The Nation December 18, 2012

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

Okonjo-Iweala: why mum was abducted •‘Subsidy fraudsters behind it’

NEWS Page 2

Actors seek Nkiru’s freedom

NEWS Page 58

•Okorocha to security: rescue her

www.thenationonlineng.net

VOL. 7, NO. 2344 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

DEATH OF YAKOWA, AZAZI, OTHERS

Azazi’s children recount their last dinner with dad Our agony, by parents of Co-pilot Sowole

Death aborts Xmas carol, likely ambassadorial job

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FTER overcoming the initial shock of losing their loved dad, the late Gen. Owoye Azazi’s children relived yesterday their last moments with him.

The former National Security Adviser (NSA) and his family had dinner with his children on Friday at his Ikoyi home in Lagos, The Nation was told.

He joked with them and spoke about the planned Christmas carol billed for tomorrow at his residence.

Gen. Azazi died in Saturday’s naval helicopter crash in Tombi, Bayelsa State. He was with Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and four others, who all died in the crash.

Three of Gen. Azazi’s children – Owoye Jnr, Benatare and Pelede – recounted their last moments with the former Chief of Defence Staff.

They spoke after the visit of First Lady Patience Jonathan, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, former Head of Interim National Government (ING) Chief Ernest Shonekan and former Ogun State

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On hearing about the crash, I rushed back to the airport. I was at the airport until they closed for the day, wishing something would just happen and he was not inside that helicopter. But it dawned on me my dad was not coming back when the airport closed for the day.

’

By Precious Igbonwelundu, Staff Reporter

Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba, among others.

Owoye Jnr said: “I do not know where to start from, but what I do know is that we have to work hard to ensure our mum gets over this shock.

“I saw my dad last on Friday night because we had dinner in the house here. At dinner, he cracked his usual jokes; we all laughed and we discussed some things we needed to do.

•STILL IN SHOCK: Mrs Azazi...yesterday

HE Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos suburb home of the Sowoles was enveloped in gloom yesterday.

Parents of Navy Lt. David Adeyemi Sowole, 32, the copilot of the ill-fated Navy helicopter that crashed on Saturday sat forlorn at their 28, Akintoye Street home, mourning their son and breadwinner.

He died along with five others, including Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Gen. Owoye Azazi.

Lt. Sowoye got married on March 26, last year to Eniola.

Their daughter, Teniola, was born barely nine months ago.

His parents - Prince Solomon Kolawole Sowole and his wife, Olufunke – recounted their last conversation with their son and how they heard the tragic news on a newspaper review programme in which the names of the victims of the chopper crash were announced Sunday morning.

Pa Sowole recounted the shock he went through when he heard his son’s name on

By Adebisi Onanuga, Staff Correspondent

“Koko inu Iwe Iroyin”, a Yoruba language newspaper review programme.

He said neigbours, who also heard his name on the programme, rushed to his home to commiserate with the family.

He described his son as “a very gentle, honest, humble, trustworthy and highly disciplined person, who does not want people to deceive other people”. “He was a man who believed in sincerity to all and malice to none.”

He said his death is painful to the family.

Mrs Kolawole said her son called her Friday evening and assured her that he would be back in Lagos as soon as he was through with an official assignment he was handling.

She said the late Lt. Sowole was initially due to be back in Lagos on Saturday, the day he flew in the Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

INSIDE

•Navy sets up board to probe crash •Governors seek transparency •First Lady weeps as she visits MORE Yakowa’s, Azazi’s widows AND ON PAGES •House launches investigation 2,4 & 5

•THEIR GREA T D AY: The late Lt. Sowole and Eniola, on their wedding day, March 26, 2011 GREAT DA

•IMO COUNCIL CHIEFS: PROBE OKOROCHA FOR N13.5B BOND P58

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

NEWS Subsidy fraudsters behind my mum’s kidnap, says Okonjo-Iweala

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INANCE Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has disclosed why her mother was kidnapped.

She told reporters yesterday that she “can’t give all the details because we don’t want to compromise on-going investigations”, but, according to her, her mother told investigators that the abductors said she was kidnapped because her daughter refused to pay subsidy cash and blocked payment to certain components of the SURE-P programme.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said: “Apart from the emotional trauma of being violently taken away from her family and kept incommunicado for five days in a strange environment, a woman of 83 years was left without food and water for five days.”

The Okonjo family, she said, “are thankful and give glory to God that she is alive today to tell the tale.”

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said the kidnappers “spent much of the time harassing the old woman. They told her that I must get on the radio and television and announce my resignation. When she asked why, they told her it was be-

From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

cause I did not pay oil subsidy money; they also said I had blocked payment of money to certain components of the SURE-P programme.”

These, she said, are not true. In the case of subsidy payments, she said, the government has been paying all marketers whose claims have been verified by the Aig-Imoukhuede Committee after going through the processes.

But she remained defiant that claims that can not be verified or marketers still owing the government will not be paid.

Said the minister: “For marketers whose transactions are proven to be fraudulent, the position of the Jonathan government is also clear; we cannot and we will not pay. We will not back down on this. We will continue to stand firm.” This is the right thing to do. And this, I believe, is what the Nigerian people want.

With regards to the case of SURE-P, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said: “There is a totally different process that I have

no control over.”

The minister was grateful to members of the international community for their support, notably “the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr David Cameron, who took the trouble to write a personal note to encourage me; the United States Embassy and government; the Secretary General of the United Nations and the entire UN family; the President of the World Bank and former Presidents of the World Bank; the Managing Director of the IMF; the Mo Ibrahim Foundation; Bono and the One Foundation; Heads of international agencies and dignitaries”.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala thanked President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady who, she said “were absolutely wonderful and first rate in their support and encouragement to me and my family throughout this terrible ordeal”. “The President took a daily interest in the case and gave directives for appropriate action by the security agencies.”

The security agencies she noted also did a good job.

She said they were “very

Azazi’s children recount their last dinner with dad Continued from page 1

•Dr. Okonjo-Iweal

professional and enthusiastic in the discharge of their duties”. “I am hopeful that they will complete the job which they started so well.”

However, the news conference was tempered by the death of the former governor of Kaduna State Mr Patrick Yakowa, and the former National Security Adviser, Gen Andrew Azazi, in an helicopter crash at the weekend.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, said her heart “is heavy, with the news of the passing of my brothers, Governor Patrick Yakowa, General Andrew Aziza and the others who were on that last flight with them. “It is, indeed, a great tragedy. Our sympathy and prayers go to their families.

We pray for divine comfort for them in this very difficult time.”

I told him we would continue when he returned.

“Because he was to travel to Abuja from that trip; we agreed we would see on Monday, little did I know it was my last with him.

“I heard about the crash but could not believe it and just wished he was not there, even though I knew he was in the aircraft.

“Life without him is really unimaginable, but can we question God? As you can see, most of the people here today are those who had personal encounters with him. They knew him because he affected their lives in one way or the other.

“He was not our dad alone; he was father to everybody.

That is the kind of person he was. It is going to be hard, but God will be our strength.

“Our main interest now is our mother and how to ensure she does not miss him so much. We have not set a burial date yet; we are still deliberating as a family,” he said.

Benatare, who was in tears as she spoke with our reporter, said she was at the airport until the airport closed for the day, just wishing her father would come out somehow, somewhere.

She said: “I saw my dad on Friday in Abuja. He brought some things for me from Lagos, so, I met him at the airport to pick the things up. He told me he was coming back and we would have time to discuss and so I left.

“On hearing about the crash, I rushed back to the airport. I was at the airport until they closed for the day, wishing something would just happen and he was not inside that helicopter.

“But it dawned on me my dad was not coming back when the airport closed for the day. I am yet to come out of the shock.

“He was a wonderful father.

I do not think there is any dad like mine. Nothing he

wouldn’t do for us. He did everything. I cannot even imagine he is no more. It is really hard to believe.”

Pelede said: “I will surely miss my father and no matter how anybody tries to father me, it will never be like my dad.

“I had a close bond with my father. I remember we all came here to have dinner together on Friday and my brother Owoye was supposed to go and watch Sunny Ade (a juju musician) at Ikoyi Club.

“My dad laughed and spoke about how Sunny Ade would normally dance while playing, which he can no longer do so well now; he is an old man.

“We all laughed and shared jokes. We discussed our annual carol, especially because this year’s was to hold on Wednesday. So, I told him, ‘okay dad, have a safe trip tomorrow, I will see you when you return, but here we are.

“I still believe it is a nightmare. I really wish to wake up to realise I have been in a dream all the while. But it has happened and we thank God. We have to thank God in all things.

“He was a great gentleman; he served this country with a passion. He was a father who can never be replaced and I only wish I could just see him one last time to tell him I love him.

“Life without him will be unbearable but we have to do our best to cope. I will say he left a big legacy for us to feel.

His shoes are really big for us to occupy, but we will make sure we do our best not to disappoint him.

Feelers from the late general’s home yesterday indicated that his family and close associates suspect foul play in the way he died.

Some family members believe that the late Gen. Azazi was to be appointed an ambassador in January before the disaster occurred.

A family member said: “No Continued on page 63

Pipeline fire in Lagos suburb •Vice President Namadi Sambo cutting the tape to open the rehabilitated Ilorin Central Mosque…at the weekend. With him are Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari (left); Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji •Kwara State Governor Abdul Sa’ad Abubakar; Senator Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal Fatah Ahmed...on the ocassion

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HUGE pipeline fire was raging at Ijeododo, a community in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State last night.

According to a report on a Lagos-based Television Continental (TVC), residents were fleeing the area as fire fighters battled to put out the fire at about 11pm.

Governors seek transparency as Navy names probe board

HE Navy recovered yesterday from the hangover of last Saturday’s crash to begin the seemingly complex task of finding out why the helicopter went down.

It set up a board to probe the crash, which occurred in Bayelsa.

Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Gen. Owoye Azazi and four others, including the pilot and co-pilot, died in the crash.

The House of Representatives announced its plan to probe the crash.

Governors also backed the planned probe, saying it must be thorough and transparent.

The governors at an emergency meeting yesterday at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, called for transparency of the investigation.

They also resolved to engage consultants to be part of the investigation team and serve as an observers.

Rivers State Governor Roti-

Our agony, by parents of Co-pilot Sowole Continued from page 1

crashed helicopter.

Olufunke said she discussed with her son for about 20 minutes on the telephone and that there was no sign that something would go wrong.

“He called me several times and asked me to go to the hospital. When I would not go, he called his father and insisted that he must make me to go to the hospital.

“He asked after everybody in the house. It never occurred to me that he would not be back,” she lamented.

Sowole said when his son called him on Friday, it was from Warri, Delta State, where he went on a relief duty for three weeks. He said he had instructions to stay back in Warri because he would be involved in a special assignment.

From Yusuf Alli, Dele Anofi, Victor Oluwasegun and Vincent Ikuomola Abuja

mi Amaechi, who read the communiqué said: “Members support the directive of the President for a thorough in-

The elder Sowole said: “On Friday, his mother said she was weak generally in the body and he asked me to take her to the hospital. He had earlier called my wife and they discussed. Thereafter, he asked me to arrange to take her to the hospital.

“During the night, my wife could not sleep and was complaining of body pains. At about 6 am on Saturday, his younger brother drove their mother to the hospital,” he said.

Sowole said he discussed with his son about his job. “I asked him about his job and he told me it was okay. He asked after everybody, his brothers, his sisters, his mother and every other member of the family. “ Sowole said Lt. Sowole called his wife, when he was about to board the chopper at Okoroba for Port Harcourt that fateful Saturday and assured her that he would be back soon.

According to him, the family became apprehensive when they heard the news on the ra-

vestigation into the immediate and remote causes of the helicopter crash and call for transparency and openness in the process.”

“Forum further resolved to engage a consultant to partici-

dio on Saturday that there was a helicopter crash somewhere in Bayelsa State.

“We called all his mobile phone numbers, but we couldn’t make any contact with him. When I visited his mother in the hospital, I couldn’t tell her anything because of the state of her health.

“While we were listening to the news on the television that night, a boy came from Warri to Lagos and called his younger brother, Owolabi. I found the call rather unusual and concluded that something must have happened.

“The boy who called asked after me.

When we asked him what the matter was all about, he could not bring himself to tell me what happened. But he assured me that there was nothing to worry about, that he saw my son a few minutes earlier. Notwithstanding what he said, I was not settled.”

pate in the investigation process or serve as an observer.”

Rear Adm. Emmanuel Ogbor, the Chief of Training and Operations of the Navy announced the constitution of the board in Abuja.

He said members, who are aircraft investigation specialists, are drawn from Agusta Westland, the manufacturer of the ill-fated aircraft and other aviation regulatory agencies, as provided by extant regula-

tions.

Adm. Ogbor said some components of the helicopter that could assist the board to carry out its investigation had been recovered.

“It is expected that the board will come out with the remote and immediate causes of the accident with far reaching recommendations that will forestall future occurrence,’’ he said.

Adm. Ogbor explained that the Navy’s helicopters, including the NN07 which crashed, were properly maintained and serviced regularly, in accordance with the manufacturer’s Continued on page 63

ADVERT HOTLINES: 08023006969, 08052592524 NEWSROOM: LAGOS – 01-8962807, ABUJA – 07028105302 COMPLAINTS: 01-8930678

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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NEWS DEATH OF YAKOWA, AZAZI, OTHERS

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (right), Mrs Abari (second right), widow, Mrs Alero Azazi (second left) and grandchildren of the deceased, Master Krystoph Osuku (left) and Miss Tega Okoro (middle) during Fashola’s condolence visit to the deceased family ... yesterday.

•Mrs. Jonathan (right) with the wife of Vice President, Hajiya Amina Sambo acknowledging sympatisers when she paid a condolence visit to the family of late Yakowa at Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna ... yesterday.

•Former Minister of State for Defence Demola Seriki during a condolence visit to the family of •Parents of the co-pilot of the ill-fated helicopter, Mr and Mrs Sowole at their Iyana-Ipaja, •House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tanbuwal condoling with PHOTO: BISI ONANUGA Lagos home ... yesterday. the late Yakowa’s son, Jatau-Peter ... yesterday. the late Gen. Azazi ... yesterday.

First Lady weeps as she visits Y F

IRST Lady Dame Patience Jonathan was in tears yesterday at the official residence of the former Governor of Kaduna State, the late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.

She was on a condolence visit to the family over the demise of the former governor in a helicopter crash on Saturday.

Yakowa’s corpse arrival in Kaduna from Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, was delayed by another 24 hours. The remains are to be flown in tomorrow.

Dame Jonathan, who came into the Kaduna Government House at exactly 1.12pm and departed at 2.08pm said: “I am sorry that I am crying. I cry because I am a woman and I know what she (Amina) is passing through at the moment. We came here to console her and sympathise with the good people of Kaduna State.It's quite unfortunate that we lost a peaceful and supportive man, a man who was always filled with joy.

“My only advice to you my friend is that you should take heart, have faith in God because only God can comfort and protect you and your kids.

“Yakowa was a peaceful man; a man who is everything; a strong, hard-working man. My sister and friend, we seat here with you in sorrow. I want you to know that you are now the mother and father of your children and we will continue to hold you in prayers.

“It is only God that can comfort because man cannot comfort you.

May Almighty comfort you. It is quite unfortunate because this is the time we need Yakowa most in our midst; but God has called him. My beloved sister, take heart and endure the loss and be there for your children.”

Bayelsa awaits crash report

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HE Bayelsa State Government said it is awaiting the outcome of investigation into the navy helicopter crash that killed Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, former National Security Adviser (NSA) Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi and four others.

Governor Seriake Dickson spoke yesterday in Yenagoa, where he received the investigation team from the Federal Government led by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba.

The governor, who described the crash as a monumental tragedy, reaffirmed his administration's commitment and support for the investigation.

He commended the naval chief and the team for their prompt response by visiting the state to carry out an assessment of the crash site at Tombi, in Nembe Local Government Area.

Dickson expressed the condolences of the government and people of Bayelsa over the death of Yakowa, noting that he was a guest of the state, building relationships.

On the former NSA, Azazi, the governor said: "Here we have lost one of our best, who means so much to the state and has contributed towards nation building."

Dickson described the navy pilot among the dead as diligent officers, who had served in the state during the flood period and commended their sense of duty and professionalism.

"I condole with the entire military, as well as their families for the tragic loss. We are all mourning the loss of these great patriots."

The governor remarked that the navy had been a critical pillar of support to the state in the quest to ensure peace and stability.

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

Dame Jonathan wrote in the condolence register: “Our dearly beloved Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, we received with rude shock news of your sudden and painful departure. We, however,

He said the administration had already declared three days of mourning in the state, adding that all formal government activities had been suspended.

Dickson assured the chief of naval staff that the state government would continue to play its constitutional roles and called for more interactions from the navy to discuss issues of common interest.

Ezeoba had urged Nigerians to remain united despite of the pain and grief occasioned by the national loss.

According to him, “in spite all, we will continue to give thanks to God.” Ezeoba said that President Goodluck Jonathan had directed a detailed investigation into the crash, and gave the assurance that necessary steps would be taken to unravel its cause.

Kano State Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso described the late Yakowa as a leader who contributed immensely for mutual coexistence in Kaduna and the entire country.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press, Malam Halilu Dantiye, in Kano.

According to the statement, Kwankwaso made the remark while addressing supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House.

In the statement, Kwankwaso said that the late Yakowa had always worked very hard with other Northern governors to ensure that peace returned to the Northern part of the country.

It also described Yakowa as ``a complete gentleman and a leader’’, who was committed to the socio-economic development of his people.

give God praise that you lived a worthy life full of honour and integrity.

“We are also gladdened that you were a true patriot who was devoted to the welfare of your people without respect for the divides and differences. Our prayer is that God

•The late Yakowa The statement described the late Azazi, as a fine military officer who served his country very well.

It condoled with the families of the late Yakowa, Azazi and the pilot, Murtala Daba, who

almighty will receive you into His peace and grant your sweet repose”.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who welcomed the guests, had described the late Yakowa as ``a solidifier''. ``He was a true Nigerian and a

friend to everyone. He solidified Kaduna and he sought to bring people together.''

Sambo expressed ``deep and sincere appreciation'' to all those who came to commiserate with the Yakowa family and the state government over the governor's death.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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NEWS DEATH OF YAKOWA, AZAZI, OTHERS

Crash: NBA calls for probe

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HE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Federal Government to probe the cause of the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of Kaduna Governor Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi.

In a statement, the NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN), said the association was shocked by the deaths of the two and others.

The statement reads: “It was with shock that we received the very sad news of the helicopter crash on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at Okoroba, Nembe local Government Area , Bayelsa State, which claimed the lives of Governor Patrick Yakowa and General Azazi along with some others.

“The Nigerian Bar Association mourns these perfect gentlemen.

Governor Yakowa epitomised of

•Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido signing the condolence register...yesterday.

PHOTOS: TONY AKOWE

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

humility and General Azazi an intelligence officer, exhumed intelligence, the brave pilot and the others that perished in that heart breaking crash, what great losses to our country.

“The NBA calls on the federal Government to order for thorough investigation into the helicopter crash to determine the cause so as to avoid future occurrences of such ugly incident “Our faith in the Almighty cannot be tempted, we will remain faithful and continue to pray for the repose of their souls in the bossom of the Almighty, while praying for fortitude for their families, friends, states and our country to bear these irreparable losses. May the souls of those faithful departed rest in peace.”

‘Don’t hold NCAA responsible for crash’

F •PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur signing the condolence register at the Government House, Kaduna ... yesterday.

•Pecede, son of the late Azazi at their Ikoyi, Lagos home...yesterday

s Yakowa’s widow

•The late Azazi hailed from Kano State and others who lost their lives during the illfated helicopter crash.

The Nation learnt at the Government House, Kaduna, that the remains of Yakowa could not be brought in yesterday as originally scheduled.

Arrangements have been concluded for the burial in his home town of Kagoma on Thursday.

Government House sources in-

formed that Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has offered to provide the aircraft that will convey the remains of the governor to Kaduna.

The source said that some members of the Governor’s Forum are expected to accompany the body to Kaduna today.

Dignitaries, including the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State have been trooping to the Government House to commiserate with the family.

Lamido said of the late Yakowa: “Death was a sacrifice for peace and unity in the country and asked all Nigerians to forget their differences and work for the unity of the country.”

He wrote in the condolence register: “We have lost a friend and a colleague and above all, a key player in knitting this complex state and country”.

Tukur described Yakowa as “a man of peace, unity that sets out to pursue development and progress of the state irrespective of the area that needed development.”

He called on the new governor not to deviate from the path set by his late boss.

House of Representative Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who was one of the early callers at the Government House, wrote in the register: “We have lost a man of peace.”

Presidential Adviser on Public Affairs, Uba Sani, who who paid a condolence visit, described Yakowa as “a very good and patriotic leader who was extremely selfless.”

Nigeria's High Commissioner to the the United Kingdom (UK), Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, described the death of Yakowa as a great lost to the nation.

Tafida, in an interview with the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in London, said Yakowa was a humble and hardworking man who rose from grass to grace.

The envoy said: “The late Sir Patrick Yakowa was a fantastic gentleman, hard-working, and somebody who grew from grass to grace as he rose as a civil servant to the peak of service in Kaduna State and then a minister at the federal level.

“Just as we come, so we will go anytime God wants us, we will go.

Yakowa was an excellent person, I worked with him as Secretary of the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Project.

“I hope and pray that his family will be able to accept the will of Allah.”

Similarly, some Kaduna State indigenes resident in the UK have expressed shock over the incident which they described as "unbelievable".

Mr Inuwa Bako, a member of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK), urged the Federal Government to carry out a full investigation into the crash.

Bako told NAN that a probe would proffer solutions to prevent a recurrence, especially those caused by human and technical faults.

In another development, Mrs Maria Shemang, a Kaduna indigene, said: ``We were told the governor will visit the UK in 2013, and that should have been an opportunity to meet him one on one and voice out our concerns on the areas we can contribute for the development of the home front."

Shemang prayed to God to grant the families of the deceased the fortitude to bear the losses.

ORMER spokesman of Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL), Mr. Chris Aligbe, yesterday cautioned against holding the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) liable for the crash of the Agusta helicopter which killed the former Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi.

Aligbe, who is Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konsult, said military aviation is self regulatory and outside the purview of the NCAA. He said: ”There is institutional difference in oversight of both military and civil aviation operations.All the aviation agencies have no iota of responsibility over military operations. Even the AIB cannot investigate military air accidents. They do not come under the inventory of the NCAA. The military are self-regulating; they train their staff to the highest level.

The military has full compliments over the regulation of their aircraft.”

He urged the military to build internal capacity for their aircraft.

On the call that military aircraft should be brought under the supervision of the ministry of aviation, Aligbe said such proposal will not

work, because the NCAA has no competence to oversee military transport aircraft and other fighter jets in their fleet.

He said: “It will not work, because the NCAA does not have internal capacity to regulate military transport planes and fighter jets. It is unfortunate that the crash occurred and some illustrious Nigerians, including the Kaduna State governor and the former National Security Adviser died.

“Sadly, some people now want to frighten the travelling public, because of the questions over air safety in Nigeria, as it affects the quality of civil aviation regulation.

“There is difference between military and civil aviation. Any professional that talks about it is not worth his sort. We all have to wait for the report of the investigation, because it would amount to being presumptive to hold such position. That to say the least, is against global standards.

He explained that since 2005 when the aviation industry was bedevilled by series of air crashes, government has risen to the situation by facilitating infrastructure upgrade and other steps needed to improve air safety.”

Ihedioha, Yuguda mourn crash victims

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EPUTY Speaker, House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha and Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda have expressed shock over the death of Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Patrick Aziza, and four others in an helicopter crash.

The deputy speaker, in a statement, described the crash as another unfortunate blight on the history of 2012 and one which has brought unquantifiable pain and distress to the families of the victims, the government and people of Kaduna and Bayelsa states.

Ihedioha said both Yakowa and Azazi served the country in various capacities and praised their contributions to national development, observing particularly that Yakowa would be remembered as a governor who promoted peace and interreligious co-existence in Kaduna State.

He prayed God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest while condoling with the families of the affected as well as the government

and people of Kaduna and Bayelsa states.

Yuguda, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ishola Michael Adeyemi, said: "Last Saturday was indeed a Black Saturday not only for Kaduna and Bayelsa states but the rest of us as we lost a rare gem who did everything possible to see that his state was peaceful despite the security challenges facing this part of the country, he will be greatly missed by his people."

The governor described the late Yakowa as a man of the people who ensured that justice was done to all, irrespective of race, tribe or religion.

"He was one Nigerian who is worthy of emulation. He died for peace and unity of not only Kaduna state but the country at large, his wealth of experience will be missed by all," Yuguda said.

The Bauchi governor described the late Azazi as a fine gentleman who tried his best to ensure that Nigeria remained one entity, adding that his career in the military was exemplary.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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NEWS ‘New commercial driver’s licence will boost national security’

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•Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Reform of Government Institutions and FoI Committee, Mr. Mathew Mahaekwe (left); Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin; activist lawyer Femi Falana (SAN); and Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora and member Committee on Reform of Government Institutions, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, at the Southwest Zonal Sensitisation Workshop on the Freedom of Information Act 2011, at the old Senate Chamber, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

N32.8b police pension fraud: EFCC arrests top henchman T HE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it has arrested Esai Dangabar, one of the six accused persons being prosecuted for allegedly defrauding the Police Pension Office of N32.8 billion.

The accused was arrested for allegedly interfering with some of the property he had temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.

Dangabar is standing trial for 16 criminal charges bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust for his role in the pension scam.

The EFCC, in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said Dangabar was last Thursday arrested for “interfering with the property which the court had ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.”

The property were confiscated following the order of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The statement reads: “But Dangabar approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division to challenge the order of the High Court to have his property forfeited.

“The Appeal Court, in a unanimous ruling on July 24, dismissed his application. In a ruling read by Justice Kolawole Bada, the court resolved the three issues raised by Dangabar in favour of the EFCC. “Two other judges who held the same view were Justices Bukar Chua and Husseini Mukhtar.

The court ruled that the interim forfeiture order pending the hearing of the criminal charge preferred against him is provided for under the EFCC Act. “The court, having been given that power, the exercise of it has not taken away the accused’s right to fair hearing.

“The court further ruled that the provisions of Section 28 and

29 of the EFCC Act is validated

by Section 44 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and is therefore constitutional. “Additionally, the court ruled that the presumption of innocence cannot be interpreted to allow a suspect retain the proceed of the alleged crime made against him.

“Accordingly, the court ruled that Section 34 of the EFCC Act was substantially complied with by the lower court. He has proceeded to the Supreme Court challenging the Appeal Court judgment.

“Dangabar and his co travellers returned to the High Court to challenge jurisdiction and prayed the court to quash the charges against them. But on November 12, Justice Mohammed Talba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Gudu, Abuja dismissed the applications to quash charges. The

judge said the applicants failed to supply relevant materials before the court to warrant the quashing of the case against them.

“He also said that so far, based on the proof of evidence before the court, the prosecution has presented his case in such a way that a prima-facie has been established against them.”

The EFCC warned the public against buying any of the forfeited property belonging to Dangabar and other accused.

The statement added: “While the public has been warned to stay away from the aforementioned property and other property belonging to the other accused being investigated by the EFCC, trial in the substantive case of Dangabar and others who were arraigned on May 28 comes up on January 28.

HE Minister of Transportation, Senator Idris Umar, has said the new commercial driver’s licence will add value to a collective search for national security, especially with improved security features such as biometrics, intelligent camera and a central print farm that prevents counterfeiting and parallel production.

Speaking through his Special Assistant, Mallam Bala Diko, at the formal launch of a new commercial driver’s licence, the Transport Minister described the initiative as an additional stride towards making Nigerian roads free of road crashes.

He said driver’s licence serves as a security document which confirms the competence of drivers within global circles, hence the need to certify and ensure the competence of commercial drivers who convey passengers from one point to another.

The House Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande, described the new commercial driver’s licence as significant because “it symbolises the commitment of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as a leading agency in road safety management and administration in Nigeria to ensure sanity on our roads through a credible licensing system.”

She added that the need to enthrone global best practices “in our licensing system informed the earlier intervention by the two chambers of the National Assembly in the new vehicle licensing regime as initiated by the FRSC.” Mrs. Akande expressed delight that the FRSC has delivered on its mandate through seamless procurement of the new driver’s licence and introduction of stringent measures for the procurement of the commercial classes of driver’s licence to ensure credibility and responsible conduct of drivers who operate with such classes of licence.

Pollution: Amnesty seeks punishment for oil firms

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MNESTY International and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have hailed last Friday’s ECOWAS Court of Justice judgment as a “key moment in holding governments and companies to account for pollution.”

In the case, SERAP v. Nigeria, the court unanimously found the Nigerian government responsible for abuses by oil companies and made it clear that the government must hold the companies and other perpetrators to account.

The court also found that Nigeria violated articles 21 (on the right to natural wealth and resources) and 24 (on the right to a general satisfactory environment) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights by failing to protect the Niger Delta and its people from the operations of oil companies that have for many years devastated the region.

According to the court, the right to food and social life of the people of Niger Delta was violated by destroying their environment, and thus destroying their opportunity to earn a living and enjoy a healthy and adequate standard of living.

The court also said both the government and the oil companies violate the human and cultural rights of the people in the region.

The court ruled that the government’s failure to enact effective laws and establish effective institutions to regulate the activities of the companies coupled with its failure to bring perpetrators of pollution “to book” amount to a breach of Nigeria’s international human rights obligations and commitments.

The Nation man wins in SEC’s competition

‘Power Commission ‘ll not lose budget’

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HE Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, yesterday allayed

fears that the Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) will lose its N220 million 2012 budget.

According to her, the Federal Government will pay the fund before the end of 2012 financial year.

Kuchi recalled that “in 2010 something was budgeted as the act had not come into force. In 2011 something was also budg-

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

eted and lost because the commission had not taken off.”

She spoke when the Committee on HYPPADEC visited her in Abuja.

The minister said the framework for the takeoff of the commission is in place. “As to whether this is December, we are going to lose the money, I say no.

We are not going to lose the money. The framework has been in place. The committee headed by Dr. Hassan has done

the framework. Payments will be made before the end of this year’s budget.”

Hajiya Kuchi noted that the Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s (PHCN’s) successor companies will work in collaboration with the commission.

She said: “Private companies have to operate under the ambit of the law. When you are a successor company, you have to take over everything. There will be continuity. There will be no issue as far as social responsibilities are concerned.”

The committee, led by the

Helicopter crash: Acting Governor condoles with Jonathan, others

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HE Acting Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Efiok Cobham, has commiserated with President Goodluck Jonathan and the people and governments of Kaduna and Bayelsa states on the deaths of Governor Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi, in a helicopter crash at the weekend.

He described their deaths as horrific and saddening.

In a statement issued in Calabar, Cobham said he was shocked when he received the

sad news, adding that the two men would be missed.

According to him, “the death of the two gentlemen and others in the helicopter crash is distressing. It is a tragedy not only to their families and states of origin, but also to the nation.”

While conveying the deepest condolences of the Government and people of Cross River State to the families of the victims, he prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

The Acting Governor supported President Jonathan’s

Secretary to Niger State Government, Mr. Clifford Shamehe, also presented a request to the minister, saying it needed to ensure that funds allocated to the commission in the 2012 budget are made available for its activities.

The committee noted “the need to fast-track the constitution of the Federal Management Committee on the commission.

The burning desire of all and sundry for the development of the common people and more importantly, the provision of infrastructural facilities for the benefit of all.”

Emergency FEC meeting postponed

By Nduka Chiejina

•The late Yakowa

directive that a probe be conducted on the crash to find out its cause.

THE emergency Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting scheduled for today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja has been postponed.

No reason was given for the postponement.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim communicated the latest development in a letter to ministers.

By Eric Ikhilae

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HE Nation man, Taofik Salako, has emerged winner in the maiden edition of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Capital Market Essay Competition.

Salako, the newspaper’s Capital Market Editor, emerged second and was handed the competition’s silver award at an event held on Saturday night at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

The award comes with a week’s training at a university in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE).

Winners were chosen by a panel of judges comprising distinguished professionals. They included the publisher, Businessday, Frank Aigbogun, Babatunde Ajibade (SAN), Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Capital Market Registrars, David Ogogo, Secretary to the Board of SE, Kennedy Aigbekaen, among others.

Businessday’s Iheanyi Nwanchukwu came top, winning gold.

He is entitled to two weeks training in a South African university. Chris Ugwu of Leadership emerged third, winning the bronze. He will attend a week‘s training at the Pan African University, Lagos.

Fed Govt declares public holidays From: Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

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HE Federal Government yesterday declared Tuesday, December 25 and Wednesday, 26 as public holidays to commemorate the Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations.

Similarly, Tuesday, January 1, has been declared as a public holiday to mark the New Year.

Making the declaration on behalf of the government, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Aba Moro, according to a statement issued in Abuja by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Daniel Nwaobia, enjoined Nigerians irrespective of their religious beliefs to imbibe and emulate the spirit of the season, which is love, joy, peace, justice, kindness and resolve to continue to promote the unity of the country in its progressive march towards nationhood.

The minister wishes Nigerians a blissful and peaceful celebration.

THE NATION TUESDAY DECEMBER 18, 2012

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NEWS Lawmaker urges Jonathan to address insecurity

National Assembly killed Electoral Reforms, says Uwais

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ORMER Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Lawal Uwais yesterday accused the National Assembly of killing Electoral Reforms for parties’ interest.

The accusation came on the day the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof.

Attahiru Jega, said plans were on to check how candidates emerge for political parties.

He said a situation where candidates who win primaries are shortchanged by political parties is making it difficult to achieve a flawless electoral process.

Justice Uwais and Prof.

Jega spoke at a workshop organised by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) with the support of Mac’Arthur Foundation in Abuja.

The chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on INEC, Andy Uba and Jerry Manwe, said the National Assembly was open to ideas on how the legal frame-

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

work for election will improve.

Justice Uwais, who chaired the event, recalled that part of the Bill produced by the National Assembly ahead of the 2011 general election threw confusion into the polity.

According to him, the Sixth Assembly, comprising Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators as the majority, jettisoned sensitive recommendations of the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee (PERC), which he chaired.

He cited Section 285(6) of the 1999, which stipulates that an election petition must be concluded before the tribunal within 180 days as a problem created by the amended constitution and the Electoral Act 2010.

Justice Uwais said: “As we know, the Bill that was produced by the National Assembly, though reflects on some of the recommendations of the Electoral Reform Committee, not on all

the recommendations of the committee.”

“As far as the Electoral Reform Committee was concerned, the recommendations were intended to be in tandem with one another.

“If you want to make a good job of it, you cannot just pick and choose a few.

Unfortunately, although I am not blaming the National Assembly, party interest came in,” Uwais said.

He went on: “Well, the 2010 Electoral Act was produced, it was put in practice in the 2011 elections.

“You are in the field so you are in the position to point out the shortcomings of the Act. But I know from the legal point of view, some provisions, like the one that the electoral petition should be completed by the tribunals within 180 days, created some problems. But luckily, the Supreme Court was there to resolve the interpretation problems.

“I know among the lawyers, they are not happy with the solution provided

Health workers’ protest is politically-motivated, says NMA HE Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday said last week’s protest by the health workers under the umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) against the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health was politically-motivated.

The health workers, who protested from the Federal Secretariat to the National Assembly, demanded the sack of the Health Minister, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, among others.

The protesters, who alleged that the minister was biased by supporting doctors against other health workers, raised the alarm on some provisions of the National Health Bill currently before the National Assembly, which they said were projected to favour doctors.

Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday after the meeting of the NMA National Ex-

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From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

ecutive Council (NEC), the association President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said the health workers are being used to scuttle the passage of the bill.

Passing a vote of confidence in the Health Minister and his leadership, the group urged the National Assembly not to be distracted, adding that it should give the National Health Bill to Nigerians in line with the international best practice.

Dr. Enabulele said: “NEC observed with great dismay the recent reckless, selfish and illmotivated protest march against the Minister of Health, Prof. Chukwu, by a handful of allied medical and health professionals/workers. NEC viewed the politically- motivated protest as an act of desperation and blackmail to undermine the resolve of the Min-

ister of Health to transform Nigeria’s health care sector through the institutionalisation of professionalism and international best practices.

“NEC also noted that the protest march was an attempt to scuttle the passage of the National Health Bill (NHB) through acts of intimidation and blackmail of the National Assembly that has refused to politicise the National Health Bill by not accommodating their inordinate, illogical, irrational and unrealisable territorial quest.

“We appeal to Nigerians to use their good sense of judgment to determine if the selfish protection of professional territorial interests outweighs the benefits of a National Health Act that will deliver healthcare dividends to Nigerians in rural communities, children, women, the elderly and other Nigerians.

•Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State (left), exchanging pleasantries with former President of Zambia, Mr. Rupiah Banda, during a breakfast round table on Leadership and Development in Africa, organised by the Millennium Excellence Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya.

By Oziegbe Okoeki

T •Uwais

by the Supreme Court. At the moment we are aware that there is an exercise going on and we cannot amend the Electoral Act in certain respect without amending the Constitution.”

Jega, who was represented by his Chief Technical Adviser, Mr. Okechukwu Ibeanu, said: “Prior to the 2011 general election, INEC had over 80 per cent separate contradictory ex-parte injunctions that prompted it to write to the then Chief Justice of Nigeria on the imminent danger posed by such injunctions.

“However, we are glad to note that there was over 50 per cent reduction in post election cases after the election, compared to what we had in 2007. It was obvious that the 2010 Electoral Act was stronger than the previous ones. However, it must be pointed out that it is not yet perfect. It is a work in progress that needs constant interrogation.”

HE Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Segun Olulade, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to address insecurity.

He decried kidnapping and berated the recent abduction of the mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala and the wife of Gen. Oluwole Rotimi (rtd), the Governor of the defunct Western State.

Olulade said the alarming rate of insecurity in the country is not only portraying Nigeria’s image in bad light in the comity of nations, “it is also a proof that our nation is not conducive for development through infrastructural growth and huge investment in the economy.”

According to him, local and foreign investors will be discouraged from investing in a country where violence and insecurity reign.

The lawmaker stressed the need to revisit the clamour for state police by Nigerians, saying besides helping state governments to invent effective security strategies and innovations, it would curb criminal activities.

Yakowa’s, Azazi’s deaths: Lawmakers call for thorough investigation

By Emmanuel Oladesu

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WO members of the House of Representatives and a lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly have called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash of the Navy helicopter which claimed the lives of Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa; former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Owoye Azazi; and four others on Saturday.

Mr. James Abiodun Faleke representing Ikeja Federal Constituency; his counterpart from Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency 2, Hakeem Abiodun Muniru; and a lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Lagos Island Constituency 2, Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King, while condoling with the families of the deceased, said only a thorough investigation into the sad event would prevent a recurrence.

“I was devastated by the news and till now I’m still in shock. My heart goes out to the families of the deceased. I pray God gives them the fortitude to bear the huge loss.

This is a tragedy,” Faleke, Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Ethics and National Values, said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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NEWS Court strikes out suit against Ondo monarch From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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N Akure High Court has struck out the suit instituted against the election of the Amapetu of Mahin in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Lawrence Omowole, as the Chairman of the Association of Traditional Rulers of Oil Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON).

The followed the withdrawal of the suit by the plaintiff, the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Frederick Akinruntan (Obat).

The Olugbo said he was discontinuing the case in the interest of peace and the development of the oil-producing communities, and following the intervention of eminent personalities.

Justice T.O. Osoba thanked the parties for the maturity displayed in settling the matter and struck out the case without any cost.

The Oloja of Abereke, Chief Darosha Mesagan, hailed Oba Akinrutan and Oba Omowole for amicably settling the rift.

Oyo youths get N1.5m

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EADER of the House of Representatives Mrs. Mulikat Akande and the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) have empowered 150 youths in Oyo State.

The youths are from Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Orire, Ogo-Oluwa and Surulere local government areas.

After a five-day training in fish farming and snail rearing, among others, N1.5 million

Ondo Tribunal to hold pre-hearing for ACN, Accord January •CPC gets permission to inspect poll materials

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HE Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Akure, the state capital, has adjourned the pre-hearing session of the petitions of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Accord till January 10.

ACN’s and Accord’s counsel Oluwole Aina and Mr. Michael Lana said the adjournment was to enable them serve the respondent, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the notice of the pre-hearing

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

session.

The tribunal has also granted the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) permission to inspect documents used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the October 20 governorship election.

Chairman of the three-man panel Justice A. Kaka’n, who gave the ruling in the absence of two other members, ordered the third respondent

(INEC) to allow the petitioner, its agent and counsel inspect and copy the election materials.

He directed that the inspection should take place at the INEC Office in Alagbaka, Akure.

The police are to provide security during the inspection.

Justice Kaka’n ordered that the inspection should commence a day after the tribunal’s order is served on

INEC. Counsel to the first respondent (Mimiko) Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and the second respondent’s (Labour Party), Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN), had prayed the tribunal to grant their clients permission to inspect the election materials.

Justice Kaka’n ruled that the inspection should be carried out concurrently by the petitioner, as well as the first and second respondents.

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

was disbursed to them to help them start their businesses.

Mrs. Akande urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the money.

CRIN Executive Director Prof. Malachy Akorodo urged the beneficiaries to teach other people what they learned at the training.

Akorodo urged political office holders to emulate Mrs. Akande’s gesture.

Aluko, Omoboriowo, others for honour

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WENTY indigenes will be honoured at the 2012 Ekiti State Merit Awards in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on Thursday.

The award is in recognition of their outstanding performance in their various fields.

The awardees include the winner of the 2012 Caine Prize for African Writing, Mr. Rotimi Babatunde and the first female pilot in Nigeria, Capt Bolaji Agbelusi.

Post humous awards will be given to the former Deputy Governor of the Old Ondo State, Chief Akin Omoboriowo and Prof. Sam Aluko, an economist.

Others to be honoured in- • The late Omoboriowo clude the first Military Administrator of the State, Col. Inua Bawa (rtd.); the first Head of Service, Mr. J.A. Ibidunmoye; wife of the first civilian governor, Erelu Angela Adebayo; the composer of the Ekiti State Anthem, Mr. Johnson Ologunde and the first female Professor of Yoruba Studies in the world, Prof. Omotayo Olutoye, among others.

The theme of the event, which will hold at the Jibowu Hall of the Government House by 5pm, is: “Rewarding Excellence”.

Governor Kayode Fayemi is the chief host.

Ogun inducts 725 new workers

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HE Ogun State Government yesterday inducted 725 people into the State Civil Service, urging them to be dedicated to duty.

The induction course was organised by the State Civil Service Commission to train the new workers on their responsibilities.

The inductees were recruited during the Rapid Employment Generation Programme (REGP) of the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration.

Chairman of the Ogun State Civil Service Commission Mrs. Aderonke Folarin, at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, the state capital, advised them to develop themselves academically, intellectually, emotionally and morally, if they must excel as civil servants.

Mrs. Folarin said public officers are expected to key into the government’s develop-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

mental agenda and support the governor in rebuilding the state.

She said: “The present administration holds the civil service in high esteem and appreciates the fact that it has a key role to play in the successful implementation of its various programmes.

“As partners in progress, public officers are expected to buy into the government’s laudable developmental agenda and support the current efforts aimed at restoring the glory of the state.

“The induction course is in furtherance of the government’s policy on training and re-training its workforce.”

Mrs. Folaring urged the new employees to familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations guiding the civil service.

•From left: Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Senator Sola Adeyeye (Osun West District); Nobel Laureate Prof.

Wole Soyinka and his wife, Folake, during the inauguration of the Micro-Credit Scheme in Osun West at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo...yesterday.

CDAs are development partners, says Amosun

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GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has described Community Development Associations (CDAs) as “worthy partners of the government” in providing basic infrastructure to improve the life of the people.

Amosun spoke yesterday while inaugurating a 500KVA transformer presented to the Goshen Estate Community Development Association, Asero in Abeokuta, the state capital.

He said his administration would continue to assist CDAs to enhance their ability to contribute to communal growth.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Chief Olu Odeyemi, said to ensure that every community enjoys the dividends of democracy, the government distributed 500 transformers to them earlier this year.

Amosun hailed residents of Goshen Estate for install-

ing the transformer without waiting for the government.

He said: “We have presented so many transformers to different communities. This community has taken a great step by coming together to instal their transformer. You have laid a good example for other CDAs to emulate.”

The governor assured residents of the estate that by the first quarter of next year, mini power plants would be completed to pro-

vide them with potable water.

He said the water projects would begin with the Arakanga Water Booster Station.

Amosun said other requests by the community, such as the grading of internal roads and the building of a police post and polling booth would be looked into.

Chairman of the CDA Pastor Oluseyi Sonde thanked the government for putting an end to black outs in the area.

‘Road portal will enhance safety in transport sector’

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HE House Committee Chairman on Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Ibrahim Gusau, has described the launch of a portal on the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS), by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), as a catalyst to enhance safety in the transport sector.

Speaking during the formal presentation of the portal of the RTSSS, an initiative by the FRSC, to ensure compliance with minimum safety standards among fleet operators in Nigeria, Gusau said: “The FRSC has taken giant

strides in transforming the transport sector by making things easier for fleet operators and commuters with real time on-line access to data on motor parks, filling and police stations, FRSC offices, status of fleet operators, tow truck and ambulance services, which is at par with global best practices.”

He urged stakeholders in the transport sector to buy into the initiative which will ensure sanity on the nation’s highways.

In an earlier presentation, the FRSC Corps Marshall and Chief Executive, Osita Chidoka, recalled that the RTSSS was

conceived to regulate and ensure safe and standardised fleet transport operations, check the excesses of transport operators and further entrench a culture of safety consciousness in organisations and companies with fleet of vehicles.

According to him, the RTSSS portal is meant to serve as a gate way for security agencies, fleet operators and the Nigerian motoring public on the scheme and relevant information on transport operators, travel guide, safety rating of transport operators and road crash reports.

Speaking further,

Chidoka said through the scheme, the Corps has identified 1,392 termini across the country through which about 250,189 passengers travel daily.

He also said that so far; out of 2,895 transport operators registered, 1,033 have been inspected, while 722 have been certified by the Corps for complying with safety standards.

The Corps Marshall also said that 6,000 safety managers have been trained, 1,000 fleet drivers and 692 convoy drivers also trained, which has contributed towards the reduction in road crashes involving Governors’ convoy in Nigeria.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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NEWS

Eminent Nigerians pay tributes to Eso

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MINENT Nigerians, including the first woman Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Folake Solanke; Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and members of the Judiciary, yesterday paid tributes to the former Supreme Court Justice Kayode Eso. They extolled his virtues at a special court session organised by the Oyo State Judiciary in honour of the late jurist.

The session, presided over by the State Chief Judge, Justice Badejoko Adeniji, was held at the State High Court on Ring Road, Ibadan, the state capital.

Mrs. Solanke described the late Justice Eso as "our own Lord Denning".

The late jurist, who died on November 16 at 87, was described as an "exceptionally brave Judge on the Bench, who will be missed dearly in Nigeria and the world for his brilliant performance in the legal profession".

Also at the event were Ajimobi's wife, Florence; Osun State Deputy Governor Titi Laoye-Tomori; retired and serving Judges, among others.

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

It was a remarkable day for the Eso family as the deceased's widow, Aina and children - Mrs. Funmilayo Eso Williams and Olumide listened to people sing their loved one's praises.

Mrs Solanke urged the Judiciary to uphold the virtues of boldness, fair play, zeal, industry, scholarship, honesty and incorruptibility, which the late Justice Eso "was known for".

She recalled how the late jurist used to deliver dissenting judgments against the government, citing the example of how he slammed the Federal Government for executive lawlessness in the case of the late Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu during the civil war, as well as his failure to find Prof. Wole Soyinka guilty of making an antigovernment announcement on the radio then.

Mrs Solanke said: "The late Justice Eso's commitment to the rule of law was total. His mastery of English was superb and his knowledge of history was excellent."

On the manner the late Jus-

EKSU alumni condemn violence by students From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

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HE Alumni Association of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, has condemned the destruction of school properties by students in tertiary institutions as a means of expressing their grievances.

It said: “It is terrible for students to go after school properties whenever they are aggrieved.”

Acting President of the Association Mr. Bola Ogunlayi spoke with reporters at the weekend during a reception organised in honour of 16 professors, who were products of the university.

Ogunlayi said: “It is evidence of degeneration and loss of good ethical values to destroy school properties.”

Urging students to lodge their complaints with the appropriate quarters when aggrieved, he said: “It is immature to destroy school properties. The process of repairing the damage would have to involve everyone, including the Alumni Association. Every student admitted by the university must protect properties of the institution jealously”.

Condemning the “unwholesome development of secret cults”, Ogunlayi said: “We too went through the same system and most of us were unionists then.”

The association warned against the arbitrary increment of school fees. It said: “All unauthorised increment of school fees, outside the official N50,000 approved by the state government, is condemnable and illegal.

