking abroad and in Nigeria.

He said: “Essentially, the book gives the historical background of insurance broking and its introduction to Nigeria market. It also deals with the modern practice of insurance broking, duties and responsibilities of the insurance broker as well as the ethics of the profession.

•From left: Company Secretary Oasis Insurance Plc, Mrs Sarah Osedo; Chairman, Mr Samuel Adegbite; and Managing Director, Mr Babatunde Oshadiya, at the firm’s 18th Annual General Meeting in Ibadan.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

45

MONEY

MfBs share data on non-credible debtors M

ICROFINANCE banks (MfBs) are seeking ways of checkmating non-compliant borrowers following the reform of their tending operation. At their monthly meetings held in the six geo-political zones, the banks shared information on debtors that lack the credibility and willingness to repay their loans, The Nation has learnt.

Chief Operating Officer, Credit Registry Services (Credit Bureau) Edna Ishaya said the banks took this step to correct the mistakes of the past where customers with questionable character borrowed funds, and refused to pay.

She confirmed in an interview in Lagos, that apart from loan default problems, many of the 224 MfBs whose licences were withdrawn by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over liquidity problems made costly mistakes during their operations. Many of the banks lacked ap-

By Collins Nweze propriate products to attract the right customers while others were highly undercapitalised.

Chief Executive Officer, CRC Credit Bureau, Tunde Popoola, had earlier told The Nation that one of the problems bedeviling the sector is that many of the banks still operate manually, making it difficult to easily detect fraudulent activities.

According to him, the affected microfinance banks, still rely on manual operations as against internationally tested accounting software that saves time and reduces fraud in the system.

Popoola said in addition to the problem of insider abuse in lending, many banks are not actually practicing microfinance banking as they solicit the same high net worth customers targeted by deposit money banks. He said many of the troubled microfinance

AMCON allays fears over bank boards

T

HE Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr Mustafa Chike-Obi, has allayed fears that it will take sometime to constitute the boards of the three bridge banks.

The banks are Mainstreet Bank Limited, Keystone Bank Limited, and Enterprise Bank Limited. The banks have assumed the liabilities and assets of Afribank Plc, Bank PHB Plc, and Springbank Plc and received a total of N690 billion from AMCON. Chike-Obi told The Nation that the boards of the banks would emerge soon.

He said AMCON has placed the banks in a good position to record growth, since they have been fully recapitalised to meet their obligations to customers.

But he said it is not the duty of AMCON to put in place measures that would lead to the repositioning of the banks.

He said the managing directors appointed for the banks are in a better position to determine the measures that would speed up the growth of the banks.

He said it was wrong to say the banks are nationalised, expressing that they were established to bridge certain gaps existing in the industry.

Earlier, the Managing Director, Keystone Bank Limited, Mr Eti Ikomi, said he would not stay

T

banks lent large sums exceeding the N500,000 regulatory benchmark to borrowers.

“Quite a number of microfinance banks are not doing microfinance banking. The guidelines for their

ate in three categories: unit, state and national microfinance banks.

A unit MfB bank is authorised to operate in one location without branches/cash centres and is required to have a minimum paid up capital of N20 million while a state MfB bank is expected to have a minimum paid up capital of N100 million. It is equally allowed to open branches within the same state or the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A national MfB is authorised to operate in more than one state, including the FCT. It is required to have a minimum paid up capital of N2 billion and is allowed to open branches in all states of the federation and the FCT, although subject to prior written approval by the CBN. Analysts say this will strenghten the balance sheet of MfBs and create better opportunity for them to key into new businesses under better risk management procedures.

By Akinola Ajibade longer than necessary. Ikomi said he would spend between two and three years in the bank, adding that his tenure would expire once the bank has been reconsolidated.

“Our intention is to reposition the bank to an enviable height in the next three years. We are going to attract more customers and businesses. To do that, we need a lot of resources,” he said.

In a related development, the AMCON’s boss said the company bought over 80 per cent shares in Springbank Plc (now Enterprise Bank Limited), prior to the period when its license was revoked.

Mustapha said the former shareholders of the bank had lost their shares, even before the decision to revoke the licence of the bank was arrived at.

He said the AMCON bought the shares of the bank at the same time with its margin loans.

He said AMCON now owns the majority shares in the bank, by virtue of the transactions conducted before the licence of the bank was revoked.

“We bought a lot of shares over in the bank, when we were buying the margin loans of the bank in line with the objectives and goals of the company. Based on this, AMCON is the largest shareholders in the bank,” he said.

IFRS to boost investment climate HE adoption of International Financial Reporting Stan dards (IFRS) will not only boost investment, but also further attract foreign direct investments (FDI), some workshop participants have said.

But to ensure its smooth take-off next year, there must be deliberate and concerted efforts to build capacities of the operators in both public and private organisations, they said.

They spoke at an IFRS workshop organised by a renowned accounting firm, Baker Tilly International in Lagos.

IFRS refers to series of accounting pronouncements published by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to help preparers of financial statements throughout the world produce and present high quality transparency and comparable financial informa-

• CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi

operation say that you cannot give more than N500,000 to one borrower, but just a handful of them adhere to this regulatory requirement. We have seen concentration of funds in the hands of few borrowers and increasing allegations of insider abuse, people giving loans to their family members for their own businesses,” he said.

Many of the MfBs liquidated by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) ran into trouble when many of their debtors refused to pay back their loans, over 80 per cent of which were unsecured. Some of the MfBs were also said to be taking excessive risks, and branching out too quickly without considering resources at their disposal and whether utilised funds were short or long term obligations.

But the CBN recently set new guidelines for the operation of MfBs. Under the new guidelines, microfinance banks would oper-

tion.

Speaking with newsmen at the workshop, Senior Partner, Baker Tilly International, Mr Titus Soetan, explained that they decided to organise the training to upgrade and acquaint their staff and clients on what IFRS entails, stressing the need for both private and public organisations to embark on similar training to facilitate a clear understanding before the next year implementation target.

“There is urgent to boost the capacity of clients and those concerned with the operation. The world has become a global village and IFRS is the bedrock of reporting standards. Adoption by Nigeria would be of great advantage.

Apart from foreign direct investments, the adoption would also align our financial reporting standards with that of other countries of the world,” he stated.

• From left: Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, Chamberlain Peterside; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Intercontinental Bank Plc Mahmoud Lai Alabi; and former President, Nigerian Bar Association Onueze Okocha, at the bank’s Customers’ Forum for the Southsouth, held in Port Harcourt.

Rescued banks prepare for special meetings

T

HERE are strong indications that the remaining five troubled banks are getting set for their Extra-Ordinary General Meeting (EGM) slated for September 30. The development follows the directive of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

The banks are Intercontinental Bank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Oceanic Bank International Plc, Finbank Plc and Equatorial Trust Bank Limited. The EGMs will set tone for the merger and acquisition plans initiated by the banks to facilitate growth.

The Nation learnt that the banks have been holding talks with relevant stakeholders on how to ensure a hitch-free extra-ordinary general meeting, as well as tidying up their books to win the support of investors who will help in cementing whatever relationship they are having with their partners.

The banks have been making frantic efforts to get the approval of the necessary regulatory bod-

By Akinola Ajibade ies to meet the deadline set for the meetings.

Union Bank’s spokesman, Mr Francis Barde, said the bank hopes to fine-tune arrangements on the issue, before the expiration of the deadline. He said efforts are being made by the bank to get clearance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the court on the issue.

The bank’s shareholders had gone to court to challenge the decisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on some issues perceived to be against their interests.

His Equatorial Trust Bank counterpart, Mr Andy Chukwujekwe, said the bank is looking forward to its extra-ordinary general meeting soon. He said the bank is not only hoping to meet the deadline set for the meeting, but would achieve success in all its future programmes.

An ex-director of Finbank, who spoke on condition of anonym-

ity, said the EGM of the bank is on course. He said the bank has put measures in place to ensure that the meeting puts an end to the lingering issues of ownership of the bank.

Meanwhile, a coalition of shareholders has promised to be adequately represented at the EGMs of the banks. The shareholders said they would support the ongoing merger plans between the five banks and their suitors.

Co-ordinator of the group, Mr.Olufemi Timothy, said in a statement that 20 of the 24 incorporated shareholders’ associations in the country, have agreed to support the merger plans of the rescued banks to facilitate their growth. Timothy said the development became necessary in order to protect their investments, and further encourage the growth of the banks.

He said shareholders would drum up support for the Transaction Implementation Agreements (TIAs) of the rescued banks to facilitate growth.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

46

MONEY

Nigeria, India trade volume hits N15b T

HE volume of trade between Nigeria and India now stands at N15 billion per annum, the Chairman, Nigeria-India Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Imo Itsueli, has said.

According to him, Indian businesses are also the largest private sector firms in the country and the largest employers of labour second only to the Federal Government.

Speaking during a joint seminar organised by Pan African University and India High Commission in Nigeria tagged: Unlocking Business Possibilities: Lessons from Nigeria-India Partnership, Itsueli said there are similarities between both countries. He said both countries have many things to learn from each other, especially in trade and development.

He said Nigeria should learn from India how not to spend more than it earns by taking steps to cut its expenditures. Also, Nigeria has to ensure that it spends on growth

By Collins Nweze rather than consumption if it must achieve the Vision 20: 2020 project.

Executive Editor, Financial Express, India, Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, said the Indian economy has been growing at eight per cent since 2007 and will continue to maintain same growth margin till 2012. Industry accounts for about 18 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while services accounts for 62 per cent.

Agric and related services account for 54 per cent.

However, India faces challenges educating the population and high expectations from the population to deliver quick results.

But the International Monetary Fund projected the Indian economy will expand by 8.2 per

cent in 2011.

The multilateral lender’s latest projection comes at a time when the country is grappling with uncomfortably high inflation that threatens to derail its growth story. Inflation in India, which is the second fastest economy after China, crossed nine percent in May. National Bureau of Statistics put Nigeria’s inflation at 9.4 per cent in August, from 10.2 per cent in July. The economy of Nigeria is a middle income, mixed economy emerging market with well-developed financial, legal, communications, transport, and entertainment sectors.

It is ranked 31st in the world in terms of GDP as of 2009, and its emergent, though currently underperforming manufacturing sector is the second-largest on the continent, producing a large proportion of goods and services for the West African region.

Foreign investors to pull funds from riskier markets

F

OREIGN investors may recall funds from riskier markets over debt crises in Aurope and America, global investment firm Vetiva Capital Limited, has said.

Its head of Research, Pabina Yinkere, said expectations for a second-half recovery in Nigerian stocks have been cut, adding that this has also reduced demand for riskier frontier-market assets.

“While we had expected a banksled recovery to lead to a return of 12 percent in the second half of the year, we are now looking at a flat close as the most optimistic expectation,” Yinkere, said.

Vetiva’s coverage was the most accurate on nine of the 20 Nigerian stocks it analysed in team research in the past year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The Nigeria All-Share Index has declined 11 per cent this year, compared with an 18 per cent drop in the other Frontier Market gauge, while the banking-stocks measure of the 10 biggest Nigerian banks has droped 22 per cent.

The downgrade of the United States’s top credit rating by Standard & Poor’s, weaker-than-esti-

mated and European economic data and signs that Italy and Spain may struggle to refinance debt have eroded investor confidence in riskier assets. International investors account for as much as 70 per cent of daily volume on the Nigerian bourse, according to data from the exchange.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Lamido Sanusi, started a clean-up of the nation’s banking industry, in 2009, firing the chief executives of eight of the country’s 24 lenders after a debt crisis threatened to collapse the industry. It set up Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to buy non- performing debt from banks and set a September 30 deadline for the eight lenders to recapitalise.

The measures saw the Nigerian index surge 19 per cent last year, making it the best performer in sub-Saharan Africa after Kenya’s gauge, which rallied 34 per cent.

Pension-fund administrators and other institutional investors in Nigeria will continue to see fixed-income securities as a more favorable outlet for asset allocation, Vetiva economist Adedayo Idowu said.

Group seeks economic co-operation

T

•From left: Representative of Lagos State Lotteries Board, Daramola Oluwatoyin; Executive Director, Domestic Banking, Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Kingsley Aigbokhaevbo; and Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Foluke Aboderin, at the bank’s promo in Lagos.

Bank chief stresses saving culture

E

XECUTIVE Director of Corporate Banking, EcoBank Nigeria, Foluke Aboderin, has stressed the need for Nigerians to imbibe the saving culture.

Speaking during a draw on the EcoBank Salary Domiciliation promo, she said bank customers have to keep aside a portion of their earnings for the rainy day. According to her, the promo was to encourage customers to learn how to save for the future knowing there is a reward afterwards.

A total of 31 winners from different geo-political zones emerged

winners at the event. The star prize, a brand new car, was won by Nyong Uyouko Efiok of Eket branch, in Akwa Ibom State. The draw was made by officials of Consumer Protection Council (CPC), the National Lottery Regulatory Commission based and the Lagos State Lottery Board (LSLB).

Executive Director, Domestic Banking, Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Kingsley Aigbokhaevbo, reiterated that the essence of the promo was to encourage the saving culture among customers, such that they can systematically plan and

set aside funds for their short term and long term capital projects.

He said the exercise has boosted the bank’s savings portfolio and will be sustained. “The benefits of the salary account are multiple such as, access to car loans, mortgages and personal loans aside other instant gifts,” he said.

Head, Liability Products, Adejumoke Ajayi, said the bank has decided to extend the promo till October 25, this year to give loyal customers who now believe in the exercise an opportunity to partake in the goodwill of the bank.

First Bank, Zenith, others top deposits’chart

S

IXTEEN of the 24 banks in the country have recorded the highest deposits in the past one year, signifying a remarkable performance for the industry. The banks are: First Bank of Nigeria Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Oceanic Bank International Plc, Access Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, and Diamond Bank Plc. Others are Mainstreet Bank Limited, Ecobank Nigeria Plc, First City Merchant Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Finbank Plc, and Sterling Bank Plc. According to this year’s Banking Sector Report released by Afrinvest West Africa last week, the banks were ranked based on the deposits they mobilised for last year.

By Akinola Ajibade The report reflects the happenings in the industry in 2010, as well as the major regulatory decisions to fast-track the growth of the economy.

FirstBank was said to have recorded about N1.5 trillion deposits, UBA (N1.4 trillion); Zenith (N1.3 trillion), Intercontinental Bank (N800 billion), Union Bank (N800 billion), GTB (N750 billion), Oceanic Bank (N700 billion), Access Bank (N600 billion), Skye Bank (N500 billion), and Diamond Bank (N500 billion).

Mainstreet Bank generated (N400 billion), Afribank (N400 billion), and Ecobank Nigeria (N400 billion). Also, the report indicated that Fidelity Bank, Unity Bank,

Sterling Bank, and Finbank recorded deposits well over N100 billion.

The report further showed the capital adequacy ratio recorded by the banks during the period under review. Under this segment, the banks were grouped into the top tier and middle tier.

The top tier had FirstBank with capital adequacy ratio of 20.4 per cent, Guaranty Trust Bank (25.5 per cent), UBA (18 per cent), and Zenith Bank (24.9 per cent). The medium tier had Access Bank (26 per cent), Diamond Bank (17.3 per cent), Ecobank Nigeria (22.5 per cent), Fidelity Bank Plc (43.8 per cent), FCMB (30.4 per cent), Skye Bank (19.6 per cent), Sterling Bank (12 per cent), Stanbic/IBTC (32 per cent)

HE National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) President, Chuku Wachukwu, has urged the Federal Government to work out platforms that will create linkages in different sectors of the economy.

Wachukwu said Nigeria can achieve a lot through partnership and co-operation between different sectors of the economy, especially the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

According to him, it is only when there is a healthy competition and favourable economic environment that foreign direct investments (FDI) come in. He called for the stimulation and diversification, instead of depending solely on oil revenue. He said government should take steps to deepen the economy because it will bring multiple streams of income.

“There should be emphasis on transformation, deepening with the economy. I would want to suggest that developing healthy small scale industries, encouraging the informal sector among other things to create wealth in the economy,” he said. According to him, there is so much leakage of wealth within the informal sector, which needs to be pieced together.

SMEs with fewer than 10 em-

ployees are referred as “micro”, those with fewer than 50 employees as “small”, and those with fewer than 250 as “medium”.

In most economies, smaller enterprises are greater in number and are also responsible for driving innovation and competition in the economy. He said the major advantage of the sector is its employment potential at low capital cost which helps to create rapid wealth within the economy.

He said NASSI is committed to ensuring that government creates an enabling environment and infrastructure that would make it easier for SMEs to access loans from financial institutions with ease.

According to him, since it has become difficult for many members of the group who do not have the right collateral to obtain loans, the association will have to guarantee their loans. He said that the problem of the real sector has been policy implementation.

The NASSI boss said accessing loans is crucial for the survival of entrepreneurs and regretted that only one per cent credit goes to the SMEs in the country. “I want to make sure that government understands that the engine of growth of any economy rests on SMEs,” he said.

Hope for stronger Naira

T

HE naira is expected to strengthen against the dol lar this week as International Oil Companies (IOCs) begin their month-end dollar sales.

“The naira is seen appreciating against the United States dollar next week as traders anticipate increased dollar inflow from energy companies and a sustained supply of the currency to exchange bureaux by the central bank,” Bloomberg said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week, sold $10 million to each bank operating a bureau de change at the bi-weekly auction.

The move initially cut back demand on the interbank market

and, combined with inflow from two energy firms, the local currency strengthened marginally at the interbank.

Meanwhile, the sale of N89.73 billion in 91-day and 182-day treasury bills by Federal Government of Nigeria last month, has assisted the apex bank in its monetary tightening measures.

The Debt Management Office said it sold N44.3 billion of the 91-day paper and N45.40 billion of 182-day bill at marginal rates of 6.8 per cent and 7.79 per cent.

The apex bank issues treasury bills regularly as part of monetary control measures to help banks manage their liquidity.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

47

THE NATION

INVESTORS Investors lose N1tr in eight months T

HE stock market posted a negative return of 13.21 per cent in the first eight months, with investors losing N1.04 trillion.

In the last two months, worsening recession has built up substantial losses to shareholders, eroding the marginal gains that had raised optimism on the market situation in the second-half.

The market opened the second half with marginal average gain of 0.85 per cent despite the downtrend witnessed in June, which whittled average year-to-date gains from N360 billion by the fifth month to N74 billion by the end of the first half.

The year-to-date negative return of 13.21 per cent indicates a real return of investment of 22.61 per cent, given current inflation rate of 9.4 per cent. With many stocks falling faster than the benchmark index, many investors appeared to have lost more than 23 per cent of their capital investment this year.

The All Share Index, the benchmark index that measures price changes of all quoted companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), which also served as the country index for Nigeria, closed August at 21,497.61 points as against its opening index for this year of 24,770.52.

Aggregate market capitalisation of all quoted equities closed August at N6.876 trillion compared with this year's opening value of N7.914 trillion, representing a decline of 13.12 per cent for the eight-month period.

ASI had closed first half at 24, 980.20 points as against its year opening index of 24,770.52 points, indicating an average gain of 0.85 per cent while aggregate market capitalisation of quoted companies closed first half at N7.988 trillion, representing an increase of 0.93 per cent or N74 billion on 2011's opening market value of N7.914 trillion.

Most analysts, who had expected a stable recovery in the second-half, have reviewed their assessments citing macroeconomic uncertainties and unresolved legacy issues including huge debt overhangs hampering the

•Stock market posts - 13% returns

By Taofik Salako

market-making potential of stockbrokers.

Analysts said the worsening reversal to the negative underscored concerns that the market might underperform its 2009 perform-

ance. The stock market had recorded an average return of about 19 per cent in 2010.

However, analysts said the downtrend presented opportunities for discerning investors given the strong fundamentals of many stocks that had been undervalued by the

generally negative overall market situation.

According to analysts, investors desire to achieve real return on their financial investment should take strategic positions in equities now.

Analysts advised investors to maintain a medium-to-long term investment horizons while screening key sectors for undervalued stocks.

•R-L: Doyen, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)/ Chief Executive, Clearview Securities Limited, Rev Olu Odejimi; Chams Plc’s Managing Director, Mr Demola Aladekomo, and Chairman, Prof Adebayo Akinde, at the firm’s 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja.

Bombings scare foreign investors, says advisers

T

HE spate of bombings and social-political unrests in parts of the country appear to be impacting negatively on the Nigerian capital market. The high security risks have made foreign investors to put on hold many investment decisions, according to investment advisers.

Following the April election, many capital market operators reported increase in investment enquiries from foreign investors, raising hopes of fresh fund for the recovery of the stock market.

But that hope has been dashed by the bombings in parts of the country, it was learnt.

Investment firms said many potential investors have placed their investment decisions on hold, citing what they described as high security risks.

In the latest bombing, a suicide bomber rammed explosive-laden vehicle into the

By Taofik Salako

main United Nations building in Abuja last Friday, killing more than 23 persons. The bomb blast, which has attracted global condemnation, was the first successful reported suicide bombing.

Investment advisers and stockbrokers said last Friday bombing exacerbated the tense security profile of the country, noting that the stock market has since been witnessing huge sell-offs from investors.

A delegation of foreign institutional investors and fund managers led by UBS Wealth Management had recently visited the NSE as part of investment-decision process to evaluate opportunities in the Nigerian capital market. UBS Wealth Management is one of world's largest financial institutions with over $1 trillion under management and an

Multi-Trex records mixed performance MULTI-TREX Integrated Foods Plc doubled sales by 117 per cent, but net earnings dropped by about 70 per cent in the immediate past business year.

Audited report and accounts of the company for the year ended April 29, 2011 showed that turnover improved to N6.74 billion from N3.11 billion. Profit after tax, however,

dropped to N67.94 million as against N224.86 million reported in the previous year.

The company's shareholders' fund closed the year at N6.25 billion.

Further analysis indicated earnings per share of six while return on equity and profit margin stood at four per cent and 7.2 per cent respectively.

overall market capitalisation of $66 billion.

UBS is also the largest private bank in the world, with $450 billion in client assets. It has 135 years of experience, with an unmatched heritage of success in serving substantial investors globally.

Chairman of BGL Plc, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, who accompanied the investors to the NSE said that the foreign investors were in the market because they saw value in the market.

According to him, Nigerian capital market has remained attractive to discerning investors and BGL wants to encourage international investors to participate in Nigerian markets because once they come, it would encourage local investors to do same.

"The bombing of the UN building in Abuja will further heighten security concerns and impact negatively on investment," investment advisers at Sterling Capital stated in a

Forecasts Q3 PREMIER PAINTS TURNOVER LOSS AFTER TAX N21.07M

MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS TURNOVER N7.278B LOSS N41.73M OANDO TURNOVER N127.82 PAT N3.06BN

review this week.

"The heightened sell off witnessed in the equities market last Friday and Monday may not be unconnected to the worsening security situation in the country occasioned by the spate of bomb blasts particularly the attack on the United Nations building in Abuja on Friday," Managing Director of Cowry Asset Management, Mr. Johnson Chukwu said.

According to him, since the Nigerian equities market transactions became dominated by foreign investors after the market crash of March 2008, the market has become more sensitive to political risks.

He noted that foreign investors tend to respond more swiftly to changes in the investment climate adding that increased security risk is considered as major threat to their investments as it can easily lead to political instability.

DN MEYER TURNOVER N582.16N PAT N14.81M STACO INS. TURNOVER 6.43BN PAT N665.05M

NPF MFB T/O N827.31M PBT N198.55M PAT N198.55M TRIPPLE GEE & COMPANY PLC TURNOVER N166.09m PAT N74.59m

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

48

THE NATION INVESTORS

Operators task stakeholders on market recovery

By Tonia Osundolire

• CEO, NSE, Mr Oscar Onyema

C

APITAL market operators have called for concerted efforts by the Federal Government, financial market regulators and operators to halt the recession at the stock market and rekindle a stable recovery.

A cross section of capital mar-

ket operators, who spoke to The Nation, said the worsening recession requires the intervention of the government as well as redirection of investment strategies by market operators.

Capital market operators said both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) should embark on intensive investors' education to reassure disenchanted investors who have burnt their fingers in the banking crisis, and woo new investors.

According to operators, there is an urgent need to woo small and medium scale industries to be listed on the Exchange as more listings would attract attention to the market.

They noted that less than five per cent of Nigerians participate in the domestic stock market, despite its huge potential for growth.

A senior broker with BGL Securities, Mr. Mathew Ogagavworia, said government and capital market regulators must take concrete steps to enhance the interests of local companies in the market.

"The Exchange should be in the news always to assure the people that the market is okay. What is it doing to encourage people who have lost confidence as a result of the financial meltdown in the capital market? The current strategy the new management of NSE is undertaking is tilted towards foreign investors.

That is why if they have any problem, our market will also be af-

FACTS

fected," Ogagavworia said.

He urged the management of NSE to devote its energy to sensitise investors and companies which were directly affected by the market crisis.

He said the NSE should dialogue with relevant government agencies to see how the Nigerian capital market can be repositioned.

Other operators noted that the product range of t h e c a p i t a l market is still too narrow and in need of urgent broadening.

According to operators, a critical reform agenda would be the development of a thriving primary and secondary market for bonds, derivatives and securitisation in Nigeria.

They noted that apart from bond issuance by federal, state government, and a few corpo-

rate bonds, the primary market aspect of the market has been dormant in the last two years, with virtually no public offering.

To further diversify and deepen the market, operators called for a review of existing listing and post listing rules to provide necessary incentives and encourage companies in key sectors of the economy to list their shares.

Operators stressed the need for improvement in the regulatory oversights and rules noting that the quest to transform the market to meet global standards must be backed by world class regulation and world class regulators.

According to them, the recent global meltdown has clearly demonstrated that Nigeria is not immune from development in the international financial system, given the increasing globalised nature of funds flow, as international investors seek for best returns for their funds.