“Any public statement issued by constituent authorities must be obeyed. Once the governor has announced the reduction of the fee, the order must be obeyed.”

Students recently alleged that the institution had indirectly imposed some fees amounting to almost N50,000 on them, outside the officially approved N50,000, which added up to nearly a N100,000.

Chairman of the Association’s Board of Trustees Mr. Olawale Jegede urged members to contribute to the development of the university.

Jonathan urged to stop comments on Ondo poll From Damisi Ojo, Akure

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OUNSEL to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State Mr. Charles Titiloye yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to refrain from further extrajudicial comment, which “might undermine the fair trial” of the petitions before the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

Titiloye said the President’s comment at the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG) Camp that the election was free and fair is a prejudicial and unwarranted commentary on an election that is being challenged by Jonathan’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before the tribunal.

Titiloye said: “It is unfortunate that while the purported winner of the election, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is challenging the result in parts of Irele and Ilaje local Governments at the tribunal as a product of corrupt practices, manipulation of votes, violence and over voting, the president, who has no stake in the said election, is still praising the same election in a sober religious arena as free and fair.

“Our leaders should have the fear of God and repent from their old ways of politicking, so that Nigeria can come out of its unending problems associated with fraudulent elections.

“Rather than facing the multifarious challenges militating against the country, President Jonathan is involving himself in an issue which is outside his mandate because of plans to perpetuate himself in power beyond 2015.”

Titiloye urged the president to leave Ondo politics for its citizenry and solve the Boko Haram insurgency, unemployment, kidnapping and massive corruption ravaging the nation.

tice Eso rose during his active years on the Bench, before he bowed out of the Supreme Court on September 18, 1990, the Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner Justice, Mr. Adebayo Ojo, said: "It showed sound knowledge of the law and good character. In the appointment of Judges, merit, good knowledge of the law and qualitative exposure should be considered above length of service on the Bench."

Lamenting the aberration in the appointment of Judges nowadays, Ojo said: "The order of the day now is the promotion of aberration, where Judges collect curriculum vitae from applicants seeking judicial appointment and proceed to recommend them without taking into consideration such applicants' skill of advocacy and character."

Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Seun Abimbola (Ibadan), Olawale Omoloye (Oyo) and Ogunniran (Ogbomoso) also extolled the late Justice Eso's virtues.

Omoloye said: "Eso built a sustained reputation as a courageous and fearless judge. He took his job seriously and was an ardent defender of the constitution, who acted uncompromisingly even at the risk and threat to his job while on the Bench. He maintained a high standard of responsibility."

On behalf of the family, the deceased's younger brother, Ven. Ladi Eso, thanked God that his brother did not die in vain. He said: "He left us something to emulate, decipher and make marks on in the course of our life experiences to make this country better."

ACN hails Aregbesola on bond's success

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun State has congratulated Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the success of the state's bond in the capital market.

The bond was over subscribed by 100 per cent.

Describing the feat as "remarkable", the party, in a statement by its Publicity Director, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said the success is unprecedented in the history of the capital market in Nigeria.

It said the success has proved the financial management skill of the governor and his team.

ACN said: "This should silence the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has been lying about the state's economy in the last two years.

"Economic experts, who

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

are in the best position to determine whether or not a state is in good economic health, have by their response to this bond issue announced to the whole world that Osun State is perhaps the safest place for investors to put their money.

"This was eloquently demonstrated by the over subscription by 100 per cent of the N22 billion first tranche of the N30 billion bond raised at the Security and Exchange Commission. Investors practically scrambled for it.

"We hail the governor for not losing focus. It is now clear that his resounding success in just two years is not intangible after all."

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

10

CITYBEATS

Ex-Vanguard chief accountant, two others, charged with N37m fraud

‘No leadership rift in Ladipo’ THE Ladipo Auto Market's Central Executive Committee (LACEC) has denied reports of leadership crisis in the market.

LACEC said reports that the market was being used as an abode for armed robbers was a figment of the writer's imagination.

Addressing reporters yesterday, the presidentgeneral of the market, Iyke Animalu, said its 38 unit leaders were working for the unity and progress of the traders who were looking for their daily bread, and not interested in any crisis.

Animalu said it was the height of wickedness and irresponsibility for anybody to allege that the market has become an abode for robbers and is facing leadership crisis.

He called on Mushin Local Government to call the park and pay operators along Oladipo Street, to order for constituting nuisance to road users and auto traders.

He explained that the operators, who were only interested in the money they make daily, were causing unnecessary hold-up along the Ladipo Street and were not ready to listen to the market authority because of their links with the people in government.

08033054340, 08034699757 E-mail:- ynotcitybeats@gmail.com

T

HE Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former chief accountant of Vanguard Newspapers, Abiodun Badmus, before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly defrauding the company of N37.220 million.

In two separate suits before Justice Lateefa Okunnu, he was alleged to have conspired with others to commit the alleged offence.

In the first suit, Badmus was arraigned alongside the company's sales representative in Benin, Joseph Ejike, for alleged theft of N29.320 million. Badmus and Ejike, who

By Adebisi Onanuga

are both 43 and reside at 5, Tijani Aghagbon Street, Bariga, Lagos, and 2, Osemwanta Street, Benin City, Edo State, were arraigned on a 26-count charge including conspiracy, stealing, and forgery.

In the second suit, Badmus was arraigned alongside one James Unoka for allegedly stealing N7.9 million. They are facing a 16-count-charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and forgery.

The EFCC counsel, Abba Mohammed, said the defendants committed the offences between February 2006 and

January 2009. In the first suit, they allegedly converted N 4.550 million, property of Vanguard Media Limited, to personal use between August 1 and September 27, 2007.

Muhammed accused the defendants of forging two Wema Bank deposit slips, numbered 2333059 and 2333064, to steal N930,000 on each occasion, from the company on November 10 and 14, 2008.

In the second suit, Muhammed accused the defendants of forging two United Bank of Africa (UBA) deposit slips numbered 3812385 and 6633835 for N42,915 and N254,200.

He said the offences contravened Sections 390(7), 467 (2) and 516 of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State 2003.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

Justice Okunnu granted Ejike N5million, with two sureties in the like sum. He will remain in prison custody until his bail conditions are met, part of which is that he must report to the Edo State Commissioner of Police's office on the first working day of every month.

Badmus is to remain in custody until he files his bail application. Justice Okunnu adjourned both cases till January 9, 2013.

Lagos impounds 6,972 motorcycles

T

HE Lagos State Government impounded 6,972 motorcycles between September and last month for flouting the new Traffic Law. Police chief, Umar Manko, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that the motorcycles were moved to the State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, as directed by the government.

He said when the restriction of commercial motorcyclists started in September, 440 motorcycles were impounded in different parts of the metropolis.

2,827 motorcycles, he said, were impounded in

October and 3,705 last month.

He said some motorcyclists were arrested for offences such as the destruction of government's property under the guise of a protest.

The confiscation of motorcycles, he said, was at the instance of the government and not the police.

Manko said the duty of the police was to enforce the law, adding that government's decision to restrict commercial motorcyclists’ operation is justified because they have become a de facto instrument of robbery.

"We will not condone any person or group of

persons, who would perpetuate evil with motorcycles. Some of the riders are reckless and don't obey traffic laws or respect other road users.

"Some States, including FCT have banned motorcycle operations, but Lagos only restricted commercial motorcyclists from

some roads, in the interest of the people," he said.

He wondered why some people protested government's action and destroyed public property.

"They should be appreciative for the governor's magnanimity," Manko added.

Group honours council chief

By Olumide Adesanya

THE Chairman of IfakoIjaiye Local Government, Apostle Oloruntoba Oke, has been honoured by the Dynamic Youth Group of Powerline Baptist Church in Iju, a Lagos suburb, for his selfless service to the community.

Oke was given the award for being a role model and for making Ifako-Ijaye Local Government an exemplary council.

Oke expressed delight at the award and praised the group for being responsible.

He said: “While other youth go about the street begging for money for street carnivals, you organised a programme to affect the lives of youth positively and to appreciate our effort.

That is wonderful of you.”

Oke donated N200, 000 to the group, advising the members to be more resourceful by organising more impactful programmes.

Missing safe keys stall Ikuforiji’s, the registers were obrial of Lagos State aide's trial said tained from the Accounts House of Assembly

T

Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, was stalled yesterday because the keys to the safe where exhibits are kept are missing.

Justice Okechukwu Okeke stunned the courtroom audience when he said the safe keepers had misplaced the keys.

Ikuforiji and Atoyebi are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering.

The proceedings were in progress, with a prosecution witness, Adebayo Adeniyi, tendering three documents. The prosecution lawyer, Godwin Obla, requested that some exhibits tendered earlier be produced so that Adeniyi could read from them.

But Justice Okeke replied: "As it is, the key to where

By Eric Ikhilae

the exhibits are kept is misplaced. We have to take another date," prompting an adjournment till February 18 next year.

There was pin-drop silence in the crowded courtroom as the judge spoke.

The development forced an adjournment of the case.

The defendants are facing a 20-count-charge bordering on money laundering.

They were accused of accepting about N501million cash payment from the House of Assembly without the involvement of any paying financial institution, an act the EFCC claims violates the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. Before the adjournment, Obla tendered three more documents, including a statement and two registers, in addition to the 19 he had earlier tendered. Adeniyi

Department of the Assembly.

Earlier, Adeniyi claimed that the defendants admitted in their separate statements that they received cash payments from the House.

Led in evidence by Obla, Adeniyi said some registers obtained from the Assembly’s accounts department showed that the cash payments received by the defendants were above "the threshold of law".

Adeniyi said the registers showed mode of payments; whether such payments were made by cash or cheques, the recipients and their signatures.

"From our investigation, we discovered that cash payments above the threshold of law were made to or given to the first defendant (Ikuforiji) through the second defendant (Atoyebi)," the witness said.

Oshodi gets recreation centre

R

ESIDENTS of Oshodi, Lagos, have praised the government for establishing a recreation centre for them.

They said the new facility would change people’s perception of Oshodi and boost the revellers’ activities.

The centre, named Heritage Garden, was built by the Ministry of the Environment and is managed

by Clear Edge Media, a private firm.

The centre contains a Christmas tree, waterfall, gym, playing ground for children, fast food joint and other entertainment facilities.

A civil servant, Mr Taiwo Alani, said the centre would change for the better, the perception of

Oshodi as “a notorious area.”

“Oshodi is known for its notorious activities, but with a recreation centre which in aesthetics ranked with those that could be found in other places like Ikeja and Victoria Island, we can imagine that a change would soon be coming to this area,” he said.

Alani advised the government to ensure adequate security for those that would be visiting the centre.

He, however, urged the government to extend the same gesture to other areas of the state.

Mrs Rose Mokobia, the Head Teacher of Power Trem School, Gbagada, said the centre had transformed the Oshodi side-

walk.

“This is a wonderful investment. People living in this area who had longed for a recreation spot to relax now have the opportunity to visit this place,” she said.

Mr Kunle Ajao said the centre would put smiles on the faces of children living in the area.

“The centre has put smiles on the faces of children; as you can see, children are coming here with excitement,” Ajao said.

A business woman, Mrs Chinyere Ibe, said the centre would serve as a fun centre for an average family.

“I must commend Governor Babatunde Fashola for this gesture. What we have been looking for, he has brought to our door step,” she said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Brazil is an influential member of the BRIC nations with a big apetite for investing in Africa, especially Nigeria. So, there is the need for us to strengthen our partnership with them to attract big investments into our country especially in those areas where we have competitive and comparative advantage.

- Minister of Trade & Investment, Olusegun Aganga

Inflation rises by 0.6%

‘Why car importation thrives’

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

From Rosemary Nwisi,

T

HE Statistician-Gen eral of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, yesterday said Nigeria ’s inflation rate rose to 12.3 per cent in November as against 11.7 per cent recorded in October.

When analysed on monthly basis, the composite Consumer Price Index (CPI) was higher by 0.60 percent when compared with the preceding month’s index.

In a report yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), it attributed the relative increase in the headline index during the month to general higher prices of food and core indices.

The headline inflation is made up of Core Index and Farm Produce Items.

The Bureau pointed out that unlike previous months, the core sub-index deviated from its trend, increasing to 13.1 per cent while food index continued to show lagged effects of the floods which impact was heavily felt in several farmlands in October as well as other demand and supply factors.

A further decomposition of the CPI on urban and rural basis showed that the urban inflation rate was recorded at 15.8 per cent yearon-year, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the 15.3 per cent increase recorded in October, increased by 0.7 percentage points to 9.8 per cent on yearly basis from October.

Analysing the trend further, the agency reported that on a monthly basis, the ‘Urban All’ index increased by 0.6 per cent from October, while the ‘Rural All Items’ index increased by 0.63 when compared with the previous month.

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil -$107/barrel Cocoa -$2,686.35/metric ton Coffee - ¢132.70/pound Cotton - ¢95.17pound Gold -$1,800/troy ounce Rubber -¢159.21pound MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N6.503 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion

RATES Inflation -11.7% Treasury Bills -7.08% Maximum lending -22.42% Prime lending -15.87% Savings rate -2% 91-day NTB -15% Time Deposit -5.49% MPR -12% Foreign Reserve $43.5b FOREX CFA -0.2958 EUR -206.9 £ -242.1 $ -156 ¥ -1.9179 SDR -238 RIYAL -40.472

Port Harcourt

V

• MD/CEO, Bank of Industry (BoI), Ms Evelyn Oputu inaugurating the Filmhouse in Surulere, Lagos. With her from right is Executive Director, Business Development, Mr Waheed Olagunju; MD/CEO, the Filmhouse Limited, Mr Kene Mkparu; MD/ CEO, FirstCity Monument Bank Plc, Mr Ladi Balogun; Head, Human Resources, TheFilmhouse Mrs. Ozy Mkparu, and MD/ CEO, Compass Consulting, Mrs. Tokunbo Chinedu.

Oil subsidy for 2012 may hit N1.23t, says PPPRA T HE Petroleum Prod ucts Pricing Regula tory Agency (PPPRA) has said the Federal Government total subsidy bill may reach N1.23trillion by the end of the year.

The agency’s Executive Secretary, Mr Reginald Stanley, stated this at the Joint House Committee on Finance, Appropriation, Petroleum (Upstream) and Petroleum (Downstream) of the National Assembly yesterday.

According to him, the N161,617,364,911 supplementary budget brought before the National Assembly

by President Goodluck Jonathan was in order.

Stanley said the

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

N888billion formerly estimated for fuel subsidy had N232billion voted for payment 2011 subsidy arrears, while N650billion was for this year’s claims.

According to the PPPRA boss, subsidy arrears for 2011 jumped to N451billion and only N437billion was left for the payment subsidy payments,addingthat N605billion subsidy claims were to be paid as soon as the claims have been processed.

Stanley corroborated Presi-

dent Johanthan’s statement that the subsidy projections were underestimated, noting that funds budgeted for subsidy for the remaining part of the year were grossly inadequate and that this was what led to request for more subsidy cash.

His words: “The total projection of about N1.23trillion should not scare anybody because we are an oil producing nation and we are reaping at the upper part of the deal in terms of higher prices for crude oil. In the same vein, we should not also forget that about 95 per cent of

the products are imported.”

Director-General, Budget Office, Mr Bright Okogwu, supported the presentation of Stanley, adding that there was an urgent need for the supplementary budget. He pleaded with the lawmakers to give the supplementary bill accelerated passage to make petroleum products available for the remaining part of the year.

The House of Representatives had queried the forensic audit claimed by President Jonathan as the basis for computing an extra N161,617,364,911 billion cash as supplementary for the payment of subsidy barely two weeks to the end of the fiscal year.

Govt to save N474b from oil metering system

T

HE Federal Govern ment would save about N474billion ($3billion) through the implementation of the new policy on Weights and Measures, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, has said.

Aganga spoke during the Second Annual Seminar for Trade and Investment Correspondents and Group Business Editors, in Abuja, on Monday.

He said with the granting of the Presidential approval to the Weights and Measures Department, an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Investment, adequate measures would be put in place to ensure that Nigerians get value for products for local consumption and export.

He said, “The Ministry of Trade and Investment has made significant achievements within the last one year. In terms of investment inflow, at least 30 per cent of the investments coming into Africa comes to Nigeria,

which makes the country number one investment destination in Africa. But what makes this very important is that it does not include oil and gas investment, it is in the real sector of the economy.

“All over the world, there is legal meteorology which ensures that what you buy is accurate and legal. If you look at the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative Report, there is a lot of leakage in the oil and gas industry, either because the meters are not working or they are not installed at the right places.

But for the first time, the President has given us approval to commence that operation across all sectors of the economy.

We are starting with the oil and gas, telecoms and power sector. When the process is completed, we expect to save the country about $3billion and also generate revenue of about N17.4bn for the government in 2013”.The minister

also said that the value and volume of the country’s export had increased significantly within the last one year.

He said, “In terms of export, the volume has gone up by 17.23 per cent while the value has gone up by 23.5 per cent. We are restructuring the Abuja Securities and Exchange Commission and when that is completed, that will increase the price the farmers get for their goods from 35 per cent to about close to over 50 per cent as it is done in Ethiopia. This process will help to create more jobs in terms of the warehouse receipt system that we are trying to introduce.

“Every Nigeria has the ability to establish and run their own businesses. All they need is a good investment climate, funding and the business support. We are working with them to make sure that we have both the right investment climate, funding to create about 3.6 million jobs

within the next four years.

For the first time, we have completed the database of all MSMEs in the country which we never had. This database revealed that there are 17.28 million MSMEs in the country employing close to 33 million people.”

He, however, said that most of these businesses were micro-businesses.

“In terms of overall GDP contribution, MSMEs contribute about 45 per cent of the country’s GDP .This shows that this is the sector that we need to support due to their capacity for employment generation,” he added.

He said that the capacity utilisation of industrial sector had improved, driven largely by the textile, apparel and footwear sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy. He, however, added that the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan would help in moving the country from that of exporting raw materials to a net exporter of finished products.

EHICLES are still im ported into the coun try because car manufacturers are unable to meet local demands, the National Automotive Council (NAC) has said.

An official of the council, Mr Rashid Bello, ssaid this at the end of Automobile Trade fair, organised by FONTAC Resources Nigeria Limited in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Bello, however, said auto industries have achieved international standard in their productions.

He urged Nigerians to patronise locally made vehicles to encourage expansion of the companies and job creation and phase out of imported vehicles, especially used vehicles.

“We have acquired the technology for vehicle manufacturing in Nigeria and I make bold to say that each of the eight manufacturing plants produce vehicles that are of international standard and specifications.

“The only difference between the local and foreign built vehicles is the local content value of the vehicles. In his explanation Bello said, “for every single foreign car that you are buying, you are taking money from our own economy to another economy, you are taking jobs away from your own people and you are empowering other foreign national, you are killing your own economy, and building the economy of other people.

Fed Govt, Lagos seal deal on Lekki Deep sea port

By Oziegbe Okoeki

L

AGOS State and the Federal Government have signed an agreement for the construction of a deep sea port in Lekki.

The Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Habib Abdullahi, who signed for the Federal Governmen yesterday, said the project was conceived to complement the Tin Can and Apapa Ports and for the development of the nation’s economy.

Abdullahi , who noted that the two ports were overstretched, said the project would significantly help tackle the problem of ports congestion when completed.

“The partnership is such that there is one foreign investor.

Sixty per cent will go to the foreign investors, 20 per cent for the Federal Government through the NPA and 20 per cent equity for the state government. That is how it is going to work.

“The driving force will be the foreign partners, who have already started work there.

They have already invested some amount and we are expected also to put in our equities, ‘‘ he explained.

He assured that the NPA would provide technical support for the project to ensure it complied with the required standards, adding that the NPA planned the construction of more ports for the state as well as other parts of the country.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

12

BUSINESS NEWS

NNPC denies stalling projects

T

HE Management of the Nigerian National Pe troleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday denied delaying the execution of some multi-billion dollar projects in the oil and gas sector.

The Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Fidel Pepple, said the report was credited to some international oil companies (IOCs) which accused the corporation of impeding the project execution.

He said the NNPC would not be stampeded or browbeaten into abandoning its firmly established process of awarding contracts by what it termed calculated media blackmail by IOCs and other interested parties.

The spokesman noted that

• Insists on following due process From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

while the industry concern is expected in the process leading to the awards of major oil and gas projects, “NNPC has an established procedure of contract and project approval which includes conduct of economic analysis to establish project viability and Federal Government’s take from investments in the upstream’’.

NNPC explained that this procedure must be followed and IOCs cannot stampede the corporation into taking decisions that may be inimical to the nation because of their pecuniary interests.

On the claim that the NNPC has not held its peri-

odic Group Executive Committee meetings to discuss some major projects like the TOTAL Egina deep offshore project and endorse same to NNPC Board for approval, Pepple said: “This claim is untrue as GEC meetings are being held weekly or fortnightly.However, Erha North Phase Two and Egina Project contracts have not been discussed yet at these meetings because NNPC Management is critically reviewing the overall economics of the project in view of their high cost estimates in order to establish their validity, maximise Federal Government’s take and ensure comparative price competitiveness vis-a-vis bench-

marks.’’

On the allegation that the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the NNPC,Abiye Membere, was behind a phantom contract splitting attempt of the Egina Project just as he allegedly did with the previous Bonga Southwest project, the Corporation spokesman said this was untrue.

The NNPC said the alleged contract splitting was never in the cards as there was no time that SNEPCO proposed three Floating Production Storage Production offloading facility (FPSOs) for Bonga Field Development.

“Membere also did not

scuttle Bonga Southwest/ Aparo Project six years ago.

He was the GM, PSC Division of NAPIMS in 2006 and helped to move forward the strategy for a leased FPSO project for Bonga Southwest /Aparo project. He was deployed from this position to another position in NNPC’s Engineering & Technical Directorate in 2007during a routine Management re-organisation exercise’’.

The corporation media chief explained that the said Bonga South/Aparo was recycled for concept re-evaluation in 2009 when dearth of bidders were recorded on the major packages at the technical stage and with a potential of only one bidder emerging to the commercial stage of the FPSO tender.

AMCON yet to vacate Capital Oil’s premises

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

A

week after an Abuja High Court ordered the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to vacate the premises of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, the agency is holding on to the facilities and has directed the police not to allow any of the company’s staff entry into the premises.

Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on December 13 vacated its ex-parte order of November 13, 2012, which gave AMCON power to take immediate possession of the properties and assets of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited and those of its Managing Director, Mr Ifeanyi Ubah over alleged N48.014 billion debt.

Following the December 13 ruling, the management of Capital Oil proceeded to resume operation yesterday, but both the management and staff were refused entry by the police guarding the company on orders of AMCON. A management staff member of Capital Oil, Mr Ugochukwu Ehighibe, told reporters that “neither the company’s lawyers, nor the embattled Managing Director, Mr Ifeanyi Ubah nor any staff of the company for that matter, has been served with any court order staying the execution of the December 13, 2012 order or a notice of appeal on the court order.”

Efforts to reach AMCON for comments proved abortive, as text messages and telephone calls to its officials were not replied to.

Flour Mills donates N200m, foods to flood victims

F

OOD giant, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, has do nated N200 million to the Flood Relief Committee of the Federal Government for people affected by flood.

In addition, truck loads of food items produced by Flour Mills worth N72 million have been despatched to 14 states.

The trucks loaded with bags of rice, Semovita, Goldenvita, Spaghetti and Noodles are distributed to government officials in state capitals.

In a statement, Flour Mills Group Managing Director, Chief Emmanuel Ukpabi said the firm regretted the devastation caused to people, homes, farmlands and structures by the disaster which affected many states.

He praised the Federal, state and local governments for the considerable efforts and resources deployed towards providing relief to victims and families in distress.

Chief Ukpabi stated that in the spirit of corporate citizenship and in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility, Flour Mills has decided to support and complement Government’s efforts in caring for the needy and the homeless.

13

PROPERTY

Tuesday, DECEMBER 18, 2012 Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com

* The Environment * Mortgage * Apartments * Security * Homes * Real Estate

email:- property@thenationonlineng.net

•The disputed house at Lagos Mainland.

Auctioned property stirs row •Church, doctor battle for house The battle line is drawn over an auctioned property in Yaba, Lagos Mainland, which the plaintiff is claiming was illegally sold. Was it illegally sold as claimed by Dr Ayodeji George who alleges that the court judgment approving the sale of the house was secured in his absence? OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE. •CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

•‘Our neglect bane of construction sector’

- PAGE 14

•Residents urged to monitor physical development - PAGE 51

14

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Auctioned property stirs row W

AS House 10 Shiro Street in Fadeyi, Yaba, Lagos Mainland lawfully auctioned? This is the issue for determination by a Lagos High Court as the ownership tussle over the house left behind by the late George Sule deepens.

The sale of the building by the Deputy Sheriff of the Lagos State High Court to the Diocese of Lagos Mainland (Anglican Communion) of the Cathedral of St. Jude prompted the suit filed by the deceased's son, Dr Ayodeji George.

The plaintiff is challenging the sale in the grounds that the court verdict approving the auction was secured in his absence.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Deputy Sheriff, a buyer, Mr. Christopher Abugo and the church.

The property, according to George, was illegally attached to satisfy the monetary judgment sum of N1.8million being legal fees of Abugo, who was hired by the beneficiaries and Trustees of the will of Late Pa George Sule.

George is one of the children and executors of the estate of his late father, who died testate on August 29, 1994. The probate of his Will dated July 2, 1993 was granted by the High Court of Lagos on July 14, 1999 to the plaintiff and his sister, Mrs. Ajokeoluwa Odushina (nee Goerge Sule) as executor/executrix.

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie Asst Editor

The Deputy Sheriff purportedly sold to the Anglican Church by public auction, the property devised to the claimant by his late father pursuant to the wrongful and unlawful execution of the judgment sum of N1.8 in suit LD/1030/96 instituted by the second defendant, Mr. Christopher Abugo against the estate of late George Sule as legal fees.

According to the claimant, Abugo (trading under the name and style of Chris Abugo & Co, Legal Practitioners) had instituted the suit against Mrs. Olufunke Alabi (Nee George Sule), Mr Ayodeji Gerge Sule, Mr Sunday Ogunbo and Mrs. Ajokela George Sule (for themselves as beneficiaries and as Trustees of the will of the late Pa George Sule) for N4,136,624.23 being second defendant’s bill of charges for professional legal fees in connection with the said estate, which sum was allegedly due when Abugo was debriefed.

When the matter initially started, Ayodeji said he gave evidence against Abugo’s claim before the then trial Judge, Bode RhodesVivour, before he eventually returned to the United States of America. He said he was later informed that Rhodes-Vivour had been elevated to the appellate court having adjourned for judgment.

Unknown to him, the suit was commenced de novo before Justice S.O Ishola in May 2008. He said he became aware of the suit recently when the occupants of the building told him that the new owner had instructed them not to pay any rent to him, thereby wrongfully and unlawfully depriving him of his bequest in satisfaction of the judgment debt awarded against the entire estate of the late George Sule.

The claimant alleged that the judgment and the subsequent order for attachment and sale of the claimant’s devise were obtained as a result f the gross misrepresentation that the third defendant, Sunday Ogunbo, was an executor of the estate and that probate had not been granted, which he claimed to be false, as the administration of the estate had been completed since 2000.

All through the suit before the new Judge, Dr. George said he was not aware, neither were their proper parties and that affected his right to fair hearing and to own property under the 1999 constitution, contesting that any judgment therefrom is a nullity. He also said the property sold in December 2011 was grossly undervalued at N28.7million and that Sunday Ogunbo, who represented him does not have the locus standi, having renounced probate since 1995.

George alleged that both the Deputy Sheriff and Mr Christopher Abugo acted in bad faith when they applied to the court for the attachment and sale of his property when they were aware that he was domiciled outside Nigeria being a practising medical practitioner in the US and had no notice of the motion for the attachment of his property.

He is, therefore, seeking that the court should declare that he is entitled and deemed the holder of the statutory right of occupancy over the property, a declaration that the purported sale of the property by the Deputy Sheriff to the Anglican Church is malicious and fraudulent and violation of his right as well as null and void. He also wants the court to hold that the defendants are liable for trespass, having acted on wrong representation and an order setting aside the entire judgment.

In his defence, Abugo, said Sunday Ogunbo, is the second executor of the Will of late George and is described and called “my junior brother of No. 18, Adebowale Street, Akure” in the said Will, arguing that the Deputy Sheriff lawfully sold the property by public action and was bought by the church, being the highest bidder, at the public auction in execution of the judgment of the High Court.

The legal practitioner said the allegation of non-service cannot be sustained as the writ of summons and statement of claim were served on both Ayodeji and his sister at No 9, Ekololu Street, Surulere, Lagos and were represented by the late P.E.M Alenkhe of 10, Shiro Street, Fadeyi, Yaba, Lagos and later of No. 20, Obanikoro street, Obanikoro, Lagos, adding that they filed a joint amended statement of defence and counter-claim.

According to Abugo’s defence,

signed by his counsel, Otunba Segun Demuren, the claimant, Ayodeji George, absconded and ran away while being cross-examined by him before RhodesVivour, though George’s counsel continued to make representation, adding that his counsel in open court said efforts to get his clients were unsuccessful, as they repeatedly ignored his phone calls, leading to protracted adjournments, during which the court issued hearing notices to them, submitting that it would be wrong for the claimant now to alleged deprivation of any bequest.

Assuming George’s claim was true, Abugo, said the auctioned property’s title does not vest in the claimant, part of the estate of the late Pa George Sule even up till today.

In his summation, Abugo said the judgment of the trial court to sell and attach the property is valid, therefore, the claimant’s claims are frivolous, mischievous, an abuse of the due process and should be dismissed with N2million cost in his favor.

The Anglican Communion said it bought the property through a bid process, for evangelism and that the Chief Judge of Lagos State, had by the issuance of certificate of purchase of land dated March 9, 2012 transferred the right, title and interest in the property to the church.

In its defence by its lawyer, the church said that it acted in good faith, in all honesty, without fraud, collusion or participation in any wrong doing, asking the court to hold that the claimant’s claims and prayers are frivolous, utterly baseless, vexatious and should be dismissed with cost.

The court has adjourned till January 9, 2013.

el-Rufai urges professionals

T •Lasisi, Okunnu, Shonubi, Mrs Shonubi and Owasanoye at the ceremony...at the weekend.

‘Our neglect bane of construction sector’

Q

UANTITY surveyors have said the neglect of their core competence in the

construction sector has led to the massive corruption witnessed in the sector and the incessant cases of abandoned project.

They spoke at their induction at Lagos Sheraton Hotels & Towers, Ikeja.

The guest speaker at the event and former Director of Research, Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal studies, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who spoke on The quantity surveyor and national development, said most projects are overrun at the execution stage because in some cases both government and individuals overlook the total cost of the project before embarking on such.

He noted the poor rating of the nation in this year’s Corruption Index as a fallout of the weight of corruption in the economy, especially from construction projects.

He said: “Quantity surveyors as construction cost experts hold the key to stemming corruption in construction and infrastructure development projects in Nigeria because their

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie Asst Editor

skills in the pricing and structuring of projects can easily expose the underbelly of corruption that attends the contracting and costing of projects in Nigeria. It should be noted that no grand corruption is ever conceived or implemented without being linked to a construction of infrastructure development project.

The big money is in construction and quantity surveyors can assist the nation by shedding light on the true cost of projects as opposed to the lies often sold to the public by corrupt government and their collaboration in the private sector.”

Owasanoye also accused the quantity surveyors of not doing enough to fight corruption by not speaking up on over bloated projects. He urged them to join other advocates and stakeholders to demand that government not only provide the name of contractors and amounts at which construction and infrastructure developments projects are awarded in order to do a critique on it.

Chairman of the occasion Alhaji

Femi Okunnu advised on the need for the restructuring of the Land Use Act and the need for states to have control of their land to enable faster and proper transformation of the state’s.

He criticised the control of certain land by the Federal Government depriving a state the use of its land for development. He recalled how as a federal Commissioner of Works in the General Yakubu Gowon regime, he fought to give professionals in the built environment their pride of place through Charter registration of bodies, such as the Nigerian Institute of Architects and Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN).

Earlier the Chairman, Mr. Olayemi Shonubi said they are willing to partner with the government in its transformation agenda and to fight corruption in the construction sector. He said his target is to find space for graduate quantity surveyors in consulting firms and help them in job placements and for the older generation he promised to help them horn their skills in training through workshops and seminars, particularly on new developments in the profession.

HE former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mallam Nasir elRufai has admonished professionals to uphold the tenets of service for the nation to rely on their expertise and judgement.

Speaking at the induction of new associates into the professional cadre of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) in Abuja, elRufai charged the inductees to ‘’ensure that they distinguish themselves and always give clients value for money’. ’ Represented by an aide, Mr Martins Akumazi, said the problem with professionals is their disposition towards money rather than creating a niche for themselves by building a brand around integrity and professionalism.

He urged them to be patient, dedicated to their professional callings and also to ensure they are always in tune with agreed principles of correct moral conduct. He also urged them to eschew anything pertaining to professional misconduct and dishonesty while carrying out their professional services.

To the newly inducted Associates, he implored them to build their profession around good name which he said is more sustainable rather than money which will always follow any one that has the quality of integrity expressed by good name.

He also enjoined them to be forthright in their dealings with clients and colleagues in their activities.

In her keynote address at the ceremony, the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Ms. Ama Pepple represented by Sir GTN Tanbasi, a Deputy Director in the Ministry, challenged professionals to upgrade themselves and ensure they are on top of issues in their profession.

He said as it is impossible for a nation to develop beyond the level of her educational attainment, so it for its citizens. She urged them to see themselves as important stakeholders in the quest for nation building.

She said as real estate practitioners’, the nation looks up to them as those who would provide the solution to housing in Nigeria. She said now that their voice can be heard as professionals, they should not hesitate to make their input known as professional members of Estate surveyors and valuers.

The ceremony, which took place at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja under the chairmanship of Mr A. G. Songosanya, the Chairman of Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board Of Nigeria (ESVARBON) attracted other professionals.

NIESVPresident Mr Emeka Eleh who administered the oath of office and the induction assisted by members of his management committee, was enthusiastic that professionals have the wherewithal in terms of skill and competence to meet up with global standards when called upon to render their professional service.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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ENERGY THE NATION

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

As the country continues to suffer from daily power cuts, experts are looking for alternative energy-saving options.

DANIEL ESSIET writes

How to solve power crisis, by experts D

ESPITE efforts to boost electricity, homes and companies are still experiencing lengthy power outages. The government attributes this to increased electricity demand.

For watchers, there is too little power available. Supply isn’t catching up with the demand. Household electricity accounts for the bulk of electricity usage, followed by industry and public facilities.

For watchers, Nigeria needs more power stations, but these take time to build and for too long the investments in updating existing stations haven’t been made.

In response, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), James Olotu, said challenges facing power generation and energy, are traceable to the many years of ill-advised strategic planning, investment and delays in infrastructure construction.

He said 10 new power projects, which are projected to deliver additional 4,770 Mega Watts (MW) to national grid will come on stream.

Olotu, who stated this investment scheme during the inauguration of the 150MVA transmission station in Ikeja West, Lagos said these facilities have continued to impact positively on power supply in the country.

He said: “This initiative is expected to bring into existence 10 more power stations that will give Nigerians not less than 4,770 MW of power, when completed. We are also building hundreds of thousands of kilometre of transmission lines across the nooks and crannies of this country, including substations to support the transmission lines.

“We are also building several thousand kilometres for distribution in addition to infrastructure and substations to support it. These projects also include the gas pipelines within the same fund to ensure that gas flows into the generating plants.

“Out of the 10 power plants, four are on stream, such as Olorunshogo in Ogun State, Omotosho in Ondo State, Sapele in Delta State and Alaoji in Abia State has added new units of

power into the grid.”

Total capacity from this new unit is about 1,150 MW. As part of the unit delivery, we expect that every month those power stations would be delivering the balance from their units into the grid. So that by December, we will be looking at about 1,500MW. Other six power generation stations are at about 80 per cent completed, and we will get to inaugurate them soon. So by the end of the year, we are expecting additional 2,500MW from all these stations I have mentioned,” he said.

But watchers said all these will not tackle the consumption challenges. The savings in the form of led negawatts, a theoretical unit of power representing energy saved, would reduce the need to build more fossil-fuel power stations.

Speaking with The Nation, he Director-General, Kaduna Business School,Alhaji Dahiru Sani said small changes, such as setting air conditioners a few degrees higher or turning off lights in unused rooms, can help reduce the load on

•From left:Corps Marshal/CEO,Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC); Osita Chidoka; CEO, Oando Marketing PLC, Yomi Awobokun and Lagos Sector Commander, FRSC, Nseobong Akpabio, during a visit to Oando.

Empower indigenous operators, says NSE chief C HIEF Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Oscar Onyema, said indigenous operators need financial support to move into new areas and explore opportunities in the oil and gas sector.

Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Financial Markets Dealers Association(FMDA) in Lagos , Oscar said, indigenous firms need to explore opportunities offered by the capital market to invest in upstream assets.

According to him, several local firms have are posed to make significant investments in marginal fields and seize opportunities to participate in the oil and gas business.,

He said indigenous oil and gas producers need to meet some conditions to develop marginal fields and also boost indigenous production.

He said the capital market is favourable for oil and gas companies, adding that financially robust companies are reducing debt, increasing the capital available for other companies.

Consequently, he said the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is engaging marginal oil field operators and other indigenous oil and gas firms to use the capital market to source funds. He said the market provides patient capital

that is well suited to capitalize these opportunities and assist a new generation of oil and gas value creators to achieve their potential.

Onyema said the NSE was also considering opportunities inherent in the Local Content Development Act to encourage Nigerianowned oil and gas firms to list their shares.

He expressed hope that the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill(PIB) will enable other subsidiaries of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) to be listed separately . He noted that the government needs to encourage companies to list on the NSE through incentives and amenable legislations.

•Daramola

•Sani

the grid.

He said Nigerians should look for short-term solutions to reduce the strain on the country’s electricity grids. Consequently, more Nigerians who buy a refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, air conditioner or electric water heater, check the energy labels. He said education and more awareness campaigns are needed if the country is to ever change its consumption patterns.

He said with solar panels or wind turbines attached to buildings , even if a disaster takes out a plant, commercial enterprises will be able to continue to work.

These ideas, Sani explained is gaining popularity in other countries where the cost of electricity is high and there is strong financial incentive to provide one’s own power.

As the energy problem grows, he said more Nigerians need to turn to green technologies in their homes.

According to him, the government needs to be thinking about how to create different policies to encourage innovations and improve grid reliability and resilience.

Sani said the government should work out plans to reduce domestic and non-domestic electricity demand across the nation, beyond that expected from activities already in place, by a range of measures.

According to him, innovative uses of real time energy consumption data combined with targeted recommendations can encourage households to reduce their electricity consumption.

In the non-domestic building sector, he noted there appears to be significant potential to drive more electricity savings through measures such as high efficiency lighting, lighting controls and HVAC controls.

He stressed that cutting the amount of electricity used will not only save money on bills and reduce the need for new generation capacity, nut it makes good business sense too.

According to him, there are a number of critical input that either have to be maintained or further developed to realise the nation’s ambitious energy goals. At a national level, consumers will be required to radically evolve the way that they power, heat and light their homes.

He urged the government to encourage micro-hydro programs to support broader community and economic growth..

He said local residents can organize the labour efforts and took a personal stake in the project.

Sani said a pragmatic energy policy is necessary as the country experiences challenges with power generation, and this handicap has the potential of throwing the economy out of gear, as well as undermining foreign direct investment into the country. Addition-

ally, critical industriaisation policy might be in limbo if measures are not instituted to address this shortfall. That is why, he noted, has become critical to diversify energygeneration sources.

For a longer-term, more sustainable energy mix and set of policies, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof Biyi Daramola, said the government needs to explore options around renewable and clean energy generation (wind, wave, solar), energy conservation (including introduction of smart grids, smart power metering and LED lights), pumped water storage.

He said there are several renewable energy resources in the country andthe government should encourage the development of these resources.

Demand for renewable energy has been held back in emerging economies like Ghana by high costs, but a recent glut of solar panels on the world market has seen prices tumble downwards, much to the advantage of countries like Ghana. The country’s forwardthinking strategy puts it in a strong position to lead the renewable energy revolution in sub-Sahara Africa.

He said the energy technology roadmaps should point the way to a sustainable energy future for the nation.

He said the roadmaps should play an important role in helping identify opportunities and challenges, and in accelerating efforts at the national level.

As yuletide season approaches, Nigerians have continued to groan under intense electric power outage. As if the heat accompanied by this massive power blackout is not enough, the nation’s power utility company, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), has continued to distribute outrageously high bills, popularly known as crazy bills, to virtually all consumers.This is coming even as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), the connecting company between generation and distribution, claims that it is currently transmitting over 4,000 Megawatts to distribution companies across the country.The reasons for the current situation has been blamed on system collapse, which occurred on Thursday, November 29, due to a fault on the 330kv transmission line from Benin to Onitsha and the shutdown of Escravos Gas Plant, causing the combined nationwide shutdown of 3,716MW, the shutdown of three units of the Egbin Power Station and the closure of transmission stores, which house maintenance spare parts for PHCN facilities.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

18

ENERGY

NNPC will meet 250,000 bpd target, says GMD

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HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said its aspiration to attain 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) production by 2015 is on.

He said it would government’s policy to unbundle the NNPC as provided in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) now before the National Assembly.

The production target would be achieved through NNPC’s subsidiary in charge of exploration and production (E&P), National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, had on assumption of office assured he would ensure aggressive transformation of the corporation and its subsidiaries to be globally competitive and carry out its operations in line with global best practices.

Yakubu during his inaugural town hall meeting with management and staff of the NNPC said the management team under his watch would introduce new business models in all its Strategic Business Units (SBUs) and Corporate Service Units (CSUs) to ensure the commercial viability of the corporation in order to remain competitive in the global oil and gas industry. Yakubu stated that the management team would reposition the NNPC to become a commercially focused and profit-driven organization that is governed by best management practices using current technology, pursue and maintain competitive operational and business efficiency, cost effectiveness, input/output optimization, revenue maximization and profitability.

Before 2010, the NPDC was producing about 65,000bpd but by 2010, the company was given a target to attain 250,000 bpd production by 2015. In compliance with this directive, the company has ever continued to rev up production and cur-

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

rently stands at 130,000 bpd.

According to the NPDC, the bulk of the recent production level is from the oil mining leases (OMLs) assigned to the company following the divestment of by some of the Joint Venture partners such as Shell.

This kind of growth was described by the Managing Director of NPDC, Mr. Victor Briggs, as “not being organic,” thus the need for NPDC to commence aggressive drilling programme to grow its production in an organic fashion.

In view of the desire to attain the target, Briggs said the NPDC has activated a plan to drill 40 wells in the next five years, which is an average of eight wells per year. This plan is significant and ambitious considering that through the last five years NPDC drilled only 10 years, an average of two wells per year, he added. He said the aggressive drilling programme has commenced with the drilling of Okono 6 and 7 wells in OML 119, he said.

Briggs said: “These two new wells are producing 12,000bpd. “The only way we can increase our production is really by going out there and do the work. It is either you are repairing a well that has gone down because there are technical issues or you are drilling a well. In the case of Okono, it is the latter because we know there are potentials and all we did was to go out there and drill. I consider Okono 6 and 7 a success because the two wells combined are delivering over 12,000 barrels per day and that by any standard is significant especially in an area where most of the wells around are producing an average of 2,000bpd to 3000bpd.

“Under the able leadership of the former Managing Director who is now Group Executive Director Exploration and Production, Engr.

Abiye Membere, our production

•NNPC engineers working at Rig 108 in Oredo oil field.

grew from between 60,000bpd and 65,000bpd to about 130,000bpd. That is about 100 percent growth. For us to meet the 250,000bpd target by 2015, we will have to do another 100 percent growth from our current production. And that is what we are trying to do. First, we tried to repair some of the wells to restore their production capacities.

For instance, in OML 26, between when that asset was handed over to NPDC in June and now the production of that field was doubled. All of these have added up to the 130,000bpd production that we are talking about today.

“To meet the 250,000bpd target by 2015 means doubling our production as I said earlier, but I am confident that we will meet the target because the resources are there and the reserves are there, and we have the people. Everything is therefore set for us to meet the target. For example, in the last five years NPDC drilled 10 wells, but we have a target to drill about 40 wells in

the next five years. We have two rigs on site today, one offshore and the other one onshore and by the middle of next year we will bring in one more rig and towards the end of the year we will bring in the fourth rig. I believe we shall keep those rigs for the next two years.”

The company said that the drilling of Okono 6 and 7 wells is significant in that it represents a realistic step towards growing the company’s production as well as national production positively. In furtherance of this plan, NPDC has two rigs in site as at today, one is working on Okono 8 while the other is a drilling at Oredo in OML 111.

More rigs will be deployed by next year and also key to this programme is efforts to grow reserves, Briggs said. He noted that while the company is drilling to increase production, the management is also working hard to boost reserves because it is the only way to ensure sustainability. For instance, he said that in one of NPDC’s wells in Okono, the company is drilling deeper to assess its potential. That drilling is going on very well as at today; and if we find what I think we will find, and I think we will find it, that will give us more reserves in that field, Briggs added.

NPDC is also breaking grounds in keeping with its vision to play a leading role in meeting the Federal Government’s aspiration to provide enough gas for domestic use especially in power generation.

The Phase 1 of the Oredo Gas Handling Facility situated near Ologbo within the OML 111 has been completed. It currently supplies 65 million standard cubic feet (mmscf) per day of

gas to the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) for onward transmission to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) Power plants.

The facility was originally designed to gather and process gas from the very prolific Oredo field (OML 111) and supply to the Ihonvbor Power Plant, but the plant has not been completed. The second phase is billed to come on stream by the end of the first quarter of 2013. That will bring an additional 100mmscfd from the plant.

The Phase 2, according the company, would also see the completion of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) component of the gas plant, which will deliver about 4000 metric tons of LPG to enhance the drive to get every home to adopt LPG as its domestic cooking fuel as a way to combat deforestation and environmental pollution arising from the use of firewood and kerosene.

The support of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan has been instrumental to these achievements, Briggs said, adding that under President Jonathan and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, the trend of asset stripping that was the norm under previous administrations has been halted. In fact, assets have rather been handed over to it which is partly responsible for the achievements. The future of NPDC is very rosy and it is well on its way to actualizing the vision of its founding fathers as a major player in the upstream sector of the oil and gas sector.

Firm for FTSE Index

E From left: Head, Direct Sales Force, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr John Okon; Principal Confidential Secretary, Consumer Protection Council, Mrs. Ethel Nwobi; Chief Executive Officer, Advalue Ltd, Mr Charles Monmuba and Assistant Director, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lagos Zonal Office, Mr Obi Ireabu, at the Sterling Bank Saver’s Promo Draw in Lagos.

‘Why govt must tackle oil spill’

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CALL has been made to the Federal Government to strengthen the oil spill agency to enhance safety, and improve environmental protection.

A lecturer in the Department of Maritime Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Chinedum Onyemechi, called for an overhaul of oil spill regulatory framework to meet the international standards; including the polluter pays all principle in under the legislation.

By Ambrose Nnaji

Speaking at a lecture entitled: “Oil Spill Contingency Planning and Control Techniques” Onyemechi, who is also Chairman, Port Technology Consultancy Services, stressed the need for the government to enforce a sustainable oil spill plan, incorporating a control system where oil spill consciousness was properly internalised by corporations working in the oil industry and exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Because of increasing cases of oil spills, he maintained that the marine environment and the seashore are at risk of pollution .

To this end, he urged coastal state governments to ensure that a workable emergency plan was put in place to stop oil spill incidence.

In addition, he canvassed a supervising national body whose role shall be ensuring that all major petroleum carrying facilities including, refineries, and ships endorse and implement an oil pollution emergency plan.

LAND Oil & Gas, an upstream petroleum company, will be a part of the FTSE AIM 50 Index from December 24 2012, a statement said.

FTSE AIM 50 Index comprises the 50 largest United Kingdom incorporated companies on AIM by market capitalisation. Eland qualified for the FTSE AIM 50 by dint of its high market capitalisation (approximately £ 150 mn) and strong liquidity.

Inclusion in the index increases the company’s visibility to investors and triggers analyst coverage; widens the investor base by attracting newer classes of investors; helps in comparing the company’s performance against a peer group and supports liquidity and future capital raising.

Eland Oil & Gas was admitted to AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s specialised market for growth companies, on September 3 2012 having raised £ 118 million.

It has a significant financial and operational interest in the OML-40 field located onshore within the

Niger Delta.

Commenting on Eland’s inclusion in FTSE AIM-50, Ibukun Adebayo, Head of Primary Markets for Africa at London Stock Exchange said: “Eland Oil and Gas has qualified for FTSE AIM 50, an index of top UK incorporated AIM companies, within three months of joining the market.