FACTS

TO

UTC vs Tantalizers: The value side of the bites HE food and beverages sector comprises the large multinationals and the small to medium size indigenous companies. UTC Nigeria Plc and Tantalizers Plc are two of the small to medium size companies.

Though with varied histories, the two companies are largely similar in terms of products and operating size.

The food and beverages sector generally has been grappling with challenges of poor infrastructure and liquidity squeeze, which have spiraled costs of operations while simultaneously reducing disposable incomes and access to capital. The fast food industry, which thrives on economic boom and high-street, has particularly suffered from the sluggish economy.

The performances of both UTC and Tantalizers mirrored the low purchasing power amidst increasing costs of operations. With modest growth in sales, profitability and returns have dwindled in recent years.

Sales Generation UTC has sustained appreciable increases in sales over the years with average sales growth of about 15 per cent in the past two years. Turnover had grown by about 20 per cent in 2009 and further increased by about 10 per cent in 2010. Tantalizers, however, suffered contraction in the immediate past year with a decline of 9.3 per cent.This whittled top-line performance in recent years to average growth of 4.9 per cent.

Tantalizers had grown sales by 19 per cent in 2009. Sales in the food industry were driven by innovations in packaging and new derivatives.

Profitability High costs of sales and operating expenses mitigated the profitability of both companies. UTC recorded about 15 per cent increase in gross profit in 2010, which indicated marginal increase in gross margin from 34.3 per cent in 2009 to 35.8 per cent in 2010. However, profit before tax, which had grown by 56 per cent in 2009, reversed into loss with a decline of about 107 per cent in 2010. Pre-tax profit margin thus turned from three per cent to -0.2 per cent. With tax gains, net profit grew marginally by 6.7

T

By Taofik Salako

per cent in 2010 as against 61.3 per cent in 2009, indicating a two-year average of 34 per cent.

However, Tantalizers recorded mixed performance with decline in profit-making capacity and increase in net profit. Profit after tax grew by 8.4 per cent as against a decline of about 82 per cent in 2009, which still left the company with average drop of 26 per cent in the past two years. Pre-tax profit margin however reduced from 3.3 per cent to 1.3 per cent.

Actual Returns Returns by both companies remained stable. UTC meanwhile has continued to outperformed competition in terms of returns to

shareholders and the entire stakeholders. UTC recorded average return of equity of 6.0 per cent in 2010 as against 5.2 per cent in 2009, showing a modest improvement on two-year average of 5.6 per cent. Return on total assets however inched downward from 3.6 per cent to 3.1 per cent, representing average return of 3.35 per cent over the years.

Tantalizers'actual return to shareholders has stagnated at 1.6 per cent in the past two years while return on total assets was a marginal one per cent in 2009.

The Bottom-line Both companies definitely need to improve on sales to create the much-needed quantum necessary to drive the bottom-line perform-

FACTS TO FACTS

UTC 2010 %

Turnover growth Gross profit growth Pre-tax profit growth Gross margin Pre-tax profit margin Net profit growth Return on Assets Return on Equity

9.7 14.6 -106.8 35.8 -0.2 6.7 3.1 6.0

2009 %

Average %

19.5

14.6 7.3 -25.65 35.05 1.4 34 3.35 5.6

55.5 34.3 3.0 61.3 3.6 5.2

Pre-tax profit margin (UTC)

•Chairman, UTC Nig. Plc, Apostle Hayford Atile

ance. Although the performances of both companies were on the low side, UTC appeared to be managing the operating situation better.

•Chairman, Tantalizers Plc, Dr Jaiye Oyedotun

Tantalizers 2010 2009 % % Turnover growth Gross profit growth Pre-tax profit growth Gross margin Pre-tax profit margin Net profit growth Return on Assets Return on Equity

-9.3

1.3 8.4 1.6

19 17.1 -66.0 44.0 3.3 -81.5 1.0 1.6

Average % 4.85 8.55 -33 22 2.3 -36.55 0.5 1.6

Pre-tax profit margin (Tantalizers)

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

49

THE NATION INVESTORS CORPORATE SCORE BOARD

Japaul: Losing grip on profitability

J

APAUL Oil and Maritime Services Plc recorded appreciable increase in incomes in the immediate past financial year, but high costs undermined the profitability of the only quoted maritime and oil services company.

Audited report and accounts of Japaul for the year ended December 31, 2010 showed impressive top-line performance with 53 per cent increase in turnover and about two percentage points increase in gross margin. However, substantial increase in operating expenses as well as financing expenses mitigated bottom-line performance.

The report also showed significant decline in the ability of the company to meet emerging financial obligations, although its liquidity position on stand-alone basis remains considerably adequate.

With reduction in employee productivity amid rising staff costs, the company opted to plough back net earnings rather than distribute to shareholders. Meanwhile, Japaul sustained a strong balance sheet with low gearing ratio and dominant equity back-up.

Financing structure Japaul Group's total assets inched up from N24.1 billion in 2009 to N25.02 billion in 2010. Current assets had dropped from N4.24 billion to N4.21 billion while longterm assets had increased from N19.84 billion to N20.80 billion.

Paid up share capital remained unchanged at N3.13 billion but shareholders'' funds increased marginally from N21.29 billion to N21.58 billion. However, total liabilities grew by 23 per cent to N3.44 billion as against N2.8 billion. Liabilities were mainly driven by current liabilities which increased by 58 per cent from N948 million to N1.5 billion.

The financing structure remained considerably supportive, although

Fiscal Year Ended December 31 Nmillion Profit and Loss Statement Main Business Segment Total turnover Cost of sales Gross profit Operating expenses Interest and other incomes Finance expenses Pre-tax profit(loss) Post-tax profit (loss) Basic earnings per share(kobo) Gross dividend Cash dividend per share (kobo) Net Assets per share (kobo) Balance Sheet Assets: Fixed assets Total long term assets Trade debtors Current assets Total assets Liabilities: Trade creditors Bank loans Current liabilities Long-term liabilities Total liabilities Equity Funds Share capital Total Equity Funds

By Taofik Salako

it, comparatively, weakened in the year under review. The proportion of equity funds to total assets dropped from 88 per cent to 86 per cent while current liabilities amounted to 6.0 per cent of total assets as against 3.9 per cent. Longterm liabilities/total assets ratio stood at 14 per cent compared with 12 per cent. However, debt-to-equity ratio improved from 1.3 per cent to 0.9 per cent.

Efficiency Employee productivity and cost efficiency reduced during the year with three percentage points on cost-to-income position and 14 per cent decline in pre-tax contribution of employee. Average number of employees increased from 490 to 600 persons as the company beefed up its human capital across the cadres. Total staff costs increased from N555.15 million to N698.8 million, representing average cost per staff of N1.20 million in 2010 as against N1.10 million in 2009. However, pre-tax profit per staff dropped from N2.1 million to N1.8 million.

Total business costs, excluding interest expenses, stood at about 86 per cent of total revenue as against 83 per cent in previous year.

Profitability The stability in the Niger Delta region provided Japaul with strong opportunity to grow incomes across the operational segments of its domestic business. However, foreign operations- based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); witnessed declines across business lines. Turnover from Nigerian operations increased to N5.78 billion as against N3.29 billion while foreign incomes reduced from N1.37 billion to N1.36 billion. Offshore services remained the largest business with more than 43 per cent of aggregate turnover. Group turno-

2010 12 months 3,085 7,133 3,926 3,207 2,186 111 60 1,072 793 12.7 0 0 345

% change 32.5 53.1 47.5 60.6 80.7 -60.4 46.3 4.5 8.5 8.5 -100.0 -100.0 1.4

•CEO, Japaul Oil and Maritime Services Plc, Jegede Paul

ver meanwhile increased by 53 per cent from N4.66 billion to N7.13 billion. Cost of sales rose by 48 per cent from N2.66 billion to N3.93 billion. Gross profit thus increased by 61 per cent to N3.21 billion as against N2 billion. With 81 per cent increase in operating expenses from N1.21 billion to N2.2 billion and 60 per cent reduction in noncore business incomes from N280 million to N111 million, a 46 per cent increase in interest expenses further mitigated profitability.

Consequently, pre-tax profit increased marginally by 4.5 per cent from N1.03 billion to N1.07 billion while net earnings after taxes grew by 8.4 per cent from N731 million to N793 million. Segmental analysis showed that the quarry business, which recorded 62 per cent decline in operating profit and the

2009 12 months 2,329 4,659 2,662 1,997 1,210 280 41 1,026 731 11.7 501 8 340

20,790 20,804 2,756 4,214 25,018

16.2 4.8 48.9 -0.6 3.9

17,886 19,842 1,851 4,241 24,083

490 200 1,496 1,943 3,439

66.7 -29.3 57.8 5.2 23.0

294 283 948 1,847 2,795

3,131 21,579

0.0 1.4

3,131 21,288

electromechanical business, which continued to post losses, were major drags on profitability during the year.

On per share basis, earnings per share stood at 12.7 kobo compared with 11.7 kobo. The company did not however declare any dividend for the business year, citing the need for additional assets and investments. It had distributed N501 million, representing dividend per share of eight kobo to shareholders for the previous year. Meanwhile, net assets per share inched up from N3.40 to N3.45.

Beyond-the-surface analysis underlined the decline in profitability of the company. While gross margin had increased from 43 per cent to 45 per cent, pre-tax profit margin slumped to 15 per cent as against 22 per cent, indicating a major reversal in the underlying profit-making capacity of the company. Return on total assets stagnated at 4.3 per cent while return on equity inched up from 3.4 per cent to 3.7 per cent.

Liquidity The liquidity position of the company weakened during the year with reduction in the proportion of easily realisable assets to similar liabilities as well as working capital relative to size of operations. Current ratio, which measures the proportionate current assets to current liabilities, dropped from 4.47 times to 2.82 times. The proportion of working capital to turnover dropped from 71 per cent to 38 per cent. Debtors/creditors ratio stood at 563 per cent as against 630 per cent.

Governance & structures Incorporated in 1994, Japaul is a wholly-owned indigenous company with a widely dispersed ownership base of more than 248,000 shareholders. Japaul's shares were listed on the Nigerian Stock Ex-

Fiscal Year Ended December 31

change (NSE) in 2005 and remain the only quoted upstream oil and maritime services company. Only one shareholder, Mr. Jegede Paul, the promoter and managing director of the company, holds significant equity stake of 5.6 per cent.

About 98 per cent of total number of shareholders holds shares ranging between one to 100,000 shares and their holdings amounted to 46.3 per cent of total issued shares.

It has largely maintained its board and management structures since listing. King Alfred Diete-Spiff chairs the nine-member board of directors. Since listing, Japaul has moved considerably away from its key-man private structure to institute appropriate corporate governance structures including board and management committees as well as periodic reporting and disclosure standards.

Analyst's opinion Japaul, undoubtedly, has enormous competitive advantages as a well-structured indigenous oil and maritime services company. However, its business model should be driven by a step-by-step consolidation approach that simultaneously tap into emerging opportunities and deliver returns to shareholders. Although its aggressive expansionary drive is commendable, it needs to structurally consolidate existing businesses to strengthen inherent capacities to sustain growth and profitability irrespective of operating hiccups, rather than the fluid fair-weather drive for opportunities. Stability in the Niger Delta and local content policy open up immense opportunities, but these would also engender competition as many indigenous and foreign companies frightened by the past violence return to the creeks. In all these, substantial investments in operating capacity and appreciable corporate standard would stand Japaul in good competitive position. But gambles on opportunities could proof to be serious flaws.

2010 %

2009 %

Financing structure Equity funds/Total assets Long-term liabilities/Total assets Current liabilities/Total assets Debt/Equity ratio

86.3 13.7 6.0 0.9

88.4 11.6 3.9 1.3

Profitability Gross profit margin Pre-tax profit margin Return on total assets Return on equity Dividend cover (times)

45.0 15.0 4.3 3.7 0.00

42.9 22.0 4.3 3.4 1.46

Efficiency Pre-tax profit per employee (Nm) Staff cost per employee (Nm) Cost of sales, operating exp/Turnover

1.8 1.20 85.7

2.1 1.10 83.1

Liquidity Current ratio Working capital/Turnover Debtors/Creditors

2.82 38.1 562.8

4.47 70.7 630.0

50

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP TIPS

Self-employment the way out, says Corps member M ORE and more young Nigerians are looking for startup success across the

country. They’ve got their feet on the ground with some great ideas.

One of them is Dennis Onyekachukwu Ajalie, a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Benin who is serving in Lagos State. He is already planning to go into self employment after his service.

Ajalie and his colleagues have developed ‘Textdeygo’, a mobile application that enables the user to send customizable bulk SMS from a mobile phone.This application is platform independent.

It was a huge success winning its category in the Samsung applications contest held in Lagos. Other mobile applications offered by his team include stations of the cross, country calling codes etc. These applications are available free online on sites such as appia and mobile9 and on their website talkdeygo.com.

Their yet-to- release works include cloud9 and calldeygo.

Ajalie is taking advantage of the mobile application development industry, which has been booming in Nigeria, with the mobile web on the rise.

He is seeking partnership with leading mobile carrier networks and is a reference point for aspiring young Nigerians with an idea for a mobile application that is innovative, commercially viable and relevant to the market.

With the global mobile web and app industry becoming a multi- billion dollar industry over the past five years, Nigeria hasn’t seen any major breakthroughs in terms of application development in contrast with the increasing demand provided by the rapid growth of the smart phone market in recent years.

While on youth service, Ajalie is reaching out to organisations that

Making money from palm kernel oil extraction

By Don Abraham

C

By Daniel Essiet

can provide a solid infrastructure for developers and entrepreneurs to test their skills at solving existing and increasing problems.

He said there are a lot of youths with ideas looking for platforms and mentorship.

Ajalie follows his own, unique vision, focusing on the 21st century marketer needs and an inexpensive text system for individuals. The idea is to give smaller companies a way. They got their initial capital the hard way, and are asking organisations to help fund their business.

The effort would have become profitable had they had enough financing.

Not only is the idea a hit among text message lovers, it has attracted the attention of real IT enthusiasts. Given support, their site can become one of the Nigeria ’s most popular mobile applications websites, attracting large page views per month.

While serving, Ajalie is already a celebrity. “ I won the e Lagos 2011 NYSC Batch B inter platoon debate on Cybercrime facilitated

by Mind The Gap Programme, Access Bank, NYSC, Paradigm Initiative of Nigeria and Microsoft Nigeria. I am also a member of the award winning ‘TEXTDEYGO’ mobile application development team. “ Explaining how he got into IT entrepreneurship, Ajalie said it began while he was at the Air force Secondary School Ikeja. “After passing out from secondary school in 2003, it was difficult gaining admission into the university. During this period, my family and I relocated to Benin City. In this new environment, I made a couple of friends, worthy of mention are Iyare, Ose ,Ewere Diagboya and

•Ajalie

Osayi Amadasun who constitute the ‘textdeygo’ team.”

In 2005, he gained admission to study Microbiology in Delta State University, Abraka and later left for University of Benin in 2006 when he was given admission to study Biochemistry.

When the university was on strike, Ajalie utilised the period to learn how to assemble desktop hardware components via online tutorials and used his desktop computer at home as the test subject till he became proficient in hardware assemblage.

He started fixing and installing computer and phone software in my final year at school. When people soon noticed how good he was, word spread to lecturers in the department and he began working on their desktops and laptops . They preferred using him to handle their systems than contracting outsiders since he had the technical ability and solved most problems easily and free. Hence Ajalie earned the name ‘GO TO’ guy as far as computers were concerned in his department.

In a civil service state such as Edo, Ajalie said he has decided with his friends to work as a team to provide software that could solve every day needs.

SMEs key to sustainable economic growth DON, Prof David Ekpenyong, said functional small and medium initiatives are needed to develop the domestic industrial and service sectors.

According to him, successful longterm economic growth plans can only succeed with strong support to SMEs. Ekpenyong ,who is of the Department of Banking and Finance ,University of Uyo(UNIUYO),Uyo,Akwa Ibom

A

State, was addressing the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria(ICAN), workshop on the 2011 Federal Government budget implementation in Lagos.

He said Small and Medium Enterprises(SME)s play important roles in the successful development of sustainable domestic economies and delivering on the ambitions of economic development plans and strategies.

Calling on the government to take deliberate steps to promote

more tangible intervention in the sector, the don observed that the sector is characterised by dilapidated infrastructure, low adoption of advanced technology, poor market access and low credit access.

Ekpenyong said there were policy interventions giving direct support to SMEs to enable them grow and create jobs.

He said the government initiatives are geared towards developing systematic business development opportunities and support-

•From left: Senior Lecturer,Departmentof Economics,Fountain University, Oyo; Dr Abdulhakeem Mobolaji,Representative of Islamic Bank,Dr Mohammad Obaidullahi and Chairman, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation ,Prince Sulaiman Olagunju at an entrepreneurship workshop in Lagos.

PKO is a light yellow product containing mainly lauric acid.

The market for it is mainly domestic where it is used in a limited way as local body cream and in the preparation of local medicine for the cure of convulsion. Its major use, however, is in the industrial refining of de-odorised vegetable oil and the production of chocolate and confectionary, margarine, ice cream, drugs, detergents, etc.

CPKO is also very good for soaps, cosmetics and body creams production because of its ability to maintain the integrity of the skin due to its richness in essential fatty acids. Both the local and international market for the venture’s products exists, is large, unsatisfied and expanding by the day.

The residual de-oiled palm kernel cake is very rich in protein and ideal for the production of biscuits, gunpowder and livestock feeds. it is also used as fuel for burning in boilers. It can be exported with profit to earn foreign exchange. As i write this piece, a metric tonne of cpko sells locally for between N189,000 and N192,000 while pkc sells at between N115,000 and N117,000.

Palm kernels are the major raw material input for this project. They are abundantly available locally in the palm belt states of the country.

The processed CPKO is purchased from the crushers for cash by the vegetable oil refiners in 30,000-litre tankers. The PKC is hygienically packaged in jute or polypropylene sacks for sale either to local or overseas animal feeds manufacturers. The crusher needs no advertisement beyond getting the refiners to know that he is in the business. The product is self-selling; the market is there waiting.

CPKO extraction needs the following brand-new, high-tech and stateof-the-art equipment and accessories: cleaning device, vibrating screen with blower, oil expeller with kettles, filter press, accurately calibrated and digitally operated weighbridge, oil storage tanks, laboratory equipment, baby boiler and other miscellaneous equipment. These are to be imported but some of them will be fabricated locally from those whose products have proved efficient in performance and sturdy and robust in construction. to reduce the overall equipment cost and hence that of the total investment, an interested investor can buy these locally.

One is at liberty to choose whether to import his equipment or use the local ones. Whichever one the investor chooses, the technology is available and has been tested and proved to be reasonably efficient in palm kernel oil extraction.

Plant capacity: The equipment will produce 36 MT of high quality CPKO and 48 MT of PKC per day of 24 working hours and for 250 days in the year. This gives annual output of 9,000 MT of CPKO and 12,000 MT of PKC. A small scale investor needs a smaller set of equipment which will cost him between N375,000 and N400,000 (depending on the source). These will give him about 150 MT of CPK oil and 349 MT of PKC. The project can be implemented on small scale or medium scale. Whichever way the investor wants it, the relevant details he needs to take off successfully should be contained in a comprehensive feasibility report.

CPKO extraction process: This involves cleaning the received palm kernels to rid them of unwanted dust, impurities and other waste materials, weighing and crushing these, expelling and clarifying the CPKO, sample laboratory analysis and the storage of the extracted CPKO in stainless steel tanks, etc from where it is sold to the customers. The deoiled PKC is packaged in jute or polypropylene sacks ready for sale.

Project cost: The cost of establishing this project will include the following: land and land development, building, office furniture, fittings and equipment, preliminary expenses, working capital and contingency provision. The detailed costing of each of these will be contained in a comprehensive feasibility study which will be needed by a serious investor to implement the project. The cost of the plant and machinery, which will be determined at the project development stage, will depend on the capacity the investor wants to operate, the source (local or imported) of the equipment, the ability of the investor to contribute his counterpart fund if he is going for loan financing etc.

Viability: This is a profitable investment opportunity for visionary investors to go into. The supply of CPKO at N198,000/MT to the local vegetable oil refiners and the sale of PKC to the feed millers in the international market for foreign exchange makes the project a steady cash generator. The multiplier effects of this agro-processing business on the economy are many and great. Because of the high demand for CPKO and PKC, the available output is quickly bought up on cash and carry basis thus showing the project as one with good cash flow. For anyone venturing into PKC extraction, the sky is the stepping stone rather than the limit.

Funding: This business fulfills all the conditions for the support of the banks under their SME scheme. The Bank of Industry Ltd can be of assistance here if approached. It is profitable, produces excellent cash flow, can be established outside of the urban area, using the raw materials that are available locally.One can export its PKC to earn foreign exchange, etc. It may also enjoy a five-year tax holiday if it fulfills the conditions laid down for that. The funding pattern will be determined at the time of conducting a detailed techno-economic study and report preparation of the project before its implementation.

Implementation: Before embarking on this project, investors are strongly advised to conduct a thorough market research into all of its aspects. After this they should register the company they want to implement the project with (if not yet done), decide the intended output capacity and source of their equipment, and commission the preparation of a detailed, current and realistic feasibility and viability report and source funds for the projects’ take-off. The writer will willingly assist in this direction, if requested.

For further information and advice, please contact Don Abraham through (0818-888-1655; 01-8755-405; 0803-725-1974 ; 0812-478-3187) EMAILS:wealthcreationideas@yahoo.com: talk2dco@yahoo.com

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

51

52

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

53

54

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

NEWS

Police parade robbery suspects, rapist in Ekiti T HE Ekiti State Police Command has paraded 10 suspects allegedly involved in various armed attacks on residents in different parts of Ado Ekiti and its environs.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr. Mohammed Jimoh, told reporters on Monday after the parade that two locally made guns, an axe and a cutlass were recovered from members of one of the gangs which operated at Isinbode area of the state.

Another four-man gang comprising one Abiodun Aluko, 31, Ajibade Ilesanmi, 29, Jimoh Tijani, 52, and Adeniyi Aluko, 32, operated in Isinbode Camp where they robbed their victim of N50,000.

The suspects confessed to the crime saying they deceived their victim that they had bananas to sell saying a farm at Isinbode. On getting to the spot, they pointed a gun at the head of the victim, identified as Idowu Yakubu, a female trader and dispossessed her of the N50,000 she wanted to use to buy the banana.

The quartet were arrested by a team of detectives led by the Officer in Charge of Surveillance, Mr. Peter Alabi.

The PPRO said: “ The suspects cunningly lured their victim, Idowu Yakubu of Isinbode-Ekiti to come and purchase some bananas inside a farm at Isinbode Camp.

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado Ekiti

“On arrival at the farm, the duo of Abiodun Aluko and Ajibade Ilesanmi left the third suspect, Adeniyi Aluko with the victim and went and hid in the nearby bush.

Adeniyi Aluko then pointed his locally-made dane gun at Idowu Yakubu (the complainant) and robbed her of N50,000.00 and a Nokia phone valued at N8,000.”

Members gang that alelgedly attacked a food vendor at Ekute on the outskirts of Ado, on August 9 and robbed her of money and other belongings at a her shop were also paraded .

On interrogation, members of the all-male gang-Ame Kokun, Kofi Oyibo, Yusuf Sina and Kokou Atiode- vehemently denied the allegation, saying that they only went to eat there on the said date and had been passing by the woman’s shop without anyone asking them questions until the arrest.

Kokun said: “I didn’t steal anything. The woman just dey tell lie for them (the police); statements by other members of the gang also corroborated Kokun’s position.

Also paraded were the duo of Ismaila Yusuf and Tunde Yusuf, who were arrested for allegedly breaking into a shop at Oja-Oba in Ado Ekiti. The police spokesman said the complainant in the case alleged that the suspects were ini-

Ibadan flood: YCE, Afenifere, legislators condole with victims

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Political Editor

Y

ORUBA Council of Elders (YCE) and Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) yesterday condoled with Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the leaders and people of Ibadan over the Friday’s flood that swept across the ancient city. Many died and property worth billions of naira were destroyed.

Also, the House of Representatives member from Ido/ Ibarapa Federal Constituency, Sunday Adepoju, called for special federal assistance for the victims to cushion the effects of the natural disaster.

The enjoined the Federal Government to channel the ecological fund towards the rehabilitation of victims and reconstruction of the collapsed infrastructure in the areas devastated by the flood.

Adepoju, in a statement said the disaster came without warning, praying to God to give the survivors and victims the fortitude to bear the loss.

YCE said in a statement by its President, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo and Secretary-General, Chief Idodu Sofola (SAN),

Lawmakers seek improved security

T

HREE lawmakers and a council boss from Lagos State have called on the Federal Government to improve on security.

They are James Abiodun Faleke (Ikeja Federal Constituency); Lanre Odubote (Epe Federal Constituency); Wahab Alawiye-King (Lagos Island Constituency 2); and Chairman, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government, Kamal Bayewu.

In separate Sallah messages, they commiserated with victims of Friday’s bomb blast at the United Nation’s building in Abuja and the flood in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Bayewu said: “As I rejoice with our Muslim brothers and sisters on the end of Ramadan, I call on the Federal Government to increase security in the country to avert more bomb blasts. It is becoming too frequent.”

Odubote said: “Every Nigerian should be involved in security; this includes providing information to security agencies and reporting untoward events to the nearest security agency. All hands must be on deck to protect our environment, people and property.”

On Ibadan flood, Faleke said: “We must do everything to protect our environment. Indiscriminate dumping of refuse should be avoided and we must keep our environment clean always.”

Alawiye-King said: “At this Sallah period, we should not only celebrate; we should also be sober and reflect on the lives we have lost to the UN House bomb blast and the flood in Ibadan. We must continue to pray for the safety of this country and its people.”