This is a clear demonstration of the exciting growth potential for smaller Nigerian companies and testament to London and international investors’ willingness to support ambitious, fast-growing companies.”

AIM is the London Stock Exchange’s international market for smaller growing companies. A wide range of businesses including early stage, venture capital backed as well as more established companies join AIM seeking access to growth capital, making it the most successful growth market in the world.

Since its launch in 1995, over 3,000 firms from across the globe have chosen to join AIM.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

19

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

EDITORIALS

Subsidy blackmail

•Request for N161.6bn for subsidy supplementary budget is frivolous

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RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, through a memo read to both Houses of the National Assembly is requesting for N161.6 billion naira ($1 billion) supplementary budget to defray fuel subsidy debts purportedly owed petroleum products importers for year ending 2012.

This extra-budgetary request takes total spending on fuel subsidy this year to over 1 trillion naira, about a fifth of the total federal budget.

The 2012 budget reportedly set aside N888.1 billion for fuel subsidy, which the government claimed it had nearly exhausted, using that as basis for the latest demand for extra N161.6 billion. President Jonathan puts it thus: “Given the need to maintain a steady flow of petroleum products, especially in the run up to the festive season, it is my hope that the distinguished senators will kindly accord this request their … approval.”

From the foregoing, the government could justifiably be accused of using subtle blackmail on the National Assembly. The request, if indeed genuine, ought to have been made before now because the subsidy payments balance sheet is in government’s custody. Therefore, it would be pertinent for it to tell the nation at what point it occurred to it that the approved sum would not be sufficient.

Secondly, the fact that this administration waited till this festive period before making this claim, knowing full well the importance of December, shows that it was playing games with the subsidy ruse.

For no tangible reason, fuel scarcity/short-

ages have been a recurring decimal since January. Yet, Nigeria is Africa’s top oil producer, with mostly moribund refineries, thus forcing it to importabout 80 percent of its refined fuel needs.

There is too much puzzle in the subsidy schedule since it has turned out to be a conduit for uninhibited state theft.

As at 2009, fuel subsidy was put at about N600billion and we doubt if any economic sense could be made of the trillions of naira astronomical increment of the subsidy in 2011, an election year, and this year?

No doubt, there is more to it than meets the eye in all these subsidy transactions.

Could it be a ploy by government to deceive Nigerians into believing that there was little or no fraud in the subsidy payments in the past? But the government would also have to tell us what economic activities made Nigerians consume so much fuel last year, making us pay far more than what was spent on subsidy in three years (2006-2008) in 2011 alone.

With the numerous indicting reports of several committees against the government and some fuel importers, it seems this administration is now at a crossroads.

Yet, the only thing that can end the fraud is not for the government to cover it or coerce Nigerians to pay for its ineptitude and corruption; but to build more refineries and then hand over to private investors to operate. We wonder why the government is shying away from this. Is it to sustain the subsidy fraud, or what?

We are unhappy that the Senate has so

hastily fallen for the blackmail that fuel would be scarce during the festive season if the additional N161.6billion was not approved and had thus given its nod to the proposal. The House of Representatives should not toe this line; rather, it should look critically into the matter and throw it out, if necessary.

We call on the civil society groups and the citizenry to stay alert and mount pressure on the government to build more refineries. It was the heat put on President Jonathan in January when he removed fuel subsidy that brought the negligible reprieve that is now being enjoyed.

The proposed N161.6billionn supplementary budget request is a pointer that the entire fuel subsidy is a huge racket.

‘We are unhappy that the Senate has so hastily fallen for the blackmail that fuel would be scarce during the festive season if the additional N161.6bn was not approved and had thus given its nod to the proposal. The House of Representatives should not toe this line; rather, it should look critically into the matter and throw it out, if necessary’

The kidnap scourge •Perhaps the FG would do something now, with recent high profile abductions S it possible that the kidnappers who have been terrorising some parts of the country for some years now have over-reached themselves? Will their heinous but lucrative enterprise receive the requisite attention of the Nigerian authorities now? These and many more questions played up with the abduction of Professor Kamene Okonjo, the 82year- old mother of Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, on December 9. Mercifully, Prof Okonjo was released on December 14.

Apart from her high profile daughter, Prof. Okonjo is also in her own right, an influential queen of the Ogwuashi-Uku kingdom in the oil-rich Delta State; her husband, HRH (Professor) Chukuka Okonjo being the traditional ruler of the town. Mama Okonjo was abducted by

I

‘While security and intelligence measures may be devised to combat the crimes, we urge government at all levels to rebuild Nigeria’s crumbling institutions and ensure that systems are working so as to engender rapid growth in the economy. Kidnapping is only a symptom of Nigeria’s deep social malaise’

dare-devil kidnappers from her palace in the afternoon on December 9. The operation was such an easy walk-in for her abductors that the news hit the nation with both shock and bemusement. The Presidency, smarting from an apparent humiliation ordered the police to find the hoodlums immediately. And the police topnotch on its part, also barked down a similar order to subordinates.

As if the message of Prof. Okonjo’s incident did not sink in well enough, another hijack of an eminent personality occurred the day after in Ibadan, Oyo State, Southwest of Nigeria. This time, it was Mrs.Titilayo Rotimi, wife of the former military governor of the defunct Western State, General Oluwole Rotimi (Rtd). Mrs Rotimi was reportedly accosted in front of her business premises and forcibly taken away as she drove home after the day’s work. The kidnappers of both grand old ladies, as if working in cahoots, reportedly made ransom demands of N200 million each. Mrs Rotimi was still being held by her abductors as at the weekend.

Though kidnapping started in Nigeria about 10 years ago in the Niger Delta when the youths agitated over perceived marginalisation in the face of abundant crude oil exploitation. Their victims were mainly expatriate oil workers from whose companies huge ransom was extracted.

However, since the uprising was quelled following an amnesty scheme initiated by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the militants have moved on to other things, but kidnapping has blossomed into a deadly but lucrative enterprise which has

taken root in the South-south and Southeast of Nigeria. Lately, it seems to be creeping into the Southwest, with rising incidents of abduction in the last two years.

This criminal activity has flourished in Nigeria to the point that she was rated the kidnap capital of the world. Hardly any day passed in the last couple of years without a victim of criminal abduction being recorded. While huge ransom is paid, often surreptitiously, many families sometimes suffer double jeopardy as deaths are also recorded but notified only after huge ransom had been extracted.

While the security agencies have been ineffective, if not frustrated, the vice has seeped deep into the system that even the police are fingered as sometimes being in collusion with the criminals.

Poor leadership, weak governance and the resultant economic stagnation in the last decade have resulted in all manner of crippling social vices. Kidnapping just happens to be the most notorious for obvious reasons. Of course there is armed robbery and sundry criminality, chief among which is embezzlement and diversion of public funds.

All of these are at the root of this scourge that currently assails the country. While security and intelligence measures may be devised to combat the crimes, we urge government at all levels to rebuild Nigeria’s crumbling institutions and ensure that systems are working so as to engender rapid growth in the economy. Kidnapping is only a symptom of Nigeria’s deep social malaise.

Egypt’s flawed constitutional vote

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N Saturday, voters began casting their ballots in Egypt on their new constitution. But the process managed

by President Mohamed Morsi has been so corrupted by power plays, division and violent protests that it is hard to see how the referendum can result in the consensus needed to lay a foundation for enduring democratic change. Mr. Morsi should have postponed the referendum, reconvened a constitutional assembly that was less dominated by his Muslim Brotherhood allies and charged its members with writing an amended charter that would respond to the concerns that his more liberal, secular opponents have with the current draft.

Critics say the constitution leaves too much room for Islamists to dominate, tramples the rights of minorities like Coptic Christians and is weak on women’s rights. There are also concerns that the constitution would give Egypt’s generals much of the power and privilege they had in the Mubarak era, although it would fulfill some demands of the revolution by ending the all-powerful presidency and strengthening Parliament.

Instead, Mr. Morsi stubbornly sped up the referendum. The well-organized Muslim Brotherhood likely will muster enough votes to pass the constitution, with a second day of voting to be held on Dec. 22. But the opposition is urging Egyptians to vote no, and many judges, in protest against Mr. Morsi, have refused to perform their crucial roles in monitoring the balloting. A substantial no vote could weaken Mr. Morsi and undercut the constitution’s legitimacy. It would also send a message that Egyptians are paying attention to what their leaders are doing.

To appease the opposition after deadly street protests last week, Mr. Morsi offered to negotiate amendments to the constitution that would be approved by a Parliament to be elected early next year. This deeply flawed idea has been rightly rejected by the opposition. Any changes should be part of the draft submitted to public vote, not dependent on future action by a future Parliament.

The turmoil of the past month has reinforced fears that Mr. Morsi is inclined to be an autocrat like his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. On Thursday, a prosecutor in Cairo accused some of Mr. Morsi’s aides of trying to coerce opponents into confessing that they had taken money to commit violence.

Mr. Morsi’s dictatorial actions have forced secular and liberal groups, which have been largely divided and ineffective, to unify as the National Salvation Front in opposition to him. The real test is whether they can stay united and develop a strategy that will make them a credible political force, able to steer Egypt on a democratic course.

New York Times

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: Chinua Achebe’s latest book ‘There was a country’ which the literary icon described as a personal history of Biafra has generated a lot of heated comments especially on the uncharitable diatribe on the role played by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and General Yakubu Gowon during the unfortunate Nigeria civil war.

Achebe accused the two Nigerian leaders during the war of pursuing deliberate policy of genocide against his ethnic group the Igbo. He predicated his conclusion on the statement of Chief Awolowo who was the Commissioner of Finance and Vice-Chairman of Federal Executive Council during the civil war period.

The chief is reported to have stated inter alia “all is fair in war and starvation is one instrument of the war.

I don’t see why we should feed our enemies fat in order to fight harder”.

Chinua Achebe felt that Chief Awolowo pursued this policy of decimation of the Igbo ethnic group for his political advantage and that of his ethnic group, the Yoruba.

My concern in this piece is not to comment on the veracity of Achebe’s claim. Many knowledgeable people like Odia Ofeimum, Alhaji Femi Okunnu who was in the Federal Executive Council with Chief Awolowo and others had vindicated Chief Awolowo. My only worry is that some northern leaders like Alhaji Shehu Shagari who was in the

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Achebe’s misrepresentation Federal Executive Council like Chief Awolowo had not come out to defend Chief Awolowo and tell the world that the policy of not sending food to the rebel enclave by air was a collective decision of the council and the government of General Gowon.

My task here is to correct an historical fact truncated by Achebe in his book. On page 67 of the book, Chinua Achebe referred to Dr. Okechukwu Ikejiani as the Chair-

poration. He was the chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation. The chairman of the Nigeria Coal Corporation was Chief C. C. Onoh, the father of delectable Bianca Ojukwu, the late Odumegwu Ojukwu’s young widow.

With regard to the efficiency of Dr. Ikejiani eloquently touted by Achebe in his book, the tenure of Dr. Ikejiani was very controversial with rampant accusation of unbridled nepotism. It was the

The claim that the 1999 constitution was written by the military and therefore has defects is not new to us. However, certain sections of this same constitution are dutifully adhered to, interpreted by the judiciary and strictly enforced. This is the reason a judge or magistrate will be quick to convict and sentence a robbery suspect, a burglar, pick pocket and minor offenders, based on what the law stipulates.

Why then is the judiciary unable

to apply the same laws to cases of corruption, looting of public funds littering our courts and consequently, sentence the offenders?

Why is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) quick to drag a suspected public funds looter to court, without due diligence of thorough investigations, thereby leaving loopholes for smart lawyers to exploit?

Why is the EFCC only good at securing sentences in cases involv-

Jega’s proposal on one-day elections laudable

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IR: On reading the headline titled “All elections should hold in one day – Jega” which appeared in The Punch edition of Thursday, December 13, one is bound to give kudos to Prof. Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the reason advanced for the suggestion, which is, to forestall high cost of prosecuting staggered elections in Nigeria. However, midway into the report in the newspaper, I was overwhelmed with disappointment on the aspect of the report where he opined that the proposal will not be feasible for the 2015 elections.

The truth of the matter is that should Prof. Jega want this proposal implemented within six months, Nigerians believe it is a task that he can accomplish. If a referendum is car-

• Prof. Olabode Lucas Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti

Corruption: The law is not the ass

IR: All over the world in sane climes, laws are made among other things to punish offenders who go against the laid down rules and regulations and also to deter those who may want to break the laws. These laws are enshrined in documents called constitutions.

Without them, lives in such societies will become nasty, brutish and short.

Nigeria today is operating under the 1999 constitution.

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man of Nigeria Coal Corporation and amplified this point on page 273 as follows: “Ikejiani was well known for his attempts to end nepotism and clannishness in the coal corporation, fully integrating the organization that he ran with qualified Nigerians from all over the nation. His efforts drew great ire in many quarters”.

With greatest respect to the literary icon, this is not correct. First of all Dr. Okechukwu Ikejiani was never Chairman of the Nigeria Coal Cor-

“Ikuriniani Ikejiani era”. This was very evident during the Justice Adefarasin inquiry into the Nigerian Railway Corporation set up by the military regime of General Aguiyi Ironsi in 1966. At the inquiry, Dr. Ikejiani without any qualm during the cross examination told all Nigerians the popular phrase “I love cars”, which was a reflection of his absolute control of the corporation resources in all ramification.

Going through the book, I can see a strenuous effort by Chinua Achebe to launder the images of people belonging to his ethnic stock while putting down people of other ethnic stocks in Nigeria. In doing this, Chinua Achebe truncated many unassailable facts.

ried out on the acceptability of this proposal, the ayes will surely carry the day judging by the people’s persistent outcry and yearning for bringing down the astronomical costs of conducting staggered elections in the country. In addition, majority, if not all, the registered political parties in Nigeria will unflinchingly support the idea and as expected, any of the political parties that refuses to be on the side of the people will be viewed as an enemy of Nigeria as a nation. The situation where Nigeria, as the giant of Africa, will be portrayed as a country that is unable to find its bearing on issues of national importance should be avoided at all costs as this will not augur well for the good image of the country.

To bring the idea to fruition, Prof.

Jega is advised to send a bill for an

amendment to the relevant section of the existing electoral laws for a change in the election time-table, as a matter of urgency, to the National Assembly to pave way for its implementation before the 2015 general elections. The National Assembly in turn should organize public hearings to determine the acceptability or otherwise of the laudable idea, moreover, when the people have continued to express their disappointment over high costs in running democracy in the country.

The professor’s prescription for pruning the number of political parties in Nigeria to two as reported in The Punch of Friday, December 14, is another good idea which will no doubt also enjoy the full support of the people. It would be recalled that the fairest and freest election so far held in the history of Nigeria was

recorded under a two-party system in 1993 when the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC) were the only two political parties that slugged it out in that year’s election with adoption of the Option A4 system.

Adoption of a two-party system in Nigeria for future elections will not only lead to political and economic cohesion, but will also bring down drastically the associated costs that usually arise under a multi-party system as is the case today in our country. At the end of the day, money politics will not only be played down, but the high and rising costs of running democracy in the country will be drastically reduced.

• Odunayo Joseph Iju, Lagos State

ing small time financial criminals while the big ones, at the first court hearing, secure bail conditions that allow them to move freely in the society displaying their ill-gotten wealth?

Many people believe that there is an agreement between the executive and the Judiciary about these cases.

They posit that convicting these criminals who are party chieftains, loyalists and their cronies will bring disgrace to the ruling party. Therefore, the case either drags to eternity or plea bargain is applied and the looter goes home happy with a good portion of the loot. It is alleged that about five trillion naira has been stolen since President Jonathan took over in 2010.

Some people have also argued that the EFCC under the immediate past and present leadership is a case of giving a man a job to do, but not allowing the man to do it. Why waste public fund on EFCC if they have not been unable to secure a sentence in over a thousand high profile cases they have taken to various courts?

The government cannot fool all the people the same time. The problem is not entirely with the 1999 constitution. The issue is that the executive and the judiciary do not want the constitution and the law to work.

• Mike Ifeanyi Odittah Lagos.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEEMBER 18, 2012

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COMMENTS

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limbs to do the job! Yet, the late UST as well the ever-preening Chief president was the darling Olusegun Obasanjo, former president Umoru, who Obasanjo, “do-orof the Federal Republic, just gobbled die”, crowned president in the his vomit on the iconic Bola Ige, former worst election in Nigerian justice minister and federal attorneyhistory! general, that assassins killed in his Ibadan Now Goodluck Jonathan, for home on 23 December 2001. who Obasanjo callously He, on December 10, declared the late repudiated the political zoning Ige one of the most accomplished Yoruba, Olakunle formula that made him, has nay Nigerians, that ever lived – which stepped out of line!

His lordbeek@yahoo.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) Chief Ige, no doubt, was. His glowing Abimbola estranged godfather is therefore praise came at the unveiling of a life-size getting on the overdrive to Ige statue, in front of Bola Ige House, the unhorse him.

State of Osun Governor’s Office, at the To the starry-eyed, it is Osun Government Secretariat Complex, Obasanjo’s idea of a patriotic Osogbo. duty to retrieve the polity from At the unveiling were the Osun Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, from-his-right earlier comment, it is because political irrelevance the shifty hands of Captain Incompetent. But really, as it was and his deputy, Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori. Also there was Ige’s savagely stares him in the face, a logical sequel to his tragic with Yar’adua before Jonathan, it is Obasanjo’s Plot Perpetual son, Muyiwa, one of Aregbesola’s commissioners and other presidential unravelling – and he verily believed the Osun for political relevance, having blown his golden chance, with government high officials. grandstanding would win him some plaudits. Only political fools his wayward eight-year presidency.

The Obasanjo high praise bounced from an earlier savage would fall for such cheap tricks!

Still, the usually feckless Jonathan seems to have developed a put-down, in which the former president dismissed his slain Still, the Bola Ige House setting is gripping: and Ige’s son, satanic sense of humour at Obasanjo’s expense. To the discerning former power minister as not knowing his left from his right, Muyiwa, Governor Aregbesola and even former Governor Bisi Tony Anenih, the ruthless fixer who was himself ruthlessly fixed at the time he was in the Power ministry; suggesting Ige’s Akande must especially savour that sweet irony. at home during the Edo gubernatorial election, may well be on alleged incompetence caused much of the present power Many say, to “capture” the South West, by hook or by crook, Ige his way back as chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), of the Peoples debacle. had to go, hit-the-shepherd-and-scatter-the-sheep fashion. As Democratic Party – the same political durable Obasanjo elbowed But before the extremity of high praise and low knock, had collateral damage, Governor Akande had to go too, even if out of office, at the tail-end of his imperial presidency. A sardonic come a 1999 presidential carte blanche: a ministerial offer that Obasanjo had earlier damned him with faint praise, as one of the joke never gets merrier! gave Chief Ige a free hand to choose whatever portfolio that few 1999-2003-class governors that passed his solo anti-corruption Author Obasanjo, in his books, boasts special talents at tickled his ability, in the new Obasanjo Presidency. screening. revealing his future anti-climax, while piously condemning It was indeed a sweet danger of a symbiotic deal. Obasanjo Worse still, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, to the ruin of Osun citizens, others. In his Not My Will, he knocked Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the needed Ige to thumb his nose at the Afenifere hegemony in must usurp Akande, the visionary that built that futuristic Osun famed Nigerian nationalist, for starting life as Zik of Africa but Yoruba politics; that the Alliance for Democracy (AD) sweeping secretariat. Oyinlola’s parlous performance has become his eternal ending it as Owelle of Onitsha! victory in the six South West states, in the 1999 elections, had damnation – and ample proof of Obasanjo’s sterile mainstreaming, Well now, the self-proclaimed father of modern Nigeria and just confirmed. in a politically progressive and assertive South West.

African eminent statesman is messing around with Owu On the other hand, Ige needed Obasanjo to “deal” with the So, even as Obasanjo screamed “Ogbeni ambush”, his body, chieftaincy disputes! At least, that was the publicised reason for Afenifere grandees, whose conclave preferred Olu Falae to him veteran of countless empty grandstanding, tightly hugged Ige’s his Osun shuttle! How time changes! (though Ige was Deputy Leader, and Falae an IBB-era SAP Osun canonisation. With that canonisation, he must have reasoned, Somehow, the agony of the former president is so reminiscent zealot turned progressive), as AD presidential candidate, in a may come his own political redemption, with the doors of Aso of Barabas, in Christopher Marlowe’s play, Jew of Malta. Barabas closed primary at D’Rovans Hotel, Ibadan.

Villa firmly barred against his meddling! Talk of the once rejected the Jew, never regarded anything sacrosanct. So, he built his life That sweet danger ended in mutual tragedy: the iconic Ige pillar becoming the cornerstone! That this canonisationon free and wilful double-cross. But the first time he was ever lost his life – many say because his hubris allowed an evil redemption drama unfolded in the House that Akande built, and earnest, the Malta gentry double-crossed him. He lost both his lizard to creep under the cracked walls of his political fort – but in the full glare of the younger Ige, is indicative of who, between life and his wealth for the ransom of Malta. never his honour and mystique.

Ige and Obasanjo, is having the last laugh!

Obasanjo, of course, is no Barabas; and always insists his word Obasanjo, on the other hand, kept his presidency, and even This latter-day activism, a campaign against a crony lost and an is his bond – which could well be. But whoever wants to do a rigged a phony South West base, after wrong-footing Afenifere investment gone awry, is a classic Obasanjo soap. At President deal with him to stave off his looming irrelevance had better be into some political cul-de-sac, with the once-upon-a-time battleUmaru Musa Yar’adua’s greatest hour of need, when he lingered careful. tested and trusted titans floundering; and wondering, with between life and death, the thundering Sege downed him with his Let therefore Osun Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, take tutorials self-loathing, how they could ever have fallen for Obasanjo’s verbal staccato. The health-challenged must give way for fitter from Chief Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, about a certain Trojan horse. agreement in 2003, before getting too comfy with this man. Let But Obasanjo himself ended his presidential power “Obasanjo richly deserves his history not repeat itself – for after the tragedy of that first blunder, adventure with a terrible unravelling, only reminiscent of the South West, and indeed Nigeria, can do without the sure tortoise in the folktale that swore never to return from his looming irrelevance. He worked hard the farce of a possible second! journey until he was thoroughly disgraced!

Obasanjo richly deserves his looming irrelevance. He worked for it all his long public life. Besides, hard So, if the great Uncle Sege has suddenly turned a posthumous for it all his long public life. Besides, the republic is better Ige admirer, after his rather insensitive he-knew-not-his-leftthe republic is better off for it.” off for it.

epublican ipples

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ITH barely two weeks to the end of 2102, Nigerians should have just enough time to ponder again on the bizarre econometrics of fuel consumption and its associated Ponzi scheme dubbed subsidy-gate. As if to confirm the degree to which the rentier enterprise has defied gravity, President Goodluck Jonathan last week made a request for supplementary appropriation of N161 billion to take the subsidy payout for the 2012 fiscal year well beyond the trillion naira mark.

Eleven months after the debilitating strikes over the removal of petrol subsidy, the question is whether anything has changed since then.

I do not think that anyone needs to look far for an answer. The indices seem as clear as daylight.

First, the fuel supply situation has remained as fragile and unstable as it was pre-January 1. Secondly, the request for supplementary appropriation has confirmed that the nation is nowhere near solving the riddle of how much fuel it consumes. If anything, the indication is that the shadow- boxing and the posturing by our high-minded reformers have been comical show, a waste of time – a colossal chasing after the wind.

No doubt, the substance of subsidy-gate has been confirmed, beyond any iota of doubt. The nation is said to have been fleeced to the tune of N232 billion. Of course, the inquiries also produced an interesting derivative now

‘It used to be said that when there is the will, there will be a way. This is no doubt a truism for our federal government to the extent that it is bogged down by the specious mantra of liberalisation that precludes its participation either directly or by way of partnership in business.

As for the government’s claim that the trillion naira subsidy has become unsustainable, I think we are nowhere there yet – at least not while the current inflows into the piggy bank called excess crude account remains guaranteed’

Sege’s agony

Policy Sanya Oni sanyaoni@yahoo.co.uk 08051101841

Same old story better known as Farouk-gate (or is it Ote-Dollar gate) involving an alleged giving and/or taking a $620,000 in bribe in full glare of camera.

Howbeit, depending on how much stock one places on the value of the naming and shaming of the alleged subsidy thieves and their comical arraignments with the full photoop sessions, to the extent that the nation cannot be said to be near getting out of the fuel supply conundrum anytime soon, the so-called progress cannot be anything but imaginary.

There is a fourth, signal – a disturbing one at that –the increasing possibility that the promises on the new refineries are unlikely to be kept.

Where do we go from here? The future is certainly scary as it is.

Indeed, the atmosphere of incapacitation/abdication under which the conundrum has become intractable must itself be seen as worrisome. Government’s unquestioning faith in market orthodoxies and by extension, the fixation with the removal of subsidy on petrol has unfortunately endured to the point of constituting the sole plank of its liberalisation mantra. Newspaper reports last week suggesting that the federal government may have junked the idea of building new refineries have since reinforced the view of a government illprepared to show leadership in a sector that continues to drain not just the national till but the nation’s store of foreign reserves.

At the moment, it seems out of the question that the ordinary citizen will tolerate any further tinkering with fuel prices under any circumstances especially if it has to do with subsidy removal.

Does anyone yet see the bind? Obviously, we are back in circles, preparing perhaps for the next cycle of subsidy removal and, you guessed right, mass resistance!

That is the way we are, and perhaps that is how things will continue.

It used to be said that when there is the will, there will be a way. This is no doubt a truism for our federal government to

the extent that it is bogged down by the specious mantra of liberalisation that precludes its participation either directly or by way of partnership in business. As for the government’s claim that the trillion naira subsidy has become unsustainable, I think we are nowhere there yet – at least not while the current inflows into the piggy bank called excess crude account remains guaranteed.

By the way, is it not the same federal government owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that has proposed to build some 30 retail outlets under the 2013 fiscal plans? So what is the difference between building service stations and refineries? It seems in the character of the morally-challenged government to make exceptions when it suits it.

Sanusi lays an egg Readers of this column should by now be familiar with my views on the wave of sanitisation that have swept the financial sector since 2009. Clearly, whatever misgivings anyone may have of the management of the aftermath of the sweeping reforms embarked upon by Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and crew, the exercise was clearly inevitable. One area I considered disturbing was the failure of the CBN management to accord forbearance to the hordes of shareholders that were not found to have been culpable in the bazaar which plunged their financial institutions into ruin. Against all entreaties, the CBN insisted that the shareholders knew of the risks, and like any investor, should have expected to bite the bullet when the bubble burst. That to me was legalistic particularly as I felt that some accommodation could have been extended to these shareholders.

Now, that was then.

Today, a new scenario seems to be playing out which, unfortunately suggests that CBN regulations are not necessarily cast in stone. The issue concerns the Savannah Bank and Societe General Bank which the courts granted reprieve some years ago. Here is my concern. I must say that I have no problem with the apex bank warehousing the licences for the duo. However, I have had a bit of a headache understanding the regulatory abracadabra which forbade forbearance for one set of players while denying same for another.

The two banks are planning to stage a comeback. That seems fine. What I cannot understand is the idea of a lifeline from the apex bank to them. Can somebody explain what is going on?

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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HE last four months of the year or the ‘ember months as we call them in Nigeria are perceived here as wicked and blood thirsty, especially December. Not only do we usually witness an upsurge in the number of road traffic accidents and the attendant fatalities recorded, some other evil things like kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary and carjacking also take place during this period thus driving fear into Nigerians at the approach of December.

Such evil acts as kidnapping are now so lucrative that the evil men and women behind them no longer wait for December before striking. In the past it used to be that people mysteriously disappear around December/Christmas time and most ended up in the hands of ritualists working for their principals who wanted quick money which they could flaunt and squander during Christmas and New Year festivities to show their community that “they’ve arrived” as we like to say here.

If that was kidnapping for money making ritual, the in thing now is kidnapping for ransom and it is very lucrative and highly rewarding. In the South East region, the headquarters of kidnapping in Nigeria, the crime is now big business fetching the kidnappers an average of N750m (seven hundred and fifty million Naira) monthly.

Relations of the rich and influential members of the society, including politicians, top government functionaries and even Nollywood stars are always their target and there is no age limit; young, old or aged, no problem, as long as their victim can bring in the ransom.

The most vulnerable are children and the aged who are often defenceless and powerless. Each time these evil men strike our hearts break as was the case penultimate weekend when the 82-year old mother of Nigeria’s Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was kidnapped at Ogwuashi-Uku, Delta State. Professor Kamene Okonjo, a professor of Medicine was kidnapped by gunmen at the palace of the traditional ruler of the town. She spent five days with the kidnappers before she was rescued by security agents. To secure her release or rescue, whichever way you

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ECENTLY, while on an official visit to the United Kingdom, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi delivered a lecture at the Royal Institute of International Affairs popularly known as ‘Chatham House’ London.

Governor Fayemi, a globally recognised leading resource on matters relating to governance, democratisation, security and economic development had in recent times honoured a number of speaking engagements focusing on socio- political developments in Nigeria and internationally.

At the Chatham House, he spoke on the topic ‘The Challenge of Change: Democracy and Development in Ekiti State, Nigeria’. He started his lecture by relating a striking personal experience. He narrated that the elders of his “small but scenic hometown, IsanEkiti,” had come to see him to express certain displeasure with him shortly after he was sworn-in as the Governor of Ekiti State in late 2010.

“At this point,” he recounted further, “while the Government House in the state capital was being renovated, I was driving to the Governor’s office from my hometown daily. The elders told me that they found it disappointing and sorely disconcerting that the people in the town were hardly aware of when I drove out of, and back into town every day.”

Why was this a problem, Fayemi said he was forced to ask them?

Reporting their response, the governor said: “Well, they understood my credentials as a scholar, they were also aware that I had been an activist for many years. But now I

“If a political culture encourages people to think that a state governor is not “governor enough” if he does not announce his going and coming with blaring sirens, even when there is no obstructing traffic, then we have to realise that the challenges of change is multi-dimensional’

Our hearts are broken want to put it, the kidnappers, according to unconfirmed reports were paid N9 million.

As usual nobody confirms this kind of payment but we all know it happens. Even the police do at times advise families of victims to pay the ransom to secure the release of their loved ones. More often than not we only hear that the victims have been set free by their abductors and not rescued by the police.

Just as the nation was still adjusting to the reality of the kidnapping Professor Okonjo another old woman was being abducted in Ibadan, Oyo State. The wife of a former Military Governor of old Western State Gen. Oluwole Rotimi, Titilayo, was kidnapped in front of her haulage company, AOP Logistics Limited, on the new Ibadan-Ife Expressway at about 6.30 pm last Monday. And just over the weekend a Nollywood actress and Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State on Public Affairs, Nkiru Sylvanus was kidnapped on the street in Owerri, the state capital. Her abductors want N100m. Though they are not likely to get paid in full, something substantial will be paid as ransom; so the business continues.

It is quite surprising and annoying that the police still have not found a solution to this problem in spite of the numerous shake ups and reshuffles that usually take place after each case of high profile kidnapping.

Some are even insinuating that some elements in the force are working together with these kidnappers. Considering the unenviable record of the Nigeria Police, this cannot be ruled out. Remember the Iyamu story in the Benin robbery ring of Lawrence Aninih and Monday Osunbor during General

Ibrahim Babangida presidency? Iyamu, a police officer was later discovered to be part of the notorious armed robbery gang when Aninih and co stated ‘singing’ when they were arrested. Promises of radical changes to the Police were made then but nothing changed. Recall that a one time Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Southeast zone at the height of kidnapping in the area who failed woefully to curb the menace was instead of being fired promoted as the Inspector General of Police after the then IG who hails from the area was fired for incompetence.

The tragedies we often associate with the ‘ember months are not peculiar to Nigeria.

Last Friday in far away United States of America, a 20-year old man, Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, dressed in black battle fatigue and a military vest and began firing. By the time he was done, 26 were dead- 20 of them young students between ages six and seven. The nation with a notorious gun culture was not only shocked but also broken-hearted following the tragedy. We also share in the grieve of the families of the victims including that of a 27-year old female teacher in the school who hid her students inside the cupboards when Lanza, the agent of death came calling in her class, telling him the children were in the gym. He shot her dead. What a brave woman. I hope we have teachers like that in Nigeria who in the face of death would be ready to protect their students. I doubt.

In the midst of all these, the curse of aviation descended on Nigeria again when a military helicopter conveying VIPs from

Nembe in Bayelsa State to Port-Harcourt, Rivers State crashed into the creeks killing all on board. Among the dead were the Governor of Kaduna State Patrick Yakowa, former National Security Adviser Gen. Owoye Azazi, their aides and the two-man crew.

Our hearts are broken and bleed as yet another accident from the sky has claimed lives in this country. Recall that some years back another military helicopter crashed in Makurdi killing some Generals. Have you forgotten the Nigeria Air Force Hercules C130 crash in Lagos during the Babangida era that killed whole generation of middle ranking military officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force? Too many accidents involving our military aircraft are becoming worrisome. And this call for urgent action on the part of the military high command.

President Goodluck Jonathan as the Commander-In-Chief must take more than a passive interest in what is going on in our military aviation. Just as attention is being focused on civil aviation by the Federal Government the military arm, especially the Air Force, Navy and even the Police deserve similar attention. We cannot afford to continue to lose lives like this.

‘President Goodluck Jonathan as the Commander-In-Chief must take more than a passive interest in what is going on in our military aviation. Just as attention is being focused on civil aviation by the Federal Government the military arm, especially the Air Force, Navy and even the Police deserve similar attention’

Fayemi the challenge of change

By Dare Omobude was the Governor of the Ekiti State, and this would be the first and, perhaps, the only time in a long while, that the Governor would come from their hometown.

“Why then was I denying them the opportunity of enjoying the pomp and circumstance of power by driving in and out of town without using the siren – if only to remind the people of the adjoining towns that their own son is the Governor of the state?”

Fayemi said he gave the narration to illustrate both the challenges and the opportunities for change in the ethos and practices of power and governance in Nigeria.

He then proceeded to lay out the key issues, including the fundaments, the ethos and the practices which he believed were significant in examining the challenges facing state, governance, democratisation and development in Nigeria.

He avowed that “change is central in all these, because social transformation is an indispensable factor in any society – even in the most developed ones. Because society is a permanent work-in- progress, continuity and change must be in a constant struggle so as to find the best direction and methods of social progress. However, no lasting social change starts outside the minds of human beings.”

To buttress his argument, he cited Albert Einstein’s statement that “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

Based on his narrated personal experience, Fayemi observed: “If a political culture encourages people to think that a state governor is not “governor enough” if he does not announce his going and coming with blaring sirens, even when there is no obstructing traffic, then we have to realise that the challenges of change is multi-dimensional.

Expatiating more on ‘The Fundaments of the African State’, he looked back at the last two decades of democratisation in Africa, which he declared, has brought to bear sig-

nificant social, economic and political changes on the African continent. He said with several years he had spent in the civil society, working with social forces in Africa and development agencies across the world to encourage change in the continent, he could confirm that Africa is changing for the better.

He, however, made an allusion to “a lot” of that had been “written by Western scholars on the African predicament which oscillates between hope and despair and described in various dark grammars – failed states, collapsed states, incapable states, proforma democracies to mention but a few of such epithets.”

He added that some African scholars have equally responded to many of the dark prognoses on the African State by describing them as “collapse thesis.” Some Western scholars, he said, have even gone further, adept at what they consider to be the most sinister manifestations of the State in Africa since it fits a convenient and popular narrative, to announce that, despite all its “illogicality,” “Africa [actually] Works” – because as they conclude, “Disorder [acts] as Political Instrument” in the continent.

While avoiding, as he said, to indulge in philosophical and/or theoretical postulations about the continent, Fayemi turned to a Marxian dictum to react to what he termed “the (prevailing) restrictive and (popular) constraining attitude both in the academy and the international development community toward the African State.”

Karl Mark, in The German Ideology, had said: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point, however, is to change it.” Governor Fayemi argued that the same view can be extended to the African situation.

Not many, I believe, will contend with Fayemi’s argument, as he put it, that: “The philosophers have only interpreted Africa, the point, however, is to change it.”

As Fayemi has constantly postulated in many of his talks, we all need a typology of Africa’s democratization that further interrogates the broad categories away from the

Manichean divide – of success and failure, pessimism and optimism, sub-optimal performance and unprecedented progress – which is possible and indeed, necessary because of its practical implications for policy choices by African citizens, their governments and development partners.

As accurate as this typology is, it remains incomplete in its inadequate analyses of the process and dynamics of change and in its focus on outcomes. As Fayemi would always argue: “Both optimists and pessimists of the African condition focus on outcomes, linking these outcomes in a linear relationship with particular reforms and assuming static environments.”

I agree with him that what is needed – is an understanding of the relationship between evolving economic and political contexts of reform – of how and why reforms proceed. I equally believe with him, as he argued further, that we must move away from a focus on judgments pegged on macro- reforms, that is country level analyses and big ticket issues – democratisation, privatisation, anticorruption, insecurity – that are often measured by large, dramatic shifts – technically appropriate but often lacking in political fit.

Opportunities to accelerate change and strengthen governance structures, as he said, are often missed in the context of this exclusive focus, or worse they may accelerate the challenges, inherent in the process of change, by withdrawing, for example, in the wake of partial reform. Rather than focus on short term gains, it is important to understand social change in Africa in a longer term perspective rather than through the typical binaries of success and failure.

It is in this way, along the line of Fayemi’s postulation, that it would become clear that societal transformation in Africa in the past two decades of democratisation has led to the emergence of new social forces, changed the importance of others and consequently altered the relationships among various social and political actors whilst fostering new coalitions between the state and society.

• Omobude wrote from Ibadan, Oyo State.

AFCON 2013

Keshi wants 10 NPL Yobo leads stars for AFCON 16 to Eagles camp Pg. 24

Pg. 41

Sport PAGE 23

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

2013 AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS

Apam primed to

replace Joel Obi S

UPER Eagles coach Stephen Keshi will take a chance on injury-hit Onyekachi Apam for January's African Cup of Nations (AFCON) but not on Inter Milan midfielder Joel Obi. MTNFootball.com has specially gathered that Rennes defender Apam is being considered to plug the leaky central defence and even though he was not involved in the qualifying series for the Nations Cup and his

fitness has been in doubt lately, Keshi is ready to take a chance on him.

Apam has bounced back from a long-term knee injury which sidelined him for over 18 months.

However, Italy-based defensive midfielder Obi is not so lucky and so will miss out on his first AFCON. Obi first suffered a muscle problem in March and recently staged a comeback, but

• Joel obi

the injury relapsed forcing him out again.

He has now returned to training with the hope of playing again before the year runs out.

Obi made a superb Eagles debut against Sierra Leone in February 2011 in Lagos under then coach Samson Siasia.

A lot was expected of him thereafter, but injuries have since limited his international appearances.

A total of 17 Europe-based pros are expected to report to the team's training camp in Faro, Portugal, ahead of the Nations Cup. Officials informed MTNFootball.com that Keshi plans to take about 15 players from the Nigeria Premier League to Portugal.

The team will fly out to Accra, Ghana, on December 27 from where they will connect their flight to Portugal.

West Brom's performance excites Odemwingie

Pg. 24

24

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NATIONSPORT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

West Brom's performance Reuben, Idris recover, as 22 players hit excites Odemwingie Abuja camp

•Odemwingie

O

SAZE ODEMWINGIE has said he is delighted West Brom halted a threegame losing run with a 0-0 draw at home with West Ham. West Brom have lost to Swansea, Stoke City and Arsenal in a row before they were held at home by 'The Hammers' on Sunday.

James Morrison twice hit the woodwork as the sixth-placed Baggies made it 27 points from 17 games but were unable to find the back of the net for the third successive Barclays Premier League fixture.

“After losing three games I think it was very important to keep a clean sheet and we hope to build on this in our next game,” said

Odemwingie.

“I think our performance should give us some hope that we are able to get results in the next games.

“It's also very important that we had chances to score and that should give us hope that we can return to winning games and stay in the top six.

“I think we were a bit unlucky and sometimes you need a bit of luck to get a goal.

“I think we were unfortunate as they defended very well and when we did manage to get the ball in the box it didn't fall to one of our players.”

He added: “It was a very difficult game against a team who are very difficult to play against.

“We started the second half very strongly and the fans got behind us, which really helped.

“Before the game we knew that three points, if we'd have won, would take us back up the league a little.

“The head coach said before the game that we needed to end the losing run and we did that, which is important for us.

“If we can score in our next game hopefully we might be able to get a win.

“We didn't win but I think we should still be very happy with where we are in the league.

“We lost three games and we're still there which means that we did a good job before that.

“I hope that drawing today (Sunday) allows us to put the defeats behind us and we can now build our confidence and get back to winning.”

Nigeria to start beach soccer league

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IGERIA is planning to kick-start a beach soccer league next year, supersport.com can report.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Director of Technical, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, revealed this after the Supersand Eagles defeated their Portuguese counterparts 8-7 at the Copa Lagos Beach Soccer Worldwide to retain their title on Sunday.

He disclosed that the football federation is working to conclude the logistics to ensure that the beach soccer league finally starts in 2013.

Ikpeme, who expressed excitement with the Supersand Eagles' win, added that the league will start "at the earliest in the second or third quarter of next year."

"I'm happy with the performance

of the team. There are plans by the football federation to start a beach soccer league. It has been in the plan for some time but the logistics are being tied up.

"But I cannot assure you that the league will start early next year, I mean in the first quarter of next year. However, the beach soccer league should commence at the earliest in the second or third quarter of next year," revealed Ikpeme.

All of Nigeria's beach soccer players, who have featured in FIFA, CAF and invitational tournaments, have been drawn from 11-a-side football in the absence of a beach soccer league.

Nigeria's Supersand Eagles have won the CAF Beach Soccer Championship twice in 2007 and 2009, and have reached the last eight of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup twice in 2007 and 2011.

Osaile consoles Sambo over Yakowa's death

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ENOWNED boxing promoter Martins Osaile has expressed his condolences to Vice President Namadi Sambo on the death of Kaduna State governor Patrick Yakowa.

In a text message sent to NationSport, Osaile said: “I am sending my esteemed condolences to his excellency Arc. Namadi Sambo, the Vice President of our great nation whose office is the overall authority of our nation's sports, to accept with perfect

patience the death tragedy of Patrick Yakowa the Executive Governor of Kaduna State as the will of the Almighty.

“Yakowa left an unparalleled legacy in sports organisation when he was chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the best National Sports Festival ever staged in this country, "Kaduna 2008". He was also chairman LOC-FIFA Under 17 World Youth Championship. " 2009.”

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FTER over three months of lay-off from the national team camp as a result of injuries, Kano Pillars duo of Gabriel Reuben and Papa Idris, were the cynosure of all eyes as the Super Eagles opened camp for the African Cup of Nations in Abuja, with their first training session.

There were fears that the two players who have been part of the national team setup from the home front since Stephen Keshi took over about a year ago, may not be fit on time for the AFCON 2013 championship, but they came out sparkling in training on Monday morning at the Practice Pitch of the Abuja National Stadium.

Team doctor Ibrahim Gyaran,

who later spoke on the state of health of the two players passed them fit for hostilities in the run-up to the championship. “The only fear I have is that since they have not played competitive football for some time they will still experience some mind jitters. But that is only a thing of the mind and the team psychologist, Dr Robinson Okosun and the coaching crew are already working on that aspect”, he declared.

At Monday morning’s training session, 22 players trained with only Akwa United's Bassey E, and Fengor Ogude of Velaranga of Norway, who is expected to join the

Fegor missing as Big Boss drills Eagles

V

ALERENGA of Norway midfielder Fegor Ogude was not part of Monday morning training as Nigeria began preparation for the 2013 AFCON. Fegor who is in the country on holidays, was added to the 24-man list to prove his fitness after a series of injuries.

"Fegor and Benjamin Francis are expected to join up later today," assured Eagles spokesman Ben Alaiya.

Day one of the Eagles training was mainly on fitness and sprints with coach Stephen Keshi and Daniel Amokachi handling the players while Ike Shorunmu put the goalkeepers through their paces.

Twenty two players took part in the two and half hour session which featured injury-hit Kano Pillars stars Papa Idris and Gabriel Reuben.

Enugu Rangers left winger Ejike Uzoenyi, who recently underwent trials at French club Stade Rennes, was also part of the training.

Baribote fingers Maigari, Abdullahi over removal

team were not at the early morning training session. The players were grilled on fitness, tactics and general conditioning for a championship of the magnitude of the Nations Cup. Head Coach, Stephen Keshi again assured the players that if they prove worthy of a place in the team and better than their Europe based counterpart they would be picked for the championship. “It will be my delight if 10 players prove good enough to make the championship roster and I will be happy if at all times four of such players start every game, but you have to prove it on the pitch that you are ready for the challenge”, he told the players before training commenced. The team's training continues today in Abuja.

E

MBATTLED erstwhile chairman of the Nigerian Premier League (NPL), Rumson Victor Baribote, has blamed what he called his purported removal from office on the determination of the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari and the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi to kill the game in Nigeria.

The Nembe High Chief had while reacting formally after his removal, told the media in Abuja that he was a victim of the desperation of the Sports Minister and the federation boss to scheme him out of the sponsorship deal they

secured with a London company IMG, challenging them to tell Nigerians the details of the deal.

Baribote insisted that part of his problems started when he demanded for detailed financial transactions of the federation as a board member.

“I have records to defend what I told you. I have been silent and watchful since the purported removal by the league congress or gathering of the club managers in Abuja and the ratification in Port Harcourt by the congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), even though they did not mention anything about the

devolution of the NPL board in the communiqué.

“However, the question I want to ask is why is Maigari interested in destroying Nigerian football instead of building it. Recall that he was part of those that removed Sani Lulu, which generated much tension in Nigerian football.

“He is now deeply involved in the purported removal of the NPL board because of the I M G sponsorship deal.”

20 Lagos boxers set for Fashola's Belt

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WENTY Lagos State boxers are honing their skills to fight for the prestigious ``Gov. Babatunde Fashola's Belt,''scheduled for Boxing Day, Dec. 26, at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba.

The competition, which is in its fourth edition, coincides with the 37th monthly ``Saturday Boxing Show'' being promoted by the Lagos State Boxing Hall of Fame (LSBHF).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the boxers from Lagos State topped the medals table in the boxing events at the 18th National Sports Festival which ended in Lagos on Dec. 9.

Yobo leads

N

IGERIA coach Stephen Keshi has said he would be fulfilled if at least 10 players from the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) make the final cut to next year's AFCON in South Africa.

Keshi began training with 22 players from the domestic league Monday in Abuja and he expressed his hope to have as many of these players in the final 23-man squad for the Nation s Cup i f

16 others to Eagles camp

S

Officials informed MTNFootball.com that t h e t i m e there will be a few notable omissions on the b e i n g list, while several other players could well be placed on standby to cover for injury and other unforeseen circumstances.

“The invitation letters have been sent out to the players and their clubs, but they have also been told to keep it quiet until the list is made public probably by Friday,” a top official disclosed.

“There will be a few shocks, otherwise it will be the usual suspects on the list with some players probably placed on and standby.” they The Eagles, drawn from players from the a r e domestic league and Norway-based Fegor due to Ogude, began training Monday morning in depart for Abuja.

Portugal on The 24-man squad will train once a day for December 27.

•Fegor

T

HE Secretary, Ondo State Traditional Sports Association, Oyewole Ajidagba, on Monday expressed the state's commitment to win medals in Ayo at the next edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF).

Ayo is one of the traditional sports in Nigeria recognised by the National Sports Commission (NSC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 19th edition of the festival tagged, "Paradise Games," is scheduled for Calabar, Cross River, in 2014.

C

unbelievable. ''The back four have been tremendous. They've been chucking their bodies on the line to make things easier for me.''

Ambrose, who is expected to make Nigeria's roster for the African Cup, played 5 matches in the Champions League.

His stand - out performance was against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, with UEFA naming the defender in its prestigious Team of the Week for the third round of games.

AHEAD OF 2014 NSF: Ondo eyes traditional sports medals Ajidagba, spoke against the backdrop of Team Ondo's inability to win a medal in the sport at the recently-concluded 18th edition of the Games in Lagos, tagged ``Eko 2012''.

He said preparations had begun in earnest to ensure that medals were won in Ayo at the next festival. ``We are committed towards making a positive impression at

the next edition of the festival because it was unfortunate we couldn't pick up a medal in Ayo. ``In Rivers, we won two gold medals and a silver and that is the sort of performance we want to replicate in 2014," he said.

Ajidagba added that the number of participating states in Ayo had increased at the 18th sports festival, making it a lot more difficult to win medals in the sport.

•Ambrose

Uduaghan hosts Team Delta today

D

• Uduaghan

they prove to be better than their Europe-based counterparts in training camp.

“It will be my delight if 10 players prove good enough to make the championship roster and I will be happy if at all times four of such players start every game but you have to prove it on the pitch that you are ready for the challenge,” he told the players before Monday morning training began..