•Tijani (left), Aluko, Abiodun and Ilesanmi Adeniyi Aluko (left) and others

• Ismaila Yusuf (left) and Tunde Yusuf

tially employed as night guards in the area, adding that items recov-

ered from the house of Ismaila included beverages, cosmetics and

PHOTOS: SULAIMAN SALAUDEEN

used dresses.

Equally paraded were a threeman gang rape suspects Ayenigba Wasiu, Sunday Ajayi and Ojo Adegboye-who were arrested in Omuo Ekiti. Their arrest followed complaints by their victim.

According to reports, the victim alleged that on August 20, at about 8:30 am, the trio ambushed her while going to her farm in Omuo.

While Ajayi and Adegboye threatened and held her down, Wasiu forcibly had canal knowledge of her.

All three confessed to the crime and the various roles they played, adding it was the schemes of the devil that made them commit the offence.

The police spokesman urged residents to monitor suspicious movements within their environments and report to the police.

Muslim society condemns Boko Haram

P

RESIDENT of Nawair Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria and Overseas, Alhaji Ganiyu Adisa Adegboyega has condemned the Boko Haram Sect for the wanton destruction of lives and properties.

He state this in a statement yesterday to commemorate the Eid-ElFitri.

“I call on the leadership of the sect to stop immediately their bombing activities and give peace a chance.

Violence has never been known to solve any problem. I enjoin them to dialogue with the authorities and seek a peaceful means

By Abike Hassan

to get their grievances addressed”.

“I call on all politicians and public officials to shun extravagance in their conduct and help to reduce the cost of governance. Government at all levels must also repair and maintain existing infrastructure, amenities and provide power for both industrial and domestic use”.

He advised that youth unemployment should be tackled to avoid riots and social unrests like those witnessed globally including in London in recent times. “Bombing is gradually becoming a

daily occurrence in Nigeria, the security agencies must rise to the occasion to ensure peace and security”, he said.

The Muslim leader congratulated the Central Bank of Nigeria for the introduction of Islamic Banking.

This, he noted, will encourage more Muslims and others to fulfill their religious and spiritual obligations to stay away from interestbased transactions.

“It is hoped that that the introduction of Islamic Banking, more people will be brought to the formal sector of the economy and a period of moral rebirth in

the economic sector. We call on Muslims to patronise the banks and ensure that the introduction is worthwhile”, he said.

He also urged government at all levels and the organised sector to ensure that the minimum wage is paid and avoid unnecessary strike.

He expressed disappointment but that majority of the candidates that sat for the West African Examination Council (WAEC), failed.

But commended the council for the timely release of the May/June 2011 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations result.

Sultan condemns bombing, Jos violence •Continued from page 2

He congratulated Muslims on the occasion of the Eid-el-Fitri celebration and urged the government to put more efforts in alleviating the suffering of the people.

He urged Muslims to remember the lessons of Ramadan (the holy month) and adhere to them strictly because they constitute the purpose of existence.

“If all Muslims and nonMuslims can adhere strictly to God’s injunctions, not only Nigeria but the world will be a better place for us to live,” he said.

Sheikh Mojeed Ayinla, the Lagos State Missioner,

Nawar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria, urged the Boko Haram group to allow peace to reign.

Ayinla said that mass killing and bombings were not the best methods of agitating for a just cause.

“He described those who killed others in the name of Islam as ignorant and wicked because the Quran never ordered killing and destruction as the best alternative for agitation.”

Dr Ishaq Akintola, Head of Religious Studies Department, Lagos State University, urged Boko Haram to look at Nigeria as a new country.

Akintola condemned the UN office bombing and urged the Federal Govern-

ment to dialogue with Boko Haram.

“Nigeria is our collective project. Our leaders should continue to make sacrifices while the followers should keep working harder,” he said.

“The difficulties of this country would come to an end like we are witnessing the end of this year’s Ramadan,” Akintola said.

Alhaji Kamaldeen Akintunde, the Secretary, National Council of Muslim Youth, described the bombing as a challenge to security agencies to be proactive.

“A nation without security is like a nation without a heart,” Akintunde said.

He urged the Boko

Haram group to lay down its arms and allow peace to reign and also appealed to the government to address the problems of the people.

“We must seize this opportunity to cooperate with all tiers of government so that we can achieve the Nigeria of our dream,” he said.

Book Haram claimed responsibility for the UN House bombing in which no fewer than 23 people died and many injured.

But, security agencies are said to have arrested three suspects with link to alQaeda, the international terrorist group set up by the late Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US forces on May 2.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

55

FOREIGN NEWS

New PM for Japan

Police clash with ANC supporters

S

OUTH African police have fired stun grenades at supporters of controversial ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema ahead of his disciplinary hearing.

Malema, 30, is accused of “sowing divisions” in the party and bringing it into disrepute by calling for Botswana’s government to be overthrown.

Once a close ally of President Jacob Zuma, the populist Malema has become a fierce critic.

His supporters threw stones at police who were blocking them in Johannesburg.

The police erected a steel gate and barbed wire to close the main street leading to Luthuli House, the African National Congress headquarters where the hearing was held.

Thousands of Malema’s supporters remained outside for much of the day, chanting and setting rubbish on fire.

Some set on fire a T-shirt emblazoned with President Zuma’s face, while other shouted “Zuma must go”.

The ANC later said the hearing would be moved to a secret location outside the city to reduce disruption, while Malema urged his supporters to show restraint.

One police officer and several journalists were injured in the clashes.

Malema, who is charged along with five other top youth league officials, could be expelled from the

ANC at the closed-door hearing.

He was put on probation by the disciplinary committee last year after being found guilty of criticising Zuma.

Malema, under separate investigation for alleged fraud and corruption, says he will accept the committee’s ruling.

“We are taking responsibility for our actions and we are prepared for anything.

We have always maintained that the ANC is our future, if that future is expulsion so be it,” he said on the eve of the hearing.

Correspondents say the youth league leader’s calls to nationalise the mining sector and seize white-owned farm land have jarred with the party’s leadership but have proved popular among his political base in impoverished black communities.

The BBC’s Karen Allen described Malema as a “kingmaker and political survivor”, whose youth group brings the ANC a 350,000-strong block vote and influence over senior ANC leaders seeking promotion.

His disciplinary hearing sets the scene for next year’s party leadership battle.

Zuma’s ambitions to secure a second term as ANC president could be enhanced if Malema is pushed into the political wilderness, our correspondent says.

If, however, the maverick youth leader emerges with his ANC membership intact, President Zuma could face an

uncertain future, she says.

The youth leader has long been a controversial figure.

He played a central role in helping Zuma take control of the ANC from his predecessor Thabo Mbeki in 2008 and campaigned strongly for him in the 2009 elections, which brought Zuma to power.

But on Monday, he said he did not have a personal relationship with the president, only an organisational one.

In May 2010, he was made to apologise publicly following a controversial trip to Zimbabwe where he declared the ANC’s support for President Robert Mugabe at a time when Zuma was mediating between the country’s coalition members.

T

in two hours. There were no survivors of any of the flights.

The White House guidance was issued in two documents: one single-sheet memo was circulated to all federal agencies and a second document was sent abroad to all embassies and consulates.

According to the New York Times, the guidelines are the result of lengthy discussions at the White House.

The plans reportedly placed emphasis on the theme of resilience, and warned of future attacks.

They also highlighted the steps taken to break up plots against the US since 9/11 and praised foreign allies in the fight against terror.

“We need to make sure we’re speaking to a very broad set of audiences who will be affected by the anniversary,” Benjamin J Rhodes, a deputy

S

OLDIERS have begun airlifting emergency supplies to Vermont towns isolated by washed-away roads, as the death toll continues to rise two days Irene slammed into the US north-east.

More than 200 roads remain impassable in rural Vermont, hampering rescue efforts to more than a dozen towns.

Irene killed 40 people in the US and caused billions of dollars in damage.

President Barack Obama pledged stricken areas would have “the support

national security adviser told the New York Times.

The commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 11 September 2001 will be broadcast worldwide and is expected to be watched by many millions of viewers.

Yesterday, US President Barack Obama reiterated his pledge to support the “9/11 generation” of veterans in a speech to the American Legion in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“They were there, on duty, that September morning, having enlisted in a time of peace, but they instantly transitioned to a war-footing,” Obama said.

In his weekly address on Saturday, Obama said that the 9/11 anniversary would be a day of “service and remembrance”.

Jackson: Judge bars doctor from testifying

T

HE judge in the forthcoming trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray has barred the singer’s dermatologist from giving evidence.

Dr Murray’s lawyers had wanted to argue that Arnold Klein injected Jackson with the painkiller demerol “for no valid medical purpose” and that the star became addicted to the drug.

The judge said it was “not relevant”.

The defence plan to portray Jackson as an addict who may have given himself a lethal dose of the drug propofol.

Dr Murray, who was hired by Jackson to help prepare for his planned July 2009 comeback concerts at London’s O2 arena, was in charge of administering the anaesthetic to the star.

He has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

In court in Los Angeles on Monday, Dr

J

APAN’S parliament has backed Yoshihiko Noda as the country’s sixth prime minister in five years.

The vote came after the 54year-old former finance minister secured the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party in an election on Monday.

Ex-PM Naoto Kan, criticised for his handling of the March quake, formally resigned with his cabinet be-

pline, we need to carry out careful management of the economy and public finances,” he said.

Unlike Kan, he wants Japan’s halted nuclear reactors to be restarted and has not backed his call for a nuclear-free Japan.

Monday’s vote went to a run-off between Noda and Banri Kaieda, the former trade minister backed by party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa, after no candidate secured a majority in the first round.

Noda won the run-off after lawmakers backing the public’s choice, former foreign minister Seiji Maehara, swung behind him.

The DPJ won power in a general election in 2008, ending half a century of almost unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party.

Materials for stranded Irene victims

US issues guidance for 9/11 memorial HE White House has issued guidance to all US officials on how to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

The plans call for a “positive” and “forward-looking” message with minimum reference to al-Qaeda, the New York Times reports.

Commemorations should honour victims of global terror, they say, as citizens of over 90 countries were killed.

The attacks were carried out by 19 hijackers seizing four planes, taking nearly 3,000 lives.

The hijacked aircraft crashed into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, as well as the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

The fourth aircraft crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Both towers collapsed with-

•Noda

forehand.

Correspondents say the new PM faces a daunting agenda, including trying to unify a divided party.

Large parts of Japan need to be rebuilt after March’s earthquake and tsunami, and the crisis at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant still needs to be resolved.

Added to that, Noda, a fiscal conservative, will need to address Japan’s stagnant economy.

He has said in the past that he favours raising funds through increased taxation including a doubling of Japan’s sales tax, which currently stands at 5% - to cut debt and meet social security commitments.

Yesterday he said Japan faced problems with the high yen and with deflation.

“On the topic of fiscal disci-

Murray’s lawyer Edward Chernoff said the defence’s position was that Jackson was addicted to demerol and was withdrawing from it when he died in June 2009.

But Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ruled that Arnold Klein would not be called to testify after prosecution lawyers said the defence wanted to transfer responsibility for Jackson’s death to the dermatologist.

Prosecution lawyer David Walgren also said Jackson’s autopsy found no traces of demerol.

The judge also barred the defence from calling five of Jackson’s other former doctors to give evidence.

But he allowed them to call Allen Metzger who had treated Jackson for two decades - and anaesthetist David Adams.

Jackson had asked Metzger for intravenous medicines to help him sleep two months before his death but the doctor had refused his request, defence lawyers say.

they need so that folks can recover”.

“A lot of our fellow citizens are still reeling from Hurricane Irene and its aftermath,” he told military veterans in Minneapolis.

“Folks are surveying the damage and some are dealing with tremendous flooding. As a government, we’re going to make sure that states and communities have the support they need so that folks can recover.”

Obama’s remarks came a day after the Federal Emer-

gency Management Agency (Fema) warned of shortfalls in a disaster relief fund.

The agency’s director, Craig Fugate, is due to visit Vermont later, after warning that some projects to rebuild areas of the Midwest struck by tornados earlier in the year could be postponed.

Senior administration officials were to travel to other stricken states to survey recovery efforts.

At the White House on Monday, Mr Fugate warned

that Fema funds were to be directed towards “immediate needs”.

“We are not taking any money away from survivors,” Fugate said, denying that the agency was diverting funds from previous disaster survivors to fund the Irene recovery.

In Vermont, a small, mostly rural and mountainous state, 13 small towns and villages remained isolated yesterday after roads and bridges were washed away.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

56

MONEY LINK

Lease transactions hit N538b in 2010

T

HE volume of lease busi nesses conducted in the coun try reached a record high of N538 billion in 2010. The figure was N189 billion in 2006; N245 billion in 2007, N350 billion in 2008 and N445 billion in 2009.

The Equipment Leasing Association of Nigeria (ELAN) in a statement, said the figures showed the high level of interest lease businesses are generating in the country. ELAN Chairman, Kehinde Lawanson, said the 21 per cent growth rate recorded by the leasing industry last year was reasonable, considering the prevalent harsh global and domestic economic environment.

Analysis from the report indicated that the leasing industry continued to make remarkable progress, maintaining its steady growth in 2010, posting a substantial outstanding lease volume of N538 billion for the year. This represented a growth rate of 21 per cent over the previous year.