Meanwhile, Valerenga midfielder Fegor Ogude was held back from joining the training camp in Abuja following the birth of his baby girl.

Mother and child are doing well and the midfielder was expected to join up by Monday evening.

N

•Yobo

ELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanual Uduaghan will today host the state's contingent to the 18th National Sports Festival tagged “Eko 2012” held in Lagos.

The ceremony which will hold at the Events Centre, Asaba is expected to bring together the who is whos of the sporting world especially from Delta State.

Delta State came first on the medals table at the just-concluded festival in Lagos with 144 gold

as appropriate, for the belt,'' he told NAN. He commended Olawale Edun, Chairman of LSBHF, for promoting amateur boxing, noting that the boxers raised the bar at ``Eko 2012'' because of their frequent participation in the Saturday Boxing Show.

...Says players must earn their places

Celtic Goalkeeper, Foster praises Efe Ambrose ELTIC goalkeeper Fraser Foster has praised Nigeria international Efe Ambrose for his defensive solidity in the Champions League.

The Glasgow giants have booked their place in the knock - out rounds of Europe's elite club competition after finishing second in their group, only three points behind group winners Barcelona.

Foster told dailyrecord.co.uk: ''Efe Ambrose has been brilliant since arriving while Kelvin Wilson has been

•Wale Edun

Keshi wants 10 NPL stars for AFCON

AFCON 2013

UPER EAGLES skipper Joseph Yobo is expected to top the list of 17 foreign based players that will be named in the week to make up the number of players that will grace the team's camp in Faro, Portugal.

Others found on the list include Spain-based striker Ikechukwu Uche, Ahmed Musa and Nosa Igiebor for the South Africa 2013 AFCON. Also, Holland-based defender Kenneth Omeruo, is already one of the surprise callups as he has yet to be capped at full international level and was not involved in the qualifying tournament for the 2013 AFCON. He has played at central defence for both the U17 and U20 teams but could well be considered for the problematic right full-back position which is where he plays for his Dutch club ADO Den Haag.

They won eight of the 20 gold medals on offer and a silver each in the male and female boxing categories at the Games, tagged ``Eko 2012''.

Wasiu Bisiriyu, Head Coach, Lagos State Amateur Boxing Association (LSABA), told NAN on Monday in Lagos that 20 boxers would be contesting for the belt.

According to him, the boxers who have just finished from the sports festival, are not tired and are in the best form to give a good account of themselves at the competition. ``Twenty boxers are putting finishing touches to their training to fight for Gov. Fashola's Belt on Boxing Day. ``My boxers are not tired of training. Of course, they are in good shape and will release their punches

•As the state loses its swimming head coach From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin medals, beating Rivers, hosts Lagos and neighbouring Edo State to second, third and fourth respectively.

At the event, Uduaghan is expected to reward the athletes, coaches and officials for their outstanding performance at the festival.

An inside source told

NationSports that gold medalists are to be rewarded with 500, 000 Naira, Silver with 300, 000 Naira while bronze medalists are expected to go home with 200, 000 Naira each.

It was also learnt yesterday that the ceremony which had been expected to be carnival like, will now be low keyed following the death of the Head Coach of Swimming whose name was

simply given as Mike by Azuka Chi-Emeka, the Media Adviser to the Delta State Sports Commissioner, Pinnick Amaju.

According to Azuka, the Swimming Head Coach who led Delta swimmers to a successful outing in Lagos died yesterday after a brief illness.

Speaking on telephone, Amaju called on state governors to, in the interest of sports development, ensure that sports commissions they set up in their various states will be independent and managed by sports administrators and not mediocre individuals.

IGERIA coach Stephen Keshi says players must earn their places as preparation begins for next month's African Nations Cup. With an avalanche of Europe-based players expected to converge at the team's Faro camp in Portugal, Keshi has moved to reassure the domestic league professionals that they will be evaluated on merit.

“I have said it time and again that I don't have preference for any set of players and I will be giving any good players the chance to play in my team," Keshi said.

"My selection will be fair, and it's up to the players to prove to me they want to play,” he said.

With the Nigerian league having been on break since October, there are worries that fitness issues may cost the local players their places in the final squad to South Africa, but Keshi says that might not be an issue.

"Because of their conditioning, we will focus on mostly fitness training to start with.

“I still have a lot of belief in the home-based players. I have been working with them for almost a year now and they have shown that they can compete with the foreign-based players.

"Any player that wants to play for Nigeria in the Nations Cup will have to be of high quality and must be ready to give a lot of sacrifice by giving his best to the team. That goes for both local and foreign pros,” he said.

INSIDE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com

Prisons chief stresses security - Page 26

Corps members members show show Corps orphans love love orphans

FCDA bans unlicensed cab operators - Page 28

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Better days ahead - Page 40

UNDREDS of orphans beamed with a smile, going home happily last week as members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the Federal Capital Territory donated various gift items to them.

For the Corps members, it was their way of alleviating poverty.

Those from War against Poverty (WAP), Community Development Service (CDS) group recently donated gift items to Christ Foundation Orphanage in Kuje, Abuja, being their end of year gift.

The Schedule Officer of Millennium Development Goal, (MDG) WAP, Mrs. Foluke Oladeinde, explained that a passion for orphans prompted Corp members to make the donations.

Mrs. Oladeinde said: “We are giving them end of the year gifts because we have passion for the orphans, we took up the project to see to the needs of the orphans in Christ Foundation Orphanage “We have being doing some

From Faith Yahaya

things for them. Their building is still under construction and because of that we took up the challenge to be part of the work going on like tiling some of the rooms, flooring some of the rooms, putting ceiling in some rooms, and fencing the place so that the children will be secured because the place is too open and we feel they will feel secured if the place is properly fenced “The work is still ongoing and we will not relent in visiting them and giving them relief materials such as; clothing, toiletries, provision, foodstuffs, shoes, and all the things we generally feel they need” she said Also speaking, the President of the WAP group, Miss. Anne Igah explained that donations were made because of the plight of the children and because of what the group stands for.

“We are here because of the plight the young ones and of

course WAP is all about poverty alleviation, this orphanage is a project we are trying to work on and when we came we felt there is need to help these kids” She continued: “Today we came with Indomie noodles, juices, clothes, shoes, toiletries, and basic food supplies.”

The Proprietress of the home, Mrs. Patricia Oye-Kuta said she gets fund to run the place from her boutique business, her husband electric engineering business and from well- meaning Nigerians.

“We get fund from my husband who is an electrical engineer, my boutique and with the help of well meaning Nigerians who come from time to time, some just see sign board and some get to know about this place from friends” According to her, “The oldest person here is 20 years old and he is in the university, and the youngest is four. Some of the children here have mothers so we care for widows and their chil-

dren, and the elderly. The widows and the elderly are camped in two villages. We cater for the elderly who don’t have helpers, we help them with food and drugs” Speaking on the needs of the children, Mrs Oye-Kuta said, “the children are 72 in number and we are still aiming high.

They are in schools so we need to pay their school fees; some are living in the hostel, one is in the university, some are in technical schools. Our immediate need is finance” “We have a building that needs to be completed, we need to complete the fencing of this place, they need shoes, bags, clothes and most especially financial support”.

She also said efforts had being made to get support from government by writing to them but no positive response yet.

“We have written to government assistance but we have not received any support from them’’.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

26

ABUJA REVIEW

Amnesty Programme: Fed Govt hails US intervention

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HE Federal Government has described as positive for the image of Nigeria, the collaboration between the United States of America (USA) and the country on ways of preventing and resolving conflicts in the Niger Delta.

The government said the US intervention was a proof of the effectiveness of the Amnesty Programme for ex-militants as well

From Dele Anofi

as the global recognition of the initiative, as an effective means of resolving restiveness.

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku made the pronouncements when a delegation of the United States’ Department of States Bureau of Conflict

The kind of oil from the region is so relevant, even in the comity of oil producing nations, so peace in the region is important to nations in demand of oil

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HE FCT Coordinator of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. John Okene has said that about 58,000 are receiving treatment in various health centres across the city.

The coordinator of the group, under the aegis of Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), has also called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the law against discrimination and stigmatisation of PLWHA. Mr. Okene made the call while fielding questions with journalists at the Millennium Park, Abuja during an event organised by the FCT Agency for the Control of AIDS (FACA) to raise people’s awareness against stigmatisation and discrimination against PLWHA. Okene attributed the increasing spate of discrimination against PLWHA in the FCT to failure of the National Assembly in passing the bill into law.

and Stabilisation Operation visited his office over the weekend.

He said: “It is pertinent to say that the Niger Delta is important to the world to be toyed with. I say this because, if peace is disturbed in the Niger Delta, the entire Gulf of Guinea is affected and by extension, instability in the West African sub-region.

“The kind of oil from the region is so relevant, even in the comity of oil producing nations, so peace in the region is important to nations in demand of oil.

“That is the global implication and it is no surprise that the US and other economies are taking more interest in the region. However, US recognition of our efforts at keeping the peace in the region is a boost as others would also begin to get more interested in the region”.

According to Kuku, the region would benefit from the interven-

tion of the US as areas of concerns and intervention were laid before the delegation.

“We have given the US delegation the true picture of the region and how bad it was.

“Today, we have been able to fairly manage the region this beautiful, it s though still fragile if we don’t manage well this peace we have by improving the lives and livelihood of the people of the region.

“We have to note that the Amnesty a programme is taking care of just about 30,000 youths but what about millions left, women and children. We let the delegation know that the country owe those other groups and manage them so that we don’t go back to the dark days.

“They have shown readiness to come in, not by funding because Nigeria is funding the programme appropriately but we do

•Kingsley Kuku

need them to come in with their technical expertise assistance as well as immigration, consular support, visa issuance to be able to train these former agitators that are willing to be trained in the US,” he added.

PLWHA urge passage of bill on discrimination From Bukola Amusan

“The high level of stigmatisation and discrimination is still there because our bill is still hanging. Why people are not coming out is because of that discrimination. We are having a lot of challenges. Even some of those that their parents died are abandoned by their families. It is the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS that have been taking care of those people.

Until that bill is passed into law, discrimination against PLWHA will still be there.

“If the National Assembly is affected, one way or the other their families are affected. Even if their families are not affected, we are all citizens of this country. So, why are they finding it difficult to pass the bill into law? We are appealing to our lawmakers to

pass the bill into law. They are our fathers. They know what we are passing through,” he said.

Meanwhile, he appealed to the public to ascertain their HIV status by subjecting themselves to free test and counseling at FCT health facilities, even as he noted that free drugs were available for those living with the virus.

Earlier in his remark, the Secretary, FCT Health and Human

Services Secretariat, Dr. Demola Onakomaiya noted that valuable progress has been made in increasing access to HIV and AIDS services; yet greater commitment is needed if the goal of universal access is to be achieved.

Represented by the Director, Pharmaceutical Services of the secretariat, Murna Kazza, Dr. Onakomaiya pointed out that the event aimed at raising money, in-

If the National Assembly is affected, one way or the other their families are affected. Even if their families are not affected, we are all citizens of this country. So, why are they finding it difficult to pass the bill into law?

creasing awareness, fighting discrimination and improving education on HIV and AIDS. Contributing, the Project Manager of FACA, Dr. Uche Okoro disclosed that there are 20 comprehensive anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres, more than 60 HIV testing and counseling centres, more than 80 prevention of mother-to-child transmission centres in the FCT. “There are over 58,000 people living with HIV and AIDS who are registered and receiving care in these centres. Over 18,000 of them are on anti-retroviral drugs.

The effective and increasing access to ART services in FCT has a gradual change in perception and reality of HIV and AIDS infection as a death sentence, to a chronic illness requiring regular and sustained care and support,” he added.

Prisons chief stresses security T

HE Controller-General of Nigeria Prisons Service, Mr. Zakari Ohinoyi Ibrahim has said he will ensure that prisons across the country are secure.

Ibrahim disclosed this in Abuja at the NPS National Headquarters during the official inauguration of command Public Relations Officers.

He added that at a point it was observed that the Service activities were shrouded in secrecy and isolated by the public and media.

Ibrahim said this led to the establishment of a Public Enlightenment Unit at the Prisons Headquarters in Abuja to show that the service treats offenders in harmony with international minimum standard.

According to him, the public has since been positively educated about the welfare of inmates and various policies of government as regards the Nigerian Prisons Service.

In his effort to improve the public relations arm of the service, he posted professional public relations officers to various commands.

He said: “I wish to say with pride that the newly appointed command PROs are not only well trained prison officers, they are graduates with relevant qualifi-

From Gbenga Omokhunu and Yvonne Dike

cations in the field of Mass Communication, Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising, Social Sciences and Humanities ”I recall that at a point in the life of the NPS, past prison administrators observed that the service activities were somehow shrouded in secrecy and the service was left in its cocoon of isolation by the public and media.”

He urged them to upgrade their knowledge and keep abreast with the ethics of PR practices and the prisons laws and regulations in line with Federal government policy position on penal issues in order to avoid being on collision course with the law and government.

The NPS chief spelt out the mandate of the officers to include to guiding their communication and interaction with various audiences as the mouth piece of the service, to see that the prisoners are given orientation and services critical to self determination; making sure that they are not only secured but also turned around to be useful individuals

•Prisons staff

on release.

He added that: “I wish to reiterate that I have not reneged on my promise to see that our pris-

ons are secured to face the current security challenges facing the nation, provide adequate welfare for both inmates and staff and

also ensure proper training of inmates and relevant manpower development of the prisons workforce.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

27

ABUJA REVIEW

School principals challenged on good performance

•Ruqayyatu Rufa'I

I

N order to achieve excellent performance in FCT senior secondary schools through effective teaching and conducive learning environment, the Secretary for Education, Mallam Kabir Usman,

has called on the newly appointed and redeployed senior secondary school principals to work tenaciously and not to compromise the quality of service expected from them as administrators, educators, parents and stakeholders in the education sector.

Speaking during a meeting with the principals in Abuja, the secretary said providing and sustaining qualitative education should be their priority .

He emphasised the need for teachers to ensure positive improvement in the academic performance of the students.

He reminded them of the performance bond which is result-oriented.

The secretary, who frowned at

the concentration of teachers in the city schools with lesser hours to teach while the rural areas are neglected, directed that, the decentralisation of the city schools be done for equality and efficiency.

Director of the Secondary Education Board, Mrs Yelwa Fatima Baba-Ari said the teachers should intensify their efforts to complement the board’s vision of ensuring all round academic success and worthy character as well as good sanitation system is maintained in their various schools.

She urged them to lay a good foundation for the students as future leaders.

She urged the teachers to bring new approaches and initiatives in the education sector which will

move their various schools forward.

Baba-Ari emphasised on the seven comprehensive schools in each Area Council which will focus on the trade subjects in addition to other conventional subjects in order to equip the students with relevant skill and entrepreneurial culture for the development of the economy.

She added that, the equipment should be well utilised for the benefits of the students.

The director advised the principals to always keep track of their students even after graduating from the schools. According to her, this is necessary to know the extent they have positively impacted the society.

She urged them to make use of the mentoring system put in place by the board and not to compromise the welfare of the staff as this will further boost their morals for effective teaching and efficient service delivery in the schools.

She encouraged the principals to allow their schools to participate actively in competitions such as Olympiad, essay writing ,Junior Achievements Nigeria, SAGE among others in order to add value to the Students’ intellect and inspire them in their chosen careers while putting their schools in the limelight.

Baba-Ari who praised the immediate past Principals for their efforts in achieving the Board’s vision reminded the new principals of the need to work hard to achieve outstanding results.

She said, the Board will not relent in complementing the efforts of the FCT Education Secretariat as is determined to ensure that our educational services is transformed and remain the best in the country.

T

HE Department of Development Control of the FCDA has demolished some houses in the Mambilla Extension of Army Barracks.

All buildings at the main Corporal below Apartment (CBA) of the barracks were demolished.

An FCDA official and a town planner spoke to Abuja Review in confidence said: “Environmental Department Control, FCDA, ordered us to demolish the houses. This is purely a military affair, “We are here on their request.

Whether the buildings are legal or illegal, I don’t know about that.

We are only here on their request to remove the buildings for them.

“As long as Abuja is concerned, we control developments. Before anyone can build any house, FCDA must approve of it. Whatever plot one gets should be designed according to the purpose for which it was approved.”

An army corporal, who pleaded anonymity also said: “I work in Mugadishu Barracks, but I stay here. Majority of the occupants in these demolished buildings are army personnel.

“The construction was mainly set up for workers who stayed in them during the renovation of the buildings in the barracks. As they finished their work, they left, leaving the buildings vacant.

“Because of accommodation problem, those of us working under the military occupied the apartments and also decided to accommodate other serving personnel.

“As these apartments are now demolished, we will squat with HE Traditional Ruler of Abatete in Idemili North Local Government of Area of Anambra State, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Charles Emeka Efobi has advocated the inclusion of monarchs in the security strategy in the country.

Igwe Efobi, who spoke at a reception in honour of the pioneer Director General of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Gordian Oranika at the Abatete House in Abuja, said the criminal elements are better identified at local level and can easily be isolated by community leaders.

“In every community, those in the community know exactly what is going on, if you have criminals in your community, they are brothers and sisters of people. If we are sincere to ourselves and if we can identify the

T

•Bulldozer pulls down a structure

FCDA demolishes illegal structures Stories from Bukola Amusan

others pending when we are given new apartments to move in.

We were promised that the houses would be re-built in bet-

ter form. We are expecting the houses to be raised in three months’ time.

“They notified us of the demolition early this year. Some of the residents have already moved out

before this time.

“They demolished the buildings for security reasons. The Boko Haram menace in the country prompted the demolition; so that no one would hide under the build-

‘Monarchs can curb insecurity’ From Gbenga Omokhunu and Yvonne Dike

bad eggs in our various communities, all these problems will stop, “ he said.

The community leader who spoke against the background of concerns over the terrorist insurgency in most parts if the north, said a similar insecurity problem like the kidnapping menace in the

I as a traditional ruler of my town has set up a vigilante group in Abatete and co-opted my people to fight kidnapping and other criminal activities. Communities in the North should borrow a leaf from the way the South East has been dealing with problem of kidnapping and set up vigilante

south east is being addressed through community-supported initiative.

Efobi gave an example of the situation in Anambra State, where the government has made it mandatory that the royal fathers should be the chief security officer of their towns.

“Because of this, I as a traditional ruler of my town has set up a vigilante group in Abatete and co-opted my people to fight kidnapping and other criminal activities. Communities in the North should borrow a leaf from the way the South East has been dealing with problem of kidnapping and set up vigilante, “he said.

ings not originally built for army officials in the barracks where some others were being squatted.

That was why they want to really raise new ones and get to know people staying there.”

Speaking on the possible security consequences of a poorly managed development in the FCT, the former DG, said there is need for the administration of the Capital City to exercise utmost care in the ongoing demolition of illegal structure.

Oranika warned that the backlash of an unplanned demolition exercise in the capital city can create insecurity problem if no concrete effort is made to resettle the victims.

“All is not well in the area of social development of the Federal Capital Territory . The Federal Capital Territory Administration needs to think more of the people, it is not fair to demolish houses people have been occupying for several years without providing an alternative, “he said

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

28

ABUJA REVIEW

•Cab operators

FCDA bans unlicensed cab operators

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HE Transportation Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said it would not permit unlicensed transport operators in the FCT to ply Abuja roads as from January 14, 2013.

Secretary, FCT Transport Secretariat, Mr Jonathan Ivoke described the activities of the transport operators as illegal, even as he warned that appropriate sanctions would be meted out to them should they prove recalcitrant.

Mr Ivoke disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting as part of efforts to sensitise the public on the issue. He announced that mini-bus feeder route operations would commence next year.

He said: “Since your operation is illegal, all you kabukabu transporters will not be allowed to work if you are not licensed. This is because you are operating against the transport policy of the FCT. “The feeder route operations are such that restrict mini and high capacity buses to certain areas within the territory,” he said.

On the near absence of buses purchased to mitigate the pains resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy in the FCT, he said the vehicles were available but have

maintenance problems.

He, however, urged estate managers to stop barring painted taxis into the estates in the FCT. He said the painted and the

K

•Kwankwaso

sons why the taxis should be allowed into the estates because they are the licensed ones. This is for security reasons,” Ivoke said.

Expert advocates technology-driven police

T

HE current security situation in Nigeria has given rise to the need for the Nigerian Police to be technologydriven in order to find a lasting solution to its various challenges.

The Chairman of Puzzles Group, Bayo Adeyemo said this

Kwankwaso, Yusuf bag housing award ANO State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and the Director of Development Control Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA Yahaya Yusuff were among several recipients of the Housing Circuit Magazine Award in Abuja last week.

Kwankwaso bagged the Housing/Urban Development Governor of the Year.

The Magazine’s publisher, Mr. Seun Jegede said the governor was nominated as the best governor in housing and urban development in the country based on his excellent performance in the sector.

unpainted taxi cabs were not to be allowed because of their safety and the security implication.

“We want the meeting with the managers of the estates to see rea-

According to him, the magazine’s award dinner was designed to honour and celebrate excellent performance among professionals in the building and construction industry.

Other professionals also rewarded included Architect Terver Gemade, Mr. Ike Ojih, Dr. (Mrs.) Hanatu Fika and Hassan Musa Usman.

Others are Surveyor Gaius Assor, Mr. Akande Omoniyi, Mrs. Olabisi Lasisi-Oladele, and Surveyor Olabode Adeaga.

Mr. Seun Jegede lauded the contributions of the nominees and award recipients in the housing sector.

will help to tackle some of the security challenges in the country and also portray the Nigerian Police in good light.

He said his non-governmental organisation; Puzzles Group recently gave an inaugural posthumous award of N500, 000 to the wife of a police officer who was a victim of the recent Kaduna bomb blast as part of its humanitarian gestures towards uplifting families of police officers that died in the line of duty.

He said the current security situation has gone beyond police officers carrying AK-47 rifles. He noted that the norm is intelligence and electronic gathering with upto-date criminal data-base as done in civilised climes.

Adeyemo described the current

security situation in once-peaceful country like Nigeria as a sad story and a new dimension that has now become a norm. He called on the authorities to take decisive action in handling the situation.

He said if just five per cent of the companies in Nigeria could support the police, a lot of value would have been added to the police personnel majority of who, according to him, constitute the rank and file of the force.

In addition to the post-humous award, Adeyemo said Puzzles Group gave out a brand new car to the award-winning best rank and file officer, half a million Naira to the first runner-up , and N250,000 to the second runnerup.

The current security situation has gone beyond police officers carrying AK-47 rifles. He noted that the norm is intelligence and electronic gathering with up-to-date criminal data-base as done in civilised climes

Benue hairstylist wins competition

T

WENTY-SEVEN-year-old Joy Inyongwe from Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State has emerged the winner of the 2012 Abuja Hair Stylist Competition.

Inyongwe, who defeated 71 other contestants, went home with a plasma television among other consolation prizes.

The National Coordinator of Hephzibah Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Limited, Mrs Amarachi Nlumanze, a hair stylist and organiser of the competition, advised other contestants and youths not to rely solely on government to create jobs for them but to continue to trust in their hand work in order to earn a living.

Stories from Bukola Amusan

She said the Abuja Hair Stylist Competition was organised by the group in collaboration with the Future Leaders’ Organisation (FLO) in order to showcase talents of youths in the country.

She said youths can do a lot more with their hands and reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.

Nlumanze, who is a hair stylist, said the competition was inspired to promote and encourage the idea of creativity, self reliance.

“I love making hair and was pained by the fact that many good hair stylists out there are not

recognised. So, I decided to organise this competition to give them a voice and also showcase them to the world,” she said.

She also advised the stylists who participated in the competition to have confidence in themselves because they have acquired skills, even as she added that with the creativity of their hands, they can become successful.

She called on government to help support the project so that more youths can be trained, saying when youths are creative and engaged, they wouldn’t resort to violence.

Highlight of the event was presentation of award to the participants.

•The winners of the Abuja Hairstylist Competition displaying their certificates

29

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

is because the constitutional rights of personal ‘ This liberty, freedom of movement, right to property (including money, which in this case, constitutes the fines levied) are all well protected rights enforceable by civil process See page 38

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

’

• Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State (right) inpecting the demolition of the house of a suspected kidnapper in Anambra State. Inset: Prof Kamene Okonjo

Kidnapping has become a fare. Hardly a day passes without one important person or the other being kidnapped.

The kidnapping of Prof Kamene Okonjo, mother of Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on December 9 really brought the pathetic issue home. How should the country tackle this menace? It is by confronting it headon, creating jobs, say lawyers in this report by JOHN AUSTIN-UNACHUKWU, ADEBISI ONANUGA and PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU

Way out of kidnapping, by lawyers K

IDNAPPING is on the rise. The big gest cases involve the rich, their wives or their children. The kidnappers either call directly or allow their victims to talk to their spouses, parents or relations, sending a clear message of what would befall the victims if their demands are not met.

Usually, they demand huge sums of money as ransom.

Kidnapping at least, as a business in the sense it is now known started about 2006, when the militant groups in the Niger Delta, especially the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), resorted to taking foreign employees hostage for the failure of their employers – the oil compa-

nies – to develop the region.

In the beginning, there were few cases of kidnapping. But today, the number of kidnappings is rising by the day. And going by the trend then, most of their victims were released unharmed after their conditions were met, but usually not for monetary gains.

Kidnapping then was accompanied with destruction of oil installations by the militants to prove their point. But today, the reverse is the case. With the growing unemployment and the penchant to make quick money, many a youth have formed gangs and made kidnapping the order of the day with security forces appearing incapacitated to stem the trend.

Inside: ‘Eso was a man among men’ P.31

The act which then was restricted to the Niger Delta region has spread to the various parts of the country, with one primary objective, the exchange of the victim for ransom.

The fact that the criminals now go after the rich has lent credence to the view that nobody is untouchable given the Gestapo-like manner the abductions are carried out. An ‘industry’ has sprung up around kidnapping in Nigeria, with the abductors negotiating the ransom money with those ready to pay.

The industry has grown to a level that there have been reported cases of the involvement of traditional rulers in the crime, particularly, in the East. Given their involvement and that of some unscrupulous officers in the kidnap-

ping trade, it is understandable why some victims’ relatives look outside the police in trying to bring such nightmares to an end.

There have been cases of several millions of Naira being paid by relations to kidnappers to get their victims released without being hurt. As stated earlier, recent development in kidnapping has shown a trend that cover every strata of the society.

The victims have remained prominent members of the society, including the elderly, Nollywood stars, bankers, politicians, and parents of journalists perceived to be rich, among others.

•Continued on page 30

Rights abuses: Forum advocates continuous law reform P.38

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

30

LAW COVER CONT’D • Continued from page 29 A few days ago, Bukola, the wife of Laolu Akins, and the wife of the former Managing Director of FirstBank, Bernard Longe, were kidnapped in Benin. They were only able to regain their freedom after ransoms were paid.

The latest occurred on Sunday, December 9. Prof. Mabel Kamene Okonjo, mother of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was kidnapped by gunmen numbering about 10, from the palace of her husband, Prof. Obi Chukwuka Okonjo, the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku, in Aniocha South Local Government Drea of Delta State. This has brought to the fore the high-profile kidnappings in the country.

The kidnapping of the 82-year-old professor of sociology attracted condemnation across the country such that the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, ordered security agencies to arrest her abductors.

Within the hour, heavily armed security operatives, comprising soldiers, police and Customs, descended on Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State and cordoned off the road leading to the palace.

The security in the state was such that all exits were manned by sternlooking soldiers who conducted searches on motorists. A detachment of soldiers from the 4th Mechanised Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Benin, led by Brig. Gen. Ubi Umahi, who is the Commander, was also deployed to beef up security across the state.

Less than three days after, reports had it that over 65 persons had been arrested in connection with the kidnapning. Prof. Okonjo regained freedom on Friday, December 14, but it was not clear if the ransom of N200 million was paid. Many reasons were adduced for the kidnapning of Prof. Okonjo.

While some ascribed it to the ongoing probe in the oil sector, there were those who gave it political undertones. As the nation was yet to recover from that incident, it was again told of the kidnapping of Mrs. Titilola Rotimi, the wife of the former Military Governor of the defunct Western Region, General Oluwole Rotimi (rtd), in Ibadan.

Accordimg to a report, she was abducted last Monday, December 10, from her company, OAK Logistics Limited, Ibadan by some gunmen who whisked her away at about 6.30pm.

They have demanded N200m as ransom from the family. She was yet to be released as at Sunday, December 17. A research company on security, ASI Global, said in its report that 50 per cent of those kidnapped this year have been businessmen/women, traditional rulers, politicians or their family members.

The report indicated that abductors look out for lapses in security arrangements and strike in places where they are least expected. Usually, there are no prior warnings.

Expectedly, kidnapping has been totally condemnation all over the country. The Niger Delta Youth Movement (NDYM) in a statement signed by its president and secretary, Messrs Godspower Odenema and Moses Omo-Ikirodah, in reaction to the kdnapning of Prof, Okonjo, said: “It is with the highest indignation that the National Executive Council and the entire members of the Niger Delta Youth Movement (NDYM) in the states of the Niger Delta, condemn the kidnap of the mother of the Federal Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy, Professor Kamene Okonjo.

“This is very bad and it is the worst way of paying Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala back for the very good works she is doing for Nigeria.”

Another group, The Peoples Movement, also condemned the kidnap, describing it as “barbaric

• Fagbohungbe (SAN)

• Agbaje (SAN)

• Jacob (SAN)

• Chijioke

Way out of kidnapping, by lawyers and unreasonable.”

The organization in a statement signed by its Director of Communications, Mrs. Ibifuro Tatua said it was disgusted at the “Gestapo-like manner in which the kidnappers went about the incident.”

In reaction to the abduction of Titilola Rotimi, the Afenifere has expressed disgust over lapses in the security in the country. The panYoruba socio-political group, challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to rise up to the chyallenge and act fast to stem the spate of insecurity and wanton destruction of lives and property or face the possibility of hoodlums completely taking over the country.

The Secretary-General of the group, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa, said the rate at which kidnappers abduct prominent Nigerians and the Boko Haram menace have not only put the lives of people at risk, but also scared away prospective investors.

Lawyers spoken to on the resurgence of kidnapping have blamed the high unemployment rate for the rise in kidnapping. They include Chief Felix Fagbohungbe, Fred Agbaje, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and Chijioke Emeka. They described condemned kidnapping.

To Fagbohungbe, kidnapping is a new dimension in crime. He said the act “is very very embarrassing to the nation. We have been having cases of armed robbery, Boko Haram and now kidnapping, and it is spreading very fast throughout the country.”

Jacobs said it is a reflection of the state of insecurity, adding “the issue is poverty and ignorance which show the state of our economy.”

Fagbohungbe argued that the existing laws are sufficient to stem kidnapping. His words: “There is no need to enact any new law before we can achieve anything. We have sufficient laws in the country to combat kidnapping. It can be done within the Terrorism Act. The making of a new law to curb it is just a fire brigade approach. If they create jobs, once they are busy working and they are earning income, certainly they would not go into it again.

“The only law they should make is to create jobs. When they create jobs, that should be sufficient to curb it. If there is a heavy punishment for kidnapping, many people would be scared. It would reduce the act, but not exterminate it. If there is heavy punishment for that, like treating them as if they carry cocaine or a case of murder, of course, kidnappers would be scared.”

He suggested that kidnapping should be made an offence and included in the Terrorism Act. “It might also help to stem it because it affects and threaten the security of the nation and government must look into it with expediency.”

He flayed the government for the way it has been responding to the incidences of terrorism in the coun-

try, saying it has not done enough.

“They should not wait until somebody very important is kidnapped.

When the mother of Okonjo-Iweala was kidnapped, they deployed all security apparatuses. They deployed the military, the police and other security agencies. It must not be like this. The wife of General Rotimi has been kidnapped for about a week now. They have not deployed the soldiers, the police and other security agencies to look for her. This selective action of the government should be stopped,” Fagbohungbe said.

Agbaje argued that there is no short cut in the fight against kidnapping and terrorism. “We have to go back to the statusquo; and what is the statusquo? Government must begin to address aggressively, and give priority to the wellbeing of the people. That is, welfare and security of the citizens as constitutionally enjoined.

“The governmental prodigality without anything to show for, in terms of employment, is a sure way of encouraging terrorism and kidnapping,” he said, adding that: “It is this choking lifestyle that encourages some citizens who have no means of getting a meal a day to resort to kidnapping.”

He said there was no law anywhere in the world that can perfectly tackle all crimes, particularly kidnapping and terrorism. What needs to be done, apart from existing legislations, is the law enforcement agencies must be up and doing by being proactive. How many of our security agents know the basic laws against terrorism and kidnapping? How do you expect such security officers who do not know basic existing laws to implement same? It is obvious you cannot give what you do not have, he said.

Although death sentence is becoming an anathema in the world, he said the situation in Nigeria deserves special attention and death sentence should act as a deterrent.

According to him, “The rate at which terrorism and kidnapping are being practised by hoodlums show clearly that mere imprisonment is not enough deterrent but

death sentence will serve.”

He observed that the number of deaths arising from kidnapping even after ransom has been paid is also on the increase.

“As such, to stem the tide, those arrested must be prosecuted and if convicted should be sentenced to death because they have taken lives. So, why should they live when they also take lives?”

Jacobs lamented that we had always made kidnapping a discourse without addressing it. “In other nations, when they have this kind of problem, they quickly address it. But we don’t have any indication of it being addressed. All the legislation we have don’t address this new problem. Even where we have the law, they don’t enforce the law. Imagine the spate of bombings in Nigeria, there has been no prosecution of a single one to logical conclusion. We don’t address the issue of unemployment, we don’t address poverty, we don’t address security, there is no enforcement. We really need to wake up otherwise, the nation will continue to wallow in this bad situation,” he said.

Like Fagbohungbe , Jacobs does not share the view that we need a special legislation to fight kidnapping. “We have enough provisions in the Criminal Code and Penal Code that can address this a little. But these things are becoming so serious in the country that we need to change those legislation and the mode of enforcing them.

“We should review our laws to accommodate the new development.”

He said the problem with the country has been enforcement of laws to curtail the act.

“But law may not necessarily be the solution. There is the aspect of unemployment of our youths. You may have to use a combination of these factors and others to stem the tide in Nigeria”.

Jacobs said death penalty may not solve the problem of kidnapping “except if it is a kidnapping that leads to killing or murder. Obviously, that is no longer mere kid-

napping. That is murder. If it doesn’t involve murder, I don’t think we should go for death sentence.

“Since we started democracy, all the governors have refused to sign the death warrants and hanging of the condemned prisoners. So, if it doesn’t go with murder, kidnapping could still be tried and curbed under other laws of the country” he said.

Emeka argued that there is enough provisions in the Criminal Code and Penal Code to deal with kidnappers. He said even if the penalty for kidnapping is death by firing squad, it may not address the question.

He said government could do more by addressing the worsening socio-economic tide in the country, deal with corruption to free public funds, create good jobs and address youth unemployment. Further, since violent crime would not be justified by unemployment, he suggestred that the government should increase the capacity of the police for detection and increase the capacity of the criminal justice system to promptly and efficiently deal with kidnapping cases.

“I, therefore, recommend ways of curbing kidnapping as truly fighting corruption, funding education, creating jobs and improving on youth employment. Then maximising the ability of the police to detect crimes and empowering the courts to try offenders with dispatch. If we do these, even if kidnapping still exists, it will stop making headline news”, he said.

Afenifere has asked the President to act decisively before the menace gets out of total control.

The group warned that criminals may take over the country if the government fails to act decidedly.

Arogbofa alleged conspiracy among the criminals and some security agencies in the country.

“The President should act, especially, by giving red card to the security officers, in particular, the police and prisons officials, while the Bar and the Bench must no longer toy with or rationalise obvious criminal cases”, the group said.

• From left: Justice Jude Okeke, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Justice C.C. Nweze (JCA) and Chris Uche (SAN) at the Law Week of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja branch.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

31

LAW AND SOCIETY Falana makes case for women

‘Eso was a man among men’

T

HE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for the amendment of the Federal Character provision that a married woman must continue to be regarded as being from her state of origin in national appointments.

NBA President Okey Wali (SAN) made the call during a special court session in honour of the late Kayode Eso by the Supreme Court. “The NBA calls on the National Assembly to as a matter of urgent National importance effect amendment of Paragraph 2 of Part II of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, e.t.c.) Act Subsidiary Legislation,” Wali said.

The paragraph states: “A married woman shall continue to lay claim to her state of origin for the purpose of implementation of the Federal Character Formulae at the national level’’.

Wali said the provision is against equity, good conscience and natural justice to expect a woman who has been married for decades to get national appointment from her state of birth, called her state of origin, by this Act. He faulted the National Assembly for asking Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Maryam Mukhtar to swear in Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo. She was not sworn in because her place of origin (Anambra) is different from her husband’s state (Abia) where she had been serving as a judge.

Wali said the lawmakers’ “directive” to the CJN was a “mis-step” which would be forgiven for its good intentions though ill-informed.

According to him, the CJN acted in accordance with the law when she did not swear in Jombo-Ofo. Wali said: “Rather than, the last mis-step in issuing directives to the judiciary, which we excuse, as we believe that they were motivated by the best of intentions, but apparently without information, we urge the National Assembly to amend the law.

“It would be most sacrilegious to expect the Chief justice of Nigeria, to act in breach of the law, against her oath of office to uphold the constitution and laws of the land.”

Wali described Eso as an apostle of true federalism, regretting that Nigeria was still far from getting it right.

“Nigerian federalism has been diluted to the point of being unrecognisable as a federal system.

“Following the unified command structure of the military, military regimes in Nigeria, while retaining the names Federal Republic of Nigeria and Federal Government of Nigeria frankly ran Nigeria as a unitary state.

“Yet, even under those coercive and dictatorial regimes, Kayode Eso was able to insist that ‘the bedrock of federalism lies in each tier of government being a master in it’s domain’ “Under the freshly installed civilian Shagari Administration, Kayode Eso wrote in Attorney General of Ogun State v Attorney-General of the Federation: ‘Each of the States Legislative Assemblies and the National Assembly is sovereign in its House.’”

Wali re-iterated his stance that one area which has witnessed serial violations of the rights of the Nigerian people is in the area of internal security.

He said: “Thousands of persons have lost their lives on account of bombings and destruction associated with the current insurgency in Nigeria.

“Thousands of persons have been displaced and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.

“We now have more orphans and widows who cannot explain the offence their loved ones committed that led to their death.

“Insurgents with no clearly defined mission and ideology have

• Soyinka, CJN, others extol jurist

By John Austin Unachukwu

unleashed mindless destruction of innocent lives and property and the situation does not seem to be abating.

“We call on all individuals and organisations with any form of grievance to table those grievances for public discussion.

“Targeting innocent persons and their properties in a mindless orgy of violence can only create a lawless society and can never lead to political and economic progress.

“On the other hand, hundreds of insurgents have been extra judicially executed.

“Hundreds of insurgents have been detained for over one year in various detention centres operated by the Military, the State Security Service and other military and paramilitary formations with no prospect of a trial.

“It seems therefore that while the insurgents are violating the rights of the Nigerian people through extra-judicial executions and mindless bombings, the security agencies have also been engaged in extra judicial executions and unlawful and unconstitutional detention of insurgents.”

Wali said even the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN) had expressed his anxieties about extra-judicial killings and flagrant violation of rights of citizens.

The NBA President said: “The NBA hereby calls on the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, to please take the next necessary step of ensuring the investigation of all allegations of extra-judicial executions and torture levelled against the various branches of the security agencies, and ensure prosecution of culprits.

“Our country must at all times be a country built on Rule of Law and due process.

“We assure the AGF of the co-operation of the NBA in this exercise.

“The NBA also calls on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of pending criminal justice bills at the National Assembly, particularly the amendment to the Terrorism Act. “It must be hands on for all concerned. As our contribution to finding solution to the problems of insecurity in our country, the NBA Summit on peace and security is slated for the 30th and 31st of January, 2013.”

Wali said the association is in support of Justice Mukhtar with regards to her abiding by the law as regards the swearing in of Justice Jombo-Ofo. “The NBA congratulates, commends and stands in support of His Lordship the CJN for upholding the laws of the land.

“May that day never come, when we will be at liberty to pick between

good and bad laws to be obeyed or flouted.

“All laws of the land are to be obeyed, unless and until amended or repealed.”

The association condolled with the Eso family.

Wali said: “I titled my speech ‘Kayode Eso- Nothing to Add’ because the jurist we celebrate today never needed prefixes or suffixes to his name to underline his importance.

His name was always enough.

“He was Honourable Justice Kayode Eso JSC, but if you called his name without the prefix and suffix, you did him no harm.

“He was Kayode Eso LLD, but just say the name without those honorary letters.

“He was Dr Kayode Eso, but he never used that prefix. His name was always enough.

“His name alone evoked honour and learning. His name drew standing ovations wherever he went.

“I give the condolences of the NBA, to his widow, his immediate and extended families.

“The NBA mourned Kayode Eso with these words, ‘‘He would be remembered as the man who not only brought courage, judicial activism and fearlessness upon his job as Judicial Officer, but also as the man who placed the legal profession on a pedestal of integrity and dignity.

“This is indeed a great loss, to the legal profession and the country, but we must thank God for his gift, and worthy life.

“The challenge is for us to sustain his legacy.

“Wole Soyinka, another Nigerian whose name is enough, mourned Kayode Eso with these words: ‘At the feast of afterlife . . . Kayode Eso will be seated, in a place of high honour.’

“Wole Soyinka and Kayode Eso were related, in the Emersonian sense.

“Like Denning, Soyinka met Eso in court. Unlike Denning, Soyinka did not sit with Eso as a brother judge.

Soyinka stood upright in the dock.

“Eso sat upright on the bench. Eso looked into Soyinka’s soul. Soyinka stared at the bench, taking the measure of the jurist.

“The mystery gunman and the mystery lawman gazed at each other.

Neither blinked. They were relatedthey were fearless souls.

“Soyinka was the mystery gunman defendant in a criminal trial over which Eso presided.

“They recognised in each other an indefatigable compatriot determined to advance their nation’s march to civilisation.

“Soyinka saw in Eso an incorruptible judge, an upright judge who rejected compromise and pursued justice.

“Wole Soyinka’s intellectual forerunner, William Shakespeare, /prefigured Kayode Eso when he wrote: ‘His life was gentle; and the elements So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, THIS WAS A MAN!

By Adebisi Onanuga

• Falana (SAN)

L

AGOS lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana(SAN) has asked the Senate and the House of Representatives to as a matter of urgent national importance enact a law that will annul all laws, customs, official and religious practices which have reduced women to second class citizens in a Nigeria.

He said that this should not be the case in a country that loudly proclaims to uphold fundamental rights under the rule of law.

He said that the National Judicial Council(NJC) should henceforth ignore all guidelines and policies that subject female lawyers and judges to discrimination and take a definite stand on the rights of married women to take up judicial appointments in their states of residence and not in their states of origin.

Falana said that this has become necessary to avoid a reoccurence of the embarrassing incident like that in which Justice Ifeoma JumboOffor was initially prevented from being sworn in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in future.

The human right activist said in a statement titled ,”matters arising from Justice Ifeoma Jumbo-Offpr’s case” said that the NJC should have taken advantage of the controversy surrounding the appointment of Justice Jumbo-Offor to assure Nigerians that married women would never again be subjected to undeserved discrimination in the appointment of judges in any part of the country.

He said that his position was based on the fact that male judges are not restricted to their states of origin with respect to judicial appointments pointing out that the NJC should have recalled that three male judges who hail from Osun, Ogun and Ondo states were appointed Chief Judges of Lagos State within the past decade on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.

Falana acknowledged that the Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN), Justice Aloma Muktar may have been pained to implement the obnoxious policy of the Federal Character Commission.

He recalled that last year, some reactionary forces plotted to make her ladyship the chief Justice of The Gambia so as to prevent her from

• NBA President, Okey Wali (SAN) (middle) with participants at the NBA Human Rights roundtable held at Rockview Hotel, Abuja.

heading the Nigerian judiciary adding that it is also on record that Justice Muktar was denied the post of the Kano State Chief Judge in the 1980s on the ground that it was against the Islamic religion for a woman to head the judiciary.

“In the 1990s when it was the turn of the Late Mrs Atinuke Ige (who hailed from Ibadan and had worked there all her life) to be made the Chief Judge of Oyo State she was asked to go to Osun State, her husband’s state of origin! The same discriminatory treatment has been meted out to other female judicial officers in many parts of the country in recent time in spite of the clear provisions of Section 42 of the Constitution and Article 6 of the Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which have recognised the rights of men and women to equal treatment” he further observed.

Falana posited that in some well known cases, married women NJC without any reference to the guideline of the Federal Character Commission enunciating that some have been appointed to the bench either from their states of origin or states of their spouses.

“The impression should therefore not be created by the NJC that the illegal guideline of the Federal Character Commission is sacrosanct”, he said.

The human right activist drew the attention of the NJC to the case of Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) v Attorney-General of the Federation (unreported suit) wherein the Federal High Court recently annulled Regulation 124 made pursuant to Police Act which had prohibited female police officers from contracting any form of MARRIAGE for the first three years of service without the permission of a police commissioner.

He pointed out that in upholding the submissions of the plaintiff the trial judge, Justice Stephen Adah held that the regulation was invalid since it was not applicable to male police officers adding that the judge who gave the historic decision is one of the newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal.

Falana however commended the Governor of Osun State, Engneer Rauf Aregbesola over the recent appointment of the Justice Gloria Olatoke as the Acting Chief Judge of Osun State.

Although she is from Delta State by birth and Oyo State by marriage, he said that her appointment in Osun State was based on the fact she is the most senior judicial officer in the service of the State.

He remarked that the development is a contrast to what currently obtains in Lagos state state where a lady who has risen to the post of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Ministry of Justice in her husband’s state has just been asked to go back to her own state of origin if she wants to be a judge adding that since she never worked in Osun state, her state of origin the authorities concerned ought know that she does not stand any chance of being considered for a judicial appointment over there.

He, therefore, urged the branches of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos State totake up the case without any delay more so, that a Nigerian immigrant, Ms Bunmi Awoniyi has just been appointed a judge of the Superior Court in far way California, United States.

He also congratulated Justice Ifeoma Jumbo-Offor for a battle well fought berating the Nigerian Bar Association for not speak out on the matter.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

32

LAW & SOCIETY

NBA restates commitment to anti-corruption war

By John Austin Unachukwu

• Wali (SAN)

D

ECEMBER 9, 2012 was the International Anti-Corrup tion Day. The theme is “Act against corruption today” Different organisations, governmental and non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), anti- graft agencies, engaged in different programmes and activities at different fora, to mark the day and restate their commitment to the fight against corruption.

That day, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) organised a mini conference at the Rockview Hotel, Abuja to mark the day.

NBA President Okey Wali (SAN) presented the keynote address at the event. He said: “It would appear that corruption is only synonymous with government agencies, parastatals and public service in Nigeria. But this is far from the truth. Researches now validate the fact that corruption may take a number of different forms even in the private sector and private business organisations like private hospitals, airlines, banks, medium and small scale businesses, private companies, etc. These forms of corruption include bribery, embezzlement, patronage systems or nepotism, etc. In our daily private activities in Nigeria, an airline ticket staff may not ordinarily be willing and motivated to assist a prospective passenger to sort out his travel challenges at the airline office without asking or expecting financial tip or incentive in return. So also in a hospital, a medical staff e.g. nurse or administrative staff may be unwilling to trace your file or bring your condition to the attention of the doctor no matter how urgent without expecting a form of bribe or reward. This shows how not only endemic corruption has become in Nigeria, but also how the entire fabric of our society has become systemically infested with the disease of graft.

The role of the NBA in curbing corruption I am tempted to ask, ‘what the future holds for the next generation?’’

The impact of excessive corruption in our society have deeply affected human rights and fundamental freedom, so the NBA AntiCorruption Commission will ensure transparency in the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases, as this will reform practice and procedure in judicial processes.

Members of the Bar have a seminal role in this new initiative and should not subvert justice by prolonging trials through frustrating applications, including adjournments.

The NBA calls on its members to promote professionalism, by shunning sharp practices in the interest of their client, against the society, as part of their contribution to the crusade against corruption.

The NBA also calls on the Bench not only to be proactive, transparent, and fair in dispensing justice without delay, but also to adopt best practices in other ju-

risdictions, for better case management and administration of justice.

No penalty can be considered too severe for those convicted of corruption and corrupt practices.

As human rights advocates, we are opposed to the death penalty for those convicted of corruption.

Longer enough terms of imprisonment with community service without an option of fine or ‘‘prerogative of mercy’’ will suffice a deterrent.

The National Assembly should realize that the effort at building an enduring democracy cannot succeed in a regime of rapacious corruption, and that it should partner with anti-corruption agencies in realising the mandate of zero tolerance to corruption by passing ‘sunshine’ laws such as the ‘Civil forfeiture Bill’ pending before it to ensure all proceeds of corruption are forfeited. The NBA is concerned with the slow pace of passage of this bill into law, and shall therefore use our Legislative Advocacy Committee to push for its passage.