Performance analysis of the sectors, showed that oil and gas maintained its lead, achieving about 40 per cent growth, followed closely by transportation - 37 per cent, which has benefitted from public and private sector partnership.

The Nation investigation revealed that the most commonly leased assets include, medium, light and heavy duty vehicles, production machinery, power generating sets, house hold utilities, industrial and office equipment with vehicles topping the list as the most commonly leased asset in the country.

He explained that leasing is a creative finance option that broadens product range in the financial services industry without necessarily deploying huge sums of capital that have competing needs.

Lawson identified the global economic recession and the banking reforms in the country, as resulting in restrictions in credit

By Collins Nweze

lines by banks.

He said access to adequate funds has remained a major challenge in the leasing industry being a credit driven activity.

The ELAN boss regretted that notwithstanding the relevance of leasing, it is still being treated

lessor and the lessee.

The ELAN boss stressed that the leasing bill, if enacted, will do away with the current confusion and uncertainty surrounding the regulation and practice of leasing in Nigeria.

“The business of leasing would then develop clear and understandable legal relationship with

with apathy by the government.

“Leasing as a special, convenient way of financing, has not been adequately catered for by laws in the country, rather it is trapped in arbitrary laws and regulations,” he said.

He stated that the present regulatory regime does not clearly define the relationship between the

World Bank’s fraud preventive measures save $14b

T

HE World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency, Leonard McCarthy, has announced that recently enhanced efforts to prevent and deter fraud and corruption in governance are achieving results.

Over the past year, the unit has worked with corruption investigators and project teams across the bank to produce results. It has been able to build precautions into high-risk projects valued at approximately $14.1 billion.

A statement from World Bank, said the programme has helped the agency in protecting high-risk Bank-financed projects, stopping

tainted contracts from being awarded and bolstered anti-corruption capacity in countries where it operates.

“We presently focus on high-risk projects and sectors based on information arising from complaints, our own due diligence, and other law enforcement agencies. We do this to protect World Bank funds, deter wrongdoers and make development work better” McCarthy said.

In a follow-up to the recommendations of a 2007 Independent Review Panel, headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman, Paul Volcker, the World Bank established the Preventive Services Unit (PSU),

which was designed to develop “protections” against corruption. It was also meant to assist with education and training, and offering advice and tailored responses to allegations of corruption that INT does not investigate.

Over the last year, the PSU helped build precautions against fraud and corruption into 48 projects spanning 29 countries, covering large loan commitments.

The preventive measures include technical audits to avoid substandard quality; strengthened warranties and representations in key contracts; screening of projects for the most common red flags of fraud and cor-

T

HE Bank for International Settlement (BIS) has advised banks to raise their financial standings before a series of deadlines starting in 2013.

Regulators should also take a stronger role in supervising banks to make sure they operate within agreed capital levels and balance risk, the BIS said.

“Countries should move faster if their banks are profitable and are able to apply the standards without having to restrict credit,” the Basel, Switzerland-based BIS said.

National regulators should treat the rules, known as Basel III, as a

many as 30 of the world’s largest lenders should face surcharges that range from one percentage point to as much as 2.5 percentage points of core capital to prevent them from causing another financial crisis.

The Basel III capital rules are scheduled to be phased in from 2013 through 2019. The BIS is the parent organisation of both the Basel committee and the Group of Governors and Heads of Supervision, which oversees the committee’s work.

Under Basel III, banks will be obliged to hold core Tier 1 Capital

“minimum” standard that they can surpass if they wish.

Bloomberg, said the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s requirements, which will more than triple the core reserves that banks must hold to protect themselves from insolvency, are “the core regulatory response to problems revealed by the financial crisis.

Global central bank Governors recently agreed on extra capital rules for banks whose size or systemic importance means their failure could cause another financial crisis. Regulators agreed that as

Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 30-8-11 SYMBOL ROADS UPL NCR ECOBANK STERLNBANK OKOMUOIL NASCON PRESCO CAPHOTEL NESTLE

O/PRICE 3.47 3.89 3.93 2.86 1.40 17,01 4.50 7.48 7.60 401.01

C/PRICE 3.64 4.04 4.12 2.99 1.45 17.50 4.60 7.50 7.62 402.00

LOSER AS AT 30-8-11 SYMBOL DANGCEM DANGFOUR ETERNAOIL SKYEBANK ACCESS VITAFOAM TRANSCORP CCNN AIICO PAINTCOM

O/PRICE 111.11 10.64 4.47 5.70 5.85 6.00 0.89 7.70 0.68 1.17

C/PRICE 105.56 10.11 4.25 5.42 5.57 5.72 0.85 7.36 0.65 1.12

Amount

Exchange

Sold ($)

Rate (N)

Date

450m

452.7m

450m

150.8

08-8-11

250m

313.5m

250m

150.8

03-8-11

400m

443m

400m

150.7

01-8-11

EXHANGE RATE 30-05-11 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD

147.6000

149.7100

150.7100

-2.11

NGN GBP

239.4810

244.0123

245.6422

-2.57

NGN EUR

212.4997

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

(S/N) Bureau de Change 152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NSE CAP Index

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N)

Parallel Market

12-08-11 N7.285tr 22,775.55

15-08-11 N7.216tr 22,559.07

% Change -0.95% -0.95%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

(S/N) CHANGE 0.17 0.19 0.19 0.13 0.05 0.49 0.10 0.02 0.02 0.99

Amount

Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

equivalent to seven per cent of their risk-weighted assets, compared with two percent under the previous international rules. As many as 30 of the world’s largest banks will be required to hold the additional capital under the plans agreed, meaning they may have to hold as much as 9.5 per cent in reserve.

The Basel rules constitute “minimum requirements” that individual countries can exceed, the BIS said, mirroring calls by several European Union finance ministers, including George Osborne, that national regulators should be left free to toughen the rules for their banks.

DATA BANK

Tenor

OBB Rate Call Rate

ruption; and promotion of hotline numbers for use by citizens to file complaints.

McCarthy said in one case, the consultant company suspected of falsifying its credentials retracted its bid valued at $4.4 million.

In another case, serious issues identified by INT led government officials to reject the award of a $5 million contract, while in other instances, bidders lost their prequalification status.

The World Bank also developed a Company Risk Profile Database (CRPD) that contains the names of companies currently under investigation.

Basel group advocates increased capital for banks

FGN BONDS

NIDF NESF

appropriate structure that will bestow numerous benefits to various business interest groups.

He said leasing is an easier way to acquire assets, enhance quality of life, as well as more business and job opportunities. For Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, he said it is appropriate to acquire productive assets for growth and job creation,” he said.

153.0000

DISCOUNT WINDOW January ’11

February ’11

July ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

8.75%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 10.2%

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 117.62 112.11 0.78 1.01 0.97 1,620.90 9.61 1.39 1.87 8,827.74 193.00

9.08 1.00 117.16 111.16 0.78 1.00 0.97 1,618.90 9.14 1.33 1.80 8,557.73 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED

CHANGE 5.55 0.53 0.22 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.04 0.34 0.03 0.05

• STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 04 MAR, 2011 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 24, MAY, 2011 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous

Current

04 MAR, 2011

07, MAR, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

57

58

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

59

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

60

NEWS NANS dissociates itself from unrest From Emma Mgbeahurike, Owerri

‘Why MASSOB members may not be released’ T

HE leader of the Movement for the THE National Association of Actualisation of the Nigerian Students (NANS), Sovereign State of Biafra From Chris Oji,Enugu Southeast and South South (MASSOB) Chief Ralph Uwageopolitical zones, has zurike and the 280 members Wednesday to witness the disassociates itself from the of the movement detained in award of honour to former July 27 student unrest at the Enugu Prisons may not be Biafran leader, Dim ChukFederal Polytechnic in Nekede. freed, despite the presidential wuemeka Ojukwu, by an Igbo The unrest led to the closure order that they be freed. youths organisation. of the institution.

Uwazurike and the others The indication that they The Coordinator, Ezekiel were arrested and arraigned may not be released soon Nwankwo, who denounced the before an Enugu Magistrate emerged yesterday when the action of the students as Court on a four count charge Enugu State Attorney Generbarbaric and uncivilized, of treasonable felony, and al and Commissioner for Jusattributed the riot to some subsequently ordered to be tice, Tony Ani said he was not detractors. remanded in prison custody aware of the presidential orThe NANS leader spoke by the trial magistrate, Dender. when his executives paid a nis Ekoh.

Ani, who spoke in a telesolidarity visit to the Rector of The detained MASSOB phone interview, said the the Polytechnic, Mrs Celestina members were picked up by president has no right to orNjoku. the police at different places der their release since the Nwankwo wondered why while travelling to Enugu last matter was already in court the students allowed themselves to be used by those who do not mean well for the school and NANS. He commended the Rector for setting up a panel of LL Nigeria Peoples Party enquiry to determine the (ANPP)National Chairman immediate and remote causes Ogbonnaya Onu last weekof the riot and enjoined her to end visited the family of the religiously implement the recommendations of the panel. former military Vice President, Vice-Admiral Augustus Aikhomu at the family home in Lagos.

Gunmen abduct Onu said Aikhomu’s death was journalist’s father a great loss to the family and the party. He said he will miss the deGUNMEN abducted a retired ceased. army officer and father of a Onu said he worked closely with News Agency of Nigeria Aikhomu when he was Vice-Pres(NAN) reporter in Imo on ident and he(Onu) was governor Friday. of the old Abia State.

Five armed men abducted Onu said Aikhomu was a memretired Col. Innocent Opara ber of the Executive Council and Ejibas,66, in Mbaitoli Local Chairman Board of Trustees of the Government.

His son, Desmond Ejibas, of party. He said the deceased was hardworking, dedicated, commitNAN, Port Harcourt, had ted and an honest soldier who closed from work for the day worked tirelessly for this great •Chief Onu, with Aikhomu’s when he suddenly got a call country. that his father had been taken away by gunmen.

He said the gunmen entered the family house, fired indiscriminately into the air which made people to flee before they took the retired HERE was pandemonisoldier away. um in the commercial “Contact had been made city of Onitsha yesterwith the kidnappers but they From Adimike George, day after hoodlums suspecthave not made any ransom Onitsha ed to be expelled members of demand and no group has the Movement for the Actualclaimed responsibility for the them.Two officers were inisation of the Sovereign State act,’’ the younger Ejibas said. jured. of Biafra (MASSOB) engaged The family of the retired The police denied any casupolicemen in a gun duel. soldier has formally reported alties. One source said the susThis grounded business acthe incident to all security pects who were operating tivity in some parts of the agencies in Imo and to the with motorcycles and buses, city as traders hurriedly closed state council of the Nigeria were hoisting the Biafran flag shops and scampered for safeUnion of Journalists (NUJ). when they clashed with poty.

Col. Ejibas served in the licemen.

The clash, according to eyeinfantry corps of the Nigerian “I was there when they arwitnesses, occured when the Army. rived, I earlier saw them when expelled members of the I was passing on that Iweka movement sighted policeEducationist Road in the morning with men on patrol on Moore about three L300 buses fully Street and opened fire on dies at 82

and that the issue of their release remains solely with the judiciary.

The Attorney General maintained that the three arms of government are separate entities, adding that each is independent of the other.

“Since they have been charged to court, it is now the entire business of the judiciary. The president cannot order their release in this instance. The order can only be effective if they were in police custody,” he said.

Reminded that an Onitsha magistrate court had on Monday evening discharged

and acquitted 28 members of MASSOB based on the presidential order, Ani said he was not aware of such development.

But at the Enugu prisons yesterday, the morale of the detained MASSOB members was high as their leader, Uwazuruike, expressed optimism that they would be set free today. Uwazurike spoke to The Nation on phone.

Although he was not initially arrested, Uwazuruike lamented the injustice going on in Nigeria as his movement was not a violent one.

“In any case, I am optimistic that we will regain our freedom on Wednesday , whether the Enugu judiciary got the order or not,” he said.

ANPP visits Aikhomu’s family

A

T

From Barnabas Manyam, Yola

THE rank of Nigeria’s foremost educationists and advocates of qualitative education depleted on Sunday with the death of Deaconess Grace Osinowo,the founder of Grace Schools,Lagos She was 82.

She attended United Missionary College,Ibadan, where she trained as a teacher in 1950.

The late Mrs Osinowo was also a graduate of Roehampton Institute,now Roehampton University, where she studied education from 1955 and 1958.

Her penchant for education manifested in her dream of establishing Grace Schools in 1968.Osinowo was a strong advocate of improved learning experience for students.

The late Mrs Osinowo is survived by Mrs Tokunbo Edun (Administrator of Grace Schools,Gbagada,Lagos),Dr Abayomi 0sinowo and Mr Bolaji Osinowo.

widow, Rebecca, at their Lagos home...last weekend PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID

Pandemonium as police, hoodlums clash in Onitsha loaded with the Biafran flags.

But when they arrived Moore Street, I did not know what transpired between them and the police. But the next thing I saw was an open confrontation.”