Anti-corruption agencies should be independent in terms of funding, operation in the execution of their duties; and that the independence of the agencies be strictly maintained and protected against current campaigns and proposals to merge them and therefore dilute their mandates.

The NBA will encourage active collaboration between national anti-corruption agencies and the Nigerian civil society groups and their international peers.

There is the need to promote and sustain public education and enlightenment on the negative effect of corruption in our daily lives.

There is a need to embrace information technology in the fight against corruption. Stakeholders need to appreciate the centrality of networks in forging new communities and employing new strategies and tools such as websites, hotlines, etc where vital information and best practices of fighting corruption can be shared amongst themselves.

Faith-based groups, ethnic nationalities, professional groups i.e. (doctors, lawyers, accountants, business groups, women etc) should consciously stand and speak against corruption at all times.

There should be further synergy and coordination between the EFCC, NDLEA, ICPC, CCB, Nigerian Police as well as anti-corruption entities in the country.

The NBA will promote public knowledge and access to information and most especially, ensure absolute independence of anti-corruption institutions in their investigations and subsequently make their findings public.

The NBA calls for a review of the existing anti-corruption legal frame work especially in respect of anti graft institutions.

The NBA calls for the enactment of Proceeds of Crime Act to broaden the powers of the anti graft agencies. This law will become the broad legal umbrella, under which the anti corruption crusade is prosecuted.

The NBA uses this medium to call on government and other stakeholders to consider the enactment of Ethics in Governance Act as part of Nigerian legal framework in fighting corruption. We believe that moral appeal only does not win anti corruption war. It is the laws that can make the process succeed. On our part, the NBA is willing to work with all stakeholders to strengthen the law.

The Bar has engaged the government on the need to implement the National Assembly report on fuel subsidy and to continue to engage and strengthen anti-corruption institutions to ensure that the desired result is achieved in our society.

Finally, it is important to note that the fight against corruption and demand for good governance goes beyond the actions or efforts of governments, the NBA, calls on all Nigerians to get involved as beneficiaries of public policy, and challenge all forms of corruption. The fight is for all and should be tackled by everyone.

Let us join hands together to put an end to corruption in our society. Our avowed commitment to the Rule of Law can only succeed if we rid the country of corruption, we cannot afford to lose this opportunity May God bless the NBA. The Chairman of the NBA AntCorruption Commission, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN) addressed the occasion and restated the commitment of the NBA Commission.

Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN said: “Well, it is a good thing that the NBA has equally keyed into the scheme of things using this platform to talk about corruption and fighting corruption. It is indeed a very good beginning, because we have had a kind of self appraisal, a kind of soul searching and we are being self critical”.

Gadzama stated: “ I believe that this is a good starting point, but we have to go beyond this to make sure that we fight it, not just from the lips, but from the bottom of our hearts and show leadership by example. Those of us that are found to be corrupt, whether they are lawyers or judges should be seen to be punished and it is only then that the public would have confidence and faith in us as lawyers”.

Gadzama (SAN) said that “ If lawyers and the legal profession do not fight corruption, then no other agency, or organ of the government or group of persons would fight corruption more than the lawyers because of the nature of our profession, the nature of our training, our experience and exposure. So, I think that the starting point is the lawyers and the judges because the complaint is everywhere, the searchlight has been in our courts against lawyers but lawyers should be seen to be living above board. This will be major plus for Nigeria as a country”.

• Ali (SAN)

IN a chat with The Nation , YUSUF ALI (SAN) said “This is a day that represents a shift from what it used to be with us. It represents a day that shows that the NBA is ready and willing to give the battle against corruption its all. The NBA is also showing a signal that corruption in any strata of the Nigerian society is not going to be tolerated, whether it is among the profession itself, its staff and the generality of Nigerians”.

Ali (SAN) said: “From the tone of the speech of our president, and the little comment that I made on that say, it is now clear that there is unanimity among NBA members even among our members who commented start from within, we must ensure that lawyers themselves are corruption free”.

On his massage to Nigerian Lawyers, Ali (SAN) said: “The battle against corruption has started and we are starting from among ourselves. So, any lawyer who believes that corruption is the only way he could make it, should have a rethink and may be, join another profession”.

• Gadzama (SAN)

• Ameh (SAN)

S. I. AMEH (SAN) said: “ This is a clear indication of the failure of homes because the traditional core values of honour and integrity are beginning to loose their positions in the homes. Nowadays, children can come to their homes brandishing all sorts of wealth when they have no consequential means of owning those wealth. And rather than questioning the source of the wealth you find them being celebrated with titles and the rest of them”.

Ameh (SAN) stated that “It is a symptom of a failing state because a state like Nigeria for instance, all the mineral resources are ceded to the government, it also means that the government taking all that should also be able to give to the people in return certain basic infrastructures and services. We are talking of housing, schools, good education, health care, transportation and the rest of them.”

But a situation where the government is not seen to be carrying out these responsibilities, people are now saddled with the extra responsibility of trying to meet up with some of these demands, it is one of the things that have led to all these forms of corruption and you will also find out that a situation where there is no transparency in the way and manner the government conducts its affairs does not help the situation at all. For instance, during elections, people are handpicked at the primaries and at the main election itself, you see something that looks like transparency, but by the time you go into the nitty-gritty of it you will find out that it is a different kettle of fish. So much has been said, so much has been written about corruption in Nigeria let this be a

period for stricter action” On his suggestion about the way out of this, Ameh (SAN) said: “My suggestion is on the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA). Nigerians should be given the opportunity to put this Act to test, by the time we do this and people have right and access to information, we will make progress. For instance, if somebody is being accused of corruption and you have no evidence, how do you investigate, how do you prosecute such a person. But with the implementation of the freedom of information Act (FOIA) Nigerians will have adequate information to expose corruption in the system”.

• Tetengi (SAN)

Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN) said: “ I am optimistic, I believe that we all know the problems, so we should begin to look at how we can deal with this cankerworm” On how to make progress, Tetengi (SAN) said: “Well as the chairman has said and I associate myself with it there is a need to look inwards, possible organise a workshop or colloquium in order to sit down and address these problems at the very local level and see how we can make progress. Corruption is an endemic concept, it begins from the house. In fact, it is the culture of impunity that has been inculcated from time, therefore there is a need for us to fight it from all angles”.

• Ibrahim (SAN)

FOR the former Attorney –General and Commissioner for justice Kano State, M.U. Ibrahim (Jam-Jam) “We can get rid of corruption by the NBA being very strict on our members, by seriously dealing those found to be corrupt among us, whoever is found wanting should be dealt with, there are no two ways about it.”

When reminded that the NBA has neither police nor Army to detain those found guilty of corruption practices among its members, JamJam said: “Take for example, the case of a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in Lagos, who was briefed by a Bank to recover debts from an oil company.

He recovered hundreds of millions of Naira from the oil company but deliberately refused to remit the money to his principal, the bank.

After sometime, the bank talked to the oil company and asked them why they did not want to pay the money. Then the oil company said oh! but we have paid you the sum of two hundred and something million • Continued on page 33

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

33

LEGAL OPINION

Fashola: falsification of land documents criminal G

OVERNOR Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State has said falsification of land documents is a criminal offence.

He advised Lagosians against engaging in such act.

The governor gave the advice while addressing a stakeholders’ meeting on Land Use Act (Title Documentation) held at the State Secretariat , Alausa, Ikeja.

Fashola reiterated the commitment of the state to capture land dimension and ownership in the state in order to have proper land documentations.

According to him, there are a lot of reforms going on which includes electronic documentations, adding that falsification of land documents will inhibit government’s efforts to promote proper documentation of land titles.

The governor, who urged Lagosians to embrace the new development, stated that the intention of the government was to make land documentation better and improve services adding that government will not process false documents.

He said his administration would rather take steps to put an end to land falsification in the state.

The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye in his address

By Adebisi Onanuga

at the occasion explained that falsification of land information is criminal infraction of the Law. “It is an offence to forge documents, and is punishable under section 363 of Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. It is criminal to supply false information to public officials with intent to deceive, and is punishable under section 96 of The Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011”, he said.

Ipaye remarked that there was no need for anybody to falsify documents “since the person in whom land was vested immediately before the commencement of the Act are deemed to be holders of a right of occupancy granted by the Governor and their subsequent transactions in respect of the same land only require Governor’s consent”.

The Attorney General enunciated that the land use act becomes necessary because Government recognises the fact that many assignors or purchasers do not hold properly executed Deeds on which Governor’s Consent may be endorsed.

He added that the regulations are necessary to guide the docu-

mentation and perfection processes and also prevent parties in land transactions entered into after March 29,1978, from using false documents and information.

Ipaye disclosed that from the commencement of the Regulations, it is a criminal offence for a person to give information which he knows or believes to be false for the purpose of obtaining the Governor’s consent and the offence is punishable under section 96 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State and the offender is liable on conviction to one year imprisonment.

The Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. MuriOkunola in his address said that what the Land Use Act (Title Documentation) Regulations, 2012 seeks to achieve, is to among others, put an end to the racketeering of backdating and forgeries of documents being presented by Applicants at Lands Bureau for land documentation and processing of Certificates of Occupancy in respect of land acquired by private or corporate individuals.

He noted that such anomaly definitely needs the intervention of this new set of Regulations to ensure proper Land documentation as envisaged by the Land Use Act.

Court adjourns journalist’s assault case till Feb 28

A

LAGOS Magistrate Court, Ikeja has fixed February 28, 2013 for the trial of a director of TOS Funnerals, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Mr. Bayo Ogunsola alleged to have assault ed and battered a photojournalist with the LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Benedict Uwalaka.

The trial magistrate, Mr. E.O. Ogunkanmi adjourned hearing in the matter following a request made to him that he was needed for other important judicial matters.

The court registrar who announced the development subse-

By Adebisi Onanuga

quently agreed on a new date with the litigants in the matter and others before the court.

Ogunshola and somer officials of the Mortuary allegedly assaulted Uwalaka on August 9, 2012 when he, alongside his colleagues, went to cover the release of the remains of the victims of the June 3, 2012 Dana Air crash to their relatives.

Ogunshola and some security officers of the mortuary are facing a two-count charge bordering on assault and willful destruction of professional camera worth N715, 000 Benedict Uwalaka and another

journalist, Kola Olasupo are the complainants in the suit Ogunsola had however pleaded not guilty to the two count charge levelled against him when he was initially arraigned on August 31, 2012.

The court had granted him bail in the sum of N100, 000 , with one surety in the like sum and who must provide evidence of tax payment.

Mr. Ogunkanmi had also ordered that the surety must have property within the jurisdiction of the court and must produce evidence of means and while his residence must be verified by the registrar.

NBA restates commitment to anti-corruption war • Continued from page 32 naira. We also sent you a couple of hundreds later. Thereafter the bank called the lawyer and inquired the truth of this statement from the oil company and the lawyer responded and said yes, they sent him a statement, that he had asked his bank to clarify the statement of account from his bank , this and that. So they said ok, send us our money which you recovered from the oil company”.

Jam Jam said: “And instead sending their money to them for them for the bank to pay him his legal fees, the lawyer be removed his fees and other incidental commitments from the money so recovered.

He also removed other monies he called his expenses and the bank briefed a reputable senior Lawyer in Lagos, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria with integrity and credibility to assist them recover their money from this lawyer. The man petitioned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), nothing happened, now he has petitioned the Legal practitioners Disciplinary Committee, up till now, we have not heard anything. And the Lawyer is now busy boasting that he did this, he did that and nothing shall happen.”

He said: “ When you allege that a judge gave corruption induced judgment, while you are punishing the judge, also punish the Lawyer involved in the transaction, punish the Lawyer who benefited from such illegal judgment. By

doing that we will get to somewhere and people will sit up”.

Jam Jam said “If you say that you want your processes served or that you need the Certificate True Copy (CTC) of a court ruling or court order, or Judgment and the Court clerk said that you must find something for him before he does his work, report such a person to the Chief Registrar of the Court, the Chief Registrar will know what to do, if he does not do anything, report him to the NBA and the NBA will tell the head of that Court what to do. With this we shall get the administration of justice right. For instance, there were allegations of fraud in the Katsina-Alu and Salami face off, are there no lawyers involved in that case, what are you doing about them. Whoever does what is wrong, you punish that person, that is the only way you can correct the system”.

• Afam

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HE chairman of NBA Abuja branch, Mazi Afam Osigwe said: “In fact we have had a wonderful outing here. Most Nigerians and indeed all Lawyers have an idea as to the way corruption manifest itself on our body politics. I think that what we are taking away here is our collective resolve to tackle corruption formally and identify possible ways of tackling corruption. I share the view that the largest form of corruption in our society emanates from the public sector and if we can get it right in tackling corruption in the public sector, we would have gone a long way.”

On how we can start this, Mazi Osigwe said “the best place to start this is to track budgets, what are the items budgeted for, how is the money spent, are the project on grounds reflective of the money spent, which of those items that are repeated in the budget year in year out.

If we make very good use of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) we would have gone a long way in tackling corruption. It is good to identify the different facets of corruption and it is better to actually t a c k l e t h i s t o m i n i m i se i t , I don’t think that we can totally eliminate corruption in Nigeria in my life time, but I believe, that we can substantially reduce it”.

LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com

President Jonathan’s implacable enemies

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T will be recalled that President Jonathan had during his election campaign in 2011 claimed that he had no enemies to fight. I had then on this page cautioned that the many challenges of the country constitute his intractable enemies. Unfortunately, despite the President’s best efforts so far, the problems of the country seem to have increased and without fear for his high office, daringly strike with careless abandon. Now if these enemies can challenge the President at his doorsteps, you can better imagine the dire consequences for the ordinary Nigerians.

One dangerous enemy that Mr. President has been unable to placate is poor health facilities. But for this monster plaguing our dear country, President Jonathan’s beloved junior brother, Chief Meni Jonathan may still be alive today. While mourning his death, at a relatively young age of 55 years, we must remember that he is most probably a victim of the inefficient health facilities in the country. While sympathizing with the immediate family of the dead, his passage is a confirmation that the average life expectancy in Nigeria is merely 50 years plus. And this is applicable even to the newly rich.

As the stream of important dignitaries join those of us ordinary Nigerians to console Mr. President and his family, we must remind him that the recent report that Nigeria is among the worst place to be born in the world in 2011, is likely not a fluke. In the words of Mr. President, his late junior brother hid his health condition from him, and when he was told that he was sick, he confronted the young man, and was planning to fly him out of the country before he suddenly died. While I sincerely wished that Mr. President had the chance to fly his brother abroad for proper medical care, may I also remind him that if basic health facilities where available in the country, our dear brother would not need a presidential intervention to get proper medical attention.

Before Mr. President could get back to his duty post in Abuja penultimate Monday, after the burial of his brother, another of his arch enemies struck at the very engine room of his transformation agenda.

A gang of criminals choose to advertise Mr. President’s implacable nemesis, national insecurity. The bandits choose to abduct 82 year old mother of our revered minister for finance, in broad day light, in front of her palace. Of course while the kidnappers’ motive remains a matter of speculation, one clear message is that the national security is on tenterhooks. Thankfully, the massive intervention of our entire national security apparatus saw to the release of the Professor of Sociology, and Queen Mother of ancient Ogwashiuku kingdom, in Delta state.

Few weeks back, a distinguished Professor of law and former ViceChancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Professor Ilochi Okafor was abducted by armed bandits, in Enugu. After weeks in the hands of the criminals and incredible demands as ransom, the erudite former teacher of Law of Evidence, at the University of Nigeria, was released to his family. Before that incident, the criminal trade in kidnapping has assumed epidemic proportions in Anambra, Imo and Delta state, and many other surrounding states, with the nation completely helpless. The result is that many distinguished Nigerians have completely abandoned their native lands, since the Nigerian state has shown incapacity to deal with this alarming criminal trade.

As we rejoice with our dear Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, her father and the Monarch of Ogwashiuku, Professor Okonjo over the release of the Queen, there is the greater urgency for Mr. President and his security apparatchik to reevaluate his strategies against these implacable enemies. It is a matter for concern that more than two-thirds of the country has become unlivable, because of insecurity. Of course I am talking of the entire North East, substantial part of North- West, South-East and South-South. Those who claim that insecurity in Nigeria is assuming an epidemic proportion may not be exaggerating after all. Despite these menacing signals, the President professes that Nigeria is safe, forcing many to wonder if Mr. President has not become part of the problem.

Governors Sullivan and Yakowa As I was about concluding this piece, there was speculation on the state of health of the Governor of my state, Barrister Sullivan Chime. Many blogs had reported that he died in India, of undisclosed ailment. Governor Chime has been out of the state for about two months, unfortunately with little information in the public domain, as to the cause of his long absence. Chime as Governor has made giant strides, and I believe the cause of his absence should be fully disclosed. The report that the SSG, the Chief of Staff and wife of the Governor were contending for power with the Deputy Governor, if true, is regrettable.

The tragic end of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and Gen. Oweyi Azazi, the former national security adviser is heart rendering.

The duo was reported to have gone to mourn with President Jonathan’s special adviser, Oronto Douglas, who lost his father. No doubt Yakowa’s death will bring more distress to Kaduna in the throes of religious acrimony and incendiary extremism. While we mourn their death, it is necessary to find out what caused the crash; and why they were being ferried in a Navy helicopter, while on a private visit.

My prayer is for God Nigerians, particularly Mr. President the courage to confront these manmade and natural monsters. And here is wishing my readers a happy Christmas and New Year. See you next year.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

34

LEGAL OPINION

Nigeria’s quest for environment governance • Continued from last week

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T also came to incorporate institutions and organisations of civil society in their ca pacity as participants in shaping and influencing public policy that affects their lives.

Ultimately, the content of the understanding implied in the concept of governance is that a country’s capacity to formulate, implement and sustain sound policies is enhanced by the country’s capacity for good governance and the opportunity and ability of its citizens to participate in decisions affecting their lives.

It similarly implied that there is bad governance where a country failed to design and implement programmes that reconcile basic human needs with development strategies conducive to human development, or engendered conditions that made sound governance and civil society participation difficult tasks to achieve.

Flowing from above, then, is the concept of environmental governance to be understood in the context of sustainable development.

Again, as noted by Hardallu,11 the quality of good governance especially public sector management and the interaction of civil society organisations with government, are the key elements for the achievement of sustainable human development whose paradigm calls for an integrated process of political stability, popular participation, investment in people, a vigorous private sector, reliance on market forces and a concern for the environment.

Governance and politics have enormous influence on the management of the environment. Evidence abounds of how political decisions relating to control over natural resources have degenerated into conflict with serious implication for stability of the political system.

Deterioration of the natural resource base coupled with loss of livelihoods as a result of pollution of land and water have also resulted in the migration of rural dwellers to urban centres. The consequences of this have been the growth of urban slums and in some situations the loss of indigenous knowledge.

Government policies, such as tax policy, land tenure system, labour legislation also impact greatly on the environment.12 Viable development requires the preservation of the instance of unity of man-nature relationship by resolving the major ecological contradictions between, on the one hand, what is needed by man and other living creatures now and in the future, and what is available in nature in quantity and form on the other hand.13 Clearly, sustainable development cannot be achieved in the absence of environmental governance. Sound environmental policies, effective environmental laws and a well-functioning judicial system that adequately performs its functions are the key constituents that can bring about efficacy, tangible environmental improvement and meaningful positive movement towards the ultimate goal of sustainable development. (ii) Sustainability According to Wikipedia 14 , the word ‘sustainability’ is derived from the Latin sustinere (which means to hold). The concept is quite broad and capable of achieving multiple purposes. Consequently, it is devoid of a universally accepted definition. Beginning from the 1980s, however, the concept of sustainability has been used more in the sense of human sustainability on planet Earth and this has resulted in its link with the earlier noted concept of sustainable development.

Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, in a way that permits fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. In its breadth and meaning, it is concerned with the viability of ecological, social and economic systems be it of local communities, countries, bioregions, continents or the entire global system. As noted by Pezzey,15 any infinite-horizon economic process may be said to be sustainable if the welfare of society is non-declining in terms of the present structure of preferences. In this regard, no development process may be said to be sustainable unless the value of both man-made and natural capital is not declining. Similarly, no practice may be said to be environmentally safe and sound if it causes the loss of resilience of those ecosystems on which human life and livelihood depends.16 Ultimately, a flow of income to an individual household, community or country will be judged to be sustainable only if it involves

By Olanrewaju Fagbohun

no net depreciation in the value of the set of all assets (inclusive of natural assets) affected by the income generating activity The link between sustainability and environmental degradation is that human society depends on access to a range of environmental services which are supported by the interaction between the organisms, populations and communities – the ecological systems of the natural environment. If these environmental services and ecological systems are impacted, it results in social costs.

Regrettably, the users of environmental resources are rarely confronted by the social cost of their use of environmental resources as a result of a range of policy distortions, lack of or incomplete information at the disposal of the public, and poorly functioning laws and regulations. Expectedly, on the part of the resource user, their valuation of the resource is often biased by uncertainty, selfish desire to maximize profit and ‘deliberate’ ignorance. This invariably results in inefficient and unsustainable allocation of resources, poverty and decline in human welfare and societal conflicts. It is for this reason that Agenda 21 seeks to promote sustainability not just of the development process but also of each aspect of the development process. (iii) Legal Possibilities The phrase ‘legal possibility’ is not in itself a legal concept. The noun ‘possibility’ refers to the quality or condition of being possible.

The idea of legal possibility thus centres primarily around what legal and policy choices are feasible and which options are utopian or politically impossible17. In relation to environmental regulation, legal possibility stems from the role that law and policy can play within the framework of mainstreaming sustainable development.

As rightly opined by Sandra Paul,18 since law is an instrument for translating societal goals and aspirations into practice, environmental law must be able to play three critical roles in the creation of and sustenance of society. The first is the regulation and control over the use of natural resources, which is achieved through appropriate measures concerning permits or sanctions, waste disposal regulations, setting standards of emissions and effluents, resource management laws and penal provisions attendant upon violation of regulatory measures. This includes coping with uncertainty. The second is that environmental law must contain anticipatory mechanisms to prevent man-made environmental harm and thereby avoid harmful impact of developmental policies and programmes.

The third is that environmental law must be able to take into account trans-boundary causes and implications of environmental regulation.

The Rio Declaration affirmed the pivotal importance of law as a critical tool of sustainable development. It viewed sustainable development as a matter of social justice, premised on the principle of intra and intergenerational equity19.

The concern of this discourse is with practical legal possibility in an epistemologically, historically and nomologically accessible system,20 and in the context of what normative legal theorists21 view as not just necessary, but, are also legal options that can be said to exist in feasible choice sets. Significantly, in so far as a legal option is not remote, we shall not be bothered by the fact that the legal possibilities being proffered may be constrained because they are ‘agent relative’ (individual, institutional or collective). For example, an option will not be viewed as outside the feasible choice set simply because it is not relevant to a particular agency (e.g. an advocacy group), or because it is constrained by the political attitudes of their agents. Following from this, a legal possibility may be agent relative or subject to collective action. Furthermore, and as has been rightly argued,22 possibility should not be reduced to cost nor equated to probability. (iv) Understanding the Linkage in the Concepts Clarified The linkage between environmental governance, sustainability and legal possibilities for this discourse is that a country’s capacity to formulate, implement and sustain sound environmental policies that will substantially be devoid of conflicts and inconsistencies is enhanced by the country’s capacity for good environmental governance and the opportunity

• Prof Fagbohun

and ability of government and citizens to proactively think through feasible legal options. Good environmental governance depends on the ability to exercise power and to make sound decisions over time across a spectrum of inter-linked sectors and cross-cutting issues.

The quality of good environmental governance is a key element for the integration of sustainability and achievement of sustainable development.

Inescapable Facts and Realities of Nigeria’s Environment While it can be said that modern environmentalism dates from Earth Day in 1970, its roots go back a century and more.23 For Nigeria, the year 1988 marked the watershed in the history of environmental policy development. Prior to 1988, environmental concerns were dealt with by different tiers of government in line with their respective constitutional responsibilities. However, in 1998 the Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provisions etc) Act was passed in direct response to the Koko toxic waste dump incident. This was followed by the enactment of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Act (FEPA Act) in 1988. The broad functions of FEPA were the protection and development of the Nigerian environment in general including institution of policy in relation to environmental research and technology.

FEPA’s main objectives were to administer environmental laws and coordinate governmental actions that affect the environment.

The Act itself was a framework legislation and it was meant to serve as a comprehensive system for environmental management.

In November, 1989, Nigeria presented to the public its National Policy on the Environment. One of its many goals is to secure for all Nigerians a quality of environment adequate for their health and well being. This was the major step that gave Nigeria the focus and pathway to proceed in meeting the environmental challenges facing the country. 24 There were several other legislation that was enacted to build a common context for Nigeria’s environmental policy actions and form the nexus for all her environmental activities. Table A is a highlight of these laws and regulations.

Table A FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS & REGULATIONS S/No Sector Federal Law/Regulation 1.General Framework Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 National Policy on Environment, Act 42 of 1988 National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act (NESREA), 2007 National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (Establishment) Act, 2006 Environmental Impact Assessment Act, Cap L12, LFN, 2004 2.Air Pollution National Effluent Limitation Regulations, Special Instrument No 8, 1991.

Associated Gas Re-injection Act, Cap A25, LFN 2004 The Associated Gas Re-injection (continued flaring of Gas) Regulation, LFN, 2004.

National Environmental Protection (Effluent Limitation) Regulations, 1991 National Environmental (Control of Bush, Forest Fire and Open Burning) Regu-

lations, 2011 National Environmental (Control of Vehicular Emissions from Petrol and Diesel Engines) Regulations, 2011 3.Forestry National Forestry Policy, 1988 4.Wildlife Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, LFN, 2004 Gaming Machines (Prohibition) Act, Cap G1, LFN, 2004 Hides and Skin Act, Cap H3, LFN, 2004 Animal Disease (Control) Act, Cap A17, LFN, 2004 National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade) Regulations, 2011 5.Resource Conserva-tion Federal National Park Service Act, Cap N65, LFN, 2004 National Environmental (Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing) Regulations, 2009 6.Water Resources National Water Resources Institute Act, Cap N83, LFN, 2004 Territorial Waters Act, Cap T5, LFN, 2004 7.Toxic and Hazardous Substances Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provisions) Act, Cap H1, 2004 National Environmental (Base Metals, Iron and Steel Manufacturing/ Recycling Industries Sector) Regulations, 2011 8.Land Use and Soil Conserva-tion Land Use Act, L5, LFN, 2004 Land Use (Validation of Certain Laws, etc) Act, Cap L6, LFN, 2004 Land (Title Vesting, etc.) Act, LFN, 2004 National Environmental (Soil Erosion and Flood Control) Regulations, 2011 Nation Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulation, 2011 National Environmental (Desertification Control and Drought Mitigation) Regulation, 2011 National Environmental (Watershed, Mountainous, Hilly and Catchment Areas) Regulations, 2009 9.Noise pollution National Environmental (Noise, Standards and Control) Regulations, 2009 10.Energy Use Energy Commission of Nigeria Act, Cap E10, LFN, 2004 National Atomic Energy Commission Act, Cap N91, LFN, 2004 National Safety and Radiation Protection Act, Cap N142, LFN, 2004 11.Settlements Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act, Cap N138, LFN, 2004 12.Waste Manage-ment National Environmental protection (Management of Solid and Hazardous Wastes) Regulations 1991 Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provisions) Act, Cap H1, LFN, 2004 13.Flora and Fauna National Crop Varieties and Livestock Breeds (Regulation) Act, LFN, 2004 14.Water Quality, Efficiency and Resources National Water Resources Institute Act, Cap W2, LFN, 2004 Oil in Navigable Waters Act, Cap O6, LFN, 2004 Water Resources Act, Cap W2, LFN, 2004 National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control)Regulations, 2011 National Environmental (Wetlands, River Banks and Lake Shores) Regulations, 2009 16.Pest Manage-ment Bees (Import Control and Management) Act, LFN, 2004 Animal Diseases (Control) Act, 2004 17.Greenhouse Gas Emission National Environmental (Ozone Layer Protection) Regulations, 2009 18.Mining & Mineral Resources National Environmental (Mining and Processing of Coal, Ores and Industrial Minerals) Regulations 2009 Minerals and Mining Act, LFN, 2004.

National Environmental (Non-Metalic Mineral Manufacturing Industries Sector) Regulations, 2011 Oil Pipelines Act, Cap. 07, LFN, 2004 Petroleum Act, Cap. P10 LFN, 2004 Petroleum Regulations, L.N 71 of 1967 Petroleum (Drilling & Production) Regulations, L.N. 69 of 1967 Oil in Navigable Waters Act, Cap. 06 LFN 2004 Oil in Navigable Waters Regulations, L.N 101 OF 1968 • To be continued next week •Fagbohun is Professor of Environmental Law and Head of Department, Akinola Aguda School of Postgraduate Studies, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

35

LAW PERSONALITY Chief Godwin Obla prosecutes cases for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was called the Nigerian Bar in 1984. He has remained in active law practice since then. In this interview, he bares his mind on the challenges of criminal justice administration , advice for new lawyers and impediments to successful prosecution of financial crimes. Legal Editor JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU met him. Excerpts:

‘We must reform our legal system for speedy justice administration’

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AN you give us a little insight into the beginning of your law practice, how you managed to get to this level?

The biggest influence to my practice is J. B Majogbe (SAN), he was the biggest legal practitioner in Kano in the 80s. I did my law office attachment in his Law firm, so the high level of organisation and professionalism there, the humble way in which he carried himself in spite of the fact that he was very successful really influenced me as a young lawyer.

He was highly committed to the practice of Law, was always in the office promptly and gave attendance to court a lot of priority. I was really influenced by the three months experience that I had with him. So, when I went back to the Law school and finished my programme and the mandatory one year National Youth Service (NYSC) in Abuja, I decided that I would just go straight and start law practice, that was actually what I did.

What happened?

I just set up Obla and Co. in 1985 and we have been growing from strength to strength ever since then.

A new set of lawyers were called to the Bar few weeks ago, what is your advice to the new wigs on how to make it big in law practice The character and architecture of the lawyers now has changed. We have about six thousand entrants now into the five campuses of the Nigerian Law School every year, during our time, we had only one campus of the Law School and were producing about 800 lawyers a year.

Now the age of the lawyers and the spectrum of their practice has also changed. We have a lot of professionals now going into Law practice, a lot of retired military officers going into law, former governors going into Law. So, it has really changed the character of the profession. But law is like wine, the older it gets the better it becomes.

It takes a lot of time to get into the profession, study the profession, get grounded in the profession and then use the experience you have gathered for the benefit of your client.

So, anybody who gets into the profession and believes that it is a honey pot of money, to just get into it and begin to make money is living in a fool’s paradise.

A lot of the successful practitioners you see today, like Yusuf Ali

(SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) had some pretty rough beginnings in case of finances.

So, what is your advice for the new lawyers?

My advice to them is that they have a long period of hard work in front of them, but after that hard work, commitment and dedication to the profession, there is a possibility of a light at the end of the tunnel. Not everyone of them is going to be successful, not every one of them is going to be a trial lawyer, some of them may never even practice Law, they may now breach into several professions. But for those who want to practice law, there are years of hard work ahead, there are years of discipline and dedication before the breakthrough will definitely come.

As one of the prosecutors for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has this ever posed any threat to your life from the accused persons?

Well, life is a risk, even when you over eat at times, you develop constipation. In everything we do in the world, Usman Dan Fodio said “ Conscience is like an open wound, only truth can heal it”. Everything we do, if we are straight forward and honest about it, I think we have very little to fear. Man is a mortal being and there are instances where the other party, may be accused person or persons related to them may also get desperate if they see that the case is not actually going in their favour, but the truth of the matter is that even if they kill a prosecutor, that prosecutor would be replaced, if they kill a second one. He will still be replaced. So, it does not really help anyone. You may not really have direct threats, but you may have what we call constructive threats because the people may not be bold enough to come to you and say look, we are going to bring physical bodily harm to bear upon you, but they may approach you in some other sinister ways. I think it is also part of the job, we just put our trust and confidence in God. So far, He has been keeping us, He has been protecting us and we expect that He will continue to do so.

As a prosecutor, are you comfortable with the judges in the way and manner they handle your cases in court?

It is really difficult to blame judges for delay in most cases because we have an archaic legal sys-

tem that needs a lot of change. The substantive criminal laws are not the problem.

Which ones are the problems?

The procedural Laws are the problem. That is, the procedure that you use to apply the substantive Law, before you apply the substantive law, the procedure has frustrated you severally.

Nigerians complain that it takes a long time to do some of those cases, what is your reaction to this?

Now listen to this, recently we were doing a matter and within 10 months the prosecution had opened and closed its case without asking for adjournment for one single day. The defence brought six witnesses, opened their case and closed it, it was now left for parties to just adopt their written addresses and for judgment to be given in the matter.

Then the presiding judge was suddenly elevated to a higher Court, we now have to start the entire proceedings a fresh. This is at great expense to the Nigerian tax payers.

Why did that happen?

That happened because our laws did not provide for this kind of situation, because if our laws had provided for this kind of situation, this sort of frustrating experience would not happen.

How can we tackle this sort of problem?

Well, some states like Lagos State have been very very proactive in addressing some of these procedural issues and that is why, of all the states of the Federation, it is only Lagos State that has the administration of criminal justice law which guides the procedures in their courts. And this law has anticipated most of the antics used by prosecutors and defence lawyers to delay cases in courts and has tried to address most of them with a view to minimising the delays associated with the trial of cases in their courts.

How well has the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law worked?

If you observe, very recently, Lagos State High Courts have become the darling of prosecutors because the procedural laws of Lagos State in criminal matters are much more favourable. They are less suffocating than the procedural laws in other jurisdictions.

We need to address these procedural laws.

• Cross section of lawyers at the valedictory court session in honour of Chief Charles E. Obegolu at the Enugu State High Court

• Obla

But having said that, if defense lawyers perceive that they have difficult cases, they will try every trick in the books to ensure that even the trial itself will be truncated. But if you juxtapose this with the situation in England, you have a different experience.

If you will recall that when James Ibori’s trial was taking place in London, the court there fixed two weeks for the case, this is for both the prosecution and the defense. So, if you don’t take advantage of that period you are out because they will not allow you to delay the proceedings. We should learn from these jurisdictions. We borrowed our legal Jurisprudence from Britain, so, if we bring those things down here a lot of these cases will be dealt with expeditiously.

The former EFCC Chairman called for special courts for the trial of financial cases, what is your view on ths?

The former chairman of EFCC was so frustrated that she asked for special courts, just like we have special courts for election petition matters, why can’t we have special courts for corruption cases, whether one likes it or not, unless the issue of corruption is drastically addressed, it has become a serious threat to national development.

Why do you say this?

I say it because when people benefit from proceeds of crime, they use those proceeds to destabilise their own countries and their institutions.

Recently, you heard the expression of the EFCC Chairman when he stated that some of these people being tried have so much money and they use this money to frustrate the system and the application of due process of law. So, we need to change our approach for the prosecution of these matters and the adjudication of corruption cases. We need to streamline the procedure so that people do not take advantage of the system for negative reasons.

Most times, prosecutors are accused of selling out cases either by deliberately omitting to file the necessary documents or by omitting the necessary procedures that would fast track the trial of the cases, what is your reaction to this?

It is very strange that people just

make statements without backing it with any evidence. The whole thing about prosecution is that it is not about a cat and mouse matter, when the prosecutor is filing a charge, he accompanies that charge with a proof of evidence, saying this is what I intend to rely upon in prosecuting this matter.

These are public documents, I am sure that on several occasions, journalists have asked me about these documents and I have obliged them and gave them the documents.

There is no time that the veracity of the documents or the sufficiency or otherwise of these documents to prosecute the matter has been challenged. People say, prosecution played into people’s hands, prosecution did this or that, how did they do it. Is there a document in your proof of evidence that you did not tender or is there a statement that you did not tender? Or you did not demonstrate this document in court during the trial.

Now if an accused person through his lawyer files various applications, you must take those applications, that is what the law says. By the time they get through with these applications from the court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, you have to stay action on the substantive action. Just recently, I argued Abubakar Audu’s case in the Supreme Court on interlocutory grounds. For seven years now he has been going up and down. Now that the Supreme Court has dismissed it, they are going to start afresh after seven years. But you can be sure that he will come up with other antics again.

At the end of the day who do they blame, oh! prosecution did not do a good job. The prosecutor is not a fighter, he is just a lawyer, we cannot carry cutlasses to the court neither can we carry guns to the court, we go there and engage the other party on the basis of the law.

It is as frustrating to the prosecution as it is to the public when case are unduly delayed in the courts..

What the public doesn’t know is that no lawyer wants a file to continue to revolve in his office.

Lawyers are paid per the number of cases they do and not on how many years their cases spend in courts.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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LAW & SOCIETY

Colleagues, friends pay tributes to Obegolu at valedictory

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F tributes and eulogies could raise the dead and possibly re store them back to life, Chief Charles Enidom Nwudo Obegolu would, no doubt, be among the living today.

Unfortunately , it is not so; however such experiences remind the living of the obvious need to look inwards, make amends and the obvious fact that whatever a man does, one day his friends and colleagues will appraise his life activities and contributions to the welfare of the society Chief Charles E. N. Obegolu is the father of the incumbent General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Emeka Obegolu. Last Wednesday, friends and professional colleagues of the Obegolus assembled in a valedictory court session at the Enugu State High Court Headquarters, Independence Layout, Enugu, to celebrate this legal icon as part of the programmes for his final journey to eternity.

The valedictory was attended by prominent members of the Bar and the Bench serving and retired. In a speech he presented at the Court session, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice L. A. Umezulike (CJ) said members of the legal profession, the Bar, the Bench with tears sits en-banc to pay its last respect and bid farewell to a gentleman

By John Austin Unachukwu

and a good lawyer, Chief Charles Enidom Nwudo Obegolu.

He saiod: “Death intervened on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, even though he left his pilgrim world at 75 years old, his exit was painful at the time because his experience, wise counsel and guidance were needed by the Bar, Bench and his community” Justice Umezulike stated : “Obviously, distilling and properly describing Chief C.E.N. Obegolu’s journey through this pilgrim world will be the work of the skilled scholars. We shall be content here with a few observations merely in outline.Chief Obegolu was born on Aprail 16, 1937 to the Obegolu family of Iruowelle village, Obeledu Anambra State. He attended St. Paul’s School Obeledu from 1946-1951 for his Primary education. The young Charles completed his primary School education at St. Andrew’s School Adazi Nnukwu in 1952".

Chief Obegolu enrolled at the holy ghost Juniorate Ihiala for his Secondary education, and graduated in 1958. Chief Obegolu sought and obtained admission to study law at the prestigious University) in 1963. He graduated with a strong LL.B (Hons) Degree in 1966.

His journey to become a lawyer

was interrupted temporarily by the Nigeria Biafra Civil War and he had to wait till after the war to attend the Nigeria Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1971".

“Before becoming a lawyer in 1971, Chief Obegolu worked as a school teacher between 1959-1963, he had a brief stint as an assessment clerk at the Federal Board of International Revenue. Chief.

Obegolu remained in active private legal practice from 1971 until his death. It will definitely be hard to recount his many achievements. For him, living meant service in all forms and he lived an active and fulfilling life”.

“Chief Obegolu rendered advisory legal services to several banks, companies, Government Corporations and social clubs. He was a member of old Anambra State Police Community Relations Committee. He was also a member of Njikoka LGA War Against Indiscipline Committee. Chief Obegolu was appointed member of the Council of Legal Education 1991-1994. He served as a member of the Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal in 1997”.

The CJ said: “ Chief Obegolu was a fourth Degree Knight of St. Mulumba. Chief Obegolu was a strong and dependable pillar of the Catholic Church all over Nigeria.

He was Mayor of the Blessed Sacra-

ment Parish, Independence Layout Enug, he believed very strongly in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And by human calculation, he must by now be resting in that Beautiful City of Gold which our Lord Jesus Christ had reserved for those who believe and worship Him. His transition is therefore a matter of celebration rather than pain and grief.”

“Chief Obegolu’s social services and commitment to community service is unparalled. He lived a life of service to God and mankind. He significally pioneered many development projects in Obeledu Town Anambra State. These include roads, school and church building and health facilities. He was a man of peace and will do anything to make peace”.

He was recognised in his life time by his people. He secured the high traditional title of Ezeani Ononiwu.

He was the Onowu (traditional Prime Minister) of Obeledu Town from 1999-2002. He was a member Nze na Ozo Society, Obeledu town.

He was Secretary Anaocha LGA Development Association.

On Chief Obegolu’s rating by the Judges before whom he appeared, the CJ said: “Our departed colleague is highly rated by the Judges of Enugu State Judiciary. He laced his advocacy with fresh humour. He was absolutely respectful to the judges. He was not a Court room

practitioner to be caught in the use of intemperate and contumacious language in the court.

“My last personal encounter with him was many years ago at his son’s wedding reception at the Royal Palace Hotel, Enugu. About 12 governors were in attendance. And those of us outside the hall were twice more than those inside. When at the end of the ceremony I managed to see him to congratulate him, he was beside himself with profuse apologies” The Enugu State Chief Judge added: “To the family of Chief Obegolu, Chief Mary Ifeyinwa Obegolu, Chinwe, Emeka, Ifeanyi, Obianuju, Chisom and other members of the extended family, we urge the sovereign God to grant you the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. You must also be consoled by the fact that Chief C.E.N. Obegolu lived a good life and left a very good name. we also console the Nigerian Bar Association, Enugu Branch for this major loss.

As Chief Obegolu begins his (Leultimo-vagio), his last journey to mother earth, he does so with our outpouring of sentiment of love, great respect, profound loss and indelible memory”. Chief Obegolu was interred in his home town, Obeledu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State last Friday.

• From left: President, Customary Court of Appeal, Enugu, V.N. Nebo, Justice A.I. Umezuluike (CJ) and Justice B.E. Agbata

• From left: Ifeanyi, Chief Ifeyinwa and Uju Obegolu

• General Secretary, NBA Emeka Obegolu and his wife, Adaobi

• From left: Chief A.J. Offiah (SAN), Chief Anthony Muogbo (SAN), Prof Ilochi Okafor (SAN) and Chief Enechi Onyia (SAN)

• Justice E.C. Ubaezuonu (left) and Chief Judge Anambra State, Justice Peter N.C. Umeadi

• From left: Chief L.M.E. Ezeofor, Chief Albert Agbamudje (SAN) and Chief Okwuchukwu Ugolo (SAN)

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

37

LAW REPORT

Whether a state is littoral or not in Nigeria is a question of fact

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA On Tuesday, July 10, 2012 Suit No: SC.250/2009 BEFORE THEIR LORDSHIPS

DAHIRU MUSDAPHER....... Justice of the Supreme Court MAHMUD MOHAMMED....... Justice of the Supreme Court JOHN AFOLABI FABIYI....... Justice of the Supreme Court OLUFUNLOLA OYELOLA ADEKEYE....... Justice of the Supreme Court SULEIMAN GALADIMA....... Justice of the Supreme Court BODE RHODES-VIVOUR....... Justice of the Supreme Court NWALI SYLVESTER NGWUTA....... Justice of the Supreme Court BETWEEN ATTORNEY-GENERAL, CROSS RIVER STATE

...APPELLANTS

AND 1. ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION 2, ATTORNEY-GENERAL, AKWA IBOM STATE ...RESPONDENTS

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HE decision of this court in the case of A-G Rivers State v. A-G Akwa Ibom State adequately supported the use of negotiated agreements in the resolution of maritime boundary disputes. The 2nd defendant however pointed out that such agreements may only be possible in the context of onshore/offshore Dichotomy Abolition Act 2004 where the parties share maritime boundaries. The plaintiff and the 2nd defendant do not share boundaries and there cannot be an enforceable agreement between the two states on the attribution of the 76 oil wells pursuant to the Dichotomy Abolition Act. The case A-G Rivers State v. A-G Akwa Ibom State (2011) 8 NWLR (Pt.1248) Pg.31 has no application to this case as both States in that suit are and still remain Littoral States. The 2nd defendant urges this court to so hold.

Issue one as identified by this court is prompted by the contention of the plaintiff that there was no maritime dispute between the plaintiff and the 2nd defendant hence there was no basis for the alteration of the existing indices for revenue distribution to have called for a fresh implementation of the powers of the RMAFC as relied upon in Exhibit 1 attached herewith. By the letter of 4th January 2005 already approved by the President, an agreed maritime boundary was identified between the plaintiff and the 2nd defendant. The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission acted on the amicable boundary dispute resolution between the plaintiff and the 2nd defendant and the plaintiff enjoyed to some extent payment of the derivation fund. The plaintiff now disputed in this suit the unilateral removal of the plaintiff’s name among the beneficiaries of the 13 per cent derivation fund and the recalcitrance of the 1st defendant to change the position, culminated in the filing of this case (vide the plaintiffs statement of claim and Final Written Address Exhibit 1).

It is not disputed that in order to qualify for the payment of the 13% derivation fund or revenue, the state must appear on the National Boundary Commission Maritime Boundary Delineation Map as a littoral State.

The RMAFC Inter-Agency meeting held in Kano in 2008 relied on the National Boundary Commission 2008 Maritime Boundary delineation Map to decide those which are littoral states and consequently entitled to the payment of the derivation. It is convenient to explain at this stage that the bone of contention is 76 oil wells located offshore the coast of Nigeria to which Cross River State, represented by the plaintiff, lays claim for the purpose of 13% derivation revenue attribution pursuant to Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By way of brief background as at the time the judgment of this court in A-G Federation v. A-G Abia State (2002) 6 NWLR (Pt.764) Pg.542 was pronounced, only the Federal Government and not the littoral states could lawfully exercise legislative, executive and judicial powers over the maritime belt or territorial waters and sovereign right over the exclusive economic zone subject to universally recognized rights. The immediate effect of that judgment popularly referred to as the Resource Control judgment was the promulgation of the Allocation of Revenue (Abolition of Dichotomy in the Principle of Derivation) Act 2004. By virtue of Sections 1(1) and (2) of the Act, as from the date of commencement in 2004 the 200 meters water depth Isobaths contiguous to a State

stance of the judgment of the International Court of Justice on the case between Nigeria and Cameroon.

“The effect of the judgment of the International Court of Justice dated 10/10/2002 on the land and maritime boundary case between Nigeria and Cameroon is that it has wiped off what used to be the estuarine sector of Cross River State as a result of which the State is hemmed in by the new international boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon. That being the case, there seems to be no longer any estuarine boundary between Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State. lf the median line principle or the ‘thalweg’ principle is adopted in drawing the boundary line along the Cross River between the Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State, the line must intersect and the new maritime line between Nigeria and Cameroon with the result that Cross River State no longer has a seaward boundary. In the circumstance, it is unnecessary to consider in the instant case the question about the applicable principle in determining the maritime boundary between the two states.”

Another fine point projected in the case by Edozie JSC (as he then was) at Pg. 109 parags D-H is that “It can easily be seen from paragraph 17 of the above affidavit that the revised boundary delimitation of the NBC dated 5/7/2004 which the plaintiff is urging this court to declare as the maritime boundary of the two states is predicated on the negotiations between Nigeria and Cameroon which negotiation is almost but not finally concluded.

It also needs to be stressed that the NBC revised boundary map was made and allegedly approved by the President at a time when the boundary dispute was sub judice.

In the light of the observations I have expressed above regarding the NBC revised boundary delimitation, I do not feel comfortable to grant the declaration sought. Until both Nigeria and Cameroon conclude their negotiation to finality and the international boundary fixed by the ICJ is modified and published in line with the agreement, it will be premature for this court to determine the maritime boundary of the two states.”

The plaintiff argued that the decision of the International Court of Justice can no longer be the basis for changing realities as erroneously canvassed by Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission and the National Boundary Commission.

The reasons given were that (1) the decision of the International Court of Justice was made in 2002.

(2) The boundary dispute between the plaintiff and the 2nd defendant was amicably resolved in 2005.

(3) The decision has the implication of the retention of the Western part of Bakassi Peninsula by Nigeria which means legally and administratively Bakassi LGA of Cross River State remains an integral part of Nigeria.

This entails that Cross River State has an outlet to the sea.

This foregoing to my mind is a misconception. As the attempt by Nigeria through President Olusegun Obasanjo to retain Western Bakassi Peninsula sequel to the ICJ judg-

ment proved abortive. On the basis of the retention, Cross River State would still have had direct access to the sea and would have remained a Nigerian Littoral State. It was based on the negotiation and the expectation that Nigeria would be allowed to retain Western Bakassi that the NBC letter of 4th January 2005, the plaintiffs Exhibit F titled ‘Akwa Ibom/Cross River Inter-State Maritime Boundary’ was approved by the President and the 76 oil wells transferred and attributed to Cross River State. ‘However between 2002 to 2008, after the ICJ judgment to the time of the implementation and the transfer of the Bakassi Peninsula and the estuarian area of Cross River State to Cameroon, Cross River State continued to enjoy the 13% derivation revenue from the 76 oil wells. After the affected areas were ceded to Cameroon, Cross River State became landlocked with no seaward boundaries. It was deprived the status of a littoral State and eventually Cross River State shares no maritime boundary with Akwa Ibom State or any other Nigerian State. The position came before this court in the case of AG Cross River State v. A-G Federation & anor (2005) 15 NWLR (Pt.947) Pg.71.

The RMAFC Inter-Agency meeting of August 2008 was convened to attribute offshore oil wells/fields to Nigeria’s littoral state for the purposes of calculating the derivation funds payable and due to the littoral states in 2009 by virtue of Section 162 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. The RMAFC has the power by section 6(1)(a) and 6(1)(b) of the RMAFC Act Cap R7 Laws of the Federation 2004 to monitor the accruals to disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and review from time to time the revenue allocation formula and principles in operation to ensue conformity with changing realities. The National Boundary Commission and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission used their statutory powers to react to changes brought about by the implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice.

The ICJ judgment altered the configuration of Nigeria’s maritime boundary with Cameroon. The argument of the plaintiff that none of the parties - Cross River State or Akwa Ibom State was invited to the August Kano RMAFC Inter-Agency meeting and thereby causing the issue of breach of fair hearing is irrelevant and out of context.

The relevant question is whether the plaintiff is entitled to the derivation revenue from the seventy-six oil wells located within the 200 meters water depth Isobaths contiguous to its territory as stipulated in Section 1(1) and (2) of the Allocation of Revenue (Abolition of Dichotomy) Act 2004. On this issue, the plaintiff averred in paragraph 18 of the statement of claim that - “Strangely, however in 2008 the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission wrote to the President of Nigeria suggesting that the 76 oil wells attributed to Cross River State be given to Akwa Ibom, claiming falsely that Cross River State had ceased to be a littoral

of the Federation was deemed to be a part of that State for the purpose of computing the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from that state pursuant to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution or any other enactment.

For the purpose of the application of the principle of derivation, it is immaterial whether the revenue accruing to the Federation account from the state is derived from the natural resources located onshore or offshore. In effect, by virtue of Section 1(1) of the Allocation of Revenue (Abolition of Dichotomy) Act 2004, all littoral States had some derivative interests in offshore natural resources located within 200 meters water depth Isobaths. Relevant agencies of government like the National Boundary Commission with the Surveyor-General of the Federation have the statutory duty of delineation of national and maritime boundaries. The National Boundary Commission was established by the National Boundary Commission Act Cap N10 Laws of the Federation 2004. Section 1(a) depicts that the Commission shall deal with, determine and intervene in any boundary dispute that may arise between Nigeria and any of her neighbours or between any two States of the Federation with a view to settling such dispute.

Section 7(1) empowers the Commission to define and delimit boundaries between States, Local Government Areas or Communities in the Federation and between Nigeria and her neighbours in accordance with delimitation instrument or document established for that purpose.

The National Boundary Commission had the presidential mandate to produce the delimitation of the Maritime Boundary of Nigeria Littoral States: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, Ogun, Ondo States from the shore/baselines into the sea up to 200 meters isobaths. (b) Determine the total number of offshore oil wells for each littoral state so that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission can implement the Constitution and prepare indices for the sharing of the proceeds in the escrow accounts and the 13% derivation fund. The National Boundary Commission on the 4th of January 2005 in Exhibit F gave proposals for the Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State Maritime • Continued next week Boundary delineation followed by the allotment of 76 oil wells to Cross River State. The parties accepted the issues of boundary delineation as mutually settled to the satisfaction and benefit of both parties (See Exhibit A of the plaintiff which is a letter from the Akwa Ibom State Governor to the president dated 31st January 2005). This court rejected the National Boundary Commission 2005 revised map in the case of Attorney-General Cross River State v.

Attorney-General Federation & anor (2005) 15 NWLR (Pt.947) Pg.71 and • From left: Air Commodore Clement Ogbechi; Chairman Bank of Industry, Mohammed Kyari Dikwa and Anozie Obi, concluded that in the during the passing out of Senior Executive Set 34 at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), prevailing circum- Kuru, near Jos.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

38

LAW & SOCIETY

• From left: President, Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Agumagu, Mr Sebastine Hon (SAN) and Hon Justice Daisy Okocha

• From left: Hon Justice C.I. Uriri, Justice B.A. Georgewill and Dr. Moses Udiri

Rights abuses: Forum advocates continuous law reform

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HE need for urgent steps by the government, to stem the rising tide of rights abuses in the country drove deliberations at a gathering of law experts last week in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

The common observation, by most speakers, was that the inadequacy of existing laws, the tendency of public officers to wield powers they do not possess and insufficient knowledge of their responsibilities under the law, among others, combine to sustain a regime of growing lawlessness and citizens’ rights infraction.

The event was this year’s edition of the Law Week organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port-Harcourt branch. It held under the theme: “Human rights issues in the discharge of the duties of agencies of government.”

Speakers include the state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, the state’ Chief Judge, Justice Ichie Ndu; Law Professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Adebambo Adewopo; Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Adminiatration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi; a lawyer, Moses Ediru, chairman of the event’s Planning Committee, Sebastine Hon (SAN), and branch Chair,Lawrence Oko-Jaja.

It became obvious at the end of the three-day event that continuous review of extant laws, to establish robust legal frameworks that address inadequacies in critical sectors of the nation’s existence was required.

Amaechi stressed the need for strict adherence to law. He

By Eric Ikhilae

frowned at acts that violate the provision of laws. He said it was wrong for people to disobey validly enacted law on the pretext that they were asserting their rights.

He assured of his administration’s determination to ensure the enforcement of laws. He urged those not satisfied with any law enacted by the state’s House of Assembly to challenge same in court rather than resorting to self help.

Represented by the state’s Justice Commissioner, Worgu Boms, Amaechi contended that the thought that absolute freedom exists is a mirage.

Justice Ndu praised the rights advocacy efforts of the state’s NBA. The CJ urged the body to persist in advocating the independence of he judiciary and financial autonomy for the arm of government.

Ndu, who was represented by the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Peter Agumagu, argued that independence and financial freedom for the judiciarya, will enhance its efficiency as it will ensure swift and objective justice administration.

Ndu argued that the blame for delay in justice dispensation should not be solely attributed to the courts, but that other operators within the justice administration system should also share from the blame.

“We must pay less attention to procedures and focus more on the welfare and safety of those on whose shoulders the burden of

Lawyer hails INEC over party de-registration

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RESIDENT of the Coalition of Lawyers for Good Governance (CLGG), Mr Joe Nwokedi, has praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for de-registering some political parties.

He said INEC’s action was for the good of democracy and the country’s progress and was done in accordance with the law.

Nwokedi said, if possible, more parties which are not viable should be de-listed to save tax-payers’ money and have few stronger parties.

According to him, there is no benefit in keeping and funding parties that are virtually “non-existent”.

He said: “I first raised this issue in The Nation of June 7, 2011.

“There is the need for us to prune our political parties so that our democracy can become stronger, more vibrant and more viable.

justice delivery is placed,” the CJ said.

Ndu urged lawyers to sue the executive on behalf of the court,in cases where funds allocated to the judiciary were withheld.

The CJ advocated for prompt release of funds meant for the courts.

Adewopo examined existing laws meant to protect intellectual property rights in the country.

Speaking on the theme: “Intellectual property; the Nigerian experience,” Adewopo argued that the nation’s intellectual landscape was still largely uninformed in term of structure, jurisprudence and administration, a development he attributed to the absence of robust legal framework.

He observed that the country’s intellectual property jurisprudence has always been scanty in some essential areas and has also been largely defective in expounding the frontiers of law.

He cited the inadequate definition of trademark in the Trademark Act and argued that such definition ought to be expanded to cover more ground.

Adewopo, who argued that the exclusive rights regime was no longer adequate in the era of digitalisation, called for the extension of protection to include service mark, an area currently unprotected in the country.

“New developments in the creative and innovative industries and activities; trading practices as well as technological advancements have had serious impact on intellectual property regime, such that it has become necessary to put in place a mechanism for regular review of existing laws and establishing new norms to

suspect and either impound or detain his or her vehicle and subsequentlyimpose fines, because those said agencies, by so acting, engage themselves in the determination of the rights and obligations of their victims.

“This is because the constitutional rights of personal liberty, freedom of movement, right to property (including money, which in this case, constitutes the fines levied) are all well protected rights enforceable by civil process,” Hon said.

He advocated amendment to the laws establishing the identified agencies, particularly with a view to ending their powers to arrest and impound vehicles and detain apprehended suspects He urged the state to also strengthen the mobile courts, which are, mostly manned by trained magistrates, to try suspects.

Ediru, who examined the various legal provisions regulating physician-patient relationship, observed inadquacies and suggested reforms in the laws to curb incessant breaches of the legal duty of care in the relationship between medical practitioners and their patients.

Akpobolokemi examined “the cabotage regime and legal practice in Nigeria” within the context of laws guiding operations in the maritime sub-sector of the nation’s economy.

Represented by a Legal Officer, A. Erekosima, Akpobolokemi stressed the importance of the existing laws to the achievement of improved local participation in the nation’s maritime industry.

He agreed that improvement would be achieved with needed modifications and reforms

Court of Appeal partners LawPavilion on reporting, electronic legal research

By Precious Igbonwelundu

“Since our Constitution allows for multi-party system and provides a procedure for these parties to remain alive or be de-listed where they are found to be non-functional, it behooves the parties and their members to meet these requirements stipulated in the Electoral Act in order to remain valid.

“Having different names of political parties littering the INEC register is not healthy for our electoral system.

“These are the parties that will speedily rush to court when their names are omitted from the ballot papers.

“Any group is free to function as a political association just like the defunct Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM, Awoists, Zikists, etc.

“A political is not a limited liability company that people can register and keep for private, personal or family uses.”

accommodate changes in the society,” Adewopo said.

Hon contended that the operations of many agencies of the state were arbitrary and in breach of the citizens’ rights.

He regretted the high incidents of right abuse in the operations of agencies established and sustained by the Rivers State Government.

Identifying human right issues in the discharge of the activities of the state’s security outfit - the Joint Task Force, the transport management agency and the environmental sanitation agency, Hon called for an urgent modification in their operations.

He argued that despite various constitutional provisions guaranteeing the citizens’ rights to life, to own property, to be subjected to fair trial, officials of the identified agencies have continually violated such rights. He accused them of being arbitrary.

Hon contended that despite government’s justification in establishing such agencies, they must be made to operate within the dictate of the law and Constitution.

He faulted the practice where officials of the state’s transport management and environment sanitation agencies levy fines on alleged violators of thier laws.

He argued that the agencies, not being law courts, can not try alleged offenders and impose punishment.

Such practice, Hon argued, negates the tenet of natural justice, because the state agencies, being the accusers can not also act as judges in their own causes.

Relying on the provision of section 36 (1) of the Constitution, Hon arged that it is unconstitutional for “these state agencies to aprehend a

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HE Court of Appeal has partnered the foremost Elec tronic Law Reporting and Legal Technologies company, LawPavilion, to report judgments of the Court of Appeal within 24 hours from the time of delivery of such judgments and promptly circulating the judgments electronically to all Judges in all the divisions of the court.

This development will forestall a situation whereby different divisions of the Court of Appeal give conflicting judgments on the same subject matter, thereby raising doubts about the time honoured fact of the certainty pof the law Through this partnership, Judges of the Court of Appeal have been provided with iPads devices, loaded with the LawPavilion Electronic Law Report/Legal Research

Software with Document/Case Management capabilities.

The iPads were given to the Judges during their annual conference in Abuja on Friday, last week.

This will aid the Judges in their legal research, thereby enabling speedy justice delivery in the country. In addition, it also features a dynamic tool called “My 360 Degrees” which provides the Judges a feedback alert on the status of their judgments that have gone to the Supreme Court, notifying them whether such cases were affirmed or upturned at the Supreme Court.

The Judiciary has commonly been referred to as the last hope of the common man and more often than not, our courts strive to live up to this saying. However, in the recent past, it has become

commonplace to find Courts of co-ordinate jurisdiction handing down conflicting judgements on the same subject matter involving the same parties at its various Divisions, thereby creating confusion in the polity.

In a chat with our correspondent, the Managing Director of LawPavilion, Mr Opeyemi Olugasa said that “This strategic partnership with the Court of Appeal is not only a stamp of approval on the product of the company, but also a call to the pursuit of excellence.” Mr Olugasa noted that though this is an enviable development, it equally placed enormous responsibility on the company to always do its best to contribute positively to the legal services/justice delivery and development of Nigerian Judiciary.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

39

ABUJA REVIEW NEWS

•Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah (left) in handshake with member , House of • From left: President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patince Jonathan and Mama Eunice Jonathan at Representatives Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management , Ajagbe Adetunji the 2012 Christmas Carol Service at the Banquiet Hall, Presidential Villa . during a meeting on external borrowing plan

.From left: Member, FCT, Ministerial Committee on Apo Resettlement Scheme, Chief Stephen •Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, Ogbuefi Ozongbachi, Awoniyi, Minister of State for FCT Chief Olajumoke Akinjide and Committee’s Vice-Chairman (left); members of the committee, Bimbo Daramola and Ajibola Famunrewa at a Joshua Kaura during the submission of the report of the Ministerial Committee on Fact-Finding and public hearing on road infrastructural network in Nigeria the way forward on Apo resettlement PHOTOS ABAYOMI FAYESE

•Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Officer, Total Exploration and Production Nig. Ltd, Sotonye Bristol (left); General Manager, Corporae Social Responsibility, Total Exploration, Dr. Justus Pearse; Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Total Exploration Emmanuel Ikomi and Coun- •Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport, Ifeanyi try Director, Family Care Association (FCA) Joshua Kempeneer at the International School, Uguanyi (right) with Chairman Committee on Anti-Corruption, James Faleke after Gwarko, Abuja during the Roll Back Malaria Intervention Programme held in communities and the House session at National Assembly Complex schools in Gwagwalada Area Council

•Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Solomon Adeola (left); Chairman, Committee on Local Content, Hon Asita and a member, Hon. Samuel Adejare •Members of Family Care Association providing health services for women at Kutunku, after a meeting at the National Assembly Complex Gwagwalada Area Council

40

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

ABUJA REVIEW

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HERE is something unique about Christmas.

It represents a special season to both Christians and Muslims.

It comes with its own atmosphere and weather. It is a season of celebration. And so the Presidency is also caught in the season frenzy.

The atmosphere is charged and everybody around the Presidency is already prepared for the celebration. President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife hosted the 2012 Christmas carol service.

And so it was glorious watching the gathering and the rendering of songs by various groups and the State House Chapel choir.

The Presidency like the individuals has being taking inventories of its activities albeit, performance reviews of the ministries, departments and agencies of government.

In the area it felt it has not really done well, especially with the incessant killings and kidnapping, the Presidency is looking up to the United States of America to halt the activities of the deadly Boko Haram group whose activities have posed a major headache to the president.

The Presidency is also expecting the USA to also assist the country in dealing with other problems like policing the nation’s extensive maritime borders, crude oil theft and kidnapping But the President was able to beat his chest with the report he got from the two ministries that took turn to brief during the last weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. The Ministries of Communication Technology and Aviation listing their achievements to include generation of about 60,000 jobs in 12 months for the aviation sector while communication noted that it was able to contribute about 5.7% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Coupled with the fact that agriculture had done relatively well with assurance that the country will not go hungry as a result of the recent flooding in major part of the country, the Presidency has reasons to go agog in line with the season.

And so like a prophet, the President stood up and declared to both disheartened and cynics alike that the coming year will be better for the country and its citizens. Given the warning in the Holy Bible which tied the prosperity of the people to their faith in the word from their prophets, it was not difficult for many to respond with a loud shout of amen.

Like biblical prophets, he also

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ONCERNED by the incessant motor accidents along Airport Road, one of which led to the instant death of five Gbagyi women at Pyakasa Junction recently, youths under the aegis of Greater Gbagyi Development Initiative have carried out peaceful protest to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command Office of Federal Road Safety Corps.

Mr. Gimba Gbiaza, President of the group who made their grievances known to the Head of Operation at the command, said that the natives intended to barricade the Airport Road to hinder vehicles from going in and out of the FCT in order to make their grievances known to the government.

He, however disclosed that they later decided to carry out peaceful protest to the FCT command of the FRSC since they are in charge of safety of lives on Nigerian roads.

Better days ahead From the Villa

By Vincent Ikuomola gave a condition that will ensure a fulfillment of his prophecy as he was quick to link the good fortune of 2013 to the existence of peace in the land. The President further added that Christmas and end of the year go together, meaning everybody was in celebration mood.

This fact was also supported by the fact that Prof. Kamene Okonjo, mother of the country’s Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala who was kidnapped has been released after about four days in the kidnappers’ den.

While the search for her mother

was on, Okonjo-Iweala made a surprise appearance at FEC where she participated actively in the activities of the day including anchoring the signing ceremony of agreements between six ministries who are collaborating to make the coming year a better one for the women folk. The Presidency announced the inclusion of additional N3billion in the 2013 budget for women empowerment programmes. Besides, she was part of the president delegation that met with the National Assembly leadership when they came calling that same night, as

Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly were locked in a closed door meeting over the budget which was meant to resolve identified differences concerning the passage of the 2013 budget.

Though the Presidency had recently noted that the queues at filling stations across the country will soon disappear as issues are being sorted out, but the news of about outstanding sum of N100billion subsidy claims has thrown fears into the spines of many that the crisis may linger on despite the assurances from the Presidency.

Already, N881billion has been paid out this year as subsidy claims.

It was another irony in the course of the week when the state governors who had approached the Supreme Court on the differences with the Federal Government over the management of the Excess Crude account want the presidency to release $1billio (157b) to them from the same acount they are contesting the management process in the court.

The governors who were at the Preisdency to argue their case reasoned that while they urgently need the money, the court case should be allowed to run its full course. Hence, it is a case of allowing status quo to remain that is the account must not be dormant while the issue is being trashed out in the court. A case of eating your cake and still have it.

It was not only the Presidency that had reasons to celebrate, in the course of the week under review, as there was cherry news for the people of Bakassi. The Presidency is already working on a permanent relief for the displaced people with plan to provide a new permanent resettlement for the people.

A committee to carry out the work was set up by the VicePresident, Namadi Sambo. The committee which is headed by the acting Governor of Cross River state, Effiok Essien Cobham, is to look into all the modalities necessary for the resettlement process. The committee has about three months to turn in its report.

Youths protest five women’s death From Bukola Amusan

According to him, the FRSC should organise enlightenment programmes to sensitise the people around Pyakasa and other communities along the ever-busy Airport Road on the need to make use of the pedestrian bridges in order to prevent unnecessary accidents which occur along the road on daily basis.

“We are also appealing to the corps to help us talk to the FCT authority on the need to build more pedestrian bridges which will be close to the people. This is because it seems that the pedestrian bridges that were constructed were not built to serve the people. Most of the bridges are too far from the

people, mostly those in rural communities along busy express roads like the popular Airport Road,” he said.

While addressing the protesting youths, Head of Operations in the FCT Command of the corps, Uche Wihioka, admitted that most of the pedestrian bridges built along busy express roads in the FCT were wrongfully constructed. That was why the corps is partnering with the World Bank to ensure more construction of pedestrian bridges in the territory and consequently the partnership has been yielding positive results.

“That is why you can see many new pedestrian bridges being built in FCT, just to correct those mistakes.

More are still going to be built

because we are out to save lives and we cannot do it alone. We also need you to organise sensitisation programmes for your people who are also my people. You will invite us to come and lecture them on safe crossing and use of the pedestrian bridges. By so doing, this incessant accidents will be averted.

“Apart from our trying to prevent accidents, let us go the extra mile in stopping these unnecessary deaths by educating our people on the use of the pedestrian bridges and how to cross the roads. Nothing else can be done other than enlightening our people on daily basis,” he said.

We are appealing to the corps to help us talk to the FCT authority on the need to build more pedestrian bridges which will be close to the people

“We are not as good as before. We do not have the same joy and confidence, and we struggle to score as much as last year. I have never been in this situation, but I do not lack strength. We will continue to fight for the title, even though it seems impossible,...”

Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, admitting his side’s loss of form after the Los Blancos were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Espanyol on Sunday night.

42

MAN CITY TO MANCINI

Get rid of Balotelli

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

43

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

The Senate has promised to pass the 2013 Budget before the end of this month. But, unresolved differences between the legislature and the executive may frustrate the bid. Assistant Editor ONYEDI OJIABOR reports moves being made to achieve the feat.

Growing row over 2013 budget T

HE Senate is determined to pass the 2013 Appropriation Bill on or before December 20, 2012 when it is expected to go on the Christmas break.. If the lawmakers succeed, the feat will mark a major shift from the awkward practice of the annual budget being repeatedly passed in the following fiscal year.

The 2012 Appropriation Bill, for instance, was embarrassingly passed in March by the Parliament and signed into law in April. It has to be stated, however, that the late passage of the Appropriation Bill is not entirely the fault of the National Assembly.

Late presentation of the bill by the executive arm of government has been largely blamed for the inability of the Parliament to endorse the fiscal document on time.

This year, if the optimism of the Senate President, David Mark, is anything to go by, the trend of late passage of the budget will become history.

Mark has already given the matching order to standing committees of the Senate to submit the reports of budget defence by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to the joint Senate Committee on Appropriation and Finance for compilation and presentation to the Senate.

The matching order was not without a warning, apparently, to drive home the need for compliance. Mark warned that the joint Senate Committee on Appropriation and Finance is at liberty to adopt spending estimates submitted by the executive if any committee fails to submit its report.

Good as early passage of the Appropriation Bill may be, National Assembly watchers are worried that Nigerians may never know to what extent the parliament has been able to scrutinize government spending estimates over the years.

Some of the observers believe that it is possible that the lawmakers have never examined government spending proposals as closely as the law empowers them to do.

Some blame the anomaly on limited time available to the parliament to perform this all important duty while others lay the blame on increasing size of government and its MDAs. Yet another group say the problem should be attributed to lack of fiscal expertise, skill, proficiency and capacity to conduct in-depth forensic examination of government spending proposals.

Although a number of the senate committees showed signs of seriousness in the examination of the fiscal estimates of MDAs under their supervision, others glossed over the exercise.

Some of the committees even held their budget defence in camera creating the impression of a hidden agenda in an exercise that should have been conducted in the open.

The business as usual attitude of some committees in the consideration of the budget proposal left desperate MDAs with disproportionate and obviously bloated budget figures.

Some MDAs that were obviously not prepared to defend their budgets simply appeared in the Senate to fulfil all righteousness.

Some MDAs also deliberately denied parliamentarians valuable facts that would have assisted them to do a thorough examination of the proposals.

As if that is not serious enough, most of the revenue yielding agencies did not appear before the Senate Committees to defend their budget as stipulated by law.

The refusal of the agencies to present their spending plans before the parliament for scrutiny may have underscored the widely held view that “a government that is less and less accountable to parliament, is hardly able to account at all.”

The worrisome situation re-enforces the perception by most Nigerians that their elected representatives may never know how much accrues to government in any fiscal year.

It should also be said that the refusal of some revenue yielding agencies to present their budgets for examination is part of the persisting culture of impunity in the country.

Section 80(4) of the Constitution clearly stated that “No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the man-

• Dr. Jonathan

ner prescribed by the National Assembly.”

While some government agencies have consistently paid no attention to the constitutional provision, others hide under nebulous justification to flout the provision.

That may explain why pervasive corrupt tendencies are prevalent in most of the agencies.

The idea that over the years budget defence by MDAs has been largely reduced to a jamboree or at best an annual budgetary ritual may also explain why the federal government has not really been bothered about budget implementation.

The unhealthy situation of poor budget implementation is not helped by instances of failure of oversight.

What the MPs did with the 2012 spending plans was more or less “garbage in garbage out” as the National Assembly virtually returned the budget estimate as presented by the Executive.

The MPs claimed that the decision to adopt the budget proposal as presented by the Executive was to avoid being accused of “padding” the budget.

If the measure was meant to engender improved implementation of the budget, that was not to be.

The level of implementation of the 2012 budget has remained a source of friction between members of the National Assembly and the Presidency.

Those in the know say that the level of implementation of the budget is no more than “35 per cent”.

The Presidency faulted the claim saying that the budget achieved over 69 per cent implementation as at September.

The House of Representatives, particularly, cried blue murder and threatened not to have any thing to do with the 2013 budget until the Executive showed sufficient reason why it failed to implement the 2012 spending plans.

Though the House later soft-pedalled after several entreaties by some influential Nigerians, the perception that the Executive arm of government may not be interested in implementing the budget has subsisted.

In the Senate one of the agencies that received several knocks over its activities is the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

The joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (downstream), which examined the spending plans of the SURE-P asked the government to scrap the agency for allegedly spending huge sums of money on moribund projects.

‘The idea over the years that budget defence by MDAs has been largely reduced to a jamboree or at best an annual budgetary ritual may also explain why the federal government has not really been bothered about its implementation. This has been largely blamed on failure of oversight’

• Mark

For some members of the joint committee, SURE-P has failed to impact on the lives of Nigerians through clear cut infrastructural provision.

But the Dr. Christopher Kolade led agency disagreed with the lawmakers.

A member of the Committee, Hon. Peter Akpatason (AkokoEdo Federal Constituency) felt that all the interventions made by the SURE-P fell into existing projects of the Federal Government being handled by relevant agencies.

Akpatason said, “Our belief is that road projects, the most prominent like the East-West road, is the responsibility of the government. East-West road has been there over the years and funds have been appropriated for its construction. Why is it that it is the same thing the ministries have been doing that SURE-P is putting money into? What is the job of the ministries? If the ministries were efficient, why are we having this backlog of uncompleted projects?

“We are of the opinion that the SURE-P should be fully responsible for identifying new projects and participating in the procurement phase to the extent of awarding contracts and financing such projects. But if SURE-P is to continue to finance portions of projects that ministries have been responsible for, then there is no need for it to continue to exist.”

For Senator Danjuma Goje, the existence of SURE-P is an indication that the Federal Government has lost confidence in the ability of the ministries to carry out their mandates.

The former Gombe State governor insisted that the money given to SURE-P ought to have been given to the ministries.

“I see confusion and duplication of functions some where in all these. It is either you give the money to the ministries or you give SURE-P the money. It is not neat for one person to award a contract and another person pays for it,” Goje said.

The lawmakers saw SURE-P as another avenue to spend money on overhead even with the growing concern that overhead is taking a large chunk of the national budget.

Kolade told the lawmakers that N135 billion accrued to the agency in 2012 as Federal government share of the partial deregulation petroleum downstream of the oil industry.

He listed some projects where the funds have been applied to include social safety nets like maternal and child health, public works for youths, mass transit, vocational training centres and culture and tourism (capacity building) which he said gulped N16.7billion.

Kolade also told the committee that the agency augmented the construction of the East West Road, Lokoja-Abuja Road, Benin-Ore-Shagamu Road, Kano-Maiduguri road, Port Harcourt-Enugu-Onitsha Road and the second Niger Bridge (counterpart funding) to the tune of N27.34billion.

He added that the sum of N9.276billion has been spent on the Lagos-Kano, Port Harcourt - Maiduguri, and Kano - Abuja rail project while the agency spent N299million on consultancy and logistics. He also gave the committee’s breakdown of expenditure.

Observers say that it is interesting that the MPs may pass the budget before the end of the year. A feat, they say, has never happened since the return of democracy in 1999.

But what is of more interest, they declared, is that the parliamentarians should learn to do the needful - track expenditure of appropriated funds by MDAs through purposeful oversight.

44

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

POLITICS

How to avert voter apathy in Lagos, by LASIEC L

AGOS State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) yesterday expressed worries over recurrent voter apathy in the state, urging traditional rulers and community leaders to mobilise people for future local government polls.

Its chairman, Justice Fatai Adeyinka (rtd), lamented the decline in the turnout of registered voters at periodic elections. He said democracy cannot be sustained by the reluctance of people to choose or reject their leaders during elections. The former Chief Judge of Lagos State said, since local government is the closest to the grassroots, more people should turn out to vote for the chairmanship and councillorship candidates.

Adeyinka spoke in Lagos at the ‘Civic populace stakeholders’ forum’ organised by the commission. It was attended by representatives of the state Council of Obas and Chiefs, market men and women associations, council chairmen and councillors, and community development associations. At the forum, a member of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs. Funmilayo Tejuoso, delivered a lecture titled: “Building a culture of effective representation: The role of a civic populace”. She said the people have uncritically confused the roles of the legislature with the executive, thereby rebuking legislators for lapses committed by the executive arm of government. Tejuoso pointed out that many voters expected lawmakers to construct roads and provide other social amenities, despite the fact that they lack the constitutional power to implement the budget.

Frowning at voters’ apathy, he said: “Organising elections in which participation and turnout is low is a frustrating experience for election managers. Low turnout at elections denies the populace the opportunity to exercise their civic right and duty”.

In 2008, 4.1 million voters registered ahead of the council polls. Only 1,5 million voted, representing 25 percent of the registered voters. The figures declined in 2011. While 6.1 million voters registered, 781,363 voted, representing 12.76 per cent.

Adeyinka appealed to Lagosians to embrace voting at grassroots elections as a patriotic duty in the interest of democracy. He said a vibrant and active civic populace should promote public trust, foster accountability and build support for democratic values in the state by participating in governance through the choice of democratic leaders.

The LASIEC boss highlighted the roles of the community leaders in mobiisation for democracy. He said: “The role of the civic populace in any democracy is of utmost importance as these groups are the closest to the grassroots. The civic populace interacts with the electorate on daily basis.

• Tejuosho

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Political Editor

They also provide spiritual, moral and commercial assistance to the people.

The elders and leaders can significantly influence the level of citizen education and participation and contribute to the transparency and fairness in any electoral process”.

Urging the traditional and religious leaders to discharge their obligations to the polity, Adeyinka said they should build a culture of encouraging their people to appreciate the significance of periodic elections. He added: “We all have the right to take part in the governance of this nation, directly or indirectly, by choosing our representatives through the electoral process. The collective will and trust of our people are the basis of authority of government. This authority is exercised periodically through the conduct of elections into various offices”.

Tejuoso, who is a former deputy speaker of the House of Assembly, conducted political education for participants at the forum. She stressed the constitutional attainment of school certificate for eligible office holders in the country, adding that aspirants are not required to forge the certificate, even if they came out with poor results.

The legislator also highlighted the functions of the legislature, clarifying that they are not in charge of execution of projects. She pointed out that House of Representatives members may implement some constituency projects because they get constituency allowances for them. But she said that state legislators can only lobby the executive to attract projects to their constituencies.

Tejuoso stressed: “It is important to

quickly point out that legislators don’t construct roads, award contracts, provide water or electricity. It is not our job, but that of the executive. Legislators lobby to get some of these things done, to attract these things to our constituencies. Basically, our responsibilities revolve around making laws that would bring about good governance in all ramifications”.

The lawmaker said effective representation also required gathering views of constituents and reflecting them at the level of decision making.

She however lamented that the economic downturn had beclouded the perception of the people about the roles of the legislators.

Tejuoso said: “Because of the poverty challenges, we have become the provider of solutions to economic challenges in our constituencies. Many of our constituents approach us for financial help during the wedding and naming ceremonies of their children.

When we wake up, people are lining up to see us. When we get to the office, people are waiting to see us. When we get home in the night, they are there to see us for solutions to their economic problems. Unfortunately, the resources available are never sufficient to meet these challenges”.

The lawmaker said when a legislators boasts of attracting good roads to their constituencies, people usually discourage them by urging them to “tar our mouths, instead of tarring our toads”. Tejuoso also complained that street urchins, popularly known as ‘area boys’ often harass lawmakers, oblivious of the fact they depend on their salaries to survive.

She urged the constituents to cooperate with the legislature by furnishing information on the needs of their needs to the legislators who live among them. She said that the people can also monitor the implementation of government projects by reporting to the appropriate agencies the observable lapses of the contractors on site.

Tejuoso however, warned them not to convert project monitoring into an opportunity to extort the contractors, warning that it would be counter-productive.

The lawmaker also urged the people to project government’s assets and projects in their environment. She said maintenance culture involves the protection of public utilities, especially roads, transformers, hospitals and other social infrastructure, adding that people should also refrain from building on canals.

Tejuoso added: “Let it be known that legislators are not out to steal money.

As we request for your cooperation, you must appreciate that the communal interest must supersede individual interest. So, instead of abusing us that we have not given you money, you should criticise us if your roads are not tarred”.

• Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio (middle), displaying his award of Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize 2012 for Sustainable Development in Africa, conferred on him by the Millennium Excellence Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya. With him are: Kenyan Vice President Stephen Musyoka (right) and Ambassador Ashim Morton (left).

Obi’s moves against underdevelopment From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

G

OVERNOR Peter Obi is a man in a hurry. He has barely one year to bow out of the stage in Anambra State. His budget just presented to the state House of Assembly is meant to illustrate his bid to ensure that anambra joins the league of relatively developed states of the country.

Therefore, the administration of Anambra State Governor Peter Obi could be said to be footing the bills of those who elected him, through his Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS).

Besides, his land mark trade in fighting crimes in the state is enormous.

This explains the number of vehicles his administration has given out to the state Police Command, the Military, Civil Defence and other security outfits.

In the area of Health, Education, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, Obi has really excelled in Anambra State not to talk of infrastructure.

Not only that, there is a new lease of life in Anmabra State schools since he gave back over 1,000 schools to the churches in the state.

The governor has spent over ten billion naira on schools in recent times, with each school getting between 10 to 20 million naira in all the 21 local government areas in the state.

The only area where people believe Obi has not fared well is the nonconduct of local government election in the state, which according to investigation, has been prolonged following the court case instituted by former chairman of Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), Prof. Titus Ezeh.

Obi has used his ANIDS programme to tackle frontally, all development projects in the state and thus, meeting the challenges of democratic development in the state.

In his opinion, the member representing Anaocha 1 constituency in the Anambra House of Assembly, Hon Ebele Ejiofor, who spoke to The Nation a few days ago, Anambra State had never had it so good before now.

The lawmaker is of the view that Obi is a kind of Messiah sent by God to deliver Anambra State from infrastructural decay and take it to the next level.

Ejiofor said Obi had weathered the storm in the state and if it were possible for him to continue another term, the people of Anambra would love it.

According to him, “ANIDS accomplishments in road construction are truly heartwarming, over 500 kilometer of roads have been constructed and these roads are there for people to see’’ “The successful completion of the first ever electronic stock exchange building, completion of business parks in the state, the building of five star hotel in Onitsha which is on going and the steps being taken to revolutionalize commerce in the state.

“Also, the jinx of portable water has been broken with the completion of major water schemes, which had before now defied all solutions. For example, the commissioning of Amawobia water scheme by Obi, the Obizi water scheme in Uga Aguata, which unfortunately was taken over by flood recently, and numerous water bore holes being provided. “ There has been a very big leap in the Agricultural sector with over 200 new tractors with full complements have been purchased, loans that have been given to farmers amounted to over two billion naira, while the State Collage of Agriculture in Mgbakwu has taken off longtime ago with many buildings.

“My brother, what else can we discuss about Peter Obi’s administration, is it the Teaching Hospital in Awka, which has since been completed, is it youth and sports, though our athletes did not perform well in Lagos recently in Eko 2012.

“So, Governor Obi has left an indelible mark that will be difficult for anybody to match in this state. What we are praying for him is that God should intervene in 2014 election to send somebody from APGA that can fit into Obi’s big shoes’,’ Ejiofor said.

Furthermore, Obi has equally worked harmoniously with the legislative arm in the state, making tongues to wag that the assembly members are rubber stamps to the executive.

His administration’s cordial relationship with the legislature which was lacking in Anambra State before now, has been the moving force in the developmental strides in the state.

Ejiofor said,’’ Some people in the state have designed all sorts of names for the state lawmakers because of our relationship with Obi, but we can not go against the man who has turned around Anambra State.

“Members of the House of Assembly and majority of the people in the state including our Speaker, Chinwe Nwebili, are happy with the governor, if we fight him without any cause, what people are witnessing today in this state will not be there.

“When the lawmakers fought in the past against the governors, where did it lead us to, nowhere, rather, it dragged the state backwards, so, we do not regret working harmoniously with our governor, and he has done well for those who elected him’’ “On industrialization, Obi has moved mountains by establishing SAB miller and the likes and thereby putting the state in the committee of industrial nations, which was lacking since the creation of the state” Recently, Obi drags the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to Anambra to commission the Orient Oil Refinery, where he has invested the state’s billions of naira and very soon the state will start reaping the dividends of the oil sector as the state has become oil producing.

As his tenure ends shortly, Obi has continued to commission new roads especially in virtually all the 177 communities in the state, a feat which other out-going governors can not do.

“Anybody, who has any negative thing to say against Governor Obi is either a member of opposition or an enemy of progress; we have never had it so good in this state,’’ Ejiofor said.

• Obi

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

45

HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

•LASUTH gate

•The LUTH gate

PHOTO: WALE ADEPOJU

Patients, doctors trade words over delays in hospitals

W

HAT are the causes of delay at hospitals?

The answers to the puzzle vary. Patients blame doctors and other medical personnel for these delays, but doctors have a different view.

To doctors, the delays are caused by patients, who besiege teaching hospitals for minor ailments when they could be treated at secondary facilities or primary health care (PHC) centres.

According to a patient, long appointment dates, overcrowding of waiting rooms and lack of experts are some of the problems patients have to grapple with in accessing treatment in the country’s tertiary facilities.

A patient, Mr Kunle Johnson (not real name), has a congenital problem and was referred from a private clinic to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) last October. On getting there, he met the shock of his life.

He was asked to come back next March for his first ap-

By Wale Adepoju, Health Reporter

pointment.

He tried to make the doctors understand that he was referred to the hospital to have an urgent surgical operation at the Urology Department but nobody listened to him.

What the consultant told him was that they were limited by space and time, among other factors.

The Nation found that the hospital only has a small surgical theatre for such surgeries and only four are performed daily. The only option left for the patient was to either seek treatment elsewhere or wait until March to have the surgery.

Another patient could not believe it when he was asked to come back to the hospital after about five times without success.

But, some acquaintances in the hospital intervened for the patient to see the doctor.

These two experiences are part of the many complaints

by patients.

Medical Guild, LASUTH chairman Dr Olumuyiwa Odusote said during its association’s annual general meeting (AGM) that the hospital is short-staffed.

He said complaints had been made to the hospital management, adding that they were assured that more doctors will be employed to relieve some of the overburdened departments.

Odusote said the locum (casual) doctors do not constitute the core of staff, saying their contribution was limited as the permanent doctors performed the major task. “Locum doctors work on contract and are paid according to the number of hours put into the job. Once their schedule lapses they leave the ward.

He said more doctors are needed at the teaching hospital to attend to the rising number of patients in the state.

LASUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof Wale Oke, said at a briefing that patients throng teaching hospitals for minor

Mothers advised on children’s cough

M

OTHERS have been urged to be mindful of how they treat cough in their children, especially those under six months.

According to a pharmacist, Mr Ola Ijimakin, who is also the General Manager, Marketing, Fidson Healthcare Plc, cough syrups are not usually given to children under six months because they are nasal decongestants which increase heart rate and can lead to abnormalities of the heart rhythm.

“A problem with conventional antihistamines in this category of patients is that it causes drowsiness. And as much as sleeping may help a sick child, excessive sleeping may actually mask a much more serious illness. That is why Fidson as an organisation that is 100 per cent customer-focused has designed variants of cough syrup for

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

adults and children to serve their varying needs.

“Causes of cough include respiratory tract infection (bacterial or viral); it may also be triggered by choking, smoking, air pollution, asthma, gastroesophagealreflux disease; chronic bronchitis, lung tumours; heart failure and medications such as ACE inhibitors; treatment should target the cause; for example, smoking cessation or discontinuing ACE inhibitors,” he said.

On the treatment of cough, Dr Femi Ajala, Product Manager, Over the Counter (OTC) drugs, Fidson, said mothers should obtain cough expectorants that promote phlegm removal for productive coughs. Cough suppressants such as codeine or dextromethorphan are fre-

quently prescribed for dry irritating cough while other treatment options target soothing airway inflammation (Menthol).

“It is good to obtain the right cough syrup for cough is a sudden and often repetitively occurring reflex that helps clear the large breathing passages of secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. It can happen voluntarily or involuntarily. Frequent cough may indicate the presence of an underlying disease or disorder.

“A cough may be classified by the duration: acute(of sudden onset) if it is present for less than three weeks, subacute if it is present between three and eight weeks, and chronic when lasting longer than eight weeks. A cough may occur only at night (nocturnal cough), just during the day or at night and day,” he noted.

ailments whereas they could have accessed treatment at either secondary facilities or at primary health care (PHC) centres.

He said the public has to be enlightened on what should be brought to the teaching hospital, adding that it is meant for research and training and for specialised services that ordinarily could not be handled by secondary and primary health care facilities.

When the issue of overcrowding of hospital arose at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), its Chief Medical Director (CMD),

Prof Akin Osibogun attributed it to lack of information on what illness should be brought to the hospital.

He said the public always patronise teaching hospitals because of their belief that they can get better treatment because of the expertise.

A patient who preferred anonymity said majority of the PHCs were not functional, adding that patients prefer centres where they can get the best care.

The patient said people no longer have confidence in the PHC system, saying it was better in Lagos but worse in other places.

Blood vital to survival, says expert

I

T is a serious medical condition for people to be short of blood, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC), Mrs Modupe Olaiya, has said.

According to her, those without adequate blood can pay the supreme price.

She spoke during a national dialogue on gender issues in the 1999 Constitution organised by Women’s Advocate Research and Documentation Centre in collaboration with LSBTC. She said those lacking adequate blood are usually tired and unable to walk or do anything tasking as such nothing can take the place of blood.

Blood, she said, is the red fluid that flows through the body and it has red cells, white cells and platelets in it.

“The red cells carry oxygen from the lungs to different parts of the body and then carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs, the white blood cells fight infections and the platelet is responsible for blood clots,” she added.

She said nobody can survive without blood because humans needs oxygen to breathe and this is what the red cells in the blood are responsible for.

“If we do not have the white blood cells we will be like a dumping ground for various kinds of ailment and diseases and people will die any how because there are no white cells to fight against dis-

By Olatunde Odebiyi

eases.

“There are some people who are short of blood, this category of people need blood from fellow humans to remainstay alive. Such people include mothers who over bleed during or after delivery, patients going for surgery, accident victims, cancer patients, people with fibroid that are bleeding (some people bleed to the extent that they would need a blood transfusion) and sickle cell disorder patients among others,” she said.

She stressed the need for people in stable health condition to donate blood so that there would be blood in the blood bank which would be ready for use anytime the need for blood arises by those who have lost blood.

Mrs. Olaiya said: “Voluntary blood donors have that feeling of satisfaction that they are saving lives, there is also that spiritual reward that you are helping someone and there are also health benefits as the donors would be given free medical check up which includes, weight check, blood level, blood group, genotype and blood pressure. Blood donation is also helpful to the donors as it keeps the bone marrow active, and this on its own is an advantage to the body.”

She identified people who can donate blood as males and females between the ages of 18 and 65 years; adding that they must be healthy, weigh at least 50 kg, must not be pregnant and free of HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and other diseases.

46

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

HEALTH

How to manage asthma H OW can asthma attack be prevented? A major way to prevent an attack is by reducing exposure to asthma triggers, says a respiratory physician, Dr Kayode Adelakun of Respiratory Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) .

Asthma triggers can aggravate asthma symptoms such as coughing, difficulty in breathing, tightness in the chest and wheezing, he added.

Asthma triggers are pungent odours, fuel fumes and a stuffy room, among others.

Adelakin said asthma attacks have killed many people but asthmatic patients can stop this if they are sensitive to asthma triggers.

Adelakun said though there is no cure for the condition, there are steps one could take to keep it under control and prevent an attack or worsening of its symptoms.

“Identifying asthma triggers such as air pollution, cold air, smoke and allergies (sneezing, runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, and headache), would help to prevent the triggers,” he added.

He said asthma attacks are

By Olatunde Odebiyi

stressful for everyone, including those around around the victim. “Staying calm, relaxed and avoiding anxiety and using relevant relief methods are the best thing to do during the attack.

“Asthmatic patients and those around them should always be ready for the attack, so that it does not meet you unprepared. It is important to know your asthma symptoms and what triggers your attack.

“Avoiding your triggers is the best way to avoid an asthma attack. Some triggers, like catching a cold, cannot be avoided while others, like being near tobacco smoke can be avoided. Taking a daily asthma controller medicine, if prescribed, helps prevent asthma attacks by keeping swelling under control inside your airways,” Adelakin said.

Asthma attack, he said, is a sudden worsening of asthma symptoms caused by the tightening of muscles around the airways. “During the

asthma attack, the lining of the airways also becomes swollen or inflamed and thicker mucus, more than normal is produced,” he added.

Adelakun identified severe wheezing when breathing both in and out, coughing that won’t stop, very rapid breathing, chest pain or pressure as other symptoms of asthma attack.

Others are tightened neck and chest muscles called retractions, difficulty in talking, feelings of anxiety or panic, paleness and sweaty face.

He noted that these asthma attack symptoms are not severe enough to stop people from going about their daily activities but recognizing these signs can help stop an attack or prevent it from getting worse. The severity of an asthma attack can escalate rapidly, so it’s important to treat these symptoms once you recognize them, he added.

Asthma can also be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as exposure to air pollutants, low air quality, exposure to dust, exhaust and smoke, Adelakun said.

• Orhii (middle) flanked by NAFDAC’s Director, Nacortics and Control Substance, Mr. Hashimu Ubale (right); and Managing Director, Nakachi Consult, Dr Sam Ikoku, at the event.

NAFDAC accredits consultants

T

HE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has accredited consultants to help firms conduct their business legally.

Its Director-General, Dr Paul Orhii, who spoke at the agency’s accreditation of regulatory consultants in Lagos, said the measure would prevent forgery.

The agency, he said, has selected qualified professionals with proven integrity, adding that the list of approved consultants would be placed on the agency’s website.

He said the criminal activities of the some unscrupulous consultants have gone beyond the country, saying these had adversely affected the image of the agency and the country.

“They also operate an illegal website, which NAFDAC has succeeded in closing down,” he added.

The director-general said many of the consultants, who represent cli-

By Wale Adepoju

ents did not have the prerequisite knowledge of laws, regulations, protocols, guidelines and the dynamic international best practices prevalent in food and drug regulatory environment.

This, he added, was responsible for the high rate of ill-advised decisions taken by them and the concomitant avoidable directives issued by the agency.

“This made NAFDAC take measures to train and accredit persons or corporate bodies freely chosen by their employers as consultants to deal with it in the various aspects of regulatory and control activities,” he said.

Orhii said accrediting the consultants was not to regulate any profession, but to further promote their proficiency in dealing with the agency and its operations.

He said the agency has intercepted forged

chemical import permit at the seaports where it was presented for the clearance of chemical by an importer.

He said investigation showed that a NAFDAC staff member and his collaborators were responsible for the issuance of the forged permits.

Orhii said the NFADAC worker had intercepted the importer and took him to his collaborators who forged the permit and collected N200, 000 as against N64, 000 being charged by the agency.

He said further that importer did not use the permit for a year and had to renew it for another N100, 000 as against N27, 250 being charged.

He said the importer and his collaborator also register imported wines for N777, 000, adding that the draft for the said sum had been recovered.

He said the men would be handed to the police after investigation for prosecution.

‘Our equipment, expertise underutilised’ •Prof Adejuyigbe

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RE there necessary structures for the equipment in the hospital?

We inherited some structures that were not designed for tertiary institutions.We were founded and asked to use the existing structures.

This has also necessitated the need to upgrade what we have on ground and if possible build new ones.

The result is that in the last few years, we have to put in place structures to meet the challenges of increased patronage and popularity of our services.

The maternity hospital we have been using since inception of these medical school and teaching hospital was the one we inherited from the state with a few modifications. Definitely, it is outdated and there is the need to build a modern facility that will take care of expectant mother and newborns.

When we started some of the specialties, where we now provide care to patients were not in existence, so we could say what we needed then was fairly modest set up, but now, we have some specialties in various branches. An example is open heart surgery, laparoscopy surgery and these require new facilities.

Who funds the new projects?

There has been the need to improve on our infrastructure. The government has been generous to approve our various budgets, but we face tremendous challenges in getting the funds released. The government should please appreciate what our immediate needs are and make available for us funds needed in executing these projects.

IN this interview with OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA, the Chief Medical Director, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Prof Olusanya Adejuyigbe, speaks on the challenges facing the institution and the way forward.