The timely intervention of the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Larry Osita, who mobilised a detachment of mobile policemen to the scene, saved the situation from degenerating.

National Director for Information of MASSOB, Comrade Uche Madu, said the sus-

pects that attacked the policemen were not MASSOB members.

He said MASSOB had earlier this year announced the expulsion of about 61 members for indulging in criminal activities such as extortion, armed robbery and kidnapping . He said the group had been expelled from MASSOB. Anambra State police spokesman, Emeka Chukwuemeka, confirmed the incident. He said neither the police nor the suspected MASSOB members recorded any casualty.

Enugu pays minimum wage

E

NUGU State government has cmmenced the implementation of the new minimum wage and cleared arrears of salaries of its civil servants.

This was contained in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Chuks Ugwoke, According to him, the government took the decision in recognition of the harmonious relationship that has existed between it and the Organised Labour as well as the administration’s resolve to ensure the welfare of workers in the state.

Ugwoke said: “We deem it necessary to give an update on the implementation of the minimum wage in Enugu State. The payment of the August salary to the workers reflected the full implementation of the minimum wage law by the present administration.

Governor Sullivan Chime has continued to insist that his government must accord priority attention to the welfare of workers.

“In addition to the payment of the new wage, the Enugu State government has also cleared the minimum wage arrears. It would be recalled that the governors had agreed to commence payment of the new wage structure this month and pay the April to July arrears not later than October this year. But to show good faith and government’s commitment to the welfare of the workers, the arrears had dropped into their individual accounts yesterday.”

Asked to react to the twoweek ultimatum given to the government to reach agreement with Labour after the recent strike action, the commissioner said there was no cause

for alarm.

“We’ve always favoured negotiation as against confrontation. We’re in talks with Labour to smoothen whatever rough edges that may exist. Government has asked that it should be allowed to talk with the local chapter of Labour since we have had no problems with them up till now.

The national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress should intervene if we cannot reach a compromise with the local chapter. We plead that both parties are given this opportunity.”

On the bone of contention, Ugwoke said: “You see, we do not want to reopen old wounds. We have always said, and frankly too, that we are not at war with the Organised Labour in Enugu State.

It is on record that Governor

MAC 61

•Chime

Chime approved N18,500 as the minimum wage payable in the state.

That was what was paid to workers this month. What we are now discussing with Labour are other demands which are also related to the implementation of the wage structure.”

How to boost Lagos economy,

by Visafone

M

ANAGING Director of Visafone Communications Limited Mr. Sailesh Iyer, has asked the Lagos State Government to take advantage of information technology which his firm can provide to boost its revenue generation.

Iyer spoke when the Visafone management team visited Lgos State Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa. He said the firm “is at the vantage position to effectively drive the Lagos economy through info-tech infrastructure.”

The managing director was accompanied by the Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Srinivasa K.V; Chief Marketing Officer, Parag Sen and Head of Corporate Communication, Mr. Joseph Ushigiale. Iyer described Lagos “as a good example, from which other cities in the world can learn good and positive lessons.”

The state government could partner with Visafone to drive Private Public Partnership which would in turn generate substantial revenue for the state.

He commended the state government for implementing laudable projects like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and the on-going light rail project, which he said, offered opportunities to generate more revenue, especially if the state could tap into the information technology to drive its economy myymy.

Ebonyi NLC gives govt one week ultimatum From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakiliki

T

HE Ebonyi State Executive Council (SEC)of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has given the state government seven day ultimatum to implement the salary table released by the new National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

The Care-taker Committee Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Ike Abugu; the Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Elias Oduma and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Frank Nwafor, said in a joint communique that the seven day ultimatum would elapse on September 5.

The communiqué reads: “At the end of the joint meeting of the State Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC)in Ebonyi State on August 29 , the SEC-in-Session unanimously agreed that the state government should within seven day implement the salary table released by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission for Ebonyi workers.”

The union urged the state government to put in place, within the Seven Days, modalities for the payment of arrears of the minimum wage in line with the agreement signed between the Organised Labour and Governor’s Forum and the Final Agreement signed between the Federal Government and Organised Labour.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

61

SPORT EXTRA

Osaze says West Brom under pressure

N

IGERIAN striker Osaze Odemwingie has admitted pressure is on his EPL club West Bromwich Albion after they lost their first three matches.

West Brom fell 2-1 at home to champions Manchester United on the opening day of action, before they again

slumped 2-1 at Chelsea and were then beaten 1-0 in front of their fans by Stoke City at the weekend.

“I understand there were some fist cuffs among the players after the last game and the manager was greatly upset. The pressure is certainly on us,” Osaze revealed.

“But we have a good team and we will have no problems staying up in the Premier League.”

The Nigerian international has signed a three-year extension to his contract at

Yakubu snubs Rovers

S

KYSPORTS.COM understands Everton striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has turned down an approach from Blackburn.

The Nigeria international has slipped down the pecking order at Goodison Park of late and spent the second half of last season on loan at Leicester.

His time with the Foxes proved to be productive, as he notched 11 goals in 20 appearances.

He returned to Everton over

•Osaze

‘The Hawthorns’ to quell growing speculations about his future.

‘Osas’ is nursing an ankle injury and will miss his country’s must-win Nations Cup qualifier away in Madagascar on Sunday.

“I’m disappointed to miss this very important game, which we need to win. But I’m confident we will get present a team that should get all three points for us,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to playing at the Nations Cup next year.”

the summer, but remains on the fringes of David Moyes’ first-team fold.

A switch elsewhere was expected to materialise, but time is running out for him to make a move during the summer transfer window.

Blackburn were prepared to offer him Premier League football, with Steve Kean still in the market for fresh faces.

Yakubu has snubbed Rovers’ advances, though, and is to remain on Merseyside for the time being.

Ahmed Musa bereaved

T

RAGEDY struck the Super Eagles’ camp on Tuesday when news came in that racy winger Ahmed Musa had lost his cousin in a car crash on Monday night.

The young man had picked up the forward from the airport on Monday and drove him down to the hotel, but was involved in a car crash on his way back to Jos. He was killed on the spot, with other passengers suffering various injuries.

Musa, devastated by the tragedy, was given the option of

I’m grateful to Nigerians —Mikel

C

HELSEA and Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel Obi said he is committed to ensuring that Super Eagles qualify for the African Cup of Nation slated for Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year.

Speaking to NationSport in Abuja on Tuesday, the former youth international said since he returned to Nigeria, he has

From Patrick Ngwaogu, Abuja not visited his parents in Jos, saying that his commitment to national duties remains unabated.

“I have visited President Goodluck Jonathan today to thank him for the efforts in ensuring that my father was released by his abductors. I remain very grateful to all

Nigerians”.

He said that he does not plan to relocate his parents from Jos for now, saying that the city has done a lot for me, and I would not mind any sacrifice to ensure that peace return to the city. He said that they are going to approach the match against Madagascar with all seriousness, because their careers as players are at stake.

IAAF clears Asumnu for Nigeria

T

HE International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has declared sprinter,Gloria Asumnu eligible to start competing for Nigeria immediately after the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) led by its president,Evangelist Solomon Ogba protested her disqualification from the on-going 13th IAAF World Championships in Daegu,South Korea.

The IAAF had earlier written to the AFN after receiving Nigeria’s entry for the championships that the duo of Mayungbe Ibukun Blessing and Asumnu are not eligible to compete for Nigeria based on IAAF Competition Rule 5.2 which states that an athlete who has never competed in an International Competition under Rules 1.1(a), (b) or (f) shall be eligible to represent a Member in an International Competition under Rules 1.1(a), (b) or (f) if he is a Citizen of the Country and has been a

Citizen for the two-year period immediately preceding the International Competition in question.

The rule made it clear that the athlete must be carrying the passport of the country she wants to start competing for at least two years before the championships in question if not from birth.

The AFN had argued that Asumnu has dual citizenship and is thus a Nigerian from birth insisting that the world governing body should consider her case under IAAF Rule 5.2.d which deals with acquisition of new citizenship but the IAAF replied that it was not only the duty of the AFN to present all the facts of the case,but also that it was IAAF Rule 5.2.e which deals with dual citizenship and states inter-alia that if an athlete holds Citizenship of two (or more) Countries (or Territories), he may represent the Member of either (or any) of them, as

he may elect,that is applicable in Asumnu’s case.

The IAAF, however, left the door wide open for the AFN to make amends when its secretary general,Piess Weiss wrote to Maria Worphil,the AFN secretary general thus: We are ready to reconsider our earlier statement if you bring us clear proofs that she hold the Nigerian citizenship since her birth.

This the AFN did and the IAAF,through Weiss immediately declared the athlete,Gloria Asumnu eligible to compete for Nigeria in Daegu in a letter addressed to Ogba,president of the Nigerian Federation. ‘’Thanks to the President of the Nigerian Federation,Mr Ogba,we have the proof that this athlete holds the dual citizenship USA / Nigeria by birth.Having never competed internationally for USA, she is immediately eligible to compete for Nigeria’’,Weiss wrote in the letter.

leaving the camp but insisted that he will stay and play for the Super Eagles against Madagascar.

“He is a very brave boy,” coach Samson Siasia said. “We would all understand if he had taken the option of leaving, but he insisted on staying and that is very courageous of him.

“It shows how much these boys value their country that even in their toughest times, they still want to give everything.

“That is what patriotism is all about.”

Bolton confident of getting Onuoha

B

OLTON Wanderers remain in the frame for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.

The People says Trotters boss Owen Coyle has been trailing centre-half Onuoha, 24, for weeks, as cover for Arsenal target Gary Cahill. Onuoha is available for sale, with QPR ready to pay £3.5million to take

him to London.

Everton and Blackburn Rovers are keen on a loan move, but could turn that into cash if they sell Phil Jagielka and Chris Samba respectively.

Bolton, though, are leading the chase because they would look for a permanent deal, with the added benefit of allowing the player to stay in the area.

Sallah knocks off league, Cup matches

T

HE second semifinals of the 2011 Federation Cup between Premier League sides, Ocean Boys and Enyimba scheduled for Wednesday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City has been put off till Sunday.

Equally shifted indefinitely is the re-scheduled week 33 premier league game involving reigning champions, Enyimba and Kaduna United on Wednesday at the Aba Township Stadium.

Enyimba coach Okey Emordi who disclosed this to SuperSport.com said the Federation Cup semifinals tie was moved to Sunday to allow the league match take place on Wednesday but added that NPL later informed them that the league game will not go ahead as scheduled.

“No, the Federation Cup semi finals against Ocean Boys

will come up on Sunday in Benin.

“We are to play a league game on Wednesday against Kaduna United but that game has been postponed, I think at the instance of Kaduna United because of the Sallah holidays.

“So we are focusing our minds on the Federation Cup encounter on Sunday.”

Emordi who is upbeat that the Peoples Elephants will scale Ocean Boys’ hurdle informed SuperSport.com that they are not thinking of the finalist, Heartland at the moment.

“We will try our best and hopefully come out tops against ocean Boys.

“Ocean Boys are not cheap team that is why we are taking the encounter seriously.

“Naturally, we should anticipate playing Heartland in the final, but now first thing first. Let us cross over the Ocean Boys’ hurdle before we start thinking of Heartland in the final,” he said.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

62

NATION SPORT

8

MAN UNITED 8-2 ARSENAL

reasons why this is just the beginning for Fergie’s next generation

THE SHEER, unwavering authority with which Manchester United humiliated Arsenal during their 8-2 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday was such that you’d be forgiven for thinking that we’d never seen anything comparable between these two Premier League powerhouses.

However, only a decade ago did Sir Alex Ferguson’s side obliterate the Gunners 6-1 at the Theatre of Dreams as the Scot’s ‘Treble generation’ marched towards their seventh Premier League title. They would only win one more in the five years that followed.It is that which makes Sunday’s win so potentially significant. Indeed, the class of 2001 were laced with silverware and memories of the 1999 Champions League final but that was a group of players, triumphant as it was, coming to the end of their peak. United’s current side aren’t even close to reaching theirs.

The average age of the team that beat the likes of Henry, Pires and Wiltord 10 years ago was 27, four years older than Fergie’s 2011 crop.

With the aging Fabien Barthez, Roy Keane and Dwight Yorke as well as only one player under the age of 24 in Wes Brown, the final stage of the Treble team had all the quality of the side that we saw prove so dominant on Sunday but nothing like the same amount of unlocked potential.

Goal.com has taken a look at eight reasons why despite already looking unstoppable, this is only the beginning for Sir Alex’s current champions.

A happy Wayne Rooney As Wayne Rooney scored his sixth hat-trick in Manchester United colours, he became the club’s record Premier League goalscorer and took his tally for the club to 152, taking him above both Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy. The former Everton man has started the season superbly, in stark contrast to the jaded performances that plagued the first half of his 2010-11 campaign. The Red Devils’ talisman is back to his best and has never looked more content as a United player. What a difference a year makes.

Goals from all over the park As the goals flowed past the despairing Wojciech Szczesny, United went about their play with sparkling fluidity, as well as ruthless efficiency.