Do we really have what it takes to make people at the top, public office holders, like President Goodluck Jonathan to make use of our medical facilities without toying with their life?

Ninety-nine per cent of people travelling abroad are not going for medical reasons. I cannot say we have the infrastructure and personnel to take care of medical conditions. You will realise that recently a young lady of 14 years was shot in Pakistan and I know that the Alwagan Hospital in Pakistan is a very good hospital, but because of several reasons she was moved out of the country for treatment.

There several reasons they chose where they go.

When the late Russian president did cardiac surgery, an American surgeon was consulted, They were about taking him to the United States when the surgeon decided to come over to Russia to treat him.

Many people go out not because of medical reasons alone and sometimes they will not want to voice out why they go out for the treatment.

For a better illustration, a lot of women decided to have their babies abroad not because babies cannot be delivered in Nigeria, but they might want to increase the likelihood of wanting their babies to acquire foreign passport in future. And that is not medical reason.

A lot of people migrated for medical treatment not because of incompetence or lack of equipment, but for varieties of reasons. If you ask any government offi-

cials’ wife why she decided to travel for medical treatment, she would not tell you the genuine reason, so it will not cause political damage for her husband.

The truth is that our expertise and equipment are under-utilised and if public office holders partronise us, it would have been an advantage in that it would give local people a sense of appreciation that the president wife, governors, Senators’ wives and their husbands are all here for treatment and through this, they will know what next we are in need of. If I now stand in the committee of National Assembly it will not sound as if I want to use the money for personal gain. If I made a request for upgrading MIR machine, they will understand being that they have been to these hospitals and considering the huge number of people we are using it for.

Dual advantage of being appreciated and our leaders will see need to invest more in local infrastructure and human resources.

For example we do renal transplant here but our people still go to India for this same treatment and the reason is that culturally our people are relucta n t t o d o n a t e p a r t o f their organ to help even a dying relation. In India they will only pay and get a kidney of unrelated relation which has a reduce chance of survival in them.

We can spend as per amount released earlier into the account, we can spend by approval.

•From left: Mr Spinnler; Managing Director, Value Life Sciences Ltd, Mr Frank Mogaha and Marketing Director, Mr Nilesh Pawar, at the event.

Firm introduces water treatment equipment

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firm, Life Sciences (VLS) Limited, has introduced Acqua 1 Solar Technology for the purification and storage of water.

According to Chairman, Value Life Sciences (VLS) Ltd., Mr Frank Mogaha, a long research resulted in the technol-

By Oyeyemi GbengaMustapha

ogy of Acqua 1.

He said: “The fundamental advantage of this elementary water treatment has been developed because of the urge to renew, ameliorate and optimise established conditions and

situations”.

Mogaha explained that the technology is based on a chip that consists of a two-colour, softener free, polypropylene rigid film, an incorporated transparent eight-layer Euclidean vector space with a scalar point and lines of various colours.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

AVIATION

NAMA inaugurates N218m solar power projects

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IGERIAN Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has completed the first phase of its installation of solar power units at the airports.

The projects, which cost N218 million are in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, Bida and Enugu.

At the hand-over of the completed power projects, Chairman of Stormberg Power Limited, the contractor, Otunba Tunde Morakinyo, told the Managing Director of NAMA, Mazi Nnamdi Udoh, that the project would diversify the agency’s source of energy.

“This is another milestone in saving money and diversifying our power source to solar. It is a project that has been on-going and is fully completed and we are using it. It is saving us the huge amount we used to spend on diesel to power generators and the down-time we used to experience due to power failure,” Morakinyo said.

“We will continue to explore how to deploy it in other areas apart from its usage for navigational aids. The solar power is solely for navigation/landing aids only for now in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Bida and Enugu where we have major issues as regards constant power supply to the runways/

Stories by Kelvin Osa-Okunbor Aviation Correspondent

air field lighting.”

He explained that power supply to the airfield and runways in the aforementioned airports, used to be very erratic, Udoh said, adding that the agency used to keep them alight by running generators on 24-hour basis.

He said the project covered not only the installation of the solar power units, but also the training of NAMA staff in the electrical/electronics department to take charge of operations of the project.

He said this is the first phase, assuring that the next phase which would cover other airports was expected to begin about the end of January 2013.

Morakinyo said his company was delighted to be associated with the project and assured that the solar units supplied were of high quality which would tremendously ensure uninterrupted power supply to navigational aids, and thereby enhance safety.

He said the project would save the agency millions of Naira spent monthly to purchase fuel for generators in all the airports, adding that NAMA is making another bold step in improving air traffic services within the

nation’s airspace as the Lagos Area Control Centre is being sectorised to decongest the existing radio frequency.

According to the management, the radio frequency -127.3 MHz for the Lagos Area Control Centre, is congested following heavy traffic within the Southern airspace, adding that the best solution was to create additional frequency to allow for effective radio communication between pilots and air traffic controllers.

The management would deploy the new radio frequency for operation by yesterday when the integrity of the system has been ascertained.

NAMA’s Public Affairs General Manager, Supo Atobatele said: “From time to time, air traffic system management could be redefined to accommodate new additional equipment and that is what the agency has been doing of recent to allow for service delivery.

“NAMA, with the strong support of the Federal Government through its various capital projects, remains a leading air navigation service provider in the continent and the management, under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Udoh, has vowed to remain focused in taking the agency to a global reckoning.

GreenSky set for lift up BRITISH Airways and Solena are gaining momentum in their goal of producing sustainable jet fuel with technology partners for their GreenSky London initiative now in place and British Airways confirming its financial commitment.

GreenSky London is a flagship project that would see the construction of a state-of-the-art facility that would annually convert about 500,000tonnes of waste normally destined for landfill into 50,000 tonnes of sustainable low carbon jet fuel, 50,000 tonnes of biodiesel, bionaphtha and renewable power.

Solena’s technology consortium continues to grow and includes: Solena Fuels Corporation will provide the high temperature gasification process that converts waste matter into synthesis gas and the overall Integrated Biomass Gasification to Liquids (IBGTL) solution. Oxford Catalysts Group/ Velocys will supply the Fisher-Tropsch (FT)reactors and catalyst which will convert the cleaned synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons.

Fluor has started the Pre-front end Engineering and design (Pre-FEED) for the project. Fluor is a world leader in project execution and bio-fuel projects, and is providing engineering services to support Solena.

British Airways has committed to purchasing, at market competitive prices,the jet fuel produced by the plant for the next ten years which equates to US$500.

Barclays has also been appointed as advisor to explore the optimal funding through Export Credit Agencies. A Competitive Letter of Interest has been obtained from one of the Agencies including associated term funding.

Delta Airlines celebrates DELTA Airlines has celebrated five years of non-stop service between Nigeria and the United States. Delta launched its first flight between Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in December 2007 and last week operated year-round daily flights using a 201-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.

“We are extremely proud to be marking five years of flying to Nigeria and, thanks to the support of the airport, government authorities and the local community, our service from Lagos to Atlanta has gone from strength to strength,” said Bobby Bryan Delta’s commercial manager for West and East Africa. “Nigeria continues to be one of the most important business markets in Delta’s international network and we are committed to serving Lagos for many years to come.”

More than 570,000 passengers have flown on Delta’s flights between Nigeria and the United States since 2007 and this year Delta has seen strong load factors of over 80%. Additionally, over the last 5 years, Delta has transported around 6,500 tons of cargo between Nigeria and the U.S., facilitating trade and commerce between the two nations.

In September, Delta introduced full flat-bed seats in its BusinessElite cabin on its Lagos flights. Each seat is forward-facing and converts to a 180-degree fully flat-bed offering direct aisle access in a 1x2x1 configuration.

“In every market where we’ve introduced flat bed seats, customer satisfaction ratings have increased significantly and Nigeria has been no exception,” continued Bryan. “Delta is offering more than 500 flatbed seats each week on this route and an unrivaled network. Customers travelling from Lagos benefit from convenient connections to more than 160 destinations via our leading gateway at Atlanta to cities such as Washington, Houston and Los Angeles.”

Emirates unveils network fare

•Rabiu (right) and Kotil, during the ceremony.

IRS, Turkish Airlines sign pact

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S part of its expansion program and to ensure professionalism and quality service are woven deeper into the service offerings from IRS Airlines, especially at this crucial expansion phase, the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkish Airlines.

The MoU, which has the support of the government of both countries agrees bilateral relationships between IRS Airlines and Turkish Airlines that will see Turkish airlines sharing its experience and cooperating with IRS Airlines in the following areas; training and personnel development, maintenance and repair, Cabin interior, bilateral interline traffic agreement and special proration agreement.

Both companies agreed to promote economic relations between Nigeria and Turkey using Civil Aviation means.

The MoU was signed at Istanbul Turkey by Alhaji Rabiu I. Rabiu, Chairman/CEO for IRS Airlines and by Dr Temel Kotil, President/

Chief Executive Officer for Turkish Airlines.

IRS Airlines is a Nigerian licensed domestic and regional airline with eight major destinations and hubs in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria.

Turkish Airlines is a major Euro-

pean Carrier and the world’s fifth largest airline with a worldwide network including 205 cities in 90 countries and over 200 aircraft in its fleet. Turkish Airline has been voted best airline in Europe for two consecutive years.

EMIRATES is revving up for a network sales push, inspiring a new wave of travel around the world.

In the slipstream of recently announced half-year profits of AED 2.1 billion ($ 575 million), Emirates is driving forward by offering attractive prices on Economy fares over a 10-day period.

The special network-wide promotion has been launched and would run till June 10, 2013. Customers are being encouraged to plan and book early to enjoy the greatest reductions.

“Emirates is already known for providing superb value for money. This network-wide initiative pushes the value bar a notch higher, making it even more attractive to embark on that trip of a lifetime, visit a relative or friend, or explore a new market for business,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice-President, Passenger Sales Worldwide.

“No other airline squeezes as much product and service into the ticket price. We are product and value driven. These are the guiding principles of what we do and passengers who book early will be rewarded with the best discounts through this exciting promotion,” said Mr Antinori.

The raft of savings mean that passengers can fly, for example, from Dubai to other Middle East destinations from as little as AED 930. Prices to the Indian Subcontinent start at AED 960, fares to Africa begin at AED 1400, Europe can be visited from AED 1530, the Americas from AED 4170, while Australasia can now reached from AED 4730.

“We know some countries have not traditionally been early booking markets, but under this ‘Early Bird’ offer, booking early will pay dividends and enable us to give unprecedented fares to our loyal customers,” added Mr Antinori.

Medview Airlines to acquire more aircraft

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EDVIEW Airlines is set to acquire more aircraft in its bid to boost its opera-

tions.

A source told The Nation that the resolve to expand its fleet- size comes on the heels of the passenger capacity, which is steadily rising ahead of the yuletide.

Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren a few months ago charged the managers of the airline to carry out safe flights as the industry is set to pursue zero fatality among airlines.

Demuren, who spoke at the inaugural flight of Medview Airlines

at the new Domestic Terminal Two of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, affirmed that the pursuit of air safety is a collective responsibility involving concerted efforts from the airline, industry regulator and other aeronautical service providers.

He urged the carrier to offer premium services that would fill the gap created by the crash of Dana Air, which has led to a has reduce the number of domestic operators.

He said passengers were finding it difficult to secure seats on airlines after the steps taken to

reposition the industry for profitability, adding that the commencement of flight by Medview Airlines offers alternatives for passengers who have been constrained to fly only a few carriers.

Demuren explained that it took a rigorous process for the NCAA to issue an air operators certificate to Medview Airlines, after the authority scrutinised the manuals to ensure that its operations are safe.

He said the airline carried out 50 hours and 45 minutes of demonstration flights without carrying passengers to ensure the safety and competence of the airline.

He further explained that it took 18

months for NCAA to look at the books of the airline before giving its nod for the operations, which he affirmed, would now reduce the burden of passengers in the sector.

The inaugural flight also had in attendance the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, who urged the managers of the airlines to adhere to safety procedures during their operations of the firms.

Chairman of Medview Airlines Alhaji Muneer Bankole, solicited the cooperation of industry players to keep the operations afloat, saying that it was easy for them.

He assured passenges of prompt and reliable services.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Residents urged to monitor physical development

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AGOS residents have been urged to help the government to arrest unwholesome physical development and prevent further collapse of buildings by monitoring their neighbourhoods for distressed structures and nonconforming developments.

Officials of the state government and other stakeholders gave the advice at an interactive session for residents of Oshodi Local Government Area, as well as Ejigbo and Isolo Local Council Development Areas (LCDA).

The forum,organised by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, was meant to enlighten the residents on the implementation of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2010, as well as seek their input into it.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Olutoyin Ayinde, said the state government was committed to taking the local governments along in the implementation of the law.

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie Asst Editor

As part of measures to make things easier, he said the government had increased to 57 the recommending officers for processing building applications from the initial 20 to cover the local government areas and LCDAs, adding that this was to demonstrate its preparedness to collaborate with the third tier of government.

Ayinde said though physical planning was the responsibility of the government, development was the role of everybody in the society.

He said: “We should all be concerned about developments in our areas. Government officials cannot be everywhere. We are opening up ourselves for people to reach us. We should be interested in developments around us and report any aberration to appropriate authorities when necessary.

“We cannot achieve sustainable development without the

Kogi to partner FHA in housing delivery

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OGI State is to partner with the Federal Housing Authority towards accelerated mass housing delivery in the state.

Governor Idris Wada announced this in Lokoja at the weekend while receiving the Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Mr Terver Gemade who paid him a courtesy call in Lokoja.

He said his administration was eager to fast-track the amelioration of the housing challenges facing the people of the state.

Wada said the state was determined to leverage its strategic position as a gateway to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to boost the economy of the state.

He said the state envisaged a time when some of those working in Abuja would decide to reside in Lokoja and commute to and from Abuja daily.

With the dualisation of the Lokoja-Abuja road nearing completion and the proposed Ajaokuta-Abuja standard gauge rail line, he said it would not be too long for that to become a reality.

Wada said his administration would create a safe and conducive environment that would make the state attractive to all Nigerians.

He said housing delivery was a key component of his administration’s development and transformation agenda, adding that already the state government was building 350 housing units in Lokoja.

The governor said the state government was willing to take advantage of the strength, competence and experience of the FHA in housing delivery.

He directed that the title for the 100 hectares of land allocated to FHA, a Kungbani village on the

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plications; 1,327 of these applications were approved, five were turned down for various reasons, while 289 are at various stages of processing.

“In the same breath, the authority has equally commenced the monitoring of developments without development permits with a view to reducing the number of buildings that are unfit for human habitation and thus minimise incidences of building collapse.”

The Vice-Chairman, Oshodi Local Government, Mr Daisi Oso, said the area was a cardinal access point to different areas of the state, and decried the taking over of some portions by hoodlums.

He also advised that experienced physical planning officers should be posted to local government councils to advice the authorities on physical planning matters.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and U rban Development, Mrs.

Oluwatoyin Ajayi, said the 2010 law stipulated that physically challenged people must be provided for in public buildings, parking lots and toilet facilities.

The Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Physical Planning and Central Business District, Mr Muftau Egberongbe, said it was hazardous for people to develop without obtaining necessary building permits and advised stakeholders to report distressed buildings in their environs to appropriate authorities.

The Chairman, Ejigbo LCDA, Mr Kehinde Bamgbetan, said local governments should be entitled to some percentage of the revenue from development permits, while the state government should curb the activities of corrupt town planning officials and put signposts of its landed property across the state.

There were messages from the chairmen of the state chapters of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Nigerian Institute of Architects, Nigerian Institute of Building and Nigerian Institution of Structural Engineers.

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie Asst Editor

Abuja-Lokoja road, be released to the Authority immediately while efforts would be made to allocate more land to the Authority in other parts of the state.

Earlier, Gemade who led an eight- member team of his management to the Government House, told his host that lack of titles for the land had hamstrung the Authority in its bid to start the development of the estate.

He said the Authority requested for 300 hectares of land, but was given 100 hectares and appealed to the governor to expedite the release of the allocation papers for the remaining 200 hectares.

He said the FHA’s new housing estates in Kaduna, Calabar, Gombe, Makurdi, Lagos and Yenagoa were nearing completion and would be inaugurated soon.

Gemade said the Authority wished to be a key player in the development of the state and urged the governor to accord priority attention to housing because of its huge potential to energise the economy.

He urged the governor to also take advantage of the FHA’s public-public partnership delivery model, which he said, would relieve the government of the stress of housing delivery.

He said the government would be required to bear the cost of infrastructure at any site provided for the FHA which would be redeemed with the allocation of a commensurate number of houses to the state government on the completion of the estate.

The FHA boss expressed sympathy over the flood in the state and praised the governor for the prompt and adequate steps taken by the state government to provide relief for the victims.

Ministry proposes roads fund O effectively compete with the developed economies, there is need for adequate investment in the infrastructural sector of the nation’s economy, the Minister of works, Michael Onolememen, has said To this end, he has called for a legislation that would create a national roads fund and a federal roads authority in the funding method of road projects that is from public sector to private sector driven. This, he said would be guided by independent boards to be constituted The body when constituted, he

collaboration of the government and the governed. We must work concertedly to ensure that infringement of physical planning laws is curtailed.”

The commissioner advised intending developers to always engage the services of relevant professionals in the built industry before commencing developments, while developers should obtain relevant development permits.

He advised stakeholders to ask questions that bothered them, while developers must put physically challenged people into consideration when building.

The General Manager, LASPPPA, Mr Toyin Abdul, said the task of making Lagos a sustainable city was a collective responsibility of stakeholders and that to achieve this, physical planning rules and regulations must be strictly adhered to.

Abdul said: “The authority, between January 2012 and October 2012, received 1,569 building ap-

•Artisans at a workshop on building collapse in Lagos... last Wednesday.

Lagos goes vertical to bridge housing gap

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O meet the huge housing demand of the people, the Lagos State Government said henceforth all her housing estate would be built vertically to accommodate the a greater percentage of people who are desirous of owing houses of their own.

Commissioner for Housing, Mr Bosu Jeje, said the estates built in several parts of the state, such as Sangotedo, Shitta in Surulere, Omole phase1 and 2; Magodo 1, Igbogbo in Ikorodu, Oba Adegboruwa; Micheal Otedola in Epe, Honourable and Alhaja Adeto Mustapha in Ojokoro, Mushin among others will henceforth be over four floors to maximise the limited land available in the state for housing development.

Jeje revealed that many of the estates would be delivered in the first quarter of next year to kick off the planned mortgage programme targeted at first time home owners in

By Ambrose Nnaji

said, would strengthen the efforts to drive road development in Nigeria through the public-private partnership initiative and other funding models that would meet international standard in the road sector development funding challenges.

He has also advocated for the formation of government yearly budgets, multilateral agencies funding, five percent petroleum tax, private sector fund, road bonds, toll charges among others into the national road fund for the development of roads infrastructure in Nigeria.

•Jeje

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie Asst Editor

the state and address the problem of affordable housing for the low income earners.

The commissioner said people would have between 15 and 30 years to offset their mortgages through the programme. He said some of the houses would cost as low as N4million.

According to him the mega city status of the state has presented the challenge of accommodation for the millions of residents which the state is trying to tackle by creating an enabling environment for the private sector to develop housing in the state.

Jeje said the government sees it as part of its social responsibility to provide affordable housing to the teeming public in order to have a sane society.

On how people can take advantage of the mortgage scheme, he said the government will soon come up with the modalities that will make it easy for people to be part of the innovative home ownership programme.

He said: “We have not yet decided on the modalities for implementing the scheme. We are yet to decide whether people should come to the office to collect forms or they should fill the forms online. All these gaps are what we are working on right now and as soon as we done we will go public.”

He said N20 billion was budgeted for the ministry but because they have executed all their projects the

budget has gone beyond it.

On the house types, the housing ministry boss said all the estate have one, two and three-bedroom apartments. According to him the aim is to close the gap between the rich and the poor where all classes of people would live together thereby eliminating class distinction.

On payment patterns, he said once you have a job the person will be qualified to be part of it. He said: “The scheme is comfortable for everybody, it requires 30 per cent equity contribution from subscribers and there will be banks on standby to take up that equity for the subscribers.

It is noteworthy that besides the provision of housing for the people, we are also creating jobs because in any of our project sites, we have created jobs for 500-1,000 people and we have ensured that these workers are Nigerians.”

He explained that once a subscriber buys, the name goes into the data and that makes it impossible for people to buy more than once. But in any case anybody that attempts to buy twice will be liable to criminal prosecution.

“People will be swear an affidavit that they have not bought before and once you do that it becomes a criminal offence if you are found to have lied. We will try our best that money bags don’t hijack the houses. However, anybody who will come to subscribe to the scheme, must be employed and paying taxes to the state government,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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MARITIME Navy chief seeks security devices for ships THE Nigerian Navy has urged the Federal Government to direct the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to enforce the installation of latest security devices on vessels plying the nation’s waters as a hedge against piracy.

Presenting a paper on the theme: Measures to check piracy and other illegal activities on Nigerian waters at the Sixth Ships & Ports Annual National Essay Competition and Prize presentation, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western naval Command, Rear Admiral Amin Ikioda, who was represented by the Command Intelligence Officer, Commander Usman Bugaje, said the security devices are necessary.

“The Federal Government should lead the pack of coastal states in the Gulf of Guinea region to develop a robust regional maritime security strategy through capacity building, equipment programme, training exercises, intelligence sharing and logistic support to enhance sea patrol and surveillance of territorial waters,” the Navy chief said.

He sought the Federal Government’s assistance for the nation’s security agencies through capacity building and equipment programme to boost their capacity to combat the scourge of criminalities in the waters.

“Greater attention must be made to enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Navy through the acquisition of more functional ships, boats, offshore patrol vessels (OPV), helicopters and back-up facilities to enable them to perform their statutory role of hunting down sea pirates and smugglers, including combating other forms of maritime threats in the nation’s waters,” he stated.

•A cross section of the students to be trained abroad be NIMASA.

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

NIMASA to create 5,000 jobs in seafaring T

HE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) plans to create over 5,000 jobs under the National Seafarers Development Programme, its Director-General Patrick Akpobolokemi, has said.

The prospective seafarers are to be trained abroad under the auspices of the programme.

Last Sunday, NIMASA desptached 525 cadets to the Philippines for training in Marine Engineering, Nautical Science and Naval Architecture.

Speaking at the send-off party for them, Akpobolokemi said they were being sent abroad to boost the development of the country, assuring them that the agency would give them the necessary financial backing during the training.

The training, he said, would not only solve domestic seafarers’ need of the country, but ensure that it becomes an exporter of seafarers in

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

future.

President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, said the training was in line with the government’s policy to create employment for the youth.

He said the government was aware of the untapped resources in the maritime sector, adding that the government would step up the tempo to ensure that they are tapped to make the country compete favourably and earn foreign exchange like other maritime nations.

Justifying the training, Umar, who said another 1,000 would leave in January 2013, noted the gap in the nation’s seafaring, adding that many seafarers in the industry are old and on the way out of public service.

He charged the beneficiaries to see themselves as good ambassadors of the nation, face their studies with seriousness and stay away from any act that can mar the image of the country.

Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty, Mr Kingsley Kuku, urged the cadets to face their studies, saying that they should count themselves lucky to be beneficiaries of the programme.

The Special Adviser to the President on Maritime and Chairman of the occasion, Mr Leke Oyewole, said many of the beneficiaries did not know the objective of the training, adding that it and other initiatives of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan were designed to address manpower shortage in the sub-sector.

He advised them to be of good behaviour and make the nation proud.

Use of old vessels detrimental to Cabotage Act W

HY are Nigerians not benefiting from the Cabotage Act? It is because of the acqusition of single haul vessels by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), says Executive Chairman, Blessed Agencies and Shipping, Mr Raymond Oluwa.

He said the Federal Government should be blamed for the influx of old vessels on the territorial waters.

“If you allow ship owners to bring old vessels into the country and you register them as cabotage vessels, then you must be ready to give them jobs; forget about IMO laws and the other laws because you have collected money from the owners for registration,” he said.

Oluwa called on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and

Safety Agency (NIMASA) to ensure that indigenous ship owners are given jobs by the oil firms since they were registered by NIMASA under the Act. A maritime lawyer, Mr Festus Olayinka, said the payment of fees while applying for waiver under the Act is responsible for the circumvention of the law.

He alleged that waivers are granted “before approval because those who apply for waivers are made to pay while their applications are still being processed.”

He added: “The Act stipulates 100 per cent for rating; 60 per cent of officers or Nigerians and 40 per

cent for foreigners. But the foreigners come in with a waiver clause that the country does not have qualified hands to man the industry.

“Also, if you want a waiver to be granted, you apply to NIMASA and your file would be taken to Abuja for ministerial approval.

Before the approval comes from Abuja, you must have paid money to NIMASA. “After collecting my money, it is as good as saying that you have granted me the waiver because it would be difficult for you to return my money because by the time the file leaves for Abuja, the job would have been done.”

He said the influx of old vessels in the territorial waters was due to illegal bunkering.

Owners decry attacks on fishing trawlers

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HE Nigeria Fish Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) has decried the frequent hijack of fishing trawlers on the nation’s territorial water.

Its President, Mr John Overo, said in Lagos that attacks on vessels were on the rise again.

He said vessels belonging to his members were being attacked and their catches stolen by the pirates.

Overo, therefore, called on the Federal Government to assist in stemming the ugly development.

“We lose colossal investments to the pirates because they also remove valuable items in the vessels,

whenever they attacked.

“They always remove electronic gadgets on board, which include the SSB Radio, VHF Radio, Radar and Echo Sounder,’’ he said.

Overo described the situation as worrisome and pleaded with the government to evolve measures that could checkmate sea pirates before they escalated.

“NITOA has often called for provision of adequate security in the territorial waters.

“This is to ensure safe operations for fishing vessels and other law abiding maritime users,’’ he said.

Overo urged the Federal Govern-

ment to provide effective security in the maritime environment in the interest of the nation.

The NITOA chief said the appeal was necessary to save the sector from collapse due to huge overhead costs, especially the high cost of diesel.‘ These precarious situations will likely make the sector to go under.

“Our productivity has declined due to high cost of diesel used in operating the trawlers,’’ he complained.

Overo said that 85 per cent of the sector operation was being run solely on diesel, thus incurring huge overhead costs.

Interim council for freight forwarders ABOUT three weeks after dissolving the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN), the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, has ordered the reconstitution of an interim governing council for the body.

Sources said the minister has directed that a two-month Interim Governing Council be constituted to conduct election for a new Governing Council.

The CRFFN was enmeshed in controversies after it was approved by the minister to start the collection of transaction fees on imported cargoes at the ports.

Union wants NPA to regulate ports MEMBERS of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) said they would be happy if the Federal Government could appoint the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as the commercial regulator of ports in Nigeria.

Secretary-General of group, Mr Aham Ubani, said in Lagos that NPA should regulate activities at the ports.

“The NPA has been at the ports from inception; so it should be left to continue with the job. Bringing in any other agency would only mean duplicating the job of NPA,” he said.

Ubani said the NPA has the workforce and the experience to ensure that the job was done well.

“I believe that if the government gives the regulatory powers to NPA, shouts of arbitrary charges at the nation’s ports would be a thing of the past,’’ he said.

Ubani also spoke on the wages of workers in the maritime sector, saying that the union had yet to negotiate the benchmark it desired for its members.

“Like most Nigerian workers and globally, the wages do not equate the energy the workers put into the job,” he said.

He said the union had been able to negotiate the conditions of service for the dock workers.

“Talking about the dock workers and their wages, they may not be enjoying the best of wages, but there has been a drastic change after drawing up conditions of service for them,” he said.

Ubani said the conditions of service allowed the union to renegotiate the dock workers’ wages every two years “and it is always an upward review”.

He urged workers in the maritime sector to plan, no matter how small their wages.

Job seeker wins N100,000 essay Prize A job seeker and graduate of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Miss Funke Abimbola Olotu, has won the N100,000 star prize of the Sixth Ships & Ports Annual National Essay Competition.

The event, which took place in Apapa, Lagos, makes Miss Olotu the first female star prize winner since the competition kicked off in 2006.

While Olotu received the Dangote Port Operation Prize for Best Overall Essay, other prize winners in this year’s competition included Mr Onyema Emmanuel Ngwakwe, who won the Sifax Group Prize for Creative Writing and Presentation; while Mr Babatunde Bello won the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Prize for Outstanding Essay.

Other winners of the NIMASA Prize for Outstanding Essay were the Maritime Correspondent of Businessday newspaper, Miss Uzoamaka Anagor; and Messrs Ejike-Ume Felix Ifeanyi, Daniel Henry Onovo and Christopher Okeke.

‘Stop paying customs duty’ WORRIED by the way some members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) are implicated in goods clearing, its National President,Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, has warned his colleagues to stop paying customs duties to their clients.

The ANLCA chief told The Nation that the agents were often blamed for the wrong doings of importers, noting that this has been the major problem between the Customs and clearing agents.

He said many policies of the Nigeria Customs Service failed to achieve their set goals because clearing agents were not carried along in the scheme of things. He, therefore, called for a synergy between the service and clearing agents.

“The missing link between Customs and agents is confidence. For Customs to draw up any policy there is the need to hold discussions with the clearing agents to get their input.

“If we hold meetings regularly, some of the issues militating against cargo clearance would be tackled. Revenue target and trade facilitation cannot work together and that is why cargo documents are being delayed by some Custom officers in the interest of revenue,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

53

54

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 18-12-12

Market opens negative on profit-taking

T

HE NSE All-Share Index yesterday opened the week with a drop of 0.7 per cent or 192.65 points to close at 27,492.89 points.

The market capitalisation reduced by N61 billion to close at N8.785 trillion.

Out of the nine banking stocks with price change, five of them appeared on the losers’ table while the remaining four appreciated in value. FCMB, Diamond Bank, Access Bank and Zenith were those on the green side of the table while GTB, ETI, UBN, Fidelity Bank and Sterling Bank.

It would be recalled that the bullish sentiments held sway for the better part of last week in the banking sector; UBA and Access Bank were the only companies that dropped points last week.

Fidelity Bank was up 10.5

By Tonia Osundolire

per cent with healthy demand during daily sessions, Sterling Bank and GTBank also recorded 7.0 per cent and 6.2 per cent cumulative gains last week, while Zenith Bank recorded slimmer gains.

Contrary to the performances of the breweries sector last week which was boosted by the interest in Nigerian Breweries and Guinness, the reverse was the case as both stocks featured on the losers’ chart.

International Breweries which inched up slightly last week, opened the week as a lead on the gainers table with an increase of N1.42 to close at N15.62. The appreciation represents a growth of 10 per cent being a market marker.

The food and beverages sector was in line with market trend, Nestle which also

surged with a 7.5 per cent gain last week witnessed profit taking as the stock closed in red with a drop of N5.00 to close at N705.00.

Price movement tables recorded 19 gainers and 27 losers. Following International Breweries on the gainers table include PZ, Mansard, livestock, May & Baker, Eterna Oil & Gas, Wapic Insurance, UTC, Custodian and Allied Insurance and FCMB. On the losers chart, DN Meyer led with a drop of N0.20 to close at N1.85 followed by Red Star Express shedding N0.17 to close at N2.82. Also on the table were Oando, Morison, UPL, John Holt, Neimeth, Ikeja Hotels, Continental Reinsurance and NSL Technology.

In all, investors traded 277.362 million shares worth N3.294 billion in 4,310 deals.

Financial Services as usual topped the list with 197.543 million shares worth N2.356 billion in 2,466 deals. This was followed by Services, Consumer Goods, Conglomerates, Oil & Gas, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Industrial Goods.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 18-12-12

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

55

MONEY LINK

Fraud control: CBN mulls unified software for banks

F

ROM next year, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) will introduce a software that will assist banks control frauds.

Speaking yesterday at the NeFF’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos, CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said taming frauds in banking is critical to development of the sector, adding that the

Stories by Collins Nweze

Forum was set up for that purpose.

Sanusi, who was represented by CBN Director, Banking and Payment Systems, ‘Dipo Fatokun, said the software would be based at the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), adding that the software is aimed at achieving a proactive tactics in addressing frauds.

“The Neff is a collaborative effort. The purpose of this forum is to reduce frauds in the banking system. The CBN is working with NIBSS and other operators to ensure that come next year, we will have a software that is domiciled at NIBSS that will proactively, address the issue of fraud in the entire industry. It will not only be preventive but proactive. We want industry-wide software

to address frauds,” he said.

He said the name of the software is still kept secret because the NeFF is at the bidding stage for acquiring the software. The CBN Governor, he said has approved the acquisition of the software, which is expected to address all sorts of frauds in the electronic payment system.

He said the software has been used in other countries and complies with interna-

Naira slips on suspension of dollar sales

N

AIRA slipped to its weakest in a month as investors increased demand for dollars amid accelerating inflation. The naira retreated 0.3 per cent to 158.075 per dollar as at yesterday. The naira has gained 2.7 per cent this year, the second-best performing currency in Africa, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Companies have increased demand for foreign-currency after the Central Bank of Ni-

geria said it will end dollar sales to lenders at twiceweekly auctions on December 19 and resume on January 7, according to Tunde Ladipo, chief executive officer of Lagos- based Valuechain Investment Ltd. “Dealers speculate dollar supply won’t be enough to meet demand during the festive season as auctions end,” he said.

The CBN sold $200 million at an auction, compared with

$180 million on December 12, it said in e-mailed statement.

The next sale scheduled for Dec. 19 will be the last for the year, it said on December 14.

Nigeria’s inflation rate rose for the second consecutive month in November to 12.3 per cent from 11.7 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics said yesterday in an e-mailed report. The central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 12 per cent this year to control

inflation and stabilise the naira.

“Inflation picked up in November, moderately exceeding our 11.6 percent forecast,” Samir Gadio, an emerging-markets strategist at Standard Bank Group Ltd. in London, said in an emailed reply to questions.

“This uptick in inflation will also make it more difficult for the CBN to start easing monetary policy at its January meeting.”

Foundation for Skills Devt holds MSME workshop

T

HE Foundation for Skills Development (FSD) and two of its partners will be hosting its eightieth Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) workshop tomorrow.

Speakers at the workshop will include entrepreneurs, life coaches, and officials of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Bank of Industry, Fidelity Bank and the

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

The FSD said its partners, namely UPS and Shell Petroleum will provide non-financial support to ensure women owned businesses are sustainable and profitable. It said the programme has a free entry for participants.

The workshop,which comes

with the theme: Scaling up for 2013 will enable partners of FSD empower women financially and non- financially to enable them grow their businesses.

“FSD has been training and equipping women in small businesses since 2005 and the success stories spread all over Nigeria. Free donation of work tools, equipment and other none financial

support are often a part of the benefits at the training events,” it said.

The workshop will cover topics such as shaping and securing the future, accessing gender based funds, Financial opportunities for women in small businesses, generating new business ideas, innovation in business and business plan orientation among others.

FGN BONDS 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

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

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 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 18-12-12 SYMBOL

INTBREW PZ MANSARD LIVESTOCK MAYBAKER ETERNA WAPIC UTC CUSTODYINS FCMB

O/PRICE

14.20 27.05 1.82 1.33 1.57 1.92 0.58 0.59 1.26 3.21

O/PRICE 2.05 2.99 14.03 3.84 4.70 4.57.

0.87.

0.88 0.72.

0.73

emulation by younger generation who are committed to taking Nigeria to greater heights.

Aganga who is the founder of NLI said the major factor that inspired the founding of NLI was the absence of a credible platform for highly accomplished Nigerians in the Diaspora and Nigeria to play a significant role in helping to transform the country.

Responding, Kolade who is currently the Chairman of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) commended NLI for given him the award, calling on Nigerians to imbibe the right values and work towards making the country a better place.

C/PRICE

15.62 28.59 1.91 1.39 1.64 2.00 0.60 0.61 1.30 3.30

CHANGE

10.00 5.69 4.95 4.51 4.46 4.17 3.45 3.39 3.17 2.80

C/PRICE 1.85 2.82 13.33 3.65 4.47 4.35 0.83 0.84 0.69 0.70

CHANGE -9.76 -5.69 -4.99 -4.95 -4.89 -4.81 -4.60 -4.55 -4.17 -4.11

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m 113m

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8 155.7

Date 2-7-12 27-6-12 22-6-12

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

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% 11.8%

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

NSE CAP Index

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

LOSERS AS AT 18-12-12

SYMBOL DNMEYER REDSTAREX OANDO MORISON UPL JOHNHOLT NEIMETH IKEJAHOTEL CONTINSURE NSLTECH

M

INISTER of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, has commended Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade for his leadership qualities and achievements.

Speaking at the Nigeria Leadership Institute (NLI) Award and Gala Night in Lagos at the weekend, where Kolade received a Life Time Achievement Award, Aganga noted that he deserved the honour, noting that he has lived exemplary life worthy of emulation.

He said the award was to appreciate Kolade’s exemplary leadership as he has demonstrated high level of leadership skills worthy of

Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 350m 150m 350m 138m 350m 113m

Currency

Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Aganga commends Kolade on Lifetime Award

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM

MANAGED FUNDS

OBB Rate Call Rate

ing from the Project Management Institute to the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

He said risk management could entail avoiding the risk completely, reducing the negative impact of the risk through risk mitigation actions; ransferring or sharing the risks with other parties; and retaining the risk, that is, accepting some or all the consequences of the risk and budgeting for it.

He said the risks, if not managed, lead to disruptions in the financial system and diminish public confidence in the financial sytem.

DATA BANK

Tenor

NIDF NESF

tional standards. “It has been used somewhere else. It is not local. It is international software because we realise that fraud is global in nature too.

So, if you want to use a software. The funding will be decided by the Bankers’ Committee,” he added.

Sanusi explained that risk management involves the awareness and identification of risks, prioritisation of such risks and the deployment of resources to monitor and mitigate the probability and/or impact of these risks.

He said there are several risk management standards developed by global bodies rang-

Offer Price

Bid Price

ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH 9.17 KAKAWA GUARANTEED 1.00 STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE 132.37 AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND 125.53 LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL 0.80 BGL SAPPHIRE FUND 1.13 BGL NUBIAN FUND 0.92 NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. 1,763.58 PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND 11.31 CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST 1.39 CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST 1.87 STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY 9,335.15 THE DISCOVERY FUND 193.00 FIDELITY NIGFUND 1.67 • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

9.08 1.00 132.05 124.60 0.77 1.13 0.91 1,754.53 10.75 1.33 1.80 9,091.15 191.08 1.62

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000 8.0833

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

56

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

57

NEWS

Six dead in Katsina community road crash

Boko Haram wants me dead, says Suswam

B

ENUE State Governor Gabriel Suswam has added a religious tone to last Saturday’s death of Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa.

Although the governor was not categorical on the involvement of the dreaded Boko Haram sect in Yakowa’s death, he said it was frightening that two of the four Christian governors in the 19 northern states have met tragedies in quick succession.

Suswam spoke at the NKST Church, High Level, Makurdi, the state capital.

The governor said he had security reports, which indicated that the Boko Haram sect might attack him soon.

He urged Christians to pray

T

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

for his safety and his family.

Suswam said: “Going by security reports I receive daily, it’s clear that I may be attacked any day, anywhere, anytime. This is the reason I called on Christians to pray for me and my family.”

The governor noted that the plane crash in which Yakowa died was a worry to northern Christian.

He said the incident resembled the crash involving Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai, who is on receiving treatment in a German hospital.

Suswam said: “Suntia’s condition was pathetically critical.”

The governor was referring to the Taraba governor’s condition when he visited him in Germany.

He said with Yakowa’s death and Suntai’s condition almost becoming hopeless, only two Christian governors are left in the North’s 19 states.

Suswam urged Christians not to be carried away by the social aspect of the Yuletide but to pray to God for their leaders.

The governor condoled with the government and people of Kaduna State over Yakowa’s death.

He described the late governor as a bridge builder, adding that he has done his best to bring peace to his state.

Suswam also described the

T

Area.

Police spokesman Aminu Sadiq, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said 16 others were injured in the accident.

The accident involved a bus and a car.

An eyewitness, Malam Ibrahim Andayi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the vehicles had a head-on collision and burst into flames.

He said the six victims died on the spot.

Andayi said the police conveyed the injured to Malumfashi General Hospital for treatment.

•Suswam

late General Andrew Azazi, the former National Security Adviser (NSA), as an officer and a gentle man who served the country diligently in different capacities.

Gen. Azazi died in the military helicopter with Yakowa.

He prayed God to give the families the fortitude to bear the losses.

Offa council chief dissolves exco

HE Chairman of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Prince Saheed Popoola, has dissolved the council’s fivemember executive council.

In a statement in Offa, the council chief explained that the dissolution was routine.

He thanked the former exco members for their service to the council and wished them well in their future endeavours.

The dissolved exco comprised the Secretary to the

•ACN denies rift Local Government and four supervisory councillors in charge of Works, Health, Education and Agriculture.

Popoola, the only council chairman elected on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), is expected to swear in a new cabinet this week.

Also, Rafiu Ajakaye, the Media Ade to Kwara ACN governorship candidate in

last year’s poll, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), has denied a report of alleged rift between the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, and Belgore.

Ajakaye said: “The party remains very much intact.

Alhaji Mohammed and Belgore (SAN) talk everyday on how to move the party forward. But we leave people, as is typical in politics, to speculate all they want. We are not ruling out the possi-

HE Katsina State Police Command has confirmed the death of six persons on Sunday in an auto crash on Kwankwama Road in Malumfashi Local Government

bility of some persons in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sponsoring negative reports for reasons we all know. They can go as far as spreading rumour of a nonexistent fracas to cause disaffection. But the party remains intact and the leadership is cordial. There is no cause for alarm. We urge party faithful to ignore such report. Party re-engineering is going on and the party, we are sure, will emerge stronger.”

Senator donates more materials to Jigawa flood victims

T

HE senator representing Jigawa NorthWest at the National Assembly, Danladi Sankara, yesterday donated more materials to flood victims in the state.

The senator delivered the materials, which included 7,000 mosquito nets and 1,300 blankets, to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Dutse, the state capital.

The gesture, the senator said, was part of his assistance to the flood victims.

He started donating to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in July.

In August, September and October, Sankara donated various materials, including cash, clothes, rice, sugar and building materials, to rehabilitate the flood vic-

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

tims.

On the floor of the Senate, Sankara moved a motion on: The Menace of Floods in Nigeria.

This prompted the Federal Government to release special funds to the affected states to rehabilitate the victims. Jigawa State got N400million from the funds.

Also, works have reached advanced stage on the 76 water development projects initiated by the senator in the 12 local governments under Jigawa North-West Senatorial District.

The facilities are parts of the constituency projects Sankara influenced into this year’s budget.

Ex-soldier installed Adamawa community’s monarch

A

RETIRED soldier, Col. Homun Honest Irmiya Stephen, has been installed the paramount rule of Bachama community in Numa, Adamawa State.

His appointment was approved by the Adamawa State Government following the demise of Homun Asaph Zadok.

Col. Stephen ascended the

From Barnabas Manyam, Yola

throne following the completion of traditional rites by the community’s kingmakers.

In line with his community’s tradition, the new Hama Bachama got a civic reception, which concluded the traditional coronation, at Voti Lamurde, Imburu and in Numan.

The new monarch was for-

mally ushered into the palace.

After a week’s traditional rites at Lamurde, the ancestral home of Bachama Chiefdom, Col. Stephen rode in a motorcade to his palace in Numan.

The 20-kilometre journey to his palace climaxed in the ascension of the tradition stool amidst jubilation and traditional homage by his subjects and well wishers.

Jos crisis worse than Biafra war, says senator

T

HE senator representing Plateau North, Gyang Nyam Pwajok, yesterday said the protracted crisis in the state is worse than the 30 months of Biafra war that occurred between 1967 and 1970.

Addressing reporters in Abuja, the senator urged the Federal Government to establish a Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Stability Fund to address the fallout of the crisis.

He noted that the destruction caused by the 1994, 2001 and

From Onyedi Ojiabor, Assistant Editor and Sanni Onogu, Abuja

2008 conflicts had not been reconstructed.

Pwajok said: “When I talked about establishing a Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Stability Fund, somebody said it is actually more or less an incentive for further conflict.

We had a civil war and we had to pass through a reconstruction effort. In fact, the damage this protracted conflict has

Group releases report on Jos crisis

A

GROUP, the International Crisis Group, has said the protracted crisis in Plateau State should be addressed to avoid further clashes between the indigenes and the settlers.

In its first report on the crisis, entitled: Curbing violence in Nigeria (I): The Jos Crisis, the group examined insecurity in three regions in Nigeria with emphasis on the dynamics of violence in Plateau State since 2001.

The group said the dispute is over the “rights” of the predominately Christian Berom/Anaguta/Afizere indigenes and the Muslim Hausa-Fulani settlers to land, power and resources.

“Indigene-settler conflicts are not new to Nigeria, but the country is currently experiencing widespread inter-communal strife, which particularly affects Jos city, capital of Plateau State, in the Middle Belt region. Violence in Jos is defined and worsened by both local and national dynamics,” said Kunle Amuwo, Crisis Group’s West Africa Senior Analyst.

“The failure of the ruling elite to address and resolve key issues such as citizenship, identity and political inclusion, has aggravated the situation,” he added.

caused can be more than the civil war damage in itself.

“This is because the nature of the conflict is such that people have died on all sides, whether it is Muslim, Christian, indigene or non-indigene.

“Many people have died, many others have lost their property, even in the nature of the relationship between communities. Victims end up becoming perpetrators and perpetrators end up becoming victims at certain moments.

“If you check, the conflict of 1994 left behind structures that were battered. In the 1994 conflict, during military era, some of the destroyed property have not been reconstructed. In 2001, there was another conflict in which a number of structures were ravaged. Nobody has done anything about them.

“In 2008, a number of structures were destroyed; nothing has happened in some areas.

Yet, there is government’s effort to reconstruct, even at the state level and even help the residents to stand on their feet. Once there is a fresh conflict, the property gets burnt again.”

Homun Stephen called for peace and cordial relationship among the residents, irrespective of their tribal, ethnic or religious backgrounds.

According to him, the best can only be achieved in the chiefdom in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

He said monarch kingdom is known for its peace enterprise, hence the need for his subjects to be wary of those were poised to ferment crisis of any kind in the chiefdom.

POLICE AUCTION SALE This is to inform the general public that Nigeria Police Bori Division plans to dispose Unclaimed and Abandoned Exhibits Scrap motorcycle in its division, Claimants should report at the divisional Head Quarter, Bori-Ogoni. Items shall be Auctioned 21 days after this publication.

Auctioneer VICTOR OBEAHON 08038887321

PUBLIC NOTICE CHANGE OF NAME AMINA

I, formerly known and addressed as SAUDE AMINA MOHAMMED, now wish to be known and addressed as SAUDE AMINA ATOYEBI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

TOKUNBO VEHICHES FOR SALE. TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 2010.....................2.3 MILLION. LEXUS LX 570 2012 MODEL..........................4 MILLION. LEXUS GX 470 2008 ....................................1.4 MILLION. TOYOTA AVENSIS 2004 MODEL......................600,000.

HONDA PILOT 2010.......................................2 MILLION. TOYOTA HIACE 18 SEATER BUS 2009........800,000.

TOYOTA CAMRY 2000....................................400,000.

HONDA CIVIC 2010.......................................1 MILLION. TOYOTA VENZA 2008.................................1.6 MILLION. INFINITI FX 35 2009..................................1.3 MILLION. HONDA CRV 2008.........................................1.2 MILLION. MAN DIESEL DUMP TRUCK 1999 M........1.5 MILLION.

FOR PURCHASE ENQUIRIES CALL: 08027921284,08035004681.

PUBLIC NOTICE OKEGBO OBO FOUNDATION The general public is hereby notified that the above named association has applied to the corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied act, 1990

AKHIGBE

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1) REKPENE EDWARD 3) HENENTEM OBO 5) OBO OSIM 7) GODWILL OSIM 9) SOLOMON EDWARD

GIDEON

AIMS OF OKEGBO OBO FOUNDATION i) Community transformation & development ii) Youths empowerment iii) Skills acquisition & training Any objection(s) to the registration should be forwarded within twenty-eight days to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja.

I, formerly known and addressed as OMOYE FLORENCE AKHIGBE, now wish to be known and addressed as OMOYE FLORENCE WEST. All former documents remain valid. FCTA and the general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as YISA GIDEON, now wish to be known and addressed as YISA AYUBA. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Police Force Lubge Division and the general public should please take note.

2) 4) 6) 8) 10)

Signed.

BARR. EZAK EZAK.

OSIM EDWARD RUNYI OSIM ODO OSIM GLORY OSIM EDNA OSIM

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

58

NEWS

Imo council chiefs: probe Okorocha for N13.5b bond

Anambra to close illegal daycare centres From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

T

HE Anambra State Government will close unregistered day care centres in in January, the governor’s wife, Mrs. Margret Peter Obi, has said.

Mrs Obi spoke in Awka, the state capital, during a workshop for proprietors of daycare centres.

The workshop was organised by Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development.

It included the presentation of gifts and N40,000 cash to each mother of triplets and multiple children.

Mrs Obi urged proprietors of daycare centers to register their non-curriculum institutions with the Ministry of Women Affairs or have them closed.

She said issues affecting children should be handled with care and diligence.

The governor’s wife said the era of children abuse at day care centres was over, adding that there is need to document workers and environment of every day care centres, which were hitherto left in the hands of non-professionals.

‘No going back on APGA restructuring’ From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

T

HE National Coordinator of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Stakeholders’ Forum, Chief Sylva Nwobu-Alor, yesterday said there is no going back on the restructuring of the party.

Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and APGA’s embattled National Chairman, Sir Victor Umeh, as well as Emeka Ojukwu Jnr, the son the late APGA National Leader and Ikemba of Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had told The Nation on Sunday that an all-encompassing reconciliation of estranged members is the panacea for the party to reclaim its lost glory before the 2014 election in the state.

But Nwobu-Alor yesterday told The Nation that he was not a problem to APGA. The APGA chief said he was bringing reformation into the party.

He said: “I am not the problem of APGA. I’m restructuring APGA, creating an enabling environment for people to come in. It is Umeh and his cohorts that are causing the problem we have in the party. It is Umeh that made it impossible for us not to win the governorship elections in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and other places. So, who is causing the problem? I am creating an environment that will make it possible for the party to win. Umeh has created an environment that made it impossible for the party to win.”

Nwobu-Alor was the Coordinator of the Peter Obi Campaign Organisation in 2010.

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

•Okorocha

T

HE reinstated chairmen of the 27 local governments of Imo State have urged anti-graft agencies to probe Governor Rochas Okorocha for alleged misappropriation of the N13.5billion bond.

In separate petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the council chiefs accused the governor of mismanaging the money, which was allegedly handed over by former Governor Ikedi

Ohakim.

They addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja under the aegis of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

Besides, the chairmen urged the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and security agencies to disarm and disband the Imo Security Network, a private armed gang, which they alleged was allegedly terrorising the residents.

The Secretary of the group, Enyinnaya Onuegbu said: ”Since June 2011, the Joint Accounts Committee in Imo State has not functioned and all statutory allocations due to the local governments, totalling over N80billion, has been misappropriated by the governor.

“Governor Okorocha has also used the allocations due to local governments in the state as a collateral to borrow

over N45billion from Zenith Bank Plc and another N28billon from Diamond Bank Plc. These borrowings are clearly illegal. State governments are not allowed to borrow more than 50per cent of their previous year’s allocation. Here again, Governor Okorocha is showing his contempt for the rule of law. By his own admission, he has committed Imo State to contractual obligations worth over N400billion. Yet, there are no documents for these contracts.”

Onuegbu alleged that Okorocha’s first step towards dictatorship was the destruction of democratic institutions in Imo State.

Advising the governor to stop ridiculing the Judiciary, the council chairmen urged the AGF to make Okorocha obey the Court of Appeal judgment that reinstated them after they were sacked.

They listed the commissioners in Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC), the Jusicial Service

Commission, the chairman of Council of Traditional Rulers and the sacked 10,000 civil servants as those who have won judgments or obtained injunctions against the governor.

Onuoegbu said: “To allow the governor to get away with sundry illegalities and serial disobedience of the courts is to encourage anarchy.”

The embattled Chairman of Ngo-Okpalla Local Government also accused Okorocha of selling off the equipment the Ohakim administration bought for Imo Roads Maintenance Agency (IROMA).

He said: “IROMA, which was established by law, acquired assets worth over N12 billion for the councils for the maintenance of roads and other facilities. Each of the 27 councils had a brand new grader, an excavator, a tipper, a Hilux operational vehicle, 100 motorcycles and other working tools...”

Actors, others urge kidnappers to release Nkiru Sylvanus •Okorocha to security agents: rescue my aide

A

CTORS and other practitioners in Nigeria’s movie industry yesterday called for an unconditional release of kidnapped Nollywood actress Nkiru Sylvanus.

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri, Sunny Nwankwo, Aba and Ahmed Boulor

The fair-skinned thespian was reportedly abducted on Sunday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, where she works as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs.

Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) President Ibinabo Fiberesima described the incident as unfortunate.

She said: “We are trying to liaise with the state government to find a solution to it. It’s unfortunate that people can do a thing like this to someone who makes them happy.

Please, Nigerians should pray for her.”

It was learnt that the abductors have contacted Miss Sylvanus’ family and demanded N100million ransom.

Ace actor, Keppy BasseyEkpeyong said the actress should be released unconditionally.

He said: “Nkiru’s kidnap is a sad development and it should no longer be tolerated. She is the third Nollywood celebrity to be abducted, because of her perceived status.

“We appeal to the abductors to release her unconditionally, considering the role of entertainers in alleviating stress and offering recreation to the society. That should count for something.”

Association of Movie Producers (AMP) Vice-President Lillian Amah-Aluko said she was shocked by the news.

She urged security agencies to find Miss Sylvanus soonest.

Amah-Aluko said: “I was shocked when I got the news of Nkiru’s kidnap. She is a young

lady who has given her all to acting. I pray she is found sooner than later, because kidnappings are getting out of hand.”

The AMP Vice-President noted that top Nollywood practitioners had not condemned the kidnap because they were hearing about it.

She said: “I would not ascribe to the fact that Nollywood actors have not come out to collectively condemn Nkiru’s kidnap because she has been off the movie scene for a while. Most people I contacted appeared shocked about the development. We are still coming to terms with her kidnap. But I know Nollywood players will take a collective stand on the issue in due cause.”

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday ordered security agents to rescue the kidnapped Nollywood actress, Nkiru Sylvanus (aka Ble-Ble).

Miss Sylvanus is the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Governor.

Okorocha alleged that the abduction was politically motivated.

He, however, assured that his administration would rescue her unhurt from the kidnappers.

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, said: "The kidnap was politically motivated to portray the state in bad light, given the popularity of the actress. But he state government is committed to providing tight security, especially during the festive period."

The Commissioner of Information, Chinedu Offor, explained that the government

Chime alive, says Orji

A

BIA State Governor Theodore Orji has said his Enugu State counterpart, Sulivan Chime, is alive.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ugochukwu Emezue, the governor said Chime is hale and hearty.

He warned those peddling the rumour to stop it.

Orji noted that a God-fearing person would not wish his fellow being dead. The governor said he has been in touch with Chime, adding that the Enugu governor would soon return home.

He urged Enugu residents to remain calm because their governor is in good condition.

•Miss Sylvanus

and security agencies were working to rescue Miss Sylvanus.

He urged anyone with useful information on the abduction to give it to security agents, adding he or she would be rewarded.

Police spokesman Vitalis Onugu told The Nation that the command was on top of the situation.

He said: “We are working round the clock to ensure that the governor's aide is rescued safely. But we need the assistance of the public to volunteer useful information that will assist the police.”

Also, a leader of an Aba, Abia State, pressure group, Concerned Advocate for Good Governance (CAGG), has said the spate of kidnappings in Nigeria would be reduced if youths become plans employed.

Addressing reporters in Aba, CAGG Coordinator Olusegun Bamgbose noted that it would be futile to combat crime without confronting unemployment among youths.

The activist condemned the kidnapping of Prof Kamene Okonjo, the 82-year-old mother of Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Nollywood actress Nkiruka Sylvanus.

He said unemployment has made many youths to go into dangerous ways of making money.

Bamgbose said CAGG would in 2013 introduce free transport service for youths to reduce their suffering.

He said: “Stakeholders in the group, after a careful and intensive deliberation, have concluded plans to introduce a free transport scheme for unemployed youths across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

59

NEWS Igbinedion pays homage to monarch

F

•Director-General, Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof Bola Akinterinwa (second right) speaking at the Institute’s 51st Founder’s Day in Lagos...yesterday. With him are former Extenal Affairs Minister, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi (right); Senator Ike Nwachukwu (left); Chief Philips Asiodu (second left) and Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru PHOTO: DAYO ADEWUNMI

Navy parades seven suspected illegal •Suspects, vessel, bunkerers in Rivers product handed over to EFCC

T

HE Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny Island, Rivers State, Capt Chukwuma Okafor, yesterday paraded seven suspected bunkerers at the coastal headquarters of Bonny Local Government Area.

Lucky Dudun (captain), Paul Efedumor, Isaac Ayomere, Sunday Ekong, Oyowavotu Ogaga, Oshufu Keke and Simple Nashemi were arrested onboard the vessel MT Gulf Sisan in Delta State on November 14.

Okafor said the suspects were arrested by personnel of NNS Burutu, who were on routine patrol.

The vessel carried 80 metric tonnes of illegally-refined petroleum product, suspected to be diesel.

The suspects, their vessel and the product were

Five suspected vandals arrested

FIVE persons suspected to be involved in vandalising pipelines in Orhionmwon Local Government of Edo State have been arrested by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

They were arrested when men of the NSCDC carried out a raid on a warehouse at Abudu, headquarters of Orhionmwon local council.

NSCDC State CommanFrom Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

handed over to the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The naval commanding officer said the suspects did not have satisfactory documents covering the product onboard.

Okafor decried the activi-

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

dant Chike Ikpeamu said yesterday that over 5,000 litres of petroleum products found at the warehouse were destroyed.

Chike said a power generating set and an additional 1,000 litres of petroleum products were recovered.

He said the suspects fled on sighting his men but that five were arrested. ties of pirates and bunkerers in the Niger Delta.

He said: “Those involved in piracy and bunkering are enemies of the nation.

“The Federal Government and the Navy are determined to fight them, until they look for legitimate businesses to do.

“The nation is having hard time in maintaining the

Seven dead in Delta accident

N

O fewer than seven persons died yesterday on the Ughelli/ Warri axis of the East/West Road in Delta State.

Sources said the remains of nine victims, including that of a baby, were recovered from the scene.

But the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed seven deaths.

The bus, owned by the Delta State Government transport company, was a heap of metal scraps when our reporter visited the scene at noon. It was marked DT 497 B28.

It was gathered that the driver, who had just overtaken a Toyota Hilux van, lost control and plunged into a ditch before ramming into the opposite tracks of the dual-carriage highway.

FRSC State Commandant Mrs. Susan Ajenge said the accident was caused by excessive speeding.

She said seven persons, comprising three men, three women and a child, died.

“Those injured were taken to the hospital, the dead were taken to the mortuary in Warri.”

‘The driver was obviously avoiding a vehicle parked on the roadside when he lost control’ From Shola O’Neil, Warri

An eyewitness said: “It was around 7am. The bus was coming from Sapele and was fully loaded.

“The driver was obviously avoiding a vehicle parked on the roadside when he lost control.”

“Out of the 16 passengers, we only saw about two per-

sons standing.

“A lady carrying plantain chips (kpekere), , was sitting close to the door; she was cut along with the door.”

“It is one of the worst accident scenes I have ever seen,” an auto mechanic, who simply identified himself as Lucky said..

One survivor was treated at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.

He told our reporter that his friend sitting next to him died.

The man returned to the scene with his wife, four hours later.

He said the heavy morning dew contributed to the accident.

Court refers case From Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, Benin

T

HE Court of Appeal, Benin, yesterday, referred a case brought before it by members of the dissolved Edo State House of Assembly Service Commission to the Chief Judge for retrial.

Delivering judgment in the case brought by Abraham Esesene and others against the Speaker, Justice G. O. Shoremi scolded counsel to the Assembly for failing to address issues raised in the originating summons as originally pleaded by the appellants at the lower court.

waterways.

“The Navy is ready to confront bunkering and piracy on our waterways.”

While receiving the suspects on behalf of the EFCC, its Deputy Detective Superintendent (DDS), Ogbu Chinedu Michael, assured of the commission’s collaboration in the fight against economic sabotage in Nigeria.

Michael also lauded naval officers for their determination to combat sea criminals, while assuring of thorough investigation and diligent prosecution, if required.

OR the first time in five years, the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, yesterday joined other Benin chiefs to pay homage to the Benin Monarch, Oba Erediauwa.

Igbinedion was suspended from participating in palace activities in January 2008 for allegedly usurping activities of the Benin Monarch.

He was pardoned by Oba Erediauwa earlier this year and his presence at the palace yesterday was the first in five years.

Igbinedion was in the palace to participate in the Otue Igueoba as part of activities to mark this year’s Ugie Festival.

Ugie is celebrated by the Bini annually to mark the end of a year and the beginning of a new year by the Ugie

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Ewere.

The presence of the Esama at the palace attracted huge crowd to the event to see how he would be received.

There were shouts of awe from the crowd when the Benin Monarch presented kolanuts to Igbinedion after he bowed before him to reaffirm his loyalty and allegiance to the monarch.

Others who paid homage included former Minister of Science and Technology Prof.

Emmanuel Emovon, former Ambassador to Italy, Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Southsouth leader, Chief Amos Osunbor, Chief Osamede Adun, Chairman of State Board Internal Revenue, Chief Oseni Elama amongst others.

Firm gets NIS certification

A

FIRM, Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited, has been certified by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

It has received a certificate of conformity to the requirements of NIS ISO 9001:2008.

Managing Director Dharmaraja Eshwaran said: “We are very thrilled at this recognition because it is something we have consciously worked at achieving by putting in place management techniques and systems that ensures conformity with global best practices in our industry.

“This is only a starting

point for us as we will continually improve our standards to ensure that we are up to date with global trends at all times.

“Euro Global is expanding its production facilities to meet increasing consumer demands and this process requires not only installation of quality equipment but training of personnel to ensure safety and efficiency which will further translate to affordable prices when downtimes are eliminated.

“Our quality policy is linked to every part of our business from management to staff operations, production and customer needs.”

60

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

NEWS CONNECTICUT SCHOOL SHOOTING

•Ana-Marquez-Greene •Anne Maria Murphy •Avielle Richman

•Benjamin Wheeler

•Caroline Previdi

•Cathrine Hubbard

•Charlotte Bacon

•Charlotte Bacon

•Daniel Barden

•Emilie Parker

•Grace Mcdonnell

•Jack Pinto

•James Mattioli

•Jesica Rekos

•Jesse Lewis

•Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung

•Josephine Gay

•Dylan Hockley

•Lauren Rousseau

•Mary Sherlach

•Nancy Lanza

•Noah Pozner

•Olivia Engel

•Rachel D'avino

Funeral begins for victims

T

HE first funerals are being held for victims of Friday’s shootings at a school in the US state of Connecticut.

Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, both aged six, were the first of those killed at Sandy Hook school to be buried.

Twenty children and six women died in the assault by a lone gunman - named as Adam Lanza - who then took his own life. He had earlier

killed his mother.

On Sunday, President Barack Obama told residents at a vigil in Newtown the US must do more to protect its children.

He said he would use the powers of his office to prevent a repeat of the tragedy, adding that the nation shared the townspeople’s grief.

“We can’t tolerate this any more,” Obama said. “These tragedies must end and to

end them we must change.”

He made no specific mention of new gun control measures, but BBC North America editor Mark Mardell says this is the strongest pledge a president has ever made to wrestle with the powerful gun lobby.

Meanwhile, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who supports gun ownership and

has been given an “A” rating by the National Rifle Association, told US network MSNBC that it was time to “move beyond rhetoric” on gun control.

Manchin, a gun owner and frequent hunter, said: “I’ve never had more than three shells in a clip. Sometimes you don’t get more than one shot anyway.

“It’s common sense. It’s time to move beyond rhetoric. We need to sit down and have a common sense discussion and move in a reasonable way.”

Manchin is the first NRAbacked US senator to speak out since Friday’s killings.

In Connecticut, Jack Pinto will be buried in the Newtown Village Cemetery, and Noah Pozner will be buried at the B’Nai Israel Cemetery in the nearby town of Monroe, according to local media reports.

The family of James Mattioli, six, also held a wake yesterday.

Other victims’ funerals will be held throughout the week.

Jack Pinto was described as a sports lover, and reports say he may be buried in the No 80 jersey of his idol, New York Giants football player Victor Cruz.

Cruz played in a game on Sunday with the boy’s name written on his shoes and gloves.

Noah Pozner was the youngest victim of the shooting, described by his family as inquisitive and mature for his age.

The parents of Jessica Rekos have spoken for the first time. In an interview with TV network ABC, they said “she was the family CEO, she was the boss”. Her funeral takes place today.

And the family of Victoria Soto, a teacher killed at Sandy Hook, called her “the queen” of her family as they recalled her in an interview with CBS News.

She was the best daughter any mother could ask for,” her mother, Donna Soto, said.

Victoria’s sister Carly, whose shocked expression was captured by a news photographer on Friday and

•Victoria Soto

Lanza’s mum kept life hidden •The late Mrs Lanza

N

ANCY Lanza spoke proudly of her sons, but friends say she held one card very close: home life, especially its trials and setbacks.

At the bar, everybody knew her name.

Nancy Lanza was the one who, if she heard you were short on cash, regularly offered to pick up the tab at My Place.

Two or three nights a week, Lanza — the mother of the gunman in Connecticut’s horrific school massacre — came in for carryout salads, but stayed for Chardonnay and good humor.

The divorced mother of two — still smooth-skinned and ash blonde at 52 — clearly didn’t have to work, but was always glad to share talk of her beloved Red Sox, gardening and a growing enthusiasm for target shooting.

But while Lanza spoke proudly about her sons and brought them in for breakfast when they were younger, friends say she held one card very close: home life, especially its trials and setbacks, was off limits.

Now, the secrets Lanza kept are at the center of the questions that envelop this New England town, grieving over the slaughter unleashed by her 20-year-old son Adam, who investigators say killed his mother Friday with one of her own guns before murdering 26 children and teachers at a nearby school.

“Her family life was her family life. She kept it private, when we were together. That was her own thing,” said Louise Tambascio, who runs the warmly lit pizzeria and bar with her own sons, and became a shopping and dining companion of Nancy Lanza’s.

Friends had met Lanza’s younger son, who stared down at the floor and didn’t

speak when she brought him in. They knew he’d switched schools more than once and that she’d tried home schooling him. But while she occasionally expressed concern about his future during evenings at the bar, she never complained about anything at all.

“I heard her as a parent. I always said that I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. But I thought, ‘Wow. She holds it well,’” said Tambascio’s son, John.

California resident Ryan Kraft told KCAL-TV in Los Angeles that when he was a teenager he lived a few doors down from the Lanza family and used to babysit Adam Lanza, then nine or 10 years old. He said the boy “struck me as an introverted kid.”

“His mom Nancy had always instructed me to keep an eye on him at all times, never turn my back or even go to the bathroom or anything like that. Which I found odd but I really didn’t ask; it wasn’t any of my business,” said Kraft, who lives in Hermosa Beach.

“But looking back at it now, I guess there was something else going on.”

Despite the challenges, the trappings of Lanza’s life in Newtown were comfortable.

When she and then-husband Peter Lanza moved to the central Connecticut community in 1998 from southern New Hampshire, they bought a brand new 3,100-square-foot colonial set on more than two acres in the Bennett’s Farm neighborhood. Nancy Lanza had previously worked as a stock broker at John Hancock in Boston and her husband was a successful executive.

When the couple divorced in 2009, he left their spacious home to Nancy Lanza and told her she would never have to work another day in her life, said Marsha Lanza of Crystal Lake, Ill., Lanza’s aunt.

The split-up was not acrimonious and Adam spent time with both his mother and father, she said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

N

O one can forget President Goodluck Jonathan’s shoe speech of seduction. We remember it not for its rhetorical distinction. Jonathan has not delivered any speech that stuns except for playing games with facts. But the shoe speech distinguished itself by its bare bones fact, its evocative familiarity. He said he did not have shoes as a little boy and walked barefoot to school.

It was a seduction speech because he tapped the experience of many who grew up in his days, whether in the Niger Delta, in the Southeast, in the Southwest or all parts of the North. In the 1970’s in Warri, we called it “tearing ten toes.”

Most people did not buy shoes. They could not afford it, and it did not seem then like a big deal if you did not have shoes because many did not. That was the point President Jonathan did not make. He was not alone without shoes.

He grew up in a generation of shoeless school goers. He was not an isolated poor. We all had that foot deficiency with blisters, petrified soles and toes, limping over wounds coming and going.

He delivered the speech when he declared he wanted to run for president after he survived the plots and ululations of the so-called cabal or kitchen cabinet.

Those were the men and woman who would not give him the right to which providence and the law entitled him, and he broke a law on his own called zoning in his party in order to declare his “I did not have a shoe” speech. It was perhaps the most resonant appeal in all speeches declaring a presidential ambition in Nigerian history. I might also say it was the most opportunistic.

But that is not the point today. It is because President Jonathan has spent one hundred days in office and he seemed to bask in false glory in an organised media chat in which he failed to elevate his thoughts. He was incapable of generating an enthusiasm among Nigerians about whether he had a direction. Editors found it hard to cast any good headline because in the two-hour exposure he did not make any meaningful exposition.

Not on security, not on the federal question or power or infrastructure develop-

61

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchsam@yahoo.com 08054501081(sms only) •NMMA Columnist of the Year

‘Our president has no shoes’ ment or on the vexing bugbear of education did he utter any succinct line of policy. As a PHD, he did not sound coherent.

As a former teacher he did not inspire one to take notes. As a past technocrat, he showed no sign of the policy wonk.

Yet, the nation is in dire pains. Poverty worsens by the hour, and all the challenges we face in the areas of Boko Haram eruptions, the failure of power, the exodus of businesses, the rising illiteracy levels, all show how poverty continues to grow like an ominous monster feeding fat in the sewer.

In all of these, I don’t think he knows the significance of his shoe speech. It was not just an emotive moment. It was a challenge, a potentially inspirational moment. It was a pact with all those who live at the level he lived in the shoeless era. He vowed - if he did not realise it on that incandescent stage that Abuja afternoon – to ensure that those who could not afford shoes in 2011 should be able to afford them by the time he is done in office.

It was a very simple pledge. It was an IOU. It is time to start paying up. But from how he has performed since he took over as a substantive president- though he has been president for over a year now- I see no signal of progress. No one is asking him to set up a shoe factory. That will not cut it.

And no one is asking him to go on a char-

ity spree, buy shoes in their millions and distribute them to the poor of subaltern Nigerian or even in the city.

That will be phony. In fact Nigerians have become so adept at second-hand shoes that even the very poor afford threadbare varieties of footwear. What Jonathan should focus on now is to create conditions that will make it easy for the poor to afford shoes. It sounds simplistic. But that is the power he needs to tap for a successful presidency.

Before a boy of school age whose parents cannot afford shoes can afford them, certain things have to happen. The parents have to be able to have enough money, and not just enough to feed, but also for shelter, for school fees, and other essentials. Shoes were seen as luxuries in those days. You had to afford the basics and later go to the level of footwear. Footwear was at the bottom of the list. Shoes are still a luxury today. For the parents to get money, they have to have jobs and jobs do not spring from lumbering economies.

What this means is that Jonathan should make it possible for the poor to rise out of their present state of misery. But for a presidency that has not narrowed its objectives and set a coherent strategy for implementation, the story of all those with shoeless lifestyles remain endangered.

In his first duty as president, which is

security, he has proved out of sync. Jos has become a cauldron of weekly and sometimes daily tragedies. In the approach to the Boko Haram eruptions, he is engaging in counterterrorism without intelligence. Nobody wages a war without intelligence. If knowledge is power, how can you fight without knowledge?

This is a typical Nigerian paradox.

How can businesses flourish, or education standards rise and infrastructure develop in the absence of security? That is what Nigeria is today.

This is not the time to allow himself to dither. This is not the time to be distracted by the issue of a six-year term. He made it clear it was not six years he was proposing but seven. He said Nigerians presumed he was going to benefit from it. He did not make any categorical statement about whether he was going to exploit it.

Not that any such categorical word was going to mean anything. Zoning is an example.

Agriculture is still behind, and Nigerians live on less than a dollar a day. Yet the value of the Naira to the dollar has dropped about N15 in only three months.

The banks do not show the real values.

Go to the Bureaus de change to find out the truth. The Nigerian is devaluated like our currency and that does not presage good things for those without shoes.

The worse the situation, the more likely it will be for those with shoeless boys and girls to afford shoes. The president ought to take this seriously. How marvelous it would be though if the president does well and at the end of four years, we are able to pick those whose lots have so improved that they can afford shoes for their children to go to school.

If not, that rhetoric of seduction on that gleeful stage of intention would be a big waste, a grandiloquent lie. The president could protest his failure by taking off his shoes. But we cannot have that of our president because people will say our president has no shoes.

•This article, first published on September 19, 2011, was one of four articles with which Omatseye won the NMMA Columnist of the Year.

NEWS VALEDICTORY SESSION FOR JUSTICE KAYODE ESO

YAKOWA’S, AZAZI’S DEATH

•A cross-section of judges of the Oyo State High Court, led by Chief Justice Bolajoko Adeniji (third from right) at the Special court session in honour of the late Justice Kayode Eso at the High Court, Ibadan...yesterday.

•Widow of the late Justice Eso, Helen and Venerable Ladipo Eso...yesterday.

•From left: Chief Bamidele Aiku (SAN) and Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN)...yesterday

•Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Osun State Deputy Governor Mrs. Tomori Titi-Laoye...yesterday

•From left: Chief Akinolu Jinmi (SAN) and Chief Rotimi PHOTOS: FEMI ILESANMI Akeredolu (SAN)...yesterday.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

62

SPORT EXTRA

Ike Uche excited about Nations Cup S

UPER EAGLES darting forward, Ikechukwu Uche has expressed delight at the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations slated for South Africa next year. ''I am very excited about the African Cup of Nations and I think, if all goes well, it’s the maximum for a player. For now I'm happy and I know that whoever replaces me will do well,'' said Uche.

The Villarreal attacker also told his teammates to forget about the 0 -2 loss to Girona in the 15th round of games in the Segunda

Division and concentrate on the next fixture against Xerez.

The Nigeria international told the official website of The Yellow Submarines: ''The sooner we forget, the better, because now we can not do anything; but it is clear that the referee hurt us at times. ''We have to forget, not to think about it and think about winning the game against Xerez on Thursday. The victory would help us have a quiet holiday. It is the last game of the year for us and we will try everything to win. I am not thinking about being first, second or whatever,

but to win and keep pace with the top teams.''

Ikechukwu Uche has been summoned by Coach Stephen Keshi for the friendly against Catalunya on 2nd January at Cornella El Prat Stadium. An important member of the Super Eagles squad, he is expected to be named in the 23 - man squad to South Africa barring any unforeseen circumstances.

28 - year - old Uche has scored nine goals in his last nine matches for the National Team.

Keshi to delay Eagles’ list S

• Ike Uche

UPER EAGLES handler, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi met with his backroom staff yesterday night on the final programme for his team’s preparations for the 2013 African Cup of Nations holding in South Africa between January 19th and February 2013.

Keshi had a full house in yesterday’s first training session of the team with 22 players out of the expected 24 home based Eagles training at the Practice Pitch of the Abuja National Stadium. In the evening he met with the his assistants and discussed at length on how best they can drill the players and psyche them up well for the task ahead in South Africa.

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja NationSport scooped in Abuja that the former Togo national team boss would likely delay the release of his Europe based players for the AFCON 2013 till next week after he must have met with the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation to defend the choice of players he wants to take to the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Eagles boss as at yesterday had not finalised the list of the players he will parade in South Africa, a reason why he had to discuss with the other coaches to arrive at a logical conclusion

on the matter.

Keshi, as NationSport reported on Monday, has already made up his mind on the players he is taking to the AFCON 2013 but needs the backing of his assistants on the choice of players before the list is released.

The Eagles Head Coach is also expected to discuss with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation on the proposed friendly matches lined up for the Eagles in Faro, Portugal and the Catalonia friendly too. He is also expected to make his own input on the choice of the team he wants the Eagles to play against.

Katongo named African Footballer of the Year

C

HRISTOPHER Katongo has been crowned the 2012 BBC African Footballer of the Year.

The captain of reigning African champions Zambia was presented with the award at a ceremony in Lusaka by

GLO-CAF Awards: Okocha leads former Eagles to Accra

F

ORMER Super Eagles Captain, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha will lead the generation of old Super Eagles' players to the forthcoming GLOCAF Awards ceremony coming up on 20th December in Accra, Ghana.

In a statement from the organisers of the awards, Globacom, Okocha and a former African Footballer of the year, Victor Ikpeba, are expected to grace the awards aptly tagged the African version of the World Best Player of the Year Awards.

Okocha distinguished himself with Einthract Frankfurt FC of

Germany, Fernabache of Turkey, Paris St Germain of France and Bolton Wanderers of England.

He is noted for his stylish dribbles on the pitch. A one-time winner of the BBC African Player of the Year, he was nominated for Legends Award along with ExMoroccan International Mustapha Hadji in the 2011 GloCaf Awards. He wore many caps for the national team before he retired about five years ago.

Similarly, Ikpeba, a former player of Monaco FC, popularly known as the 'Prince of Monaco' played for the France based team for many years before moving

AFCON 2013 FIXTURES Group C Zambia

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21/01/13: Zambia v Ethiopia (1500) Nigeria v B/Faso (1800)

over to Borrussia Dortmund FC in Germany. He won the African Footballer of the year Award in 1997.

The two ex-Nigeria Internationals will lead other Super Eagles players to the event where they will have the opportunity to reminisce on their Super Eagles days, as well as meet current and exInternationals from different parts of Africa.

The 2012 Glo-CAF Awards will hold at the State House Banquet Hall in Accra, Ghana. CAF released the final list of three African players last week for the awards.

They are the Ivorian Didier Drogba who currently plays for Shanghai Shenhua in Chinese League; Manchester City

Midfielder, Yaya Toure; and Cameroonian midfielder, Alexander Song who plays in Barcelona Football Club in Spain.

Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili and FAZ president Kalusha Bwalya.

"On behalf of the BBC, I am pleased to give this award and invite the president of the Football Association of Zambia Kalusha Bwalya to present it to Chris Katongo," the BBC's Farayi Mungazi said before handing over the trophy to Kalusha.

"I'm speechless. I don't know what to say but my heart is rejoicing. I am grateful to the people who

have spoken through their democratic vote," Katongo said after becoming the first East, Central and Southern African player to win the BBC annual player accolade.

Faz chief Kalusha -the only player in the sub-region to win the coveted African Footballer of the Year in 1988 - commended Chris on the accolade.

He said Kalusha had carried the legacy of the greatness of the Zambia national team number "11" shirt very well.

PFI Homes lift 2012 KidSport Charity Cup

P

ROJECT Friendship Initiative, a home for the less previleged with the acronym PFI, yesterday won the 5th KidSport Charity Cup played at the Campos Square Mini Stadium, Lagos Island at the Weekend The team defeated counterpart K.OKOTs from Keep Our Kids Off the Streets, 2-1 to win the tournament designed to bring out football talent in the children at orphanage homes in Lagos, Nigeria.

It was a celebration galore for the

By Paul Oluwakoya players and officials of Project Friendship Initiative who were led to the tournament by the Home's Coordinator as the Special Assistants to Gov. Fashola, Prince Wale Oladunjoye and the Project Coordinator of the KidSport Charity Cup, Bukola Edem presented the ultimate trophy to the team.

Though there was no cash reward unlike the last edition, the seven participating teams went home with valuable sport

materials as each player also got a pair of boots, courtesy Samaritan Feet International (an NGO) to demostrate their support for the one-day sporting event.

Honourable Oladunjoye described the one-day competition as a good tourney that has helped discover football talents from different orphanage homes since inception four years ago.

He expressed the hope that stars that will represent the country would be discovered from the tournament some day.

MANCHESTER SWIMMING COMPETITION

Six-year old to represent Nigeria Venues Nelspruit Nelspruit

25/01/13: Zambia v Nigeria B/Faso v Ethiopia

(1500) (1800)

Nelspruit Nelspruit

29/01/13: Zambia v B/Faso Ethiopia v Nigeria

(1700) (1700)

Rustenburg Rustenburg

N

IGERIAN sports philanthropist, Henry Nwakunor has promised to foot the bills of a six-year old swimmer, Onwuchekwa Oyinwonuola to the United Kingdom to compete in the Manchester Swimming competition slated for next year.

Onwuchekwa, who attends the University of Lagos Women Society private school, was

By Femi Shittu chosen because she emerged the best swimmer in her category.

The sponsor, Nwakunor, hopes to encourage kids at the grassroots to ensure that the country attains an enviable height at subsequent Olympic competitions following the dismal performance of the country's contingent to the

2012 London Olympics.

Nwakunor said: "It is so unfortunate that the game has not improved. And, I think the best way is to catch them young. These children might be helpful in the nearest future. The joy is to see someone you sponsored excelling. It is better to develop them when they are at their infancy. This project is going to be a continuous one."

In the same vein, the beneficiary of this humble gesture,

Onwuchekwa said she was delighted that her efforts were rewarded: "I am very happy because I have trained so hard.

I won't feel intimidated, I am going to be focused."

Meanwhile, more than eleven schools participated in this year’s edition of the swimming competition put together by Blue Sea Sport Company. The one-day competition was held at the Lagos Country Club Ikeja, last Saturday.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

63

NEWS Governors seek transparency as Navy names probe board Continued from page 2

specification.

He said the ill-fated helicopter’s routine maintenance was concluded on Nov. 10. It was cleared for operations on Nov. 20 by certified technical support engineers.

“At the time of the incident, the helicopter had flown 1,704 flight hours and had more than 80 flight hours before the next scheduled routine maintenance.

“Nigerian Navy pilots are very experienced. In fact, the captain in command has flown over 800 hours. The co-pilot had flown over 300 hours.

“All our pilots are trained in the best aviation institutions all over the world.

“Additionally, spare parts for the helicopters are obtained directly from the manufacturers (Agusta Westland) and or its approved maintenance centre worldwide,’’ he said.

On the age of the ill-fated aircraft, Adm. Ogbor said that it was inducted into the Navy in 2004 directly from the manufacturer.

The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, in a statement by its Chairman, Committee on Aviation, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (PDP Abia), said the committee would conduct a holistic investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the crash.

Ms Onyejeocha said the committee would liaise with the military authorities to ensure that proper and due diligent checks are conducted regularly on all military aircraft in Nigeria.

The probe will focus mainly

on the technical fitness of the chopper, it was learnt.

Some experts from Italy where the helicopter was bought are to join the probe.

Also, there were indications yesterday that the Federal Government might embark on technical audit of all military and police aircraft and helicopters.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the ongoing probe of the crash is focusing on the “technical fitness” of the ill-fated chopper.

It was learnt that the Navy had three aircraft before last Saturday’s crash.

The aircraft are Augusta A109 helicopter (a light utility helicopter bought from Italy); which crashed; Aeronautics Aerostar (Reconnaissance UAV from Israel) and Westland Lynx (Medium Utility helicopter from the United Kingdom).

It was gathered that the three aircraft (including the ill-fated Augusta) were considered to be in “good shape” before the crash.

A source said: “We are focusing on the technical health of Augusta A109 before it crashed in the swamp near Okoroba axis of Bayelsa State .

“The investigation has started with the recall of the flight records of the helicopter in the last one month, its servicing rate, and how it was designated for that assignment on Saturday. We are also going to look at insinuations that it underwent some minor technical challenges while on ground in Okoroba

“Some experts from Italy where the helicopter was manufactured are also likely to assist in the investigation of how things went wrong. It is normal to consult them in this type of situation.

“The wreckage of the helicopter was yet to be cleared as at Sunday because of the need to take some samples for laboratory analysis which may cover forensic and intelligence aspects.”

Concerning alleged sabotage, the highly-placed source said: “We will look at all clues but, at present, we are considering the technical aspect.

“Other intelligence organisations are also collaborating with the Nigerian Navy to get to the roots of the incident. We are leaving all factors open.”

It was reliably gathered that the Federal Government plan a comprehensive technical audit of all military and police aircraft and helicopters.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The government has decided to conduct a thorough audit of all military and police aircraft and helicopters to determine their actual age, state of fitness and capacity.

“The Office of the NSA will collaborate with the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and aviation experts to prevent a reoccurrence of this type of disaster.

“At the end of the exercise, we will be able to determine which of the aircraft should no longer be in use (to be grounded) or those that require urgent maintenance.”

The National Security Advis-

er, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, yesterday denied that he was among the victims of the Naval helicopter crash in Okoroba axis of Bayelsa State.

A statement from the Office of the NSA said: “The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr. Sambo Dasuki, has expressed his deep condolences to the family of his immediate predecessor, Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi and that of the former governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa, who lost their lives along with their aides in an helicopter crash in Bayelsa State last weekend.

“Mr. Dasuki had already called and spoken with Mrs. Alero Azazi over the death of her husband and his friend/ Regular 12 course mate.

“We wish to state that the NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, was not part of that flight that crashed because he has been out of the country on national assignment.”

NGF Chairman Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) led 10 governors on a condolence visit to Governor Mukhtar Yero in Kaduna.

Amaechi said the visit was to condole with the family and the people of the state over the “tragic death” of the former governor. “ The first thing is to support the President in his call for investigation and we also agreed to come here to pay our condolences to you, the people of Kaduna State, wife and the immediate family of Yakowa.’’

He expressed the forum’s support to the new governor, urging him to strive hard to-

wards accomplishing the set goals of his predecessor.

“We pray that the same wisdom God gave him to carry out programmes for Kaduna people, that same wisdom be bestowed on you to be able to continue and complete his programmes and those things that will impact on the lives of people.’’

Yero assured the governors that he would carry on with the late Yakowa’s projects. “ Whatever he has put in place as a foundation for the development of the state, beind part of the system, being part of the government, I assure you, we will continue with the good work he started.

“We would try to consolidate on it and improve on all the things he started.’’

He expressed appreciation to the forum for commiserating with the family and the people, adding that “ nobody envisaged” the death of the late governor.

“Our governor has left a big vacuum and we are trying to see how we can accommodate it.

And by the grace of God, we will do our best to improve the lives of the people in Kaduna State.’’

The governor also reiterated his commitment towards ensuring peace, unity and development of the state.

Governors Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Kashim Shetima (Borno), Idris Wada (Kogi), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Peter Obi (Anambra) were on the delegation.

There were also Theodore Orji (Abia), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Garba Umar (Taraba).

079

Azazi’s children recount their last dinner with dad Continued from page 2

one can convince me that the helicopter just crashed. Whoever killed him will not see the end of this year; it has been my prayer since I heard about the crash.

“Daddy Azazi was a good man, very bold, outspoken and God-fearing. He never discriminated against anyone. He was to be made an ambassador by January and now they have killed him.”

Moreover, sympathisers who visited the family yesterday prayed with the widow and children and unanimously declared that Gen. Aziza’s killer(s) will also die. Christians and Muslims prayed together and sang praises to God. The First Lady, who came into the house at 4:30pm, was received by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, and Gen. Azazi’s first son, Owoye Jnr. Mrs. Jonathan broke down in tears as she consoled Gen. Azazi’s wife, Alero.

The President’s wife, who spoke in a low tone, muttered such words as “God knows best; it is shocking news but God is your strength, my sister.”

She wrote in the condolence register: “My dear brother, your demise is so painful, but we take solace in the fact that death is an inevitable end.

“You came, you saw and you conquered. You were a fine, courageous and professional soldier. You made your mark.”

18-12-2012

TODAY IN THE NATION

‘Obasanjo richly deserves his looming irrelevance. He worked hard for it all his long public life. Besides, the republic is better off for it’ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 7

NO.2,343

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

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VERY crusader, every committed protagonist, I suspect, is haunted at one time or another by this thought: When the battle is over, when the cause he served with great dedication and conviction has been won — or lost as the case may be— will his contributions be reciprocated when he falls on hard times, or will he be driven to lament, as Professor David Omo Omoruyi did the other day, that he had been “used and dumped”?

Omoruyi’s political roots go back to the Constituent Assembly that shaped Nigeria’s 1979 Constitution, where he took a leading part in moving the body to insert in the document a clause that would have, in effect, eliminated Chief Obafemi Awolowo from the presidential race.

There was great jubilation in the Constituent Assembly the day that amendment was passed, and Omoruyi was not in the least reticent in claiming a share of the credit. He later entered party politics, on the platform of the National People’s Party. His bid for elective office failed.

But he is probably best known as the director-general of the Centre for Democratic Studies, one of the many institutions the former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, set up to execute a transition programme that the political scientist Richard Joseph has called “one of the most sustained exercises in political chicanery ever visited upon a people.”

Omoruyi can justly claim to be the “father” – in an intellectual sense, that is— of the institution. He had outlined the mandate of such a body in a speech he wrote for Babangida’s delivery as Guest of Honour during the 1989 Guardian Lecture. He and Babangida had been contemporaries in the inaugural Senior Executive Course (1978/79) at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, in Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State.

The two had forged a thriving friendship, and when Babangida seized power in 1985, he had drafted Omoruyi, then a professor at the University of Benin, into the conclave of political scientists that would wield such enormous influence during the transition and ultimately give political science a bad name.

Omoruyi, I recall, was a prominent presence at the Lecture, and could hardly conceal his delight at hearing his thoughts presented by the President, no less, before the Nigerian policy elite, at what was then perhaps the most significant event on Nigeria’s intellectual calendar.

It was a combative speech. Babangida used the forum to berate those he called “victims of the dogma of varieties of Marxist/Socialist orientation alternating cynically between halftruths and the sparing use of truth.” How many of them, he sniggered, could translate “ideology” into the indigenous languages? How many of these agitators operating from Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna, Enugu and Benin – curiously, he omitted Ile Ife — know their communities?

As if to warn that such an option was not

RIPPLES NIGERIA DESERVES TO BE THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD - Activist

In fact, we are number ONE, TWO and THREE

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

Omoruyi: A scholar’s lament

•Prof Omoruyi

entirely foreclosed, he invoked a former colonial governor who once threatened to “deport” the “urban agitators” of that era to their villages so they could learn from their roots.

From my vantage position on the dais of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs – I was the master of ceremonies — I could see the radical Ife historian, Dr Segun Osoba, literally squirm in his seat as Babangida took his war against “extremists” to a new level.

So, it came as no surprise when, shortly after the Lecture, Babangida announced that the Federal Government was setting up a Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, with Omoruyi as its director-general. Somewhere along the line, it morphed into Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS).

It went to work in earnest, along the way making accommodation for the turns, the labyrinthine trajectory of the transition programme.

Omoruyi doubled as a strategist, advising on policy and writing speeches. By his account, the CDS trained more than 400,000 members

of Nigeria’s political class, through a “unique” political education programme it pioneered.

The capstone of the transition was of course the Presidential election of June 12, 1993 which, for reasons he still has not been able to explain 19 years later, Babangida decided to annul.

The CDS had invited and accredited international observers for the election. They had all certified it free and fair and credible. Based on their reports and the reports of the CDS’s field officers, Omoruyi stood resolutely by what was already widely known – that the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Moshood Abiola, had won decisively.

In vain, and with a growing sense of personal danger, did Omoruyi urge Babangida again and again to accept and abide by the election result. In the encircling gloom, he fled Abuja to his home in Benin City, where unidentified gunmen with murder on their minds attacked him.

He survived the attack, and was evacuated to the United States for treatment. On recovering, he took fellowships at Harvard and Lincoln, and wrote his revealing book, “The Tale of June 12: The Betrayal of the Democratic Rights of Nigerians (1993).” It was during his sojourn that he was diagnosed with cancer.

The book is unsparing of those Omoruyi called “enemies” of June 12, but it is especially so of Babangida. The entire transition was a ruse. Everything Babangida said in his June 21 1993 broadcast justifying the annulment was false through and through, Babangida knew it.

Arthur Nzeribe and his Association for a Better Nigeria were Babangida’s proxies. The bizarre rulings of the Abuja courts on the election were given with the full knowledge and endorsement of the military president and the Federal Ministry of Justice.

As the scheme unraveled, Omoruyi wrote, Babangida was “more concerned with saving

HARDBALL

L

AST weekend in Abeokuta, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the self-confessed number one patriotic critic, gleefully reiterated to the visiting Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, just how much he enjoyed commenting on national issues and needling President Goodluck Jonathan. “If there is anything that requires my own comment, position or views, I will say it,” said the former president magisterially. “It is only when you kill me that I will stop doing so. It is my passion, patriotism and love that will continue to make me say my own. If something inimical to the growth of the PDP is being done, I will talk.” There is no statement in all of modern Nigerian political history that is as self-righteous. Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is not outrageously far from Obasanjo’s enduring sanctimoniousness, especially seeing that he was responding to the cold war the media said he was fighting with Jonathan, his estranged political son.

But the former president was not done. Immensely gratified as he held court, Obasanjo began to soar lyrically and philosophically into higher realms as his visitors deferred to him. “The country, the party and government,” he began gravely and syllogistically, “would remain my primary concern, because, if there is no Nigeria, there will not be a party, and if there is no party, there will be nothing to govern on the platform of the party.” And then with absolute deadpan he delivered this clincher: “Even when I was in

OLAKUNLE ABIMBOLA

his life and the lives of his family members than with his office and, by extension, the country. There was absolutely no doubt that he was prepared to sacrifice anything, including the transition programme and the country, so long as he saved his life.”

Weighed down by the mental strain the crisis was taking on him, Babangida had said during one anguished moment: “I wish I can see a psychiatrist to examine me. I think something is wrong with me” And so on and so forth.

After the book’s publication, Omoruyi seemed to have reconciled with Babangida.

Omoruyi celebrated the rapprochement, which his son was instrumental in bringing about. If Babangida’s quixotic bid to return to power had not collapsed before it began, Omoruyi would most likely have been in his corner again.

All had been forgiven even if not forgotten, it seemed.

Then, Omoruyi’s cancer returned. Lacking the resources to travel abroad to seek the aggressive medical intervention it demanded, he turned to Babangida for help. Despite his famed large-heartedness, Babangida was not forthcoming. Neither were those friends on whose help Omoruyi thought he could stake a claim. In the end, it was Governor Adams Oshiomhole of his home state, Edo, who came to the rescue.

This sense of abandonment was what provoked Omoruyi’s pained lament that he had been “used and dumped.”

I think he did himself a great injustice by that statement.

They thought they were using him, as they had used and wasted so many of the intellectual courtiers of the era. They did not reckon that he has a mind of his own. Only those who have no minds of their own, those who cannot speak truth to power, get used and dumped.

The reader must judge for himself or herself whether Omoruyi should have returned to Babangida’s camp after what he went through, and after the excoriation of the former military president that perfuses “The Tale of June 12.” Whatever the judgment, we must in this season of goodwill wish him a speedy recovery.

It will certainly be said of David Omo Omoruyi that he served Nigeria devotedly with his learning and organisational ability at a crucial time in the nation’s history and, at great risk to his life, stood firm on principle when he found – rather late in the day, some might say – that those who recruited him into what he believed was a noble enterprise had all along been actuated by base motives.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

Critic Obasanjo sticks to his guns prison, I was not quiet. Those who want me and the party chairman (Tukur) to quarrel; this visit will keep them quiet. But my mouth will not be quiet.”

The reason for this excursion into logic, lyricism and smugness is that the PDP and perhaps, too, Jonathan, have embraced the view that Obasanjo is angry with the presidency over a number of issues, mostly undisclosed. Believing that the former president’s increasingly trenchant dismissal of Jonathan’s policies and style could prove injurious to the party’s chances in 2015, PDP bigwigs have been anxious to placate the offended two-term president. History teaches the party leaders that Obasanjo’s relentless criticisms often do not bode well for a sitting president, whether military or civilian. President Shehu Shagari (19791983) felt the sting of Obasanjo’s waspish tongue; Gen Ibrahim Babangida (1985-1993) was more than twice cut to the quick; Gen Sani Abacha (1993-1998) attempted to do something drastic about Obasanjo’s acerbity but came to grief as dramatically as he tried to put the complaining Otta farmer down; and neither the late President Umaru Yar’Adua nor Jonathan has fared better with the patriotic critic’s remorseless pummeling.

Obasanjo has done his best to downplay the so-called cold war between himself and the

president. As he told Tukur during the Abeokuta visit, it required patriotism and loyalty to party to make comments on issues, country and party politics. It is doubtful whether Obasanjo was being evasive. He really meant what he said; and he reflected what he genuinely believed. But what is not apparent to those who have had dealings with Obasanjo, including the PDP bigwigs, is that the former president is permanently engaged in saprophytic relationship with other politicians, especially his godsons. He wouldn’t be relevant if his godsons (and successors) were not declining in competence and value. His criticisms are thus the only nutrients that give him life, make him relevant, convince everybody of his invincibility and infallibility, and must therefore be conveyed elaborately and, unfortunately for his victims, garishly.

There will not be an end to Obasanjo’s rage and self-righteousness. As he morbidly put it himself, only death could still his shrill denunciations of his opponents inside and outside the party, the fools he is determined not to suffer gladly, and even his betters whom he often views contemptuously. For in the former president’s cosmogony, there is only one man – Obasanjo. Everyone that came before him was insignificant; and everyone that comes after him is inconsequential.

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