With five separate goalscorers and five separate players getting assists, the hosts moved across the park as a unit, and scored a variety of goals as a result. Indeed, Rooney’s strikes were all set-pieces but the lung-busting running of Patrice Evra and Chris Smalling coupled with the neat interchange of Cleverley and Anderson in the middle left Arsenal defending on multiple fronts. They couldn’t cope, and Sir Alex’s side revelled in exploiting them.

•Ferguson The United Way The youngsters at the club, both those who have come through the academy and elsewhere, quite simply seem to get the Ferguson philosophy. ‘Not knowing when they’re beaten’ has certainly been a defining characteristic of the Scot’s era but so is the ruthless ‘never knowing when they’ve won’ desire to score and score and score. It’s what eventually set the Red Devils apart from Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea and the willingness of Phil Jones to get forward against Arsenal, as well as Ashley Young’s late probing, exemplified it perfectly.

•Welbeck

Strength in depth Five of the starting XI against Arsenal on Sunday weren’t even at the club last season. Yes, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley were only temporary departees but for almost half of the side to have been relative new faces speaks volumes regarding the quality with which the Old Trafford outfit’s squad has been bolstered over the summer.

Ferdinand, Vidic and Hernandez were all absent from the pitch at kick-off - the result makes clear how little it mattered.

Yet another goalscoring hero Dimitar Berbatov will have been resigned to losing his starting spot to Javier Hernandez this season after the Mexican exploded on to the scene at Old Trafford in 2010-11. Yet he, like most others, wouldn’t have been expecting to be usurped by the 20-year-old from Longsight. With two goals and a simply beautiful assist in his last two appearances, the youngster is already brimming with potential. We can only hope that the hamstring injury that saw him substituted at the Theatre of Dreams doesn’t prove to be too serious.

•Young Ashley Young already proving his worth Questions over Young’s ability to step up to the very highest level following his move from Aston Villa appeared justified at the time.

However, his first few performances at his new club, especially an unstoppable two-goal showing against Arsenal now make them look frankly ridiculous. Attacking, hard-working and as classy as they come, the ex-Watford winger looks every inch the Manchester United player and moreover, the bargain of the summer.

An improving David de Gea Theo Walcott’s goal should possibly have been stopped by United’s socalled replacement for Edwin van der Sar but with a penalty save under his belt and a quite phenomenal stop to keep out Robin van Persie’s late volley, the dissenting voices questioning the signing of the young Spaniard are providing less ammo as each game passes. The 20-year-old may continue to make mistakes, but there’s no doubt that they’ll be coupled with already evident improvement.

•Smalling A blossoming Chris Smalling Having gone from non-league Maidstone to one of the Premier League’s finest young defenders in the space of three years, Chris Smalling sums up the excitement surrounding Ferguson’s latest fledglings. Eyebrows were justifiably raised when the champions shelled out £12 million for a young centre-back with barely any first-team experience at Fulham in January 2010 but he has since proved himself an able replacement for Rio Ferdinand and more recently, a devastating attacking full-back.

Understated he may be, but the 21-year-old is proving to be a phenomenal acquisition.

THE NATION WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

63

http://www.thenationonlineng.net

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.7 NO.1869

Tomorrow in THE NATION ‘We need to move away from “come and chop” politics that unfortunately permeates our society with the result that very few people can speak truth to power. This denies our leaders good advice and the rest of us good governance emanating from good advice’ JIDE OSUNTOKUN

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

A

UGUST as in, say, “August visitor,” is, a dictionary says, someone or something “full of solemn splendour and dignity.” Solemn perhaps, but in Nigeria the month of August this year, which takes a bow today, has been anything but splendid and dignified. On the contrary, it’s been awful, to put it mildly.

First, last Friday, August 26, witnessed a most senseless bombing of the United Nations Building in Abuja for which the now much dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect has since taken credit. That attack was as cowardly as it was senseless; it took 23 lives, at the last count, and injured scores more, all of them completely innocent of the persecution of its members the leadership has often accused the Federal Government of, albeit not without some justification.

Certainly compared to the Nigeria Police Headquarters, Abuja, which they had bombed months earlier, the United Nations building couldn’t have been a softer target.

The attack was also senseless because it’s impossible to see how it could further the cause of Islam as a religion of peace. On the contrary, it could only put Islam in Nigeria on the defensive in a world where its profiling by Western propaganda as a religion of violence has become virtually a global article of faith, in spite of the fact that the West’s production and use of the weapons of mass destruction has been unmatched before and since America, as its leader, recklessly nuked the Japanese at the end of World War II. The country was still reeling from the shock of the bombing of the UN Building when violence broke out last Monday in violenceprone Jos, Plateau State, between some Muslims celebrating this year’s Eid el-Fitr, and Christians. There were no official figures of casualties as at the time of this writing, but reports talked of several dead and many more injured and hundreds of the worshippers’ vehicles destroyed.

However, unlike the bombing of the UN Building, the authorities in the state apparently saw the Sallah day violence coming; security officials and religious and community leaders had met to discuss strong rumours of possible reprisal attacks on worshippers for last year’s unprecedented Christmas bombing in the town which had been blamed on Muslims. In the end their plans to avert the violence came to nought partly because a group of the Muslims decided to celebrate Sallah a day before the security arrangements agreed upon could be put in place, but more so because the authorities in the state continue to discriminate between creed and tongue in carrying out their responsibility to protect citizens in the state.

Both last Friday’s bombing of the UN Building and the Jos Sallah violence show that beyond mouthing the usual knee-jerk rhetoric of giving no quarters to terrorists, the authorities are yet to get down to the hard task of identifying the right but difficult mix of carrots and sticks that can bring an end to the deepening insecurity in the country.

For me, the main obstacle to identifying this mix is the self-interested politics of our

RIPPLES BABANGIDA, PILLAR OF UNITY, STABILITY, says Atiku

...PRAISE SINGERS NIGERIA PLC

People and Politics By MOHAMMED HARUNA ndajika@yahoo.com

An inauspicious August

•Justice Musdapher

leaders. I believe between the attitude of our leaders and the appropriate rules of the game, attitude is far and away more important, if democracy and good governance is to take root and grow in our society.

It is because our leaders, as a rule, lack the right attitude to democracy and governance that things have hardly worked in this country. Instead, they seem to have an attitude of ignoring any fact or logic, and of subverting any rule that gets in the way of their goals, even if the rule is as well-intentioned and as unambiguous as can be.

In the case of the Boko Haram menace, for example, the facts and the logic of the involvement of the former Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Modu Sherrif, with the sect’s leadership before the extra judicial murder of its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, provide a clue to its possible solution. Yet, because the former governor played a key role in securing much of the votes in the North East for President Goodluck in the last presidential elections, all indications are that Abuja has neither the will nor the intention to pursue that clue.

Instead, the authorities have been too keen on pursuing the easier scorched earth policy of collective punishment of the residents of

Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, when it is obvious that such a policy is no solution to the problem.

If this country has had two visitors on the security front this month that are anything but August, what has happened on the judicial front during the month are, in a way, worse, except of course, for the loss of innocent lives and the scope of destruction of property that resulted from the bombing of the United Nations Building and the Jos Sallah violence.

I am, of course, talking about last week’s sacking of Justice Isa Ayo Salami, as the President of the Court of Appeal by the now departed Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, clearly with the connivance of President Jonathan. Salami’s alleged crime was that he perjured himself when he accused the former CJN, who retired last Sunday, of instructing him to direct a panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto to dismiss an appeal against the state’s governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. Salami’s key witness and now the CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, had testified on oath that nothing of such had happened. Musdapher, according to Salami, was the third party when the former CJN so instructed him to favour Wamakko.

Salami’s sack was the culmination of what has clearly been a proxy war between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the leading opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), a war which began when the Court of Appeal replaced most of the PDP governors in the South-West that had come to power in the 2007 general elections with those of ACN ahead of this year’s elections.

Naturally, the court’s judgements did not go down well with the PDP; several of the party’s kingpins in the region went on to accuse the court of accepting bribes to answer ACN’s prayers.

For the PDP, it seems Sokoto State was the limit when all indications were that it was

HARDBALL

T

HE familiar path in the rejuvenation or transformation of nations is for the president to set out his economic policies, and then find the men and women who can help him deliver the goods. It is not often that Nigeria follows that formula. Gen Ibrahim Babangida took power before he got Chief Olu Falae to set up his economic framework.

In the end it became a framework he really was not passionate about, hence his repeated breach of its paradigms. Gen Sani Abacha was also uniquely vacant until he got an economic council under Professor Aluko to prepare his economic blueprint and boundaries. In spite of Abacha and his cronies stealing the country blind, the economy withstood the relentless badgering. As proud and truculent as Chief Obasanjo was, he also assumed office before he got Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to set an economic direction for him. He kept to the punishing routine of that direction only because he was also fundamentally a purveyor of punishment.

Why change a supposedly winning formula? If other heads of state or presidents followed the familiar path of seeking the kingdom first before determining how to govern, why should Dr Goodluck Jonathan be schizoid about an economy that at best runs on autopilot, and at worst submits meekly to the tremulous and experimental hands of economic wizards? It was, therefore, not surprising that he did not attempt to inflame any passion with cocksure economic ideas before

about to lose the state to the opposition DPP’s governorship candidate, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, following his appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal to allow Wamakko to stand in the rerun of the 2007 governorship election which the court had annulled on the grounds that Wamakko was not initially qualified to run for the office.

There are, I believe, rights and wrongs on both sides of this unfortunate proxy war. I believe, however, Salami is more right than the former CJN. First, the former CJN may or may not have instructed Salami to rule in favour of Wamakko, but he certainly instructed him to keep the judgement the Court of Appeal was about to deliver on hold and reconstitute the panel. However well-intentioned the former CJN may have been, he knew he had no power to have so intervened.

Second, the Constitution seems to have given the CJN almost absolute power in the composition of the National Judicial Council, the disciplinary organ of members of the bench.

Of its 25 odd members, only four – himself, the number two in the Supreme Court, the President of the Court of Appeal and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court – are ex-officio. The rest are appointed entirely at the CJN’s discretion.

It seems to me in settling his score with Salami, the former CJN deployed his near absolute power with little or no discretion that the use such power requires.

Above all, the NJC was obviously wrong to use the outcome of the report of the panel it set up to look into the quarrel between the CJN and Salami as a basis for accusing him of perjury and proceeding from there to recommend his sack in the guise of “suspension” to the President. Perjury is a matter for the courts to determine and the NJC is no court.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the case, it is now as clear as daylight that the politicians, as I said when I wrote about this issue on these pages for the second time on February 16, have succeeded in dragging the judiciary into their fight for power in a way that cannot augur well for democracy in this country.

Then as now, I believe the ultimate responsibility for restoring the judiciary’s honour and independence following this squalid affair lies with the members of the bench themselves. It was their fault that they allowed themselves to be dragged into the war of the politicians. They owe themselves and the country to do everything lawful to drag themselves out of it.

•For comments, send SMS to 08054502909

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Same old economic orthodoxies he got hold of the levers of power. Sure, he gave out some feeble ideas about an x-point programme, a little innovatively different from that of his immediate predecessor, but there was nothing in it either germane to the country’s true needs or earth-shaking in its novelty. Enter the dragon, Okonjo-Iweala, until recently the World Bank purist we loved to hate when she practiced her sorcery under Obasanjo.

Since Jonathan merely gave us a tentative economic programme to get elected, and since we expected nothing dazzling from him, it was fitting that both the leader and the led sheepishly wait for anyone who could practice her witchcraft on us. It turned out that the eminent OkonjoIweala was again prevailed on by the equally eminent Jonathan to do an encore. The jury was still out on her previous record, which many felt benefited the world economic system more than the Nigerian economy, but time heals wounds in profound ways. And of course since her exit, the economy had groped aimlessly around until it ended in a ravine. Returning as a more powerful minister, not to say woman, she has been made head of the president’s economic team, with responsibility to turn things around with her famous international economic orthodoxies.

Already, Okonjo-Iweala has begun to compose her music. Debts, particularly domestic debts

must come down. Recurrent spending will also have to be cut significantly. What of the scarecrow, fuel subsidy? It must also go, she says, though not overnight, and at a time that only the Brahmins in government would decide. Is it that there were no domestic wizards who could formulate these ideas to rejig and rejuvenate our economy? Why, of course, there were. What was lacking was the acknowledgement that there is always an imponderable political side to these economic panaceas over which no in-house guru was trusted to wave his magic wand. Okonjo-Iweala has not always been sensitive to the political side, and there is nothing in her return to the World Bank to give us hope that she has taken refresher courses. Nor is there anything to show that the president, who has handed the soul of the country to her, has the political will to push through her new-fangled ideas.

Jonathan is both simplistic and beguiling in his optimism. But if it were that simple to create economic nirvana, the powerful economies of most of Europe and the US would not be in trouble. Rather than restructure the country and make it more cost-effective to run regionally and federally, and secularly to boot, Jonathan and Okonjo-Iweala hope to use economic tools to repair a dysfunctional polity.

Alas, history is not on their side.

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025,Oshodi, Lagos.

Telephone: Switch Board: 01-8168361. Editor Daily:01-8962807, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302.

E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO