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VOL. 7, NO. 1987 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

N150.00

XMAS DAY BOMBINGS ... THE DAY AFTER

How we were bombed, by church security chief ‘

The policemen tried to stop him but the car refused to stop ... the man wound up the glasses, drove slowly. After about five seconds, he turned the vehicle ... facing the parish and the culvert. As soon as he turned, he accelerated, as if he wanted to fly and ran into them. As soon as he crashed, the bomb exploded.

’

Outrage at parish Mass for victims From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

M

EMBERS of the church that lost 25 worshippers on Christmas Day were struggling yesterday to free themselves from the terrible hangover of the horror.

St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, near the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, was the scene of the Sunday bombings by Boko Haram.

A church member, apparently still shocked by the horrific scene, yesterday relayed how it all happened.

Mr. Francis Raphael said a suicide bomber actually ran into part of the congregation.

His account contradicted that of the National Security Adviser, Gen. Azazi Owoye, who said the perpetrators of the explosions threw bombs at the members of the church who were coming out after an early morning mass.

Raphael, a member of the church’s Security Committee, said the suicide bomber came in a “clean” Toyota Camry Car. The church allowed Raphael to speak with reporters because he is perhaps the only surviving member of the security team on duty on Sunday.

Continued on page 4

INSIDE

•U.S. offers to help •Death toll now 32 •Bombing an invitation to war, says CAN •Sultan blames violence on poor leadership •Fed Govt offers victims’ children free education •SEE PAGES 2,3,4,5&6

•One of the survivors at the National Hospital, Abuja ... yesterday

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

I’m hopeful, says girl who lost parents, sisters

STORY ON PAGE 4

•Nancy Maduka

•SPORT P13 •ENERGY P15 •AVIATION P23 •PROPERTY P25 •POLITICS P37

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

2

NEWS XMAS DAY BOMBINGS...THE DAY AFTER

‘Explosions call for national emergency’ S

OME prominent Nigerians yesterday said the Christmas Day bomb attacks in parts of the country called for a national emergency.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the loss of innocent Nigerians through the activities of the Boko Haram sect was threatening the sovereignty of Nigeria.

Former Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party in the April elections, Prof Pat Utomi, said the attacks had stretched the nation’s patience.

“The Christmas Day bomb blast is a great tragedy coming on a day that represents peace on earth as Christians celebrate the birth of Christ.

“This latest development calls for a national emergency and the need for a summit for Nigerians to decide where the nation is going,’’ Utomi said.

He said where the nation was heading could no longer be left in the hands of security officials alone.

“It is obvious that these officials seem not to understand what is going on and how to handle it. Nigerian people must sit to discuss the way forward and ignoring this would spell greater disaster for the nation.”

Chief Maxi Okwu, the Coordinator of the Patriotic Alliance of Nigeria (PAN), an association of opposition political parties, said: “Government security agencies across the nation seem to be losing the war on terrorism.

“Government must change its tactics by doing more of counter-terrorism, intelligence gathering and infiltration,’’ Okwu said.

He said there was immediate need for Nigerians to sit down and talk before the carnage ripping across the country became impossible to handle.

“Nigeria must go back to the original agreement on federalism which has been lost. The Federal Government must coordinate and finetune the basic agree-

Security tightened at Abuja recreation parks

T

HERE was increased security presence in recreation parks and gardens in Abuja yesterday as Christians and other Nigerians continued to mark boxing day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at some of the gardens, security men stationed military tanks and ambulances, while security operatives screened people who visited the facilities.

The security men refused vehicles entry into the facilities, such as the Millennium park.

Some gardens and parks, however, enjoyed low patronage.

Mr Tunde Bamidele, a civil servant, said he was not scared of possible bomb attacks at one of the parks.

“It is a time to visit such places and reflect on how Jesus Christ chose to be born at the manger for both poor and the rich to benefit from him,” Bamidele said.

Mrs Wunmi Akindele expressed satisfaction over the increased security at the parks, saying it gave her a sense of safety.

“I feel safe with such security presence and with such I will be comfortable to visit the parks at my leisure time,” Akindele added.

Some taxi operators within the city decried low patronage during the Christmas period.

Mr Olatubosun Ojo told NAN that he made N8,000 daily “but this Christmas period if I see N2,000 or N3,000 daily I take.

“You can see there are no passengers, they have already travelled and there are very few people in town.

“This Christmas period it is as if we are not working because there are no passengers but before there were people in town so you can pick up passengers from one place to another,” Ojo said.

Another taxi driver, Mr Chika Mbaogu, said he chose not to work from December 24 to December 27 because of low patronage by passengers.

ment,” he said.

Dr Federick Faseun, the founder of Oodua People’s Congress, described the attacks as sad and unfortunate.

Faseun said enough attention has not been paid to terrorism in Nigeria.

He decried the continued loss of lives in Nigeria through terrorist activities, insisting that the fastest way out of the situation was a national summit.

“No doubt Nigeria is in a sad situation and the Federal Government must tackle the situation as a national emergency,” he said.

The President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, also condemned the bomb blast.

Yerima told NAN that

there was hope in Nigeria if government could listen to reason and facilitate the convocation of a sovereign national conference.

He said the Christmas Day bomb attacks might have been masterminded by those who wanted to instigate a religious crisis in Nigeria.

The AYCF president said the masterminds of the attacks would face the wrath of Allah even if they were not caught because no one had the right to take life, which only God gives.

Why Boko Haram menace is Tinubu calls for security

F

The way out, by Fayemi

E

KITI State Governor Kayode Fayemi has urged the Federal Government to redraw solution measures to the Boko Haram menace to include what he described as “sociological underpinnings of terror” in the country.

Fayemi, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said the provision of human security, including jobs, food, shelter and clothing offers surest solution.

Fayemi said: “While the foot soldiers maybe the headliners now, they are really cannon fodders and a huge distraction.

It is the provision of human security - jobs, food, shelter that will take these cannon fodders out of business to a large extent.

“I want to call on the President and the National Council of State to urgently address

From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

these sociological underpinnings of terror in the country which are beyond the briefs of the National Security Adviser”, he said.

“What it requires is careful, diligent and comprehensive intelligence gathering and detection capacity aimed at the masterminds of the attack - the sponsors of Boko Haram (BH) and their international links with Al-Qaeda, GIS in Algeria and others elsewhere.

“While the National Security Adviser may be trying his best, it is clear that in a counterinsurgency operation in which the enemy is not easily identifiable, he cannot be fought on a conventional basis of sending the military into the field of terror - important as that maybe as an act of deterrence.”

•Some of the survivors of the blast at the National Hospital, Abuja ... yesterday

•Tinubu

T

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the Federal Government of neglecting the Boko Haram crisis that has continued to consume the lives of innocent citizens.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said if the government had spent half of the resources it had devoted to the fuel subsidy issue on the Boko Haram crisis, and had organised as many consultations with stakeholders on Boko Haram as it had done on

ORMER Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has called for a complete overhaul of the security system. He said the overhaul would help curb the spate of bombings in the country.

Tinubu said: “Nigeria is faced with a challenge to its sovereignty and national stability. This is a time that calls for courageous leadership. Hard decisions must be taken to overhaul our security system in concrete terms and above all arrest the monumental failure of intelligence which is clearly apparent”.

Tinubu added that beyond the timing of the

By Wale Ajetunmobi

fuel subsidy, the crisis would have been resolved by now.

The statement reads: “There is no point in mincing words: This government has got its priorities wrong and has acted in a manner that suggests total disregard for human lives. Or how else does one explain a situation where citizens, including security agents, are being hacked down daily by the Boko Haram insurgents and all the government is doing is to waste time and resources on the phantom

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

bombings, which are in bad taste, the unending bombings and prevalent bomb-scares that now dominate the lives of Nigerians suggests that there is something fundamentally wrong which needs fixing. “Nigeria is ripe for a national conference. A conversation that will have all stakeholders at the table where we can discuss and if need be renegotiate the basis of our union. As it now stands, the state of our union is weak.The state of our union is under severe attack and we need collective ac-

fuel subsidy issue?

“The engagement must be preceded by a meeting of national stakeholders on security, which will harness the experience and wisdom of key people, including former heads of state, traditional and religious leaders, as well as past and present security and intelligence chiefs in seeking a lasting solution to the problem. We have called for these measures on at least two occasions in the past and we hereby reiterate them, as the government’s approach of using force has failed woefully, while

citizens continue to die.

“For now the Federal Government has got the diagnosis of the Boko Haram wrong, which means it is basing its solutions on a wrong premise.

Though some will have us believe otherwise, the Boko Haram crisis is a reaction to some perceived acts of injustice and corruption, which makes it a social and political crisis rather than an ethnic or religious one. Some even see it wrongly as a North-Southsouth agenda.

“It is also important to learn

gr

ov

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NEWS XMAS DAY BOMBINGS...THE DAY AFTER

Where are we heading?

T

HE mass killing of Christian faithful on Christmas day of all days when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, the symbol of Christendom in the name of religious advocacy by the Boko Haram group is not only an action that must be condemned by all peace-loving people who value human life and civilised conduct but constitute a major threat to peaceful co-existence of people of different religious callings in Nigeria.

It is an act of savagery of the most arcane nature, to slaughter worshipers on a day which is globally acknowledged, as one in which neighbours should extend their hand of fellowship to believers and non-believers in their faith; such an act is even unacceptable anywhere, on any day in modern society. It is also shocking and worrisome that apart from the Niger State governor and Gen. Buhari, other well known key leaders from the areas where this killing by a group whose views are not shared by the majority of the faith they are hiding under to perpetuate mass blood-letting are keeping a loud silence. We had suggested and called for dialogue but nobody to engage with by the authorities; even the efforts by ex president Obasanjo to broker peace led to the brutal murder of one of the facilitators. What then is the way forward and where are we heading?

If the intention of the Boko Haram group is to persuade the public on the merits of their faith or values, this wanton disregard for human life is a total recoil and a complete contradiction from all that is good about any religious practice.

If we must build an ambience for enduring democratic culture, then all those who advocate for any policy or value template must be confidently persuaded about their ideas, positions, policy or values to peacefully exhaust its merits through persuasive discussions, negotiations and consensual understanding in the marketplace of public discussions.

To resort to violence, mass murder and coercion with the intention of imposing one’s religious beliefs within any territorial boundaries of Nigeria without regard to the freedom of others to determine their religious persuasions freely and without duress, defies the universal logic on the freedom of religious practice.

COMMENTARY

By Mike Igini

To further use such a basis to engage the constituted authorities in Nigeria through the killing of innocent persons, simply because of their religious affiliations, is the most dangerous threat to the unity and existence of this country which anyone has ever embarked upon.

Religion should not be used to engender hatred but rather promote affinity and expand the radius of humanity.

It bears saying that if these barbarous activities are considered a method of political engagement by any group, it is a self-defeating, pyrrhic and nihilistic enterprise which is bound to consume everything that Nigeria stands for as an entity. For as history has shown in several places, such as in Northern Ireland and Sarajevo, and several other places, the imposition of religious beliefs have never been successful compared to the development of an ambiance in which mutual tolerance between religious faiths is the main goal.

For this reason, no group should use violence to impose its religious beliefs on another group, be it Christian, Muslim, Animist or whatever faith. It has never succeeded elsewhere in the world, but only leads to an outbreak of religious war, and no nation has succeeded and remained same after a religious war.

Thus those who are working hard to shove Nigeria into a religious war must be utterly condemned and warned of the dangers lurking around. This is the first time in my entire life that December 25, a Christmas day, became my worst and saddest moment. Why kill worshippers on a day that matter most to them?

The most dangerous times in the history of Nigeria has been those times when a few individuals have taken the route of violent conflicts or coercion, intended to impose their political or social persuasions on others. On the other hand, the most productive times have been when all stakeholders have come together to reach constitutional or consensual agreements, such as those which resulted in the independence of Nigeria in 1960, the 1963 Republican Constitution, the 1978 constituent Assembly resulting in the 1979 constitution and the recommendations of the 1995 con-

•Igini

stitutional colloquium of 1994. Never in the history of Nigeria, have a few persons imposed their a prior determined values on whole swathes of the country without regard to the diversity of all the denizens of such areas with sustained peace.

If we are true to ourselves, there is no state in Nigeria with a 100 per cent composition of denizens of any one religious, political or social persuasion. Therefore, to foster intolerance and to ask any government at any level to endorse such intolerance defies logic. It would be more understandable if the advocacy was because government or the Nigerian state did not allow the Boko Haram group to practise its faith freely. Even that will not extenuate the killing of innocent Nigerians, but instead it is the Boko Haram group that is killing everyone, including security personnel and asking the Nigerian state to deny others the freedom to practice their faith wherever they wish to do so. No one can ask for the right to deny others of their human rights. Now is the time for all stakeholders to act collectively and bring this state of anomie to an end otherwise Nigeria may implode into the journey of the unknown. May we all not regret our collective failure to act now.

•Igini, a lawyer and civil rights advocate, is the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) Cross River State.

Mark, Tambuwal: violence absurd

day

is

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PHOTOS: ABAYOMI FAYESE

growing, by ACN overhaul tion to deal with the slide into anarchy.”

Tinubu, while expressing his condolences to those affected, said he was willing to partner the Jonathan administration to confront the danger that threatens to destroy the country. “Before we are left with no country to call our own, we must all speak up and act in the spirit of unity”’ Tinubu advised. a lesson or two from the resolution of the militancy in the Niger Delta. While the Niger Delta militants complained of massive neglect of their communities, impoverishment of their people and destruction of their flora and fauna, the Boko Haram insurgents have raised the issues of injustice, poverty and corruption, and the extrajudicial killing of their leader and members. All that a courageous leadership needs to do is to see which of the demands of the insurgents are reasonable and can be addressed to usher

in peace, while ignoring the demands that are clearly unreasonable. After all, the amnesty did not address all the grievances of the Niger Delta insurgents, but has helped to reduce militancy to the barest minimum.

“Those who say no reasonable government will talk to terrorists are not being realistic. They have forgotten that the Boko Haram people are Nigerians first and foremost. Secondly, nowhere in the world has force succeeded in crushing an insurgency. Thirdly, even if force succeeds in the interim, achieving lasting peace will require dialogue. It is therefore important that we seek an alternative to the use of force in resolving the Boko Haram crisis,” the party said.

ACN condemned the bomb attacks on Christmas day, in Madalla in Niger and Jos in Plateau State, saying no grievance in the world can be justified by the killing and maiming of innocent citizens.

“We urge those behind these killings to sheath their swords and take the path of dialogue to resolve whatever their grievances may be,” the party said.

•Mark

S

ENATE President David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal have described the Christmas day bomb-

ings in Madalla, Damaturu and Jos as absurd and totally intolerable.

The Senate President said: “Whatever the anger or misgivings, neither our laws nor the Holy books allow unlawful taking of another man’s life. This is absurd and totally intolerable.”

Mark, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, condemned the bombings and said it was a direct affront and a declaration of war on Nigerians.

“This spate of bombings and killing of innocent and harmless country men and women cannot be a way of life.

“This is not part of our culture or way of life. Leaders at all levels and across the divide must rise up to this unwarranted affront against the people,’’ he stated.

The Senate President called on all levels of leadership to preach the gospel of peace, love and reconciliation, adding: “God did not make mistake to keep us together as a people with common mission and destiny.”

He sympathised with the families of the victims and pledged that the Federal Government would ensure that they did not die in vain.

Mark urged security operatives to redouble their efforts to contain the situation, saying the National Assembly would continue

to collaborate with the executive arm of government to ensure security of life and property.

He urged extremist groups, especially the Boko Haram, to sheath their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the corporate existence of Nigeria.

In a condolence message issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Imam Imam, the Speaker said the cases of insecurity witnessed in various parts of the country would soon be a thing of the past.

He said the House of Representatives, would work closely with other arms of government to ensure that the country is more secured in the future.

CD urges Jonathan to rejig service chiefs

T

HE Campaign for Democracy (CD) yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to rejigthe service chiefs.

The group, in a statement by its president, Dr Joe OkeiOdumakin, said: “Our president seems to be telling the nation that for as long as there is peace in the Villa and N1 billion to eat the best

From Jide Babalola, Abuja

food money can buy, the people are on their own.

“If the truth must be told, it is time the President got up his seat and do one of the things he is elected to do: secure the country.

“He must rejig his service chiefs, reorganise the security forces and give a clear

road map to combat terror in our land.

“If the President was too engrossed in celebration to listen to the news, he should ask his aides to tell him what Aljazeera called him after the Christmas bombings.

Nigerians don’t want to live with bombings, let their President shape up.

“We commiserate with all

the bereaved families and the extended families of the four families totally wiped out in the attacks on the Catholic Church at Madalla.

“We also wish quick recovery for the wounded and the traumatized in these orgies o f violence unleashed to shatter the mood of celebration in the country on Christmas day.”

4

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NEWS XMAS DAY BOMBINGS ... THE DAY AFTER Continued from page 1

•Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola displaying the plaque he received during the reception for him by the Ijesa Zonal Leaders Forum of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at Ilesa, Osun State ... at the weekend. With him are Zonal Chairman of ACN, Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed (left) and Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran 11,.

A policeman, who also survived, was still regarded as a “living victim” because he is in a critical condition.

Raphael, who is injured in the head, said the suicide bomber died with scores of congregation members.

The survivor, who was at the gates of the church when the explosions occurred, said the bomber defied police and church operatives when he was flagged down.

His head bandaged, Raphael narrated how three policemen and a church security worker, Peter Ehis, made a desperate bid to stop the bomber for a check, but he accelerated and rammed into scores of parishioners trooping out of the church.

He said he was sure that about 90per cent of the members of the congregation were

U. S. pledges to join battle against bombings

T

HE United States has pledged to support the Nigerian government to battle the menace of bombings.

The White House yesterday condemned the violent Christmas Day terrorist attacks on St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, near Abuja, which led to the death of 26 people. Many others were injured.

“We condemn this senseless violence and tragic loss of lives on Christmas Day,” the White

House said in a statement released, by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, from Haawaii where President Barack Obama is vacationing.

“We have been in contact with Nigerian officials about what initially appeared to be terrorist acts, and pledge to assist them in bringing those responsible to justice,” it said.

The U.S. promised to help Nigeria find those responsible for the Christmas Day bombings.

John Campbell, a former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria,

says Boko Haram has given voice to what he calls “a cloud of inchoate rage shaped by Islam”, that has brewed among northerners. “(President) Jonathan needs to address this northern alienation, of which Boko Haram is only a symptom,” Campbell wrote in a recent op-ed for Foreign Affairs magazine.

“Too heavy a hand would risk alienating Nigeria’s 75 million Muslims, who already have legitimate grievances in the north. This, in turn, could

undermine the very unity of Nigeria - something neither Washington nor Abuja can afford,” said Campbell, who is the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York.

Pope Benedict XVI again denounced the bombing of a Nigerian Catholic church, saying only respect and reconciliation can bring peace — not violence.

Continued on page 57

Outrage as parish holds Mass for victims

B

ARELY 24 hours after the devastation of their church, members of the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, near Abuja, yesterday summoned the courage to hold a mass for the dead.

But there was outrage over the bombings, which the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, said it carried out. No fewer than 25 people died in the Christmas Day incident.

The Catholic Arch-Bishop of Abuja Diocese, John Onaiyekan, asked Boko Harm members to learn to live peacefully with other Nigerians or move to Somalia and Afghanistan.

Some Muslim leaders from Suleija Emirate met with the representative of the Pope in Nigeria, Arch-Bishop Augustine Kasujja, the Bishop of Minna Diocese, Mathew Uzoukwu.

Members of the congregation trooped out as early as 6am to pray for the dead.

Although the church was filled to the brim as at 9am, the mass could not start until about 11.22am.

The mass was devoted to a celebration of martyrdom of those who died in the Christmas Day explosions and to seek forgiveness for the perpetrators of the bombings.

The mass was attended by the Catholic Arch-Bishop of Abuja Diocese, John Onaiyekan; the Papal Nuncio, Bishop Augustine Kasujja, and the Bishop of Minna Diocese, Mathew Uzoukwu, among other top Catholic clerics.

The officiating cleric, Bishop Uzoukwu, likened the killing of some members of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church to the travails of Saint Stephen, the first martyr in

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

Christendom to die for his faith.

Quoting copiously from the Acts of Apostle, Chapter 7, he asked members to accept the fact that “those killed were martyrs of faith; they have not died in vain”.

“As they were stoning Stephen, said the cleric, he “called upon God: ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, ‘Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

“We should celebrate these martyrs of faith and forgive those who perpetrated these dastardly acts. We have lost many parishioners, but we should not lose our faith in the Lord.

“Let us be stronger and be committed to the Lord at this trying period.”

Amid emotions, Rev. Uzoukwu also inspired the parishioners with quotes from Mathew.

Bishop Kasujja, a Ugandan, delivered Pope Benedict XVI’s condolence message.

The message reads in part: “I wish to express my solidarity with those who have been hit by this absurd act and invite prayers for the many victims.

Violence is a way that leads only to pain, destruction and death.”

The congregation later retired into a session of prayers.

In a chat with reporters after the mass, Bishop Onaiyekan, a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria

(CAN), said: “We are calling for the evacuation of those in critical condition. They should be taken abroad for treatment.

It is a pity that we still live in a society where we take those in critical condition abroad.

“The government should evacuate those injured abroad; we should not behave that we care when it happened to big people in our society.

“The Federal Government should also devise a means of averting a recurrence of the spate of bombings in the country. The government must act because there is anger and frustration in the land. Something has to be done soon to forestall further threats to security.

Continued on page 8

How we were bombed, by church security chief at the entrance of the church when the bomber ran into them on top speed.

Raphael said: “It was an impact bomb. The incident happened few minutes before 8am when the first mass ended and people were coming out. I was under a cashew tree, directly under the fence of the second gate.

“Immediately after the first mass, we were trying to disperse and there were many people outside the church.

“The suicide bomber came with a golden colour Camry car. The flashy and clean car was coming from Suleija end.

The car was almost like new and the glasses were clear, not tinted.

“The suicide bomber wound up all the side glasses.

He must have been playing music or making some incantations or saying his last prayers.

“We had two security personnel and a youth member at the first gate. The policemen tried to stop him but the car refused to stop. The youth member did the same thing to stop him, he refused. The youth member decided to follow him, to monitor him.

“Instead, the man wound up the glasses, drove slowly.

After about five seconds, he turned the vehicle with one of his back tyres almost stepping on the youth member.

He turned the vehicle, facing the parish and the culvert.

“As soon as he turned, he accelerated, as if he wanted to fly and ran into them. As soon as he crashed, the bomb exploded. It was after the crash that the thing exploded.

So, he moved the car and entered into the scores of parishioners.

“The traffic man and the youth member died. The youth member, Peter Ehis, was so close to the car. He was directly behind the car.

They said he also died alongside an Inspector at the first gate.

“The suicide bomber died with his victims. I cannot recall whether he was in the car with any other person. But the car was brand new golden colour Toyota Camry.

“I was thrown aside. I stood up thrice. After, I was treated at the Daughters of Charity

Home but could not be admitted. I had to go back to the hospital this morning for treatment.

“I still have some shock. I thank God that I am alive.

The suicide bomber was not on speed; he drove slowly, then he stopped, but with great acceleration, he ran into those coming out.

“If I am to say, let me say that about 90 per cent of the parishioners were outside the church when the suicide bomber struck.

“The death toll of 25 was far from it. I said scores of persons died in the explosions.”

Responding to a question, Raphael said: “We beefed up our security in the church long tome ago. Before you go into the church, we use scanners to screen you. We have always taken precaution.

“The precaution was not based on any information but when we had the celebration last year, some came with bangers that were so loud. To manage the situation, we had to check all these.”

Concerning the arrest, Raphael added: “I was told two strange persons were caught. I may have to find out the true position.”

Asked if it is true that the bombs were planted under a car on Saturday, he said: “The vehicle there was a green Mercedes Benz car owned by a parishioner.”

•Raphael

All hope not lost, says girl who lost parents, siblings

W

ILL you call it luck, destiny or divine intervention? For Nancy, the decision not to attend the Christmas Day early morning mass is kept her alive. Despite pressure on her by her father and siblings, Nancy, 13, the last of her parents’ three children, declined to go with them for the early morning Mass.

She pleaded with her parents to allow her stay back at home to enable her dress her hair. When it became evident that she was not ready to go with them, her mother, in annoyance, left some money and asked her to prepare food for the Christmas .

Francis and Jennifer Maduka, parents of Nancy, and their two elder daughters left for the church. They did not return.

‘

I know my dad’s car; everybody in the car was dead. The first person I identified was one of my sisters; she was dried up by the fire from the explosion. I saw my parents in the front seat, and they were all burnt in the car.

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

There was no premonition that death was lurking in the corner. Not even the directive by the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Isaac Achi, that all parishioners should wait for a Christmas gift from “Baby Jesus” after the mass could stop the family from leaving immediately.

Far away from the church, Nancy was preparing to dress her hair when a loud and ear-deafening sound

’

rented the air. Like a wild harmattan fire, the news of the bombings at St. Theresa Catholic Church went round Madalla. Suddenly, Nancy remembered that her parents and sisters were in the church. She dashed to the church to find her parents and two sisters burnt in their car.

Recounting the gory story, Nancy said: “I was not with them. I had to go and do my hair because I was in church throughout yesterday, pre-

paring for the Christmas. So, I was unable to make it to mass, despite the pressure mounted by my father to dress up.

“At about 7:30am, I went to do my hair and from there, I heard some people talking about bomb blast at St. Theresa Church. So, I went to check. As I was about entering the church, and was making enquiry, I saw somebody lying on the ground, dead. I know my dad’s car; everybody in the car was dead. The first person I identified was one of my sisters; she was dried up by the fire from the explosion. I saw my parents in the front seat, and they were all burnt in the car. I lost all; my parents, my sisters. I lost all. I was crying because I can see a bleak future ahead of me. Where do I go from

where I am? I was not only confused; I initially felt all hope was lost. The only thing I recalled was that some people came and dragged me away from my father’s burnt car.”

Now living with the Parish Sisters, Nancy is hopeful of a good future. “I don’t know why this happened, but since this is the way the good Lord wants it, let it be. All I know is that all hope is not lost. I strongly believe this is not the end of the world for me. I know God has a plan for me to have spared my life,” she said.

CORRECTION In yesterday’s IN TOUCH column by Sam Omatseye, the word inhabitable should have read uninhabitable. The error, which is typographical, is regretted.

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

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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NEWS XMAS DAY BOMBINGS...THE DAY AFTER Catholic group: we’ are insecure CATHOLIC Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) of Nsukka Catholic Diocese has described the bomb blasts around the country on Christmas Day as a show of the level of insecurity in Nigeria.

Rev Fr Simeon Ugwueze, the Chairman of the commission said in a interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka, Enugu State, yesterday that it was unfortunate that Christians were not assured of their safety at Christmas.

“It is unbelievable and tearevoking that some innocent Nigerians that went to church on Christmas Day were killed by some hoodlums.

“They were killed on the church premises by Boko Haram for committing no offence.

“If there is adequate security in this country, these bloodthirsty criminals could have been arrested before they could carry out their evil act,” he said Ugwueze described the blast at St Theresa’s Catholic Church Madalla, Niger, as the most gruesome, and urged the Federal Government “to do something urgent before more Nigerians would be killed.

“It is high time that government found lasting solution to the present security challenges in the country.

“If people will be killed inside the church, it means there is a problem in this country.”

Islamic, Christian scholars berate Christmas Day bombers S OME Islamic scholars in Kano have condemned the bomb attacks in churches around the country on Christmas Day. Some religious fanatics bombed churches in Madalla, Niger and Jos as well as Damaturu, killing many and injuring others.

In interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, the scholars described the attacks as “inhuman and wicked”.

Sheik Muhammad Isa described the attack as “unfortunate and heartless,” adding that no worshipper, should be attacked at a place of worship especially on holy days.

He said the attackers were not adherents of any faith as no true believer could inflict such harm on innocent people.

Sheikh Usman Saif, another cleric, said God would not spare the bombers shedding blood and upsetting people during a religious period.

“How can a person or a group of people, who believe in God, hurt people at such a period when people were praying to their God?” He urged the government to tighten security to stop fanatical religious sects or groups from unleashing terror on people, especially on special occasions.

A female scholar, Ummah Abdul, also condemned the attack, and urged Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper in order to achieve lasting peace and stability in the country.

Some Christian clerics in Lagos have condemned the Christmas Day bomb blasts, saying the explosions were unwarranted.

The clerics told NAN that bombing was not the best way to address grievances.

Rev. Fr. Anthony Afariogun of the Catholic Major Seminary of All Saints, Ekpoma, Edo, spoke in Lagos, saying the security situation in the country was getting unbearable and called on the government to urgently address the challenge.

“We should be very careful not to extend the ongoing crisis to a religious circle.

“If the Federal Govern-

ment cannot handle it, it should seek the intervention of the international community.”

Afariogun advised the government to fish out those people trying to cause disunity and bring them to book before the situation got out of hand.

In his reaction, the Lagos Archdiocesan Catholic Youth Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Andrew Ogidan advised the Boko Haram militants who claimed responsibility for the bombings to spell out their grievances instead of killing innocent people.

“These faceless people should come out and state their mission to the government instead of killing innocent people in the country.”

Msgr. Francis Ogunmodede, the Catholic Deen, Lekki Deneary, also told

Muslim congress condemn explosion

T

How to stop Boko Haram,

by Ojudu From Sulaiman Salawudeen, Ado-Ekiti

SENATOR Babafemi Ojudu has said genuine care for the masses through friendly policies and programmes by the Federal Government remains the only solution to the bombings and killings of innocent citizens by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgent group Ojudu, in a statement by Mr. Caleb Daniels, his Media Assistant, said the situation is an emergency and the government must see and treat it as such.

The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Service and Establishment, said: “Groups like Boko Haram exist as a result of long-time insensitivity of government to the plight of Nigerians and the bond that hold Nigeria together as a nation.

“The usual assumption by government that Nigerians would take whatever it pushes their way must stop, as the Niger/Delta and Boko Haram insurgencies have shown that it is a whole different ballgame now.

“To continue to harass suspected members or issue them death threats will only worsen the situation. Innocent Nigerians, including children, men and women are too much at the receiving end of the insurgencies. This killing of innocent Nigerians is unacceptable and deserving of government’s undivided attention. Whatever government would do must be done now. This incessant attacks and utter disregard for the sanctity of human lives by some individuals cannot be allowed to continue.”

NAN that the security threat was a sign of dissatisfaction of some groups of people with the government.

He suggested the convocation of a sovereign national conference so that such groups could present their grievances.

The Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Msgr. Gabriel Osu, said that it was sad that such a disaster happened on a day when Christians all over the world were celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Osu advised the government to take urgent steps in tackling insecurity in the country.

•Minister of Interior, Abba Moro (in fez cap ) with the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sanni Sidi Mohammed with a victim of the Madalla blast at National Hospital, Abuja...yesterday PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

Activists urge Fed Govt to allow arms for citizens

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HE Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the explosions in Madalla, Niger State, Jos in Plateau State and Damaturu in Yobe State.

In a statement issued by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Director of Media Affairs, Miss Zainab Yusuf, the group accused the Federal Government of playing lip service to the issue.

The group said the Federal Government has not succeeded in effectively check-

ing the activities of different armed splinter groups across the country, especially in the North.

HURIWA said all Nigerians should be given licences to carry arms as an effective means of protecting themselves from attacks.

HURIWA said: “We use this medium to appeal to President Jonathan to sack all the security chiefs with the exception of the Chief of Army Staff for their colossal failure to effectively tackle the unprecedented rise in the targeted mass killings of Christian minorities and

other unarmed mainstream Muslims in the Northeast by armed Islamic fundamentalists. We are shocked that President Jonathan is happy that the Nigeria Police Force under the current InspectorGeneral has failed to confront the armed religious extremists successfully and to combat the serious threats of violence and the vicious violence unleashed on the innocent and unarmed civilians by these splinter armed groups that are working very hard to overthrow the current federal administration. Why

has President Jonathan refused to sack and prosecute the current Inspector-General of police Mr. Hafiz Ringim under whose tenure the Nigeria Police as an institution has suffered progressive institutional decay? We are equally shocked that the court system in Nigeria has shown serious weakness to carry out effective delivery of trials whenever these violent extremists are brought before the competent courts of law for trial over allegations of grave crimes against humanity.”

Obi, MASSOB, youths condemn attack

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NAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Igbo Youth Vanguard yesterday condemned the Christmas Day bombings.

Obi, in a statement said any manner of terrorism in any part of the world is condemnable.

He urged the bombers and those behind them to realise that what they are doing is hurting.

The governor noted that Chrismas is a solemn period and calls for extreme pi-

From Adimike George, Onitsha

ety and sharing among the faithful of various religions.

He added that it is not the time for people to give reign to their barbaric side.

The governor called for the enthronement of the culture of peace and civility among Nigerians.

Obi urged Nigerians to use this period to reflect on the bombing spree in the country and realise that if not stopped, it will portend a grave danger for the country.

MASSOB, through its National Director of Information, Comrade Uchenna Madu noted that the spate of bomb blasts in the country signal the end of the geopolitical entity known as Nigeria, adding that next year’s bomb attacks by the Islamic fundamentalist, Boko Haram would be deadlier.

He warned Christians and other southerners residing in the North to be vigilant and called on the Igbos, living in the northern parts of the country to come back home.

He said it was despicable

that people who said they believe in God would wreak such havoc.

He called on the Igbos to stop developing property outside their land insisting that the Igbos have been the major targets, especially during such attacks.

The Igbo Youth Vanguard, through its Spokesman, Comrade Chuks Anene warned the sect to have a rethink or face the possibility of reprisal attacks.

He blamed security chiefs of shielding members of the sect.

HE Muslim Congress (TMC) has condemned the spate of bombings in parts of the country on Christmas Day. The Islamic organisation made the condemnation in a statement signed by its President, Ustadh Luqman AbdurRaheem, a copy of which was given to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.

NAN recalls that there were bombings at Madalla, near Suleja in Niger, as well as Jos and Damaturu, all of which the Boko Haram militants claimed responsibility.

“These endemic killings can best be described as inhuman, wicked, condemnable and totally unacceptable in civilised societies.

“The action is even more repulsive during the periods of celebration.

“This criminal incident has once again challenged the Federal Government to be more vigilant, responsive and alive to its responsibility of providing security,” AbdurRaheem stated.

He emphasised the position of the TMC that whatever motivated the incessant bombing of Nigerians did not find any place or theological justification in Islam.

“The solution to whatever disagreement, definitely, is not killing and bombing but dialogue and tolerance.

“The Congress again appeals to all Nigerians, irrespective of their religious and ideological inclinations, to cooperate with the Federal Government and security agencies to nip the insanity of the Boko Haram in the bud by reporting suspicious moves and antics.

“Bombs do not respect imams, pastors, Muslims and non-Muslims while dangerous weapons portend doom for all.”

•Obi

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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NEWS XMAS DAY BOMBINGS...THE DAY AFTER Death toll hits 32 THE death toll from the Christmas Day bombing has reached 32, an emergency official said yesterday.

The Boko Haram sect claimed responsibility, two government officials said.

The Comptroller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Olusegun Okebiorun, said 32 people were killed in Madalla, and 65 injured.

Some of the injured have been treated and released, he said.

A spokesman for the Red Cross, Nwakpa Okorie, said some of the victimswere taken to Abuja for treatment.

“The security agents have secured the streets close to the bombed areas ... in Madalla, Jos and Dematuru,” he said.

The Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat, Rev. Michael Ekpenyong, said the church that was bombed is “not a big church, but lot of people attended mass that day.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the acts “in the strongest terms,” his office said in a statement.

He expressed his condolences to Nigerians and reiterated a call “for an end to all acts of sectarian violence in the country.”

CAN to extremists: enough is enough •ACF calls for peace C

HRISTIANS in the North have said attacks on churches are invitations to religious war in the country.

They said: “Enough is enough”.

At a briefing in Kaduna yesterday, Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Northern Nigeria, Saidu Dogo, said: CAN is tired of sitting back while innocent Christians are killed and churches destroyed.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) expressed fears that bombing of worship places are capable of creating a major crisis in the country.

It appealed to Nigerians to give peace a chance.

Dogo urged Islamic leaders in the North to call their followers to order to avert a religious war.

His words: “No group should be pushed to the wall just to fan the embers of a religious war.

“Christians shall henceforth, in the midst of these provocations and wanton destruction of innocent life and property, be compelled

From Tony Akowe, Kaduna

to make our own efforts and arrangements to protect our lives .

“We are therefore calling on all Christians to be law abiding but defend themselves whenever the need arises.

“We are also calling on the Muslim Umma and Ulamas in Nigeria to live up to their responsibilities by calling to order all Islamic sects in the country to have respect for human lives and stop these killings.

“We fear that the situation may degenerate to a religious war and Nigeria may not be able to survive it. Once again, enough is enough.

“We appreciate the efforts of the Federal Government and its security agents in trying to curtail these attacks.

“However, we are piqued that the efforts of government are being undermined by the sponsors of the Islamic fundamentalists in the North.

“We are particularly disturbed that the perpetrators of these dastardly acts and their sponsors are well known to government and no serious or decisive actions have been taken to stem their nefarious activities “The federal and state governments of Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and such other areas should arrest all the perpetrators and their sponsors.

“Government at all levels should provide 24 hours security services to all churches, Christian religious institutions and organisations in the county, especially in the North.

“We are also calling on the federal and state governments to urgently stem these massacres of Christians and the destruction of their churches and property in the North.

“The attacks so far have proved that some Islamic fundamentalists want to ex-

terminate Christianity in the northern states.

“We are assuring all Christians that the church will not allow that to happen.

“We call on all Christians in the North to remain calm, watchful, prayerful, and peaceful but act wisely to protect themselves and property as each situation dictates.

“Our condolences go to the families of all those who lost their lives in the wake of these attacks,” Dogo said.

The ACF said it is worried that these attacks are capable of creating an unnecessary religious crisis in the country and asked all those perpetuating such acts to desist in the interest of the nation.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, the ACF said “the spate of bomb blasts on Christmas day, which were directed at places of worships across some parts of the North” is a serious source of concern to us, Northern leaders and to the good people of the North,

Scholarship for orphans •Fed Govt to foot medical bills From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

Bombing, a distraction, says Imoke CROSS River State Governor Liyel Imoke has described the Christmas Day bomb explosion at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church at Madalla, Suleja, Niger State, as an extreme act of terrorism and a distraction to national unity.

In a statement by his Special Assistant, Media and Chief Press Secretary, Omini Oden, Imoke said the senseless bombing was a grievous strike at the very heart of Christianity and an act of provocation directed at Christians.

The statement added that the bombing that resulted in the death of many revealed the dark heart of the perpetrators who by all judgement are enemies of progress.

The governor described the enormous destruction and regretted the colossal waste of innocent lives.

He commended the love and courage displayed by Nigerians and emergency agencies in attending to and moving the injured to the hospital Imoke urged Christians and the public to find strength from these tragic incidents and resist the temptation to engage in reprisal attacks.

“It is critical for the nation to break down the barriers of hatred and fear built and coexist as brothers.”

The governor appealed to security agencies to rise up to the challenge of solving all the security trials facing the country.

He maintained that no matter the intensity and frequency of bombings in the country, the unity, corporate existence of Nigeria remains sacrosanct.

indeed, to patriotic Nigerians.

“It is a source of concern not because past bombings were less serious but because those on the Christmas Day are capable of diverting attention to religious crises that would serve no one, including the perpetrators, any good now and for a long time to come.

“Consequently, ACF calls on the perpetrators of violence to stop forth with and avail themselves to due process of addressing perceived grievances that are in place.

“ACF also wishes to say killing of innocent Nigerians is not correct and offends God and many people’s sense of justice. This is because a good number of those who go to places of worship are not lettered in either Western or Islamic education.”

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•A survivor at the National Hospital Abuja...yesterday.

PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

Bombings, sign of silent revolution , says Akande

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ATIONAL Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Bisi Akande yesterday described the spate of bombings in the North allegedly sponsored by an Islamic sect, Boko Haram, as a sign of silent revolution brewing in the country.

He warned that the trend would “engulf the nation like a wild-fire if immediate measures are not applied to curb it.”

Speaking with reporters yesterday at his country home in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, Akande said: “Whether what is going on either Boko Haram or Niger Delta militancy, it is all a sign of dissatisfaction, sign of anger of the vibrant

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

youths of this nation against the government.

“Jonathan is in power. He should see it all. He has all the facts but it is a pity if he can’t handle the situation.

“If I am in power and I cannot handle the situation, then it means I am inefficient.

“Though some people have sympathy for him, but it is a regret that the President has failed to handle the situation.”

He also explained why the Federal Government cannot convince Nigerians on the need for oil subsidy removal.

The ACN chair said Nigerians could no longer trust the Peoples Demo-

cratic Party (PDP) government led by President GoodluckJonathan.

He said the PDP had told Nigerians many lies and made many promises which it had failed to fulfill.

His words: “Everybody in Nigeria has become distrustful of the PDP government.

“And when you don’t trust a government, no matter what it says or promises you find it difficult to trust and believe.

“The PDP had told Nigerians so many lies about so many things in the past. So whatever they are saying about fuel subsidy sounds false to so many Nigerians.

“To my mind, I do not see any reason not to subsidise what is being manufactured in this country. Such a subsidy will go to the suppli-

ers, the workers and everybody in this country. But when you are saying you have been subsidising something being imported and manufactured in another country, you will have a big burden to let us know how and why it is so.

Because before you subsidise, you have to consider so many costs, particularly cost of importation and many others before you add your selling price.”

The ACN leader, who was governor of Osun State between 1999 and 2003, said the government must first tell Nigerians why all the refineries in the country are killed and they have failed to wake them up and make them function to benefit Nigerians and boost the nation’s economy.”

INISTER of Interior Abba Moro has announced plans by the Federal Government to sponsor the education of children who lost their parents to the Christmas day bomb blast at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State.

The minister spoke yesterday when he visited members of the church.

He said President Goodluck Jonathan was disturbed by the attack and promised that government was determined to get to the root of the various bomb attacks in the country.

Moro also told some parishioners that the Federal Government was also determined to sponsor victims who sustained serious injuries for treatment abroad.

The minister said government was disturbed by the incessant bombing in some states, assuring that government was working tirelessly toward ensuring that security was improved across the country.

Reassuring the parishioners, Moro said he was going to visit the victims who are at the National Hospital, Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital and other identified hospitals in Abuja.

The parish Priest, Rev Isaac Achi, said he was not around during the morning mass on the fateful day, but when he was told he rushed to church to find the place in chaos.

According to him, “When I got to church saw several bodies on the ground at the front of the church gate.”

He, however, told the minister that the church was yet to ascertain the level of the damage and the exact number of the causalities.

A short mass was yesterday held for the victims of the bomb blast in the church.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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NEWS

‘Change drives national development’ •Fashola speaks on how to enhance growth L

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola has said Nigerians need to change their approach to life.

He said the people must develop the will to change the things they do not like and solve the problems confronting the country.

Fashola spoke at the Christmas Eve Dance of the Yoruba Tennis Club and Island Club.

He said: “I do not think we lack the ability to do what is right or change what we do not accept. What I think is lacking is the will to do so. As the year comes to an end, we need to reflect deeply. It calls us to ask what we can do better, so that we can be bigger beneficiaries of this commonwealth.

“We must accept that we can all do more to make the place we call home better. I make these observations in the light of recent developments and responses to policies that we are enunciating to make life better.

“While it is inherent in human nature to resist it, change is the only thing that is permanent in life.

The daily demand for better roads, health care, education, electricity and water supply are inherent demands for change and certain things must be given up to get something better.”

He cited the examples of the relocation of people from Ofin and Olowogbowo in Central Lagos to Shitta, Surulere, to make way for the construction of the Eko Bridge.

Fashola said the people protested then, but the bridge serves the interest of a larger number of people now.

He also cited the initial discomfort and complaints which greeted the construction of Awolowo Road and Onikan by the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu and the cries that accompanied the cleaning up of Oshodi and the creation of dedicated lanes for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System, which has today become a

transportation model at the World Bank.

Fashola said decisions in government are not taken on the basis of individual preferences, but on the basis of what is best for the people.

He clarified his position on a number of issues, which he said were not accurately reported in the media.

The governor said when he declared at the Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility that companies must be just before being generous, it was misreported that he demanded a probe of the companies.

He said a company can only claim to be socially responsible when it has enthroned a proper culture of corporate governance, earned its money legitimately and paid its taxes.

Fashola said: “What is offensive in asking a company to spend money to ensure it does not pollute the

environment and affect our health, instead of allowing it to first pollute our drinking water and source of fishing, only to turn around and donate a borehole to us with great publicity, as if it has done us a favour.

“It may not be popular to insist on the truth always, but I cannot stop saying it. I choose change and a better quality of life for my people, state and country above any popularity that keeping silent will bring.”

On the issue of Withholding Tax, the governor said: “Withholding Tax is not a new tax. It is part of income tax. It is not double taxation.

It only means that when your final assessment is done at the end of the tax year, what you have paid as Withholding Tax would be deducted, and if there is any balance, that is all you will pay.

“This administration, without the benefit of derivation, deserves not only

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun (middle); flanked by his wife, Olufunsho (right); and Senator Oluremi Tinubu at the Civic Centre, Lagos, during a Fund Raising Musical Concert organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Leave A Donation (LAD), to raise funds for orphanages….at the weekend.

Osun ACN backs reopening of Ige’s murder case

Aregbesola seeks transparency

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SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has advocated transparency in governance.

He linked the controversy trailing the proposed removal of oil subsidy to “the lack of transparency in governance,” adding that there is no reason Nigeria cannot boast of a functional refinery.

Aregbesola spoke at the weekend during the opening of a retreat organised by a group of Muslim professionals, The Companion, at the Fountain University in Osogbo, the state capital.

He said: “We must demand openness in government. The truth is that we

support, but commendation, for having the audacity to dream big and find a fair and legitimate way to get everybody to contribute by paying taxes, so that the burden is shared by many and not borne by a few.”

“Perhaps we should cast our minds back to the beginning, when my predecessor, Tinubu, started this journey in 1999; the annual budget of the state was N17.662 billion. This year, the estimated budget is N490.605 billion, which is about 2,778 per cent increase.

“Imagine what life would be like, if we had kept to a budget of N17 billion since 1999. There will certainly be a lot more that would have been left undone.

“But by being courageous, creative and far-sighted, and through collective sacrifice by payment of taxes, we are seeing traffic lights, street lights, police vehicles, street sweepers,

new roads, bridges, ferries, rail construction, new schools, hospitals and so many more. How else could we have provided these without collective contribution?”

He thanked members of the clubs for voting for candidates of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the April elections and the local government polls in October.

Fashola said: “For those who were opposed to us, I also thank you. Your opposition enriched the democratic process by providing an alternative and a choice.

It challenged us to prove that we were the better party and I believe the results of the election and the progress being made in our state has vindicated us.”

Chairman, Yoruba Tennis Club, Mr. Bolaji Cole said Fashola’s re-election is a blessing to Lagosians.

Island Club Chairman Alhaji Hakeem Awe praised the governor for his people-oriented programmes.

have so much mismanaged our affairs that there is really no wealth to distribute. How do we explain the fact that a nation like Nigeria does not have functional refineries?”

Aregbesola cautioned Nigerians against inviting the military to take over power, adding that the military destroyed the country economically, politically and socially.

He said: “We had a horrible experience with the military. To make it worse, a military man ruled us for eight years.

We must resist any attempt to bring back the military.

“America has greater problems than Nigeria,

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•Aregbesola

yet, military government has never been touted as an option. Whatever it is, Nigerians are capable of managing their affairs and we will resist any attempt to invite the military.”

The governor urged parents to pay greater attention to moulding their children, especially at the formative stages.

HE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Osun State has supported the decision of the Oyo and Osun state governments to reopen the unsolved case of the murder of the former Attorney-General of Nigeria and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, 10 years ago.

He was killed at his Bodija home in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital by unknown gunmen.

Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) had announced in Ibadan last Wednesday during the 10th Bola Ige Memorial Lecture that the unsolved murder case would be reopened.

In a statement by ACN’s Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, the party’s Acting

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

Chairman, Elder Adebiyi Adelowo, said Nigerians need to know Ige’s killers.

This, he said, would restore the people’s confidence in the ability of the government to provide security.

Adelowo said it is a disgrace to the security and intelligence community of Nigeria that 10 years after Ige’s murder, his assailants are yet to be apprehended.

He said: “No matter how long it takes, we must fish out those criminals and make them face the law. That is the only way to restore confidence in the security and intelligence community of the federation, which appears to be failing to meet the expectations of citizens.”

Tokyo advocates Police reform •Hails security in Oyo

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

THE Chairman of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola, a.k.a. Tokyo, has hailed the setting up of a joint military/police security patrol in the state, tagged “Operation Burst.”

He said it would reduce crime the state.

In a statement yesterday, Akinsola urged supporters to be law abiding, cooperate with security agents and shun violence.

He said any NURTW member that foments trouble should be arrested and punished.

Akinsola alleged that the police know the real criminals, but on many occasions turn the other eye for parochial interests.

He emphasised the need for security operatives to be more patriotic and Godfearing in the discharge of their duties and called for reforms in the Force to curb indiscipline.

Akinsola urged the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moses Onireti, to “sanitise the command by flushing out officers and men with doubtful integrity, whose activities may compromise the good work already started in the state.”

He said he has uncovered a plot by sponsored political urchins to cause commotion in Ibadan during the Yuletide and implicate him.

Akinsola said: “It is for this reason that I am calling on members of the public as well as security operatives to be vigilant at all times.

“CP Onireti is known to be a good Christian and a God-fearing officer. He should pursue criminals headlong and desist from side attractions. He should stop linking my good name with negative activities in the state.

“For clarity, the CP should be well informed that I am totally innocent of all the malicious allegations levied against me by his predecessor and should, therefore, stop reechoing such ill-motivated innuendoes against my person.”

‘No parallel chairman in Ondo LP’ THE Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State has accused the opposition trying to create disunity among its members.

The party was reacting to reports that two factional LP chairmen are at loggerheads.

In a statement yesterday in Akure, the state capital, the party’s Director of Publicity, Prince Koye Odogiyan, said Mr. Olumide Ogidan is the LP’s only chairman.

Odogiyan said Mr. Kunle Odidi, who is said to be the factional chairman, is no longer a member of the LP.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NEWS NASFAT warns Fed Govt over planned subsidy removal From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

AN Islamic group, NasrulLahi-L-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), has urged the Federal Government not to take directives from the advanced nations on matters affecting the nation.

It advised the government to consider first the interests of poor Nigerians on the planned removal of oil subsidy.

The NASFAT’s National Vice-Predident, Alhaji Tiamiyu Bodunde, addressed reporters at a briefing preceding the group’s two-day retreat in Osogbo, Osun State.

He lamented that “the advanced economies, which most times Nigeria looks up to, has weakened our moral base”.

The cleric urged the Federal Government to be cautious in its planned oil subsidy removal so that the less privileged in the society do not suffer.

He said the theme of the retreat: NASFAT: The Next Level, is to raise fundamental questions about Nigeria as well as find solutions to the nation’s challenges.

Jonathan urged to engage Nigerian experts to tackle challenges

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LDER statesman and veteran journalist, Dr. Magaji Dambatta, has urged federal and state governments to tap from the experiences of Nigerians, instead of engaging foreign experts in the design and implementation of the nation’s policies and programmes.

He urged the government to engage patriotic Nigerians, who have acquired knowledge from institutions such as the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, to tackle national challenges, such as the Boko Haram insurgency.

Dambatta spoke at a dinner in honour of the former President of the Nigerian Guild of

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

Editors and Deputy Editor of Triumph, Mallam Baba Haliru Dantiye, who recently graduated from NIPSS. The elder statesman noted that Nigerians have all it takes to develop every sector of the economy.

He said over-reliance on foreign experts and consultants is inimical to national growth and development.

Dambatta said: “I want to urge federal and state governments to rely less on the employment of foreign experts and consultants, who have very limited and often faulty or biased knowledge of Ni-

geria, to design and implement our developmental policies and programmes.

“Instead, the government should trust and rely on the pool of our patriotic citizens, especially those who went through the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies for the exercise. With their exposure and analyses of topics and because of the depth of their intellectual capacity, their vast experiences and high performance, there is, in my view, no other class of experts capable of offering solutions to our country’s problems than those who passed through the national institute.”

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to take advan-

tage of the knowledge acquired by NIPSS graduates in the implementation of his Transformation Agenda and prevent their expertise from wasting.

Dambatta said: “Let me appeal to President Jonathan to consider assembling a team of indigenous experts, including graduates of the National Institute, to work out a holistic plan of action for making the oil and gas industry more relevant to the majority of the citizens of this country, including resolving the subsidy issue in a manner that will be advantageous to majority of Nigerians.

“Graduates of the institute, among other patriotic Nige-

rians, may be assembled by the government to proffer solutions to current national challenges, including the seemingly intractable Boko Haram crisis, which is in line with the cliché that security is everybody’s business.”

ACN urges Nigerians to shun violence From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

F

Group seeks tougher laws against child abuse From Sanni Onogu, Abuja

A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation (NGO), De Norsemen Club International, has urged the National Assembly, state legislatures and other well-meaning stakeholders, to review the Child Rights Act to prescribe stringent punishment against child abuse and abandonment.

The Abuja chapter Chairman of the group, Segun Fakehinde said child abandonment has been increasing because the law has not been hard on offenders.

Fakehinde, who spoke when the group visited the Abuja Children’s Home in Karu, for the Christmas, noted that the issue should be a priority to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development at the federal and state levels.

He solicited the support of other NGOs to raise up advocacy on the matter.

A statement in Abuja by the club’s spokesman, Abdul Abubakar, said: “I know that Nigeria is a signatory to many protocols on child rights, but it is not enough. The national child policy should be such that child abandonment should attract severe punishment.”

•Jonathan

•Dabiri-Erewa (middle - back row) with Rev. Aroyewun (second right - back row) and kids...yesterday PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

Dabiri cautions against dumping of babies

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OUSE of Representatives member Hon. Abike DabiriErewa (Ikorodu Constituency) yesterday lamented the growing incidence of dumping of babies by mothers out of frustration and poverty, urging government and non-governmental bodies to enlighten people more on unwanted pregnancy and other anti-social behaviour.

The legislator spoke at a Christmas party she organised for children at the ‘Great Faith Orphanage Home, Baiyeku, Igbogbo, Lagos State. She wrote a cheque for the children’s school fees and donated food items and other consumables to the centre, promising to assist in raising funds for the N30million uncompleted house project embarked upon by the centre.

The orphanage operates from a rented house and its founder and President, Rev. Lateefat Lydia Aroyewun, pays exorbitant rent. Children there are between a month old and 13 years and their education is threatened by inability to pay school fees. The youngest of them was recently picked up in a nearby bush with his umbilical cord. They sang hymns, recited Bible verses and composed songs to welcome the lawmaker and her entourage.

Explaining the motivation for setting up the centre, the cleric said: “The present rate of divorces, broken homes, abandoned and unwanted babies, widows plight, orphans and drop-out in our society is alarming. A lot of teenage girls have been abduct-

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Political Editor

ed and abandoned; some are rejected and many are on the verge of developing psychological problems. The love of God needed to be extended to all these classes of people and this is what the organisation is committed to doing”.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa distributed gifts to the children, advising them to be obedient and committed to their studies. During the casual Vocational Guidance programme she conducted for them, the children indicated their career preferences. Some said they wanted to become lawyers, teachers, nurses, and doctors. One of them said he would want to become a pilot. One said he would want to become a senator. Another simply said: “I want to become a millionaire”.

The lawmaker said they would achieve their goals, if they demonstrate seriousness. She added: “I am sure that with support, you will be what you want to be in life.”

Turning to Aroyewun, the lawmaker said: “This orphanage needs a permanent building. I will make contributions and mobilise people to also contribute to the on-going project so that you move from a rented house. I also call on well-meaning individuals in the society to make financial contributions to the actualisation of the vision.”

OR Nigeria to make progress, the citizens must shun violence and live peacefully with one another, the Rivers State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has said.

Through its Publicity Secretary, Jerry Needam, the party, yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, condemned the killing of innocent persons and the destruction of property.

In the spirit of the Christmas celebration, the opposition party urged Nigerians, especially Christians, to pray for the peace and progress of Nigeria.

It noted that the innocent persons in kidnappers’ dens in the state and other parts of Nigeria should be released unconditionally to enable them celebrate the New Year in with their families and loved ones.

ACN urged Nigerians to pray for the families of those who lost their loved ones to armed robberies, the Boko Haram menace, kidnapping and other forms of killing, emanating from bad governance.

It said: “ACN regrets that a government that swore to protect life and property has either abandoned that sacred duty or proved incapable, despite billions of naira collected in the name of security vote.

“Nigerians should continue to pray for the peace, progress and unity of Rivers State and Nigeria. We condemn, in strong terms, the daily increase in killing, robbery and kidnapping in Rivers State.”

Outrage as parish holds Mass for Xmas Day blast victims

Continued from page 4

“The Islamic authority should go beyond blaming Boko Haram; they should sit down and find permanent solutions to these bombings.

“The Muslim leaders should not live in fear to say the truth. We know that Boko Haram is like a drop in the ocean. Why should this little segment overrun the nation?

“The approach to deal with the situation is the same approach we apply when we want to deal with cancer.

“These people are criminals and must be stopped. I don’t believe that they are Muslims.

These explosions are bringing a bad name to the nation.”

At a session with Muslim leaders from Suleija Emirate, Bishop Onaiyekan said: “Nigeria is a wonderful place to live. Look at us here relating very well; we are from different faiths. That is why we must fish out those behind these bombings.

“We are almost 50-50; are we (Christians and Muslims) going to be fighting each other? All of us have relations who are either Christians or Muslims. My sister is married to a Muslim; will I now start attacking her husband?

“I still believe that we have

one Nigeria. If these people do not want to be in Nigeria, let them go to where they are happy in Afghanistan and Somalia.

“We cannot be so afraid not to talk. Some people are already asking me to stop talking because they might come after me. But I have to talk. When it is time to go, I will go. That will not stop me from talking.”

The leader of the Muslim delegation, Alhaji Yinusa Adams, said: “It is very unfortunate that these explosions have been occurring in this axis. I assure you that it will not happen again.

“Those that did it claimed to be Muslims but Islam does not support violence. Instead, Islam wants us to live in peace.

Nobody wants violence because when it starts, one is not safe.

“We have been going around to calm down people.

We were with the Emir of Suleija, Alhaji Awwal Ibrahim, on Sunday. We will sit down and strategise on how to check these explosions.

“The people of Suleija Emirate are peace loving, but all over the world now, they are associating us what is not good.”

The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Mukhtar, said: “We have a challenge with our borders.

Our borders are porous and many people are infiltrating from Chad and Niger. You may be surprised to know that the person who did this might not be a Nigerian. He might also be resident within Madalla.

“The person that bombed the UN House left Maiduguri for Abuja to perpetrate the act. We have to be suspicious of those around us, we have to be vigilant to arrest this trend.”

At the session, the cleric in charge of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, the Very Reverend Issac Achi, protested over a statement by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that the explosions happened on Madalla highway and not at the church premises.

Rev. Achi said: “I want to refute the report being filtered from NEMA that the explosions happened on the highway. Those who saw it from the scene to the church will know that it is not up to 15 metres.

Continued on page 57

9

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NEWS LP senator defects to ACN tomorrow

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Political Editor

L

ABOUR Party (LP) Senator Robert Boroffice will defect to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) tomorrow at a rally in Oka-Akoko, Ondo State.

He is defecting to the opposition party to contest the governorship election, it was learnt.

At the rally, which is expected to be witnessed by the national, state and local leaders of ACN, Boroffice, the Asiwaju of Akokoland, will receive the party’s constitution and flag from ACN national officers.

The retired professor is jostling for the governorship seat with 14 contenders in the party. They include the state Chairman of the party, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose; Jayeola Ajatta, Akinsehinwa Awodeyi Apata, Segun Ojo, Dr. Olu Agunloye, Tayo Alasoadura, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, Senator Olorunnimbe Farunkanmi, Akinbinu, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and Wale Akinterinwa.

LP chieftains have frowned at the planned defection, describing it as an act of betrayal.

They recalled how Governor Olusegun Mimiko backed the professor against the former Power and Steel Minister, Agunloye, during the senatorial primary.

Sources told The Nation that some LP leaders may propose the senator’s recall, following his defection.

But Boroffice said: “The rumour that I betrayed him (Mimiko) is baseless. Who is betraying who? When Governor Mimiko left Alliance for Democracy (AD), he was in the executive council of Governor Adebayo Adefarati. Was that a betrayal?

He left AD with all his supporters to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) just because he wanted to run for governor.

And it was impossible. He is an apostle of no-second-term.

Again, in the PDP, he fell out with former Governor Olusegun Agagu because Agagu wanted to run for a second term.”

Man arrested in Jos over bomb scare

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HERE was tension yesterday in Gada Biu area of Jos, the Plateau State capital, when a man was arrested for allegedly attempting to plant a bomb under a pedestrian bridge.

The tension was heightened by the Christmas Day explosion at the Mountain of Fire and Miracle (MFM) Church in the rocky city.

As some residents sighted the man, the news about his suspicious movement spread.

The youths gathered to take the next line of action.

But they were quickly dispersed by security agents.

The man, who looked unkempt, was reportedly seen with some items in a polythene bag. He allegedly failed

From Marie-Therese Peter, Jos

to give satisfactory answers to the questions the residents asked him.

On December 24, last year, a bomb blast killed many people in the area.

A resident reportedly saw the man and called other residents’ attention to the situation. The residents alerted security agencies, whose timely intervention saved the man from being lynched.

Police Commissioner Emmanuel Dipo Ayeni confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect had a psychiatric problem.

Ayeni said: “The incident is true, but they just arrested a mad man.”

Kano CAN hails police for tight security at Xmas From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

T

HE Kano State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has praised the state police command for providing tight security to churches during the Christmas.

It urged the police command not to relent in sustaining the security measures in the New Year and beyond.

CAN state Chairman Bishop Ransom Bello told reporters yesterday in Kano that Christians in the state were satisfied with the security the police provided in and around churches during Christmas service.

He noted that the security measures made it possible for Christians to enjoy a peaceful and hitch-free celebration.

Bello said: “We lack words to express our appreciation to the Kano State Police Commissioner Ibrahim Idris for his strategy, which worked out perfectly, as there was no ugly incident before or during the Christmas festivity in Kano.”

The CAN Chairman urged the police to continue to strengthen security beyond the Yuletide.

He appealed to the residents to be more security-conscious and report any movement that can undermine the peace and security of the state.

Lagos ACN to Lagosians: thank you

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ITH a promise not to let the people down, the Lagos chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday expressed satisfaction with the support it enjoyed from Lagosians.

In a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary Mr. Joe Igbokwe, AC N said it has enjoyed unalloyed support since the beginning of the year. It promised that the ACN would not betray the trust reposed in it.

The statement reads: “ACN is not unaware of all the encouragement and

support the party has received from its supporters for years now, even in most difficult times.

“What we owe Lagosians is total commitment to making Lagos the pride of Nigeria, where all will excel irrespective of tribe, religion, creed or culture.

“The party says the leaders constantly need the supporting hands of committed admirers, associates, loyalists and strong supporters to forge ahead in taking decisions that are sometimes hard and painful but necessary. “

•DANCING TIME: Children dancing at the Amusement Park, Apapa, Lagos…yesterday DANCING TIME

PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID

Suspected cultists kill 20-year-old in Benue

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WO suspected cultists yesterday at High Level area of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, killed a 20-year-old man with a cutlass.

The incident, which occurred at 9.45am, scared the residents.

They were reportedly stunned by the boldness of the killers, who operated on a motorcycle.

But before the residents could recover and apprehend the assailants, they fled

•Robbers snatch Benue newspaper man’s vehicle From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

on their motorcycle.

Armed robbers yesterday snatched a Toyota Hilux pick-up van belonging to the Marketing Manager of Benue Printing and Publishing Company (BPPC), publishers of The Voice, Mr David Agur.

The incident occurred at 7pm at Ujege Street, High

Level, Makurdi.

Narrating his ordeal, Agur said he parked the vehicle in front of a house at Ujege Street.

“It was while I alighted from the vehicle and headed to a compound that two well dressed men accosted me and demanded my vehicle’s keys at gunpoint. I struggled with them. They hit me with the butt of their guns sever-

ally on the head. They overpowered me and took the vehicle,” he said.

The matter was reported at the ‘B’ Division Police Station in Makurdi.

Police spokesman Ejike Alaribe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), confirmed the incident.

He said the police were working hard to recover the vehicle and arrest the robbers.

Mass burial likely for blast victims

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OME of those who died in the Christmas Day bombings at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, will be given a mass burial, it was learnt yesterday.

Many of the over 25 bodies deposited at the National Hospital’s mortuary were burnt beyond recognition.

A source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity at the hospital, said: “Most of the dead victims were brought in mutilated beyond recognition.

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja “When the bodies cannot be identified and claimed by the relatives, there will be no option than mass burial.”

On the number of dead brought to the hospital, the hospital official said: “About 25 bodies were brought in from the scene. We only managed to count them as most of them were burnt beyond recognition.

“There were some of the dead that were not severely

burnt but had their bodies mutilated by the impact of the blast.

“As I speak, relations, who sought to identify the bodies, are not finding it easy due to the burns and separation of body parts. To avert unnecessary confusion, it might be helpful to give the victims a mass burial. That is likely to be the case, in the long run.”

Some of the recuperating victims at the Emergency Unit of the hospital were prevented from speaking with reporters.

The hospital workers insisted on the management’s approval before allowing reporters to interview the patients.

But the hospital officials were said to be away on Christmas break.

One of the victims, Mr. Peter Nsude, said: “After church service, I came out; somebody greeted me. As we were shaking hands, saying Happy Christmas, the bomb exploded. I was with my two sons. I was injured, but nothing happened to my children.”

Sultan blames insecurity on bad leadership

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HE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, said yesterday that violence thrives because of bad leadership.

The Islamic leader spoke at the inauguration of the Islamic Vacation Course organised by the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSS), B-Zone, at Imolisa Village, LagosIbadan Expressway in Ibadan.

He said good leaders beget good followers.

The Sultan spoke against the backdrop of the Christmas Day bombings in Madalla, Niger State, which killed 26 people.

The spiritual head of Islam said the spate of violence calls for concern from every rightthinking person, but stressed that all aggrieved persons and groups should come to the dialogue table. He insisted that only dialogue can resolve disputes.

The Sultan also faulted claims that those perpetrating violence are doing it in the name of Islam. He said Islam

•Calls for dialogue From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

abhors violence, adding that those who cause trouble are not doing it for Islam. He called for unity among Muslims to tackle the challenges facing them.

He said: “Violence is not part of the tenets of Islam and would never be allowed to tarnish the image of the religion.

“The Nigerian media are not helping matters in the present security challenges facing the country. They are always quick to label any act

of violence as handiwork of Muslims without waiting for investigation to be concluded.”

While calling for proper girl-child education to address vices among youths, the monarch urged the media to be factual in their reportage, avoiding misrepresentation of Islam.

Senator Adegbenga Kaka decried linking the current violence with Islam and ethnic groups.

He said: “Instead of addressing the socio-political problems that led to the vio-

lence in the North, many people keep on saying it is a religious crisis whereas Islam stands for peace.”

“There is the need for leaders in the country to be concerned more about the welfare of the citizenry,” he stressed At the programme were Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Arisekola-Alao, the Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria, (MUSWEN), Daud Noibi, Oyo State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Yunuss Akintunde and the National Amir of MSSN, Abdullahi Lamido.

Kogi lawmaker escapes attack MEMBER of the Kogi State House of Assembly, representing Igalamela/Odolu Constituency, Friday Sanni Makama, escaped an attack by suspected assassins on Christmas day.

It was learnt that about 65 men in police uniforms en-

A

From Mohammed Bashir, Lokoja tered the lawmaker’s home town, Odolu, at 10am in eight Toyota Hilux pick-up vans.

They were said to have shot severally into the air as they drove round the town inquir-

ing about Makama’s home.

The lawmaker reportedly fled from his home before the invaders got there.

It was learnt that the armed men were policemen.

But police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), debunked the claim.

10

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NEWS CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION Lagos Speaker preaches love

By Oziegbe Okoeki

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AGOS State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji‘ has urged Nigerians to show love to fellow beings, irrespective of their religious and ethnic background.

In a message by his Chief Press Secretary Rotimi Adebayo, the Speaker said: “The nation will witness the muchneeded development, if all Nigerians, no matter their religion, ethnic or social status, show true love to one another.

“As the world celebrates this year’s Christmas with sumptuous food and drinks, we (Nigerians) must not forget to show love to our neighbours and friends to attain true development for our country. “…The adherents of the two great religions are expected to show true love to their fellow beings at all times to be blessed by the Almighty God.” Ikuforiji noted that “had there been genuine love by all Nigerians to one another, the worsening insecurity being witnessed in many parts of the country today would never have occurred. And Nigeria’s development would have been speedier than we currently have it.

“Although I am proud and happy that Lagos State enjoys peace and harmony today, it is my wish that all other parts of our great country will also work towards the attainment of lasting peace in their communities.”

He commiserated with the families of Nigerians who have lost loved ones to insecurity, wishing Nigerians joy and happiness throughout the Yuletide season.

Baraje urges Nigerians to have faith

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HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Acting National Chairman,` Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje yesterday urged Nigerians to keep faith with the nation to surmount the current security challenges.

In a goodwill message in Abuja, Baraje said there is need for Nigerians to pray and work for peace, unity, growth and stability of the nation.

According to him, Nigerians need to understand the lessons of Christmas to make the country a haven of growth and development.

He said: “This unique period of Christmas calls for prayers, sober reflections and the total faith of Nigerians that this nation will be-

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja come a haven of unparalleled growth and development.”

He advised lovers of peace to preach peace and good conduct to reflect the expectations of Christmas.

Baraje thanked Nigerians for their understanding and support for the Federal Government in the ongoing transformation programmes of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The PDP acting chair described the 2012 budget as an excellent roadmap in the transformation agenda.

He urged the National Assembly to ensure its speedy passage for the overall wellbeing of the nation.

Security challenges hinder celebration, says CPC

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HE Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday said issues confronting Nigeria stalled the joy of this year’s Christmas celebration.

A statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, reads: “The CPC felicitates with Nigerians on the Christmas celebration. The Christmas season is essentially about glad tidings,

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

which represent the birth of Jesus Christ.

“Security challenges have spoilt the Christmas mood. The myriad of convoluted issues confronting the Nigerian state have largely removed the traditional glamour of the season. The prospect of more pains and strains in the New Year, occasioned by

the planned removal of fuel subsidy, has driven many into despair.

“All these call for sober reflections on the way forward. As a party, we stand together with the teeming masses of Nigerians in the struggle against sleaze in public life and all forms of mis-governance that have depreciated our national life. We wish all Nigerians peaceful celebrations.”

•Fashakin

Ohanaeze Ndigbo seeks end to killings

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HE Kano State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday urged Nigerians to end the spate of killings in parts of the country.

In a message by its President, Chief Tobias Michael Idika, the group urged Nigerians to reflect on the state of the nation and ensure the security of life and property.

The message reads: “As we celebrate and warms up to enter the New Year, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano State, soberly reflects on the regrettable events that followed this passing year. We mourn, with deep concern, the blood and soul of our people, who were caught in the web of political idiosyncrasy of this our nation, particularly, the killings and maiming that heralded the April presidential election when innocent Nigerians were murdered for a reason that could not match the conscience of mankind.

“In as much as we thank

and praise God for the good things that happened in 2011, we are fervently praying that 2012 will come with a redress, particularly to the Igbo nation and Ndigbo resident in the North.

“We also wish to use this opportunity to charge the Federal Government, to take, very seriously, the issue of security which has become bane of national disaster. We candidly regret the menacing devastation of the uprising of the dreaded Islamic sect, the Boko Haram, whose activities have not only swallowed promising lives but have also stalled and destroyed economic activities. There is no gainsaying the fact that the inability of security agencies to tackle the Boko Haram saga has positioned this great nation at a very bad corner, and has also slowed the pace of national development…”

At this juncture, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano, vehemently says enough is enough!

Enough of these bombings.

Enough of these killings.

Enough of this intimidation.

Enough of this malice.

Enough of these crimes against humanity and nationhood. We call on President Goodluck Jonathan to brace up and take charge as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of this country and defend the hapless masses of this country who are always at the receiving end of all these wanton and unthinkable crises usually caused by disgruntled and wicked minority who always believe they have monopoly of violence.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano also uses this opportunity to express our deep sorrow over the demise of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Eze Igbo Gburugburu, whose body is yet to laid to rest. And we commiserate with the Igbo nation, family and friends of the hero whose activities to shape and reshape our na-

tion would remain evergreen. Ikemba Nnewi, may your gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

Christmas is a festival designed to celebrate the birth of Jesus whose advent gave hope and redemption to all Christians. In this light, Ohanaeze charges all and sundry to celebrate this period with love, care and regard to the cause of humanity. This is not a period of violence, bickering or backbiting of any kind. May the peace of the Lord continue to reign among the people of this nation and we urge all Christians to seize this opportunity and offer prayers and sacrifice for the betterment of this our great nation. As we step into the New Year, it is our hope that all the mistakes of the passing year would be corrected.

Once again, we wish all and sundry, a merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.

‘Work for Nigeria’s development’

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INISTER of State for Education Nyesom Wike, has urged Nigerians to work towards the development of the nation.

In a Christmas message, Wike noted that the foundation for rapid development has been laid by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in the last few months.

Wishing Nigerians a wonderful Christmas celebration, the minister said the investments of the Federal Government would soon begin to yield positive results.

He urged Nigerians to support the Jonathan administration to deliver on its promises.

Wike assured Nigerians that they would witness remarkable changes in the education sector as a major pillar of the transformation agenda of the President.

He said: “I wish all Nigerians a wonderful Christmas celebration and assure them that we are committed to ensuring positive changes in the education sector for the benefit of all.”

Christian, Muslim youths in joint celebration in Kogi

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HRISTIAN and Muslim youths jointly celebrated Christmas in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital at the weekend.

In a rare show of love and understanding, youths of both religions marked the birth of Jesus Christ with fanfare in the Confluence State.

The Muslim youths, mostly from Cantonment, Karaworo and Kabawa streets, trooped out and waited at the main gate of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Diocese, opposite Karaworo Street, for their Christian brothers to finish service.

The Muslim youths joined the Christians immediately the service ended. They

From Mohammed Bashir, Lokoja

mingled and displayed fireworks to the admiration of residents.

Many parents joined the youths in the celebration.

An unidentified politician in a black Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) parked his vehicle and joined the youths in the celebration.

He brought out some fire crackers and fired them up.

The politician also distributed money to the youths.

A resident of Karaworo, Mallam Amuda Dan Sulaiman, told The Nation that the joint Christmas eve celebration had become an annual event in the area.

•Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rev. Peter Adebiyi flanked by Legal Secretary, Mrs Pheola Caulcrick (left); Deputy Chancellor, Hon Justice Ayo Philips; Mr. Bambo Adesanya (second right) and Dean, Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, GRA, Ikeja, Ven. James Olusola Adebiyi after a service marking the Christmas celebration

Akpabio urges Nigerians to embrace peace

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KWA Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has urged the residents and Nigerians to embrace peace, love and joy, which the birth of Jesus Christ represents.

In a broadcast, the governor said Akwa Ibom people at home and in the Diaspora have cause to thank God for the modest achievements his administration has achieved in the past four and

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

a half years.

Akpabio noted that the people’s joint voices and praises to God would throw the camp of kidnappers, armed robbers, child traffickers, false petition writers and enemies of progress into panic.

He said: “My dear people of Akwa Ibom State, as we join the rest of the world in

celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of the New Year, we must remember that God is love and we can only give meaning to these celebrations by loving one another.

“The many dividends of democracy that dot the landscape of our state, from infrastructural renaissance to free and compulsory education, free health care pro-

gramme for our pregnant women, children and the aged and the convenience of travelling in and out of our Ibom International Airport, are the evidence of God’s blessings upon our land.

“Therefore, from generation to generation, let all Akwa Ibom people at home and in the Diaspora continue to come together to sing praises and to glorify the Almighty God.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

11

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Britain loses sixth-largest economy spot to Brazil

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RITAIN has lost its spot as the world’s sixth largest economy to Brazil, according the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).

The resource-rich South American (Frankfurt: A0MLL6 - news) economy has surged on exports to China, unhampered by the 2008 financial crisis that has hit growth in the United Kingdom.

CEBR Chief Executive, Douglas McWilliams said: “Brazil has beaten the European countries at soccer for a long time, but beating them at economics is a new phenomenon. Our world economic league table shows how the economic map is changing, with Asian countries and commodity-producing economies climbing up the league while we in Europe fall back.”

However, over the next 10 years, Britain is expected to fare better than France, which is the fifth-largest economy behind the US at number one, China, Japan and Germany.

The CEBR forecasts that the UK will be the eighth largest economy by 2020, with France in ninth spot, Germany in seventh spot and Russia and India in fourth and fifth place.

Growth in Europe is expected to be slow next year, restricted by austerity measures to reduce huge government debts.

The European Union will remain the world’s largest trading bloc, though a recession next year is expected to hit global growth.

The latest forecasts by the CEBR show world growth falling to 2.5per cent in 2012, a downward revision on its predictions in September.

The apex bank would continue to take necessary actions to restore and sustain public confidence in the payments system through relevant policy measures.

-Tunde Lemo, Deputy Governor, Operations, CBN

Indigenous ICT firms to produce ‘Set-top boxes’

Why Nigerians don’t support subsidy removal, by Reps A T

HE Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Hon. Abdumuminu Jibrin and his counterpart Hon. Nkoyo Toyo have explained why most Nigerians are not in support of the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

They were of the view that the government should try as much as possible to build trust and confidence in Nigerians, adding that situations in successive administrations revealed where some cabals embezzle money meant for development projects.

Speaking in Abuja at the public presentation of Actionaid State of The Nation 2010 report, the lawmakers advised the government to always consider the interest of the people and keep to its promises over the utilisation of proceeds from

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

the proposed subsidy removal.

Jibrin said: “Diversion of public funds is a major problem in our government.

When we budget money to build roads and all other things, this money is stolen.

That is where we have problem with the issue of subsidy. No matter how you try to justify what you want to do, the issue there is that the money will be stolen. We are in a situation and there is no magic that can pull us out of the situation we are now in this country and that means that we have to rely on the institutions we have now to get out of the problems we are facing. And this institution that represents the interest of the people is the parliament and there has to be a covenant between Nigerians and its people.

“The constitution of the seventh National Assembly is completely different from the previous assemblies.

Over 70 per cent of the members are new with different perspectives to issues but you cannot function if the people do not trust you.

Why I am saying this is that the National Assembly is the only institution that can salvage the issue. There must be trust.

“The issue of human rights, you may never even appreciate one until you become a victim. Freedom of speech let people express themselves the way they want. As long as we operate in a country where the moment you go out and want to criticise the government, the following day government operatives saddled with security are after you, that country hardly ever progresses.”

Hon. Toyo said: “Nigeria is not a failed state; there are

things that are working. We are going to be looking at the issue of the fuel subsidy. This is an important debate that all Nigerians have to salvage. I am not aware of any Nigerian who does not think that the subsidy is not a sustainable future. The two main problems that worry Nigerians are if you take away the subsidy, what do you do for the people? “If you keep the subsidy, how do you ensure that we have a country that is sustainable in a long-term. For the people again, the other question is that, if you take away the subsidy, do we hear of a different country in the end? What is the state capacity to manage the resources that come out of the fuel subsidy? These are the real questions that are being asked. If you really look at it, it is not that the country hates his people but does the country have the capacity to deliver on its own?”

MARKET CAPITALISATIONS NSE JSE NYSE LSE

-N6.503 trillion -Z5.112trillion -$10.84 trillion -£61.67 trillion RATES Inflation -10.5% 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 $33.01b FOREX CFA EUR £ $ ¥ SDR RIYAL

-

0.2958 206.9 242.1 156 1.9179 238 40.472

HEAD of the migra tion from analogue to digital broadcasting in 2015, the Ministry of Communications Technology is to partner the Ministry of Trade and Investment to support indigenous Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies in the manufacture of Set-top boxes.

The digital transition in broadcasting is a global process involving the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting signals. This transition has the potential to improve both the quantity and quality of what is available on TV and to increase the number of people who will be able to watch it. A Settop box is a device that will enable a television set to receive and decode digital television broadcasts.

Speaking with The Nation on the sidelines of an event, Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said migration to digital broadcasting will open up opportunity for indigenous ICT firms to manufacture at least 20 million Settop boxes when the process starts.

According to the minister, development of the ICT industry is critical to national growth. To this end, she affirmed that the ministry will engage with relevant partners to create enabling environment for indigenous ICT businesses to thrive.

Nigerian Insurance confab holds Feb.

T

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

By Adline Atili

• From left: Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Vice-Chairman, Standard Alliance Insurance PLC; Alhaji Aliyu Yahaya Sa’ad, Chairman; Miss Agnes Umokoro, Company Secretary and MrThomas Imokhai, Managing Director at the company’s 15 th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

Fed Govt targets N254b from cassava bread

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HE Federal Govern ment can save about N254 billion as its yearly revenue if cassava flour is used for bread making, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has said.

The Minister said adopting 40 per cent of cassava flour in bread making will serve as good substitute for the conventional flour, which has cost the country a lot in import.

Adesina disclosed this during an interaction with reporters on his ministry’s plan for 2012 in Abuja.

He said: “President Jonathan has really made a good decision to discourage importation of flour into this country. It will surprise you to know that gov-

From Olugbenga Adanikin, Abuja

ernment is capable of realising close to N254 billion by adopting the cassava flour for bread making. It will not only promote our local produce but also attract foreign exports.”

Adesina said the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah also unveiled plans to setup six cargo terminals for exporting agricultural produce by 2012.

Speaking on rice production, he said plans are at its final stage to expand rice processing capacity in the country, adding that three rice milling industries with capacity of 90, 000 metric tons will soon be completed in February 2012.

According to him, the milling industries are located in

Ebonyi, Niger and Kebbi states. He stressed that 14 additional rice mills, which targets 420,000mt of rice will also be completed next year. He disclosed that the government has also signed a partnership agreement with China to supply 12 Milling Plants to meet up with challenges of demands.

While making remarks on the nation’s land prospect, Adesina said Nigeria has only used 40 per cent out of its 84 million hectares of land.

However, he bemoaned the country’s large importation of rice, wheat, fishes and sorghum, decring its inability to create jobs in the rural areas but rather increases its investment in overseas.

As part of planned interventions, the Minister as-

sured of increasing the nation’s food production with 50 million metric tons between 2011 and 2015. He restated that Nigeria must feed itself as well as increase its foreign exchange.

His words: “Nigeria has become a floodgate for food imports. For a country that can grow different types of rice, it still spends N1billion on rice importation making its total annual import worth N635 billion annually.

“Nigeria has been eating far beyond its limit and this affects our naira. We are not creating jobs in rural areas but foreign countries. We are blessed, so we must feed ourselves and increase our exports. We are targeting to address these situations by 2012.”

HE Nigerian Insur ance Industry Confer ence holds at the Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos on February 23, 2012.

The conference with the theme: Nigerian insurance industry: Breaking the yoke of under-performance, would bring the operators, regulators, policy makers and other stakeholders together.

Among the issues to be tackled at the one day event are: the role of government in enforcing compulsory insurance; top insurance industry issues in 2012 and strategies for growth; rate cutting or rate protection: Which way forward; breaking the yoke of under-performance through market development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI); risk of insurance over-regulation or under-regulation management quality issue in Nigerian insurance; fixing distribution channels challenges; riskmanagement strategy: capital protection; trade-off between transparency and productivity; addressing challenges of premium collection; strategies for sensitisation of industry and insuring public; and rebranding concept for insurance.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

12

BUSINESS NEWS Flight Schedule

Millionaire emerges in UBA promo

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

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

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Arik Aero Arik Aero

1. Arik 2. Aero 1.

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

LAGOS – KADUNA Aero 08.00 Chanchangi 10.00 Arik 10.00 Arik 15.10

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

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

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

08.40 08.40 14.55 15.10 17.40

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LAGOS – WARRI 08.15 11.50 11.55 14.55

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

08.50 09.45 09.40 14.00 15.45 19.55

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

LAGOS – OWERRI 07.20 14.00 16.30

08.30 15.10 17.40

LAGOS – UYO 10.35

11.35

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

08.00 18.00

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

H

• From left: Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Director-General, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr Frank Nweke Jnr and Chairman, Mr Foluso Phillips, during a conference organised by the NESG during a visit by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ms Christine Lagarde, at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL

Renewable energy hits $211b globally I

NVESTMENT portfolio in re newable energy in Africa has hit $3.6 billion with Egypt and Kenya occupying centre stage, the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BoI), Ms. Evelyn Oputu, has said.

Oputu, who spoke during the first Renewable Energy Investment Forum in Abuja, stated that investments in renewable energy have a large potential for growth given the large gap between energy demand and supply and the enormous renewable energy options available to the country.

The alternative energy event tagged: Access to Renewable Energy (AtRE), is organised to create a forum to interface investors with project developers in the renewable energy sector.

Represented by the General Manager Operations, Mr Austin JoMadugu, Oputu said there was an urgent need to make renewable energy sector private driven to harness the abundance of renewable energy sources in the country.

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

According to her, most of the renewable energy projects embarked upon in the country have been more from the government at Federal, states or local government levels.

She said this was why the BoI and the UNDP are working to feature Nigeria in global renewable energy investment portfolio through private sector investment.

The BOI boss said investment in Renewable Energy across the globe has increased in recent time, moving from $33billion in 2004 to $211billion as at June, this year.Africa also has its share of the emerging market, with investment in alternative energy source, growing from $750million in 2004 to $3.6billion this year.

Oputu, while disclosing that renewable energy sector in the coun-

try would not attain the expected level of growth without active participation of the Nigerian banks also called on both financial institution and various renewable energy service providers to work together.

BoI and UNDP have planned to boost Nigeria investment in renewable energy through private sector participation.

She called on both the financial institutions and renewable energy service providers to avail themselves of the opportunity afforded by this forum to network for the development of the renewable energy industry in the country.

Delivering a key note address, the UNDP Deputy Director, Nigeria Mr Jan Thomas Hiemstra, said having worked with various government agencies, the attention of the UN agency was to engage private investors in the country with to make them take active role in renewable energy development in the country.

‘Terrorism raises life insurance claims’

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HE effects of terrorism, espe cially by the Boko Haram group- the sect, whose Hausa name means “Western education is a sin” - is having a toll on the claims profile of life insurers, The Nation has learnt.

The Managing Director Standard Alliance Life Assurance Limited, Mr Austin Enajemo, disclosed this in a chat with The Nation.

He said the rise in claims settlement could be as a result of the shock people got from incidences associated to terrorist act.

Enajemo said the company has settled claims running into millions of naira this year, adding that though terrorism and other natural disasters are excluded in most insurance clauses, their effects af-

By Chuks Udo Okonta

fect the normal services provided by underwriters.

He noted that an insured that died as a result of shock from terrorism must be indemnified, though the death cannot be said to be caused directly by incidences such as bomb blast and other terrorist acts.

Enajemo said the company has settled both death and medical claims of victims of April general election, adding that N650,000 each was paid to victims covered by the policy taken by the Independent Nation Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said: “Insurance cover risks, but there are always exclusions. If

you have a special policy that covers terrorism, and you are affect by it, you would be properly indemnified. But in most of our products, we have exclusion clause. If you are covered against natural death, things that have to do with war, we exclude them. But if it is with mutual agreement we will provide the cover. But also note that there is nothing that happens in the economy that does not affect everybody. “Therefore, either by a way of shock from activities of terrorist act – Boko Haram - a natural death would occur. If somebody dies by a natural cause, unknown to the insurer that it is as a result of shock from terrorism, would we not pay the claims? Therefore, we are directly or indirectly affected.”

ISTORY was made last Thursday in Lagos in the ongoing UBA Lion King Savings and Rewards Promo, as Mr Okorie Sunday Stephen, a savings account holder with the bank won a million naira in the inaugural draw of the promo.

In the computerised draw held at UBA’s head office in Lagos, Okorie, whose account is domiciled in the OkeArin, Lagos Business Office of the bank emerged the lucky winner out of 42,986 qualified entries.

According to a statement from the bank, seven other lucky customers among whom include Atumah Florence, Clement Archibong, Idiong Unwana Fidelis, Adam Yakubu, Theodore Tochukwu Emeh, Nwube Friday and Hamisu Ibrahim from different business offices of the bank, spread across the country, won N100, 000 each in the super prize draw while 30 customers won consolation prizes of N50, 000 each.

Speaking at the event, Chidi Okpala, Head, Retail Banking, UBA Plc said the promo, which will run for six months with subsequent roll-over option for another period of seven months, w i l l see 1,026 savings account customers of the bank win cash prizes of between N50,000 to N1million in 23 weekly draws. Also, seven customers stand to win the sum of N5million each in the super grand draw. “As we get towards the end of the year ,which is time for celebration, we want to celebrate with our customers. We would be making millionaires out of some of them on a weekly basis,” he said.

According to Okpala, to be eligible to partake in the Lion King Promo draw, existing customers of the bank are advised to save a minimum of N10, 000 for 30 days and qualify for the weekly draws or save a minimum of N25,000 for 30 days and qualify for the grand and super grand draws. Also, new customers can save a minimum of N25, 00 for 30 days to qualify for the weekly, grand and super grand draws. He said all prizes will be in cash and winners’ accounts will be credited. “They will be notified via SMS Alerts,” he added.

United Bank for Africa Plc remains an industry leader in Retail Banking across Africa with 19 African countries of operation and over seven million customers’accounts. The bank has consistently grown its internet and mobile banking customer base coupled with undisputed leadership in local, regional and international remittances.

NRC targets N100m monthly revenue next year

T

HE Nigerian Railway Corpo ration (NRC) plans to raise its monthly earnings from the current average of N50million to N100million.

It also plans to improve on train frequency, which is intended to up its passenger and freight services capacities.

NRC’s Managing Director, Adeseyi Sijuwade, said these at an event in Lagos where he reviewed the corporation’s activities in the receding year and gave an insight into its plans for next year.

Sijuwade expressed delight over the company’s performance this year, asserting that it recorded an appreciable achievement during the year and hopes to improve on this next year. He assured of the

By Eric Ikhilae

National Assembly’s early review of NRC Act in 2012.

He cited the appreciable improvement in the rehabilitation of the Eastern rail line(running from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri), the prospect of an early commencement of the Lagos-Kano rail traffic; enhanced involvement of the private sector in train operations, completion of the Jebba-Kano rail line rehabilitation and intensification of its human resource development efforts.

“With the successful conclusion of plans for mutual business relationship with Osun State government as typified by the recent signing of memorandum of under-

standing between the corporation and the state, the corporation is still forging ahead in its strategic approach to offer quality rail transport services to the teeming commuting populace and freight owners.

“Within the first quarter of 2012, Lagos-Kano express passenger train will commence. Frequency of passenger trains in Lagos, which is now eight, will be increased to 16. This will be in conformity with the corporation’s policy of increasing train frequency in corresponding manner to bourgeoning passenger volume and traffic demand,” Sijuwade said.

He said the Bill for the review of the Railway Act is being finalised and would soon be tabled before the

Federal Executive Council, following which it would be taken before the National Assembly for passage into law.

“What we are anticipating is to have the bill passed between the first and second quarters of next year. The most important benefit of the review is the plan to ensure that the private sector is given powers to participate in the operations of rail transportation. We are currently constrained by the 1955 Railway Act, which limits rail transportation operations to the NRC. He said the corporation would take delivery of 20 new pressurised tank wagons to boost its freight service and four new locomotive engines to boost both its passenger and goods movement operations.

LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS

Odemwingie hits Ogba seeking training back at doubters grants for athletes Pg. 14

Pg. 51

Nation Tuesday, December 27, 2011

PAGE 13

NFF holds Annual General Assembly on Thursday Pg. 24

Ogbuke: Schalke move, a big step

Pg. 41

•Super Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi

Keshi gets official house, car in Jan

Pg. 14

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

14

51

NATION SPORT

NATION SPORT

AHEAD OF 2011 AFRICAN NATIONS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

No separate coach for home-Eagles

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ruled that a separate coach would not be appointed for the homebased Super Eagles.

According to the General Secretary of the football house Musa Amadu, Stephen Keshi has been bestowed with the responsibility of raising a homebased team that would represent the country in the next edition of the African Nations’ Championship (CHAN) competition beginning later in the new year.

From Patrick Ngwaogu, Abuja "We are not appointing any coach for the home-based Super Eagles.

Keshi will have that responsibility,” Amadu began. “We are taking the competition serious this time round. We can no longer stay away from it whenever the competition is going on.”

He continues: “On two different occasions, we have been knocked out at the preliminary stage, so this time round, it would be a different

ball-game. We are giving it all the needed attention to ensure that we qualify."

Amadu also confirmed that the home-based team presently in camp will be exposed to various friendly matches in preparation for the task ahead "The idea now is that there would be a standby team at every point in time, and we would give the technical crew all the support they need to ensure that they return the country's football back to its winning form," he concluded.

Odemwingie hits back at doubters

P

ETER Odemwingie has dismissed doubts about his partnership with Shane Long and claimed the West Bromwich Albion pair can trouble any team in the Premier League.

The duo are back in harness for the Baggies after both suffered injury problems earlier in the season.

Goals at Blackburn and Newcastle took Odemwingie to four goals for the season while summer signing Long’s tally stands at five.

And Odemwingie believes they will embarrass pundits who doubted their

ability to hit it off.

“If you think logically, common sense tells you that two quick strikers cause a lot of problems and two quickshooting strikers will cause problems for any team,” said the Nigeria international.

“Shane is good in the air as well so there is not much more to say.

“Of course we can cause trouble for any team.”

Odemwingie’s goals at Ewood Park and the SportsDirect Arena helped the Baggies claim back-to-back away wins as they bounced back from a home defeat to Wigan.

The victory took them to 10th in the Premier League ahead of today’s home clash with in-form leaders Manchester City.

Odemwingie believes the away-day successes highlighted the fighting spirit in the Albion side, who have recovered from a poor start to Roy Hodgson’s first full season in charge.

“Last year we also responded to difficult situations by getting points when necessary and this is proof again that this group has character to get back on their feet whenever they are down,” said 30-year-old Odemwingie.

Dike is 3SC Ikechukwu: Why I’ll play for new coach Sudan in Nations Cup

F

ORMER Enugu Rangers coach, Alphonsus Dike has been named new coach of Nigeria Premier League (NPL) side Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC).

“Dike has been appointed new coach of 3SC,” administrative officer of Shooting Stars, Demola Alabi, disclosed to MTNFootball.com A meeting to sort out the finer details of the contract was held yesterday.

Dike has thus replaced Fatai Amoo, who barely saved the Ibadan club from relegation this past season.

Amoo rejected a reduced offer to stay on as coach of ‘The Oluyole Warriors’.

Experienced Dike quit Rangers after he led them to sixth place on the NPL table last season.

He told MTNFootball.com he did not receive from the Rangers management hence his decision to throw in the towel.

The former Nigeria U-17 coach was earlier linked with a move to another NPL club Lobi Stars of Makurdi.

Once the giants of Nigerian football, Shooting Stars are undergoing a massive re-organisation after they narrowly avoided relegation in the last two seasons.

F

RANCIS Ikechukwu has given reasons why he is looking forward to making Sudan’s Nations Cup squad.

The Ahly Shandi of Sudan striker, who says that three other Nigerians, Kelechi Osunwa, Sherif Sule and Isaac Malik are also being considered by Sudan for the 2012 Nations Cup, claims he was unfairly dropped by Nigeria for the recent Olympic qualifying tournament in Morocco.

“I am very excited with my progress in Sudan and the chance to represent the country at Nations Cup is good for me because I was dropped from the Nigeria Under-23 team when it was obvious I should be in the team,” Ikechukwu told MTNFootball.com “Until merit is used to select players for Nigeria, things will not change. I have always wanted to play for Nigeria but with the present situation, I will play for Sudan if I’m picked in the final squad to the Nations Cup. “That is the highest competition in Africa and other Nigerians like Osunwa, Sherif Sule and Isaac Malik are also being considered.”

Francis enjoyed a rich vein of form with Dream Team V and scored three goals in four matches for the Olympic team in

their build-up for a 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament only to miss the final cut for the squad to Morocco.

Sudan are drawn in Group B along with Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Angola.

They open their 2012 Nations Cup campaign against Cote d’Ivoire on January 22, 2012, in Malabo.

LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS

seeking training Keshi gets official Ogba grants for athletes house, car in Jan T

A

NEW car will be presented to Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi before the end of January.

The ‘Big Boss’ will also get the keys to his official residence on the same day.

From Andrew Abah, Abuja NationSport’s source, who is an egghead in Nigeria Football Fedration

NFF holds Annual General Assembly on Thursday

T

HE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that its Annual General Assembly for the outgoing year will take place in Kaduna on Thursday, December 29.

General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu said on Monday that all is set for the big occasion, which is the biggest summit of Nigerian football and welcomes all those who matter in the administration of the game to a forum, where the outgoing year is comprehensively reviewed and decisions are made concerning the running of the game in the coming year.

“The 2011 Annual General Assembly of the NFF will take place in Kaduna on Thursday. That was decided a long time ago, and there is no change to it,” declared Amadu, who was joined by a couple of NFF top Management staff, including Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, to look over the host city, particularly the venue of the Annual General Assembly, at the weekend.

Officials confirmed that the event will take place at the Royal Tropicana Suites on Isa Kaita Road, starting from 10am.

The Honourable Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Bolaji Abdullahi will be the Special Guest of

Honour, while the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa (CON) will be the Chief Host.

Also invited are former Presidents and General Secretaries of the Nigeria Football Federation. The delegates will be Chairmen and Secretaries of the Football Associations of 36 States of the Federation and the FCT, as well as representatives of the Nigeria Premier League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women’s League, Nigeria Amateur League, Coaches’ Association, Referees’ Association and Players’ Union.

NFF’s partners/sponsors will also be represented at the Assembly, which is the 67th since the body was founded as Nigeria Football Association in 1945.

Chairmen and Secretaries of the State FAs will lock horns with the Members of Executive Committee and Management Staff of the NFF in a novelty match, which will precede the annual Charity Shield match between the champions of the Premier League and the winners of Federation Cup. Thursday’s Charity Shield showdown is between Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt and Heartland FC of Owerri, and will kick off at the Kaduna Township Stadium by 4pm.

(NFF), said: "We are presenting the car to the coach before the end of January.

“We will also present his house to him on that day. Everything is almost ready, we are only tying up some of the administrative loose ends."

He also confirmed that the assistant coaches would sign their contracts with the federation at the same event.

Meanwhile, six of the home-based players are expected to be decamped before the end of today.

The names of the players will be made public after a friendly with an Abujabased amateur league club this morning. The team will play Ranchers Bees of Kaduna tomorrow in Abuja.

HE President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba is positive that Nigeria can win gold medals from track and field at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The former Delta State Commissioner for Sports, notes, however, that this can only be acheived, if necessary financial assistance is extended to the country's athletes currently training overseas.

Ogba said: "The prospect of winning gold medals at the London Olympics is there. But for us to achieve that, we must ensure that we do the right things now.

“We have our athletes that are doing very well in the world now, all they need between now and July that the games will begin is a monthly grant of $2,500 to cater for their training and other activities between now and then.

If this is done, I can assure Nigerians

N

IGERIAN striker Chinedu Obasi Obasi could now feature in the Europa League and has expressed delight over his move to German side Schalke from rivals Hoffenheim.

Obasi has joined the Royal Blues on loan until the end of the season with a view to making the move permanent in the summer.

Schalke secured the right to first refusal if the striker decides to leave Hoffenheim at the end of the season.

"It's a big step forward to join one of the big teams in Germany," Obasi told BBC Sport.

"I'm delighted that both clubs reached a compromise before the Christmas break.

"It's another club that comes with

a fresh challenge but I want to give my best as usual.

Obasi is expected to join up with his new team-mates next week for their eight-day training camp in Qatar starting on 4 January.

Officials of Schalke are also with their African capture.

"He's a quick and versatile attacking player," said Schalke manager Horst Heldt.

"On top of that he's also eligible to play for us in the Europa League."

Obasi moved to Germany in the summer of 2007 from Norwegian first division side Lyn Oslo to join Hoffenheim, then in the German second division.

In his first year with 1899 the 25year-old was part of a promotion-

S

•Salami

shown the exit door for “gross misconduct” toward Oyo State sports commissioner Dapo Lam Adesina.

However, top team officials have now informed MTNFootball.com that Salami will be reabsorbed by the team if he finally tenderes an apology letter and signs an undertaking to be of good behaviour in the new season.

“Salami will resume training with Shooting this week. He has been pardoned but on the condition that he signs an undertaking with some guarantors,” a team official told MTNFootball.com Salami scored five goals for ‘The Oluyole Warriors’ and was without a doubt the team’s best player last season.

However, he has struggled on the disciplinary front as he was banned twice last term, first for a verbal attack on Sunshine Stars coach Gbenga Ogunbote and then for apparently attempting to attack a referee after a league home game.

S

UPER EAGLES officials have replaced Abuja Municipal Council with an Abuja Selected X1 for Tuesday tune-up friendly against the Super Eagles, who are currently camped in the Federal capital.

Team Coordinator, Emmanuel Atta said the Abuja Municipal Council (AMAC), which was earlier touted as the national team opponents in the game could not raise a full team, because most of their players have

gone on the yuletide break.

The players trained yesterday morning under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Stephen Keshi and his assistants. The players were drilled on wing play, fast breaks against the opposition and full concentration during games.

However, Wednesday’s game against Ranchers Bees of Kaduna, is still on the cards, while there are indications that the team will play its first international friendly in mid-January.

Mourinho, Fergie, Wenger inspire Keshi

A

•Ogba

Ogbuke: Schalke move, a big step winning side that took them into Germany's top flight for the first time in their history.

PART from serious drilling on the pitch, ‘Big Boss’ Steve Keshi has been taking time off to psyche up his players for them to get the right frame of mind while in the national camp.

In one of such sessions on Monday morning, Keshi, asked some of the players who their heroes locally and internationally were, to which some of them gave the names of stars like Real Madrid’s Alonso, Ronaldo, Messi etc.

On his part, Keshi, said while he was growing up in the game like this present crop of Super Eagles players, he looked up to Christian Chukwu and wanted to play like him.

“Chukwu would play for 90 minutes without making a wrong pass or

2011 AFRICAN ALL STARS SQUAD

CAF picks Taye Taiwo

C

ONFEDERATION of African Football (CAF) has announced its 2011 All Star team and the only Nigerian to be named on it is AC Milan’s Taye Taiwo.

Taiwo, after an initial slow start for the Rossoneri, has come on strong and just days ago he was singled out for praise by his Coach Massimiliano Allegri.

The 26-year-old earned rave reviews after his composed performance against Siena at the San Siro on December 17 and Allegri was quick to commend the former Lobi Stars man after another accomplished showing in the shirt of the champions.

“He has improved a lot. He has some problems when he first came from Marseille and was not playing.

He also had injury problems too but he has now started to play at a very good level,” Allegri submitted.

The rest of the team named in Accra is Samir Aboud (Libya), Harrison Afful (Ghana), Banana Yaya (Cameroon), Ayoub Eikhiqi

(Morocco), Seydou Keita (Mali), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana) Yaya Toure (Cote d’Ivoire), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Moussa Sow (Senegal) and Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o.

committing a foul. I strove to be like him and I eventually became like him on the pitch of play.”

Now that he’s a coach, Keshi says he is inspired by three coaches in the world and he was sure he would eventually become like them. He named the coaches as Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho, Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Fergusson and Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger. “I will borrow the good aspects from these three world-class coaches and I’m sure I will eventually become like them. All of you here must strive to be like an already made, otherwise you won’t go far.”

Club owners laud Female First Ladies’ Tourney

T

HE Nigeria Secondary School Girls Football Championship, tagged First Ladies’ Cup recently initiated by the Nigeria Women’s League Board has begun to attract commendation from stakeholders in women’s football in Nigeria.

Chairman Women League Club Owners (southwest) Tewo Oyewole commended the League Board for the laudable initiative while reacting to newsmen in Ibadan. He described the development as the panacea to the present crisis rocking women football in Nigeria.

The proprietor of Tewo Queens noted that the proposed women grassroots soccer competition is long overdue, considering that, accordi ng to him, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) never appeared to be concerned about the grassroots development of women football.

He added that all stakeholders in women’s football, especially private club owners, welcomed and embraced the tourney when they recently read of it in the newspapers.

IGI U-19 FOOTBALL TALENT HUNT FALLOUT

Best two set for Euro trials

3SC give Salami conditional pardon TRIKER Gbolahan Salami will be taken back by Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) upon tabling a formal undertaking to be of better conduct, MTNFootball.com has learnt.

Olympic team star Salami was

From Patrick Ngwaogu, Abuja

that we would surely return home with medals". He appealed to the Federal government and corporate sponsors to come to the aid of the Federation to achieve this laudable dream.

Super Eagles play Abuja XI today

T

•L-R: Coach Tunde Disu, (l) Deputy Managing Director, IGI, Mr Rotimi Fashola, Executive Vice chairman, IGI, Mr Remi Olowude presenting the trophy to the Blue Team captain Oteikwu Solomon winner of the IGI Under-19 Football Talent Hunt Tournament in Lagos.

PHOTO: Bola Omilabu

HE maiden edition of the Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) U-19 Football Talent Hunt which kicked off last Tuesday came to an end on Saturday, at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos with two of the most outstanding players to be sponsored to Europe for trials in January.

The project which was yet another youth development initiative by IGI plc had a total of one hundred footballers, both male and female, showcasing their talents and skills on the field. At the event were the Lagos State Commissioner of Youth and Sports Development, Barrister Enitan Oshodi and Coach Tunde Disu as special guests.

The match started of with the blue team triumphing over the yellow team by 3 goals to 1, while the second match saw the orange team beating the grey team by 4 goals to 3. After all the points were calculated the blue team emerged winners of the tournament with a total score of 6+4 points to win the gold

By Olaitan Danmole medal, while the grey team clinched the second position to win the silver medal with a score of 6+2 and the bronze medal was won by the Orange team with a score line of 6-1. Awards presented at the event included the ones for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, won by Edafe Emmanuel, Best Goalkeeper of the tournament awarded to Jumo Adebayo, while Kelvin Manuchi was named the Highest Goal Scorer of the tournament.

The executive vice chairman of IGI plc, Mr Remi Olowude OON, in his closing remarks stated that over the years, the IGI group had distinguish itself as an ‘ardent sport enthusiast and promoter.’ He continued: “We remain a trailblazer in the promotion of football at all levels in Nigeria.

Without doubt, the game of football is the most popular team sport in the world with tremendous potential for

job and wealth creation.''

Olowude further disclosed the rewards of some of the players. He said: '' As part of the rewards package, IGI will sponsor two of the most outstanding players who have distinguished themselves in the football competition to Europe for trials in clubs which may eventually sign them on. They are scheduled to leave in January.”

He continued: “In addition, IGI will offer employment to 15 others who will be selected for the purpose of keeping them together for routine training. For this category of talents, the plan is to groom them well for a possible invitation to play in either the local league or in the Under-17 national team.

“While it is true that it has taken a lot of sweat and hard work to get to this stage of the competition, may I remind you that as we play to win, we must not lose sight of the spirit of sportsmanship. Let's play hard, but we must play fair,” Olowude emphasised.

15

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

ENERGY THE NATION

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

Govt to probe alleged aviation fuel scam T

HE Federal Government will investigate the indictment of some oil marketers that supply dual purpose kerosene (DPK) to airlines as aviation fuelalso called (Jet A-1 fuel).

The allegation, which was published in some national dailies, named a subsidiary of Sahara Energy – SO Aviation – as an offender. However, when the issue was raised at a town hall meeting organised by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) in Lagos, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said the govern-

Stories by Emeka Ugwuanyi

ment would investigate it because it is a serious accusation.

The Minister, however, subtly exonerated the company, saying that she would not hold them culpable until investigation is completed. She hinged her reason on the fact that a lot of unsubstantiated information find their ways into the media, especially the print media.

She, however, noted that the diversion of kerosene is a fundamental and disturbing issue. She said the problem has been discussed

several times at higher levels. She said there was a time it was proposed that kerosene meant for incountry consumption be coloured but she kicked against the idea.

She, however, said colouration of any sort would alter the specification of the product and besides, some unscrupulous people may access it and may in one way or the other have it (kerosene) go into the aviation sector and when aircraft use it, such product might cause disaster.

“We are still investigating it and also working against kerosene diversion,” she said. The Co-

ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, corroborated Mrs Alison-Madueke.

Some national newspapers had carried advertisement purportedly placed by Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Association of Petroleum Products Marketers accusing Sahara Energy and its subsidiary, SO Aviation of kerosene, diversion and sale to airlines as aviation fuel.

The reports noted that the company buys kerosene at regulated price of N40.90 per litre and sells to airlines at N152 per litre and has

been making a profit of $43 million per month.

The management of Sahara Energy has debunked the reports, noting that the associations that supposedly placed the adverts in the newspapers are fake and the reports fictitious. The company noted that SO Aviation is fully ISO 9001 2008 certified and since 2009, International Air Transport Association (IATA) audits and certifications have been regularly conducted by major international airlines such as British Airways, Qatar and Air France, among others.

We are monitoring Bonga spill, says DPR

T

• From left: General Manager Monitoring, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board, Chijioke Okorie; General Manager, Planning, Research and Strategy, Mr. Wole Akinyosoye and GM, Projects & Operations, Etim Ukut, at the close out report presentation by consultants engaged for sensitisation workshops on Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010, at the NCDMB Headquarters in Yenagoa.

HE oil industry regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has said it is effectively monitoring the oil spill from Shell’s Bonga field to ensure safety of people and containment of the incident.

The management in a statement noted that the spill volume was classified a third tier spill in Nigerian oil and gas industry parlance and as a result of that government mobilised a full scale response/intervention plan at all levels.

The management said: “The DPR is following and monitoring the spill incident very closely and has issued appropriate guidance and directive to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) to ensure that the spill incident remains under effective control.

“The thrust of DPR in its statutory duties is to ensure safety of people as effective containment of the spill in order to prevent further spillage of crude oil and minimize environmental impact.

“The Federal Government assures the public that all relevant agencies are working to collectively bring the situation under control within the shortest possible time.”

Shell continues to tackle Bonga oil spill

• Sunmonu

S

HELL Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) has said it is tackling the oil spill and has drastically reduced the spillage The company in a statement said: “SNEPCo continues to apply dispersants and has begun skimming operations to further reduce remnants of the oil leak. Current estimates based on over flights indicate less than 10,000 barrels of oil remain on the surface of the water.

Although oil from the Bonga leak has not reached the shore, the company continues shoreline preparations in cooperation with the community.

The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafa, had

on Saturday in company of the Director-General of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Sir Peter Idabor, and the Deputy Director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Captain Warredi Enisuoh, flew offshore to review cleanup efforts in response to the Bonga oil leak.

After their inspection, Mailafa and her team told reporters in Lagos that Nigerians need not express undue concern as a result of the incident as it is effectively being contained.

The Minister confirmed that Shell’s report on the incident was correct, adding that fortunately the spill has not reached the coastline as the dispersants being used by Shell are effective. She, however, confirmed that the spill certainly would negatively affect marine life.

She estimated that the spill would be completely contained within six weeks.

Shell’s Nigeria Country Chair, Mutiu Sunmonu, said: “It is important for these senior government officials to see our cleanup efforts for themselves.”

Shell has been making efforts to protect the coastline. It engaged the services of five ships to apply dis-

• Minister: no cause for alarm persant and maintain constant surveillance with two aircraft for field spill surveillance. The company noted that more equipment and vessels were being mobilised. “We have brought in additional oil spill response experts and marine life

• Bonga FPSO

experts to assist in the overall effort,” the company said.

Bonga deepwater facility situates approximately 120 kilometres off the Nigeria coast and produces 200,000 barrels of oil per day. The leak occurred on Tuesday Decem-

ber, 20, and was discovered during a routine operation to transfer crude oil from Bonga’s floating production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) vessel to a waiting oil tanker.

The spill, according to Shell, was caused by a leak from an export line linking the FPSO to the tanker and less than 40,000 barrels of oil have leaked in total.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

16

ENERGY launches ‘In-Diya’ in Edo NCDMB, lawmakers partner to combat Firm capital flight A S

T the end of a one-day ca pacity building workshop organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for members of the Local Content Committee of the House of Representatives, the duo resolved to collaborate on ensuring that operators of exploration and production companies as well as service companies comply with provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010.

The workshop, according to a statement, was part of the Board’s collaboration with key stakeholders and was organised in response to the need for the House Committee members to understand practical issues bordering on the implementation of Nigerian Content.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Local Content Committee, praised the Board for organising the workshop and urged such interactions be held on regular intervals to enable the committee to fashion out appropriate legislative support for the implementation of the Act. He described the Act as a landmark legislation that would help

Stories by Emeka Ugwuanyi

transform the economy and create employment opportunities. He pledged the support of the House of Representatives for the effective implementation of the Act. The Executive Secretary of the Board, Mr Ernest Nwapa, explained that the Board’s commitment to implementing the Nigerian Content Act is to reverse a situation whereby the oil and gas industry merely exported job opportunities and aided capital flight from the economy between 1956 when oil was discovered and 2006 when the Nigerian Content Policy was introduced.

He said the industry exported two million job opportunities and suffered an estimated capital flight of about $380billion during the 50 year period, with over 95 per cent of the industry’s annual budget expended abroad.

Nwapa noted that if the successes being recorded in content development are consolidated by 2020, Nigeria will become the

hub for oil and gas services and an estimated $191 billion could be retained; 300,000 new job opportunities created in engineering, sciences and technical services and over 65 per cent of industry spend domiciled.

Nwapa further drew the attention of the committee members to some policies and practices, which impair local content development in Nigeria such as the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for marine vessels.

He explained that TIP not only discouraged the ownership and registration of marine vessels in Nigeria but also gives advantages to foreign vessel owners, who are allowed to pay a token to the government for bringing in their vessels. Furthermore, he said TIP promotes the practice whereby vessels that work in Nigeria sail to neighboring countries to meet their TIP conditions and undergo repairs concurrently whereas such maintenance can be done at ship yards in Nigeria.

Throwing further light on the Board’s implementation strategies, Nwapa said emphasis is being placed on areas with high impact in employment, retention of industry spend, technology transfer and value added services.

He identified the marine sector as one of such areas, noting that it used to be dominated by foreign owned vessels and crew as well as rig operators, resulting in $3 billion capital flight.

Another area of focus for the Board, according to Nwapa, is the Original Equipment Manufacturing Strategy, which requires manufacture of equipment used in the oil and gas industry to domicile the manufacture of certain components in the country, starting from an initial minimum threshold of 10 per cent value of the equipment.

The strategy will ensure that Original Equipment Manufacturers set up facilities in Nigeria and employ Nigerians in the manufacturing of components, which will be used in upcoming gas revolution and oil production projects.

• From left: Executive Director, Mrs. Jacqueline Goyea; President, Mayowa Afe; Vice President, Mr Seye Faduhunsi and General Secretary, Mr Olafioye Akinrinlola all executive members of National Association of Petroleum Explorationists at a briefing in Lagos.

Gbaran-Ubie project: Shell spends N3.9b on communities

T

HE Shell Petroleum Devel opment Company Limited (SPDC) says it has committed N3.911 billion to community development programmes as part of the implementation of the Gbaran-Ubie Gas project in Bayelsa State.

This was disclosed by Tony Attah, Vice-President, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) and Corporate Affairs, at a ceremony to mark the transition of projects to operation phase, which took place in Yenagoa.

The SPDC had signed Project Global Memorandum of Understanding (PGMoU) with four clusters covering 44 communities when construction of the gas project began in 2006.

The Communities included Gbaran/Ekpetiama, Okordida/ Zarama, Kolo Creek and Epie/ Atissa.

Under the agreement, the clusters chose and executed their own projects with funding provided by SPDC. “We commend members of the project advisory committee, the four community leaders as well as the implementation nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) for their commitment and hard work,” Attah said.

Attah noted that their efforts ensured the fulfillment of community development projects and resulted in the delivery of the

Gbaran-Ubie project ahead of schedule.

He explained that the operations phase also means a transition from project GMoUs to regular GMoUs, saying that in the regular GMoU, community people will still choose and implement projects, with funding from SPDC. Attah expressed delight that one of the cluster communities, Okodia/Zarama has already transited smoothly to the new dispensation.

Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, the state Deputy Governor, noted the cordial relationship between SPDC and the host communities since the begining of the multibillion naira project. He, however, appealed to the chiefs and community leaders to support the new GMoUs being put in place by SPDC. “The communities have worked well with Shell over the years, and I’m happy that the relationship has been cordial,” said Seibarugu who was represented at the event by his Special Assistant on oil and Gas, Mr Tovie Bello.

“I urge communities to sign the GMoU with Shell to enable them benefit from the new partnership like other communities,” he added.

Royal fathers, who spoke at the event including King Gabriel

Funpere Aka of Gbaran Kingdom, King George Lawson of Ogbia Kingdom, Malla Saseme Ibenibe of Epie Kingdom, all gave conditions for the signing of the proposed GMoU, saying the GMoU will only be signed if Shell approves their terms.

“We want the good things happening in Shell locations in other places, we want similar things in our kingdom,” noted King Aka. “We are ready to cooperate if Shell will corporate with us, we

will not sign if Shell will not cooperate with us,” noted King Lawson. If they think they can force us to sign or they want to play politics, we will shut down the flow stations,” noted King Sasime.

There was presentation of certificates to chiefs and members of the Project Advisory Committee(PAC) and the presentation of over 300 flat screen television sets to the chiefs and PAC members.

CHNEIDER Electric, the global specialist in energy management, has launched an innovative LED based home lighting solution christened InDiya.

The launch, which took place with the unveiling of a community based pilot project in Odighi, Edo State, was implemented in partnership with a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Community Research and Development Centre (CREDC).

In-Diya, according to a statement, is a reliable cost effective energy-efficient LED based lighting solution, which can operate on power from grid or solar panel or battery for indoor applications, adapting to the different conditions of the people.

The solution is available in three parts: LED lamp, LED lamp with rechargeable battery, LED lamp with battery and solar panel.

In-Diya could be mounted on the wall and can illuminate a room better than 11 watts CFL. In addition to this, it has an unmatched life span of 50,000 hours or more than 20 years. The solution’s low operating voltage (AC, 90-270 volts) means that it is not affected by low voltage problem. Aside this, it can provide up to eight hours of light without backup.

Speaking on the project, the Country President of Schneider Electric Nigeria, Mr Marcel Hochet, said it was a significant milestone in the quest to enhance access to renewable energy in Nigeria. ‘In-Diya represents our innovative response to the huge energy deficit in Nigeria. The gap widens as one moves deeper into the rural areas. For us at Schneider Electric, developing a renewable energy solution to plug the deficit was a commitment we have faithfully fulfilled’, he said.

Hochet added that the partnership between Schneider Electric and CREDC was one of such, which the company hopes will add further impetus to the push to deliver renewable energy to Nigerians, especially those on the base of the power pyramid. ‘We are pleased to partner with CREDC to bring the off grid solution, In-Diya, to 20 households in Odighi community and we plan to add more 20 homes.

We are also optimistic that the success of this pilot project will lead to the implementation of similar projects across other communities in Nigeria’, he stated.

Hochet also pledged the commitment of Schneider Electric to partner with corporate organisations, NGOs, development finance institutions and all levels of government to develop capacity and spur economic growth in the rural areas through access to energy.

Power Minister, Gov Obi to be honoured

• Nnaji

T

HE people of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State will on January 2, 2012, honour the Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji,

and Governor Peter Obi for their contributions to the development of the area and empowerment of its people.

A statement issued by the member representing Ihiala Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Mr Fort Dike, said the two public officers will be conferred with chieftaincy titles. Dike said: “This is the first time the people of the 10 towns, which make up the local government area will ever honour nonindigenes with traditional titles.”

He said that though “Prof Nnaji is from Enugu State, he has over the years displayed remarkable interest in the progress of our place, which is the largest

local government area in Nigeria.”

Dike said long before Nnaji became the Minister of Power, he had awarded scholarships up to doctoral level, to indigenes of Ihiala in top universities in the world, and the beneficiaries are university lecturers and entrepreneurs contributing impressively to national growth.

According to the legislator, who was a former DirectorGeneral of the Bureau of Public Utilities in Anambra State, Gov Obi will be honoured for constructing roads to places such as Uli “which hitherto had never benefitted from tarred roads.

“We are honouring the governor also for his interest in the development of the Anambra State University in Uli, one of the major towns in Ihiala LGA.”

17

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

ENERGY

NCDMB to train 1000 youths A on oil spill N IGERIAN Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced plans to train 1000 youths on oil Spillage control and environmental remediation.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Ernest Nwapa, stated this when the officials of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Central Zone paid a courtesy visit in his office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

A statement by the Public Affairs Officer, Obinna Ezeobi, said Nwapa noted that the Board had been working in line with the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan to create employment for Nigerians and is steadily creating thousands of jobs and training opportunities through the attachment of engineers, welders and other professionals to the regular contracts and projects executed in the industry under the requirements of the Employment and Training Plan.

Nwapa explained that the forthcoming programme will train youths from oil producing areas where oil spillages are rampant on how to prevent and carry out remediation of their environment

whenever such incidents occur.

He regretted that remediation efforts have not sufficiently mobilised local human resources in the past, adding that studies have shown that efforts by the government would require substantial number of professionally trained hands.

According to him, the programme planned by the Board will produce a new vanguard of direct stakeholders in the communities who will be knowledgeable in the use of modern technology to carry out remediation on land, swamp and offshore locations.

The training is part of the Board’s mandate to build local capacity in the oil and gas industry, integrate host communities with industry activities and generate employment opportunities for Nigerians.

Under the first phase, about 1,000 youths will be trained by world class environmental management companies to be engaged by the Board, using mod-

ern technology and facilities.

The Executive Secretary noted that over 2,000 persons have already applied for the workshops through the individual competency template on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System, which can be accessed on http:// www.nogicjqs.com.

The NCDMB chief challenged leaders of the Ijaw Youth Congress to mobilise their members to apply for the planned training workshops, adding that the closing date for receiving applications had been extended to January 17, 2012.

Currently, the Board is reaching out to ministries of information in oil producing states.Local governments and have also deployed other informal channels to get potential participants to apply for the training.

The training is expected to provide participants with knowledge that will make them sustainably employed.

Participants will also ensure that oil companies operating in their communities use proper environmental management standards in their operations.

N analysis of the petroleum receipts and distribution re port, for the period ending September 30, 2011, published by Dr Kwabena Dufuor, reveals that Ghana lost heavily under the Royalty Tax System it has adopted.

According to The Statesman, a Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) publication in 2008 indicated the Government of Ghana had as its total state shares, 38,209 (38.2 per cent) barrels out of every 100,000 barrels produced.

Thus, it stands to reason that as the volume of crude oil lift increases over the period, the Government of Ghana shares per the volume of lift should also show corresponding increases.

However, this has not been the case. The Government of Ghana shares have showed slight decreases whereas the volume of crude oil lifts is increasing over the period under review.

There have been three liftings of oil by GOG/GNPC and its partners in the first three quarters of last year ever since production of oil in commercial quantities commenced. Total crude oil lifts amounted to 4,627,701 barrels for the first quarter; 5,970,237 barrels for the second quarter; and 6,966,962 barrels for the third quarter.

This corresponds to 29 percent

Ghana loses $480m in oil revenue and 50 per cent increases in volume over the Quarter one in Quarter two and Quarter three.

Government of Ghana shares have on the other hand witnessed reductions with 995,259 barrels being Ghana’s shares for the first quarter; 994,691 barrels for the second quarter; and 990,770 for the third quarter. This implies that the volume of lift has been understated by 601,978 barrels valued at US$66,620,905.30.

Secondly, applying the parameters published by GNPC to the total volume of lift of 17,564,900 barrels so far produced and sold Ghana should have received a total of 6,709,792 barrels representing 38.20 per cent but only had 2,980,720 barrels representing 16.96 percent made up of Royalties, carried and participation interests.

Ghana is being denied the built up tax element of 3,729,072 barrels that has accrued so far, and by direct implications windfalls valued at US$189,063,950. Ghana was expected to earn from it. The total value Ghana lost, however, is US$ 412,696,398.

‘Jonathan will deliver on subsidy removal promises’

By Yakubu Dati

• Jonathan

A

N undeniable fact about the President Goodluck Jonathan persona is that whenever he makes a promise, he delivers.

For the period he has been in government, President Jonathan has made a few promises, but it is to his credit that he delivered on all no matter how daunting it may seem.

During this year’s electioneering campaigns, President Goodluck Jonathan, unlike his other colleagues in the presidential race, resisted the lure of making bogus promises to the electorate just to canvass their votes.

Doing away with the politics of deceit by remaining truthful to himself, his conscience and to the people, the President offered to make no promises in what could be described as the prelude to the frankness and simplicity that will later form the highlight of his administration’s principle.

For a sitting President, who had so much favours to dispense to individuals, groups, religious organisations and ethnic nations, the selfless leader in him resisted the pressure to throw promises around, but rather challenged Nigerians to be creative in their expectations and move way from the politics of the past where heaven and earth is promised by politicians and at the end of the day, they don’t offer anything close to that.

In the few instances where the president is made to make a promise, however, he has not failed to deliver, no matter how challenging the task may seem.

We all remember that one of the first promises the president made

to the nation even in the early days of his administration is that he will see to a free, fair and credible elections in the country.

A feat that has eluded past administrations in the country, Jonathan delivered on target by appointing credible persons to midwife the election and it turned out that the April 2011 elections, which was conducted under his administration as president has been adjudged as not only free and fair but as one of the most credible held in the country since independence.

President Jonathan has also promised to sustain stability in the supply and distribution of petroleum products by appointing credible, well experienced and knowledgeable people to oversee the petroleum industry and the promise has so far been kept with the nationwide availability of petroleum products.

Now in a very rare occasion, President Jonathan is making a promise as he offered as part of the economic policy of his administration, to see to the liberalisation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry by removing the administration of subsidy while pledging to ensure that the overall effect of the policy on Nigerians is positive and for the general good.

Probably because of the failure of past administrations, who added to price of fuel but have failed to achieve much from the earnings, some people have questioned the ability of the current administration to deliver simply because others have failed or have not completely delivered on their promises.

That we have a different president, not given to gibberish and rush to impress the public does not matter. But why are people in a rush to blame the failure of other administrations on the President?

The collapse of the four refineries and their inability to produce at full capacity happened long before the current administration came on board.

The inability of the refineries to produce at full capacities has made past governments to introduce importation of refined products as a way of meeting the domestic demand and this has been the practice for several years before the coming of the current administration.

So also is the corruption of the supply and distribution chain of

commodities, which has made products to be available at official prices only in a few cities such as Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt etc while remote areas continue to buy at higher prices commonly known as “black market” prices.

It was also long before the coming of the current administration that security lapse across Nigerian borders have made it attractive for smugglers to engage in the unwholesome practice of taking products meant for distribution within the Nigerian border outside the shores of the country selling such at higher prices while making huge profits due to the subsidy paid by the Nigerian government for the domestic market.

Many who oppose the president’s policy point at all these lapses and blame it on President Jonathan without placing the context of such anomalies in their proper perspectives.

The president administration has made it clear that it is out to correct such anomie but it would take time and that in the mean time, certain actions have to be taken to better the economy of the country.

The president’s decision to liberalise the downstream sector of the petroleum industry was taken

• Port Harcourt refinery.

after a painstaking review and analysis of the pros and cons of the policy and for a man whose talk does not come cheap, there must be reasons to believe him.

President Jonathan has said that once the subsidy on fuel is removed, it is the oil cabal, made up of a few Nigerians that would be cut loose but that in the long run, the masses would see the positive sides of the measures in areas as infrastructural development, good road netwok, steady power supply, good hospitals with functional facilities and security of lives and property.

But to the analytically minded, there are reasons why President Jonathan must be believed that he knows what he is doing and that he means well for Nigeria.

The first is his humble pedigree and disposition, which leaves no one in doubt that he means whatever he says.

Lest we forget, this is the same president who accepted to contest the country’s presidency on grounds that he will be fair and that the election would be free. He achieved that and today the April 2011 election is adjudged as one of the freest and fairest.

He also promised to do something about the high level corruption in the country and has so far reorganised the

anti graft agencies in the country.

The president had also made good his promise to provide funds for the rejuvenation of the agricultural sector in the country and for the first time in a long while, rekindled the interests of key players and institutions in the sector.

But particularly about the oil sector, it would interest Nigerians to know no leader who means well for this country would allow things to continue as they are in the industry where the issue of product supply has remained as volatile as ever, accompanied by unsteadiness and the attendant social insecurity.

Worse still is the rip off that goes on in the industry where the cabal holds the country’s jugular raking in billions of dollars in illicit profit while the other sectors of the economy remain unattended to.

It is this anomaly that the president has seen that he has made it a point of duty to correct to the extent that he has to overreach himself to do what he is not used to doing by making a promise.

The least, what Nigerians can do is to give their leader the benefit of the doubt, more so as he has never failed to keep his promise.

•Dati is a former Commissioner for Information in Plateau State

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

18

ENERGY With the various programmes and initiatives of its newly established Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Lagos State government is ready to make its energy sector adequately contribute to the growth of the economy, reports BIDEMI BAKARE

Lagos plans robust sector

T

HE Lagos State Government is making efforts to ensure the energy sector contributes immensely to its coffers as well as the development of the Nigerian economy.

The government said the energy sector, unfortunately, has not fulfilled its full potential despite the enormous opportunities that abound in the sector.

For instance, Lagos is being considered as one of Nigeria’s coastal zones that should have offshore oil and gas deposits. This consideration is based on the fact that the state falls within the Benin/ Dahomey Basin, which has geological formations that indicate presence of hydrocarbon.

But, unwittingly, the state has deprived itself the opportunity of securing derivation and allocation as an oil producing state from the Federal Government as a result of its inability to explore and tap into these resources. Other resources that have remained untapped in the state include clay sand, construction sands, silica sand and bitumen.

In power, the Lagos State Electricity Board set up for the implementation of power projects and maintenance of public lighting in the state has become moribund and unable to deliver on these mandates.

Energy ministry To address some of these challenges, the government felt it needed to do things differently by reactivating the energy sector in order to contribute to the economic fortunes of the state. For this reason, it created the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

At a recent interactive luncheon in Lagos, the pioneer commissioner for the new Energy ministry, Taofiq Tijani, highlighted some of the strategic efforts being made

and the achievements recorded as the ministry strives to turn things around.

On power generation, Tijani said the Lagos State Electricity Board has been resuscitated to enable it establish Independent Power Projects (IPPs) across the state using a standardised and sustainable framework.

He said the agency has also been well-positioned to perform the responsibility of assisting the Federal Government in its power sector reform agenda as it relates to Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies.

On the achievements made so far by the ministry in power, Tijani said two independent power projects have been completed while two others are currently ongoing. The projects, according to him, include the 12.5MW Akute power plant, the 10MW Island Power plant, the 10.6MW Alausa power plant and the 100MW expanded Island power plant.

He said four other independent power projects are being proposed, which include the 10MW, 20MW, 30MW and 100MW power plants for the Somolu printing community, Ilupeju, Matori and Ikorodu Industrial Estates respectively.

Tijani added that an energy audit programme has also been instituted to obtain an accurate energy/ power data of key areas within the state. He said about five areas have been covered while the audits of six other areas are ongoing.

I

(LPG) otherwise known as cooking gas as a fuel of choice.

In collaboration with stakeholders, Tijani stated that the ministry is creating awareness for residents to embrace the use of LPG in their homes for the immense environmental and economic advantages.

He noted that the state is also liaising with private investors to facilitate the establishment of a modular refinery.

On solid minerals, Tijani said the ministry is regulating sand dealing through the enforcement of mining laws, adding that the state will continuously liaise with relevant government agencies and miners to assess and monitor the impact of mining on the environment.

He said the state has carried out routine inspection of mining sites in the three distinct zones within Epe/Ibeju-Lekki/Ajah, Ikeja/ Alimosho/Badagry and Ikorodu axis.

To generate more revenue from the solid minerals, Tijani noted that the ministry is facilitating the

• Tijani

development and exploration of solid minerals in the state by issuing appropriate consent to miners to exploit solid minerals and monitoring the haulage of solid minerals including granite, marbles and gravels from other states.

He said the ministry is also being assisted by men of the state’s taskforce on environmental and special offence to carry out enforcement on errant mine operators in all the axis of the state.

Collaboration The state, he added, has also gone into different forms of collaboration to improve power supply in the state and the country.

These collaborative efforts include assisting the Federal Government with the emergency power plant barge projects aimed

IEA expects Iraqi oil boom RAQ is expected to account for as much as 80 per cent of the an ticipated production increase from OPEC members, the IEA estimates.

The International Energy Agency in its latest monthly oil report estimates crude oil production from Iraq is on pace to increase 1.87 million barrels per day (bpd) from 2010-16.

This means that by the end of the timeframe, Iraq will produce on average 4.36 million bpd.

The IEA, according to UPI report, said overall production capacity from members of the

at providing an additional 300700MW and working aid organisations, such as the World Bank for the provision of support services to both the ministry and Lagos State Electricity board.

Others include working with the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) and the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trader (NBET) to secure gas to power solutions for the state and forming a joint state and federal government committee for power project development.

In oil and gas development, Tijani said the state is proposing the establishment of an agency under the ministry of energy for engagements in exploration and production in collaboration with oil investors within the state.

He revealed that the state is also working in partnership with neighbouring states, such as Ogun and Ondo states to establish additional benefits from the producing fields. The state is developing a sustainable gas master plan to promote the use of liquefied petroleum gas

Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is forecast to increase from 2.33 million bpd to 3.81 million bpd by 2016.

“This revised forecast means that Iraq is expected to account for 80 per cent of the increase in OPEC’s crude oil production capacity in the six-year period,” the IEA said in a statement.

The December report, however, warns of growing political instability in Iraq now that US military forces have ended their mission there.

• Island power project

Oil price rises to $100/bbl on improving US economy O IL prices closed in on $100 a barrel Friday in Asia amid expectations an improving United States’ economy will boost demand for crude.

According to Associated Press benchmark crude for February delivery was up 23 cents to $99.76 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The contract rose 86 cents to finish at $99.53 on Thursday.

In London, Brent crude was down 4 cents at $107.85 on the ICE futures

exchange.

Crude has jumped from below $93 earlier this week on evidence of a slow but steady improvement in the US economy.

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level since April 2008, the third week in a row that applications fell.

The Conference Board reported that its measure of future economic

Energy prices

Domestic prices of petroleum products

Energy & Oil Prices OIL ($/bbl)

Companies

PMS

AGO

DPK

Conoil

65.00

160.00

140.00

AP

65.00

160.00

140.00

Total

65.00

160.00

140.00

Oando

65.00

160.00

140.00

Mobil

65.00

160.00

140.00

Texaco

65.00

160.00

140.00

Energy

65.00

160.00

140.00

Fagbems

65.00

160.00

140.00

Nipco

65.00

160.00

140.00

INDIGENOUS

% CHANGE 0.15% 0.36% 0.15%

TIME 12/23 12/23 12/23

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE Nymex Heating Oil Future 289.07 -1.69 -0.58% Nymex RBOB Gasoline Future 268.72 4.74 1.80% NATURAL GAS ($/MMBtu) PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE Nymex Henry Hub Future 3.11 -0.06 -1.74% Henry Hub Spot 2.93 -0.15 -4.87% New York City Gate Spot 3.18 -0.16 -4.79% ELECTRICITY ($/megawatt hour) PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE Mid-Columbia, firm on-peak, spot 27.35 -0.12 -0.44% Palo Verde, firm on-peak, spot 30.87 0.80 2.66% BLOOMBERG, FIRM ON-PEAK, DAY AHEAD SPOT/ERCOT HOUSTON 27.42 1.56 6.03% •Bloomberg Oil Buyers Guide

TIME 12/23 12/23

Nymex Crude Future Dated Brent Spot WTI Cushing Spot OIL (¢/gal)

PRICE* 99.68 109.25 99.63

CHANGE 0.15 0.39 0.15

TIME 12/23 12/23 12/23 TIME 12/22 12/22 12/22

activity jumped last month, the second straight gain.

“This is a market that just appears to want to go higher,” energy consultant and trader The Schork Group said in a report. “All good positive economic headlines are hyped and all poor headlines are ignored. Bears seem unable to keep crude from finishing 2011 below $100.”

The market is also primed for potential threats to global crude supplies, such as rising tensions between Iran and Western nations over Iran’s nuclear power program. The U.S. and Europe may bolster sanctions against the world’s fourth crude biggest producer.

“Iran might not passively wait for sanctions to be applied and could act unilaterally to embargo supplies,” J.P Morgan said in a report. “We are also concerned about Iraq, where political uncertainties seem to be rising following the U.S. troop pullout.” “We expect Iraq to add about 500,000 barrels a day of new supply in both 2012 and 2013, and any deviation from its present course could have serious implications for global supply.”

Trading volume is normally low during the next week as many traders take vacations around the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.

Global oil markets are closed Monday for Christmas.

Besides, crude oil may rise for a fourth year to a record average price in 2012 as demand in emerging markets increases and the US avoids a recession.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

19

EDITORIAL/OPINION EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

COMMENT

Insensitive food bill •N992.57m catering budget gives govt away as oblivious of realities

I

T seems the Goodluck Jonathan administration is yet to come to terms with the enormity of the economic deprivation that the average Nigerian is going through. This has been evident in most of its policies and pronouncements, and the latest example of this insensitivity is the administration’s desire to spend about N992.57 million on food, drinks and catering services next year. Just a few days ago, the government proposed a N921.7 billion budget on security, when it is obvious that the country is not at war, and that the security challenges it is facing are not going to go away simply by throwing money at them.

But for stiff public opposition to the government’s intention to withdraw what it calls fuel subsidy, Nigerians would have had to start paying more for petrol with effect from January 1, 2012. The government claims it can no longer afford the N1.3trillion it is spending this year to subsidise petroleum products. The government also plans to raise electricity tariffs as well as embark on the devaluation of the currency, all next year, ostensibly because it cannot continue with the present arrangement which starves it of needed funds for infrastructural development.

It is astonishing that the same government that says it is cash-strapped and is asking Nigerians to make sacrifices intends to spend a whopping N992.57 million on catering matters. The sum includes the cost of purchasing foodstuffs, catering supplies and kitchen equipment

for the president and his deputy’s offices and residences. A further breakdown shows that an approximately N477m will be spent on foodstuffs and catering materials for the president’s office while N293m will be spent on refreshment and meals for the president’s residence and office. Moreover, N45.4m is earmarked for canteen and “kitchen equipment” for the president’s residence.

For the vice president’s office, foodstuff, catering and supply of materials are to cost N104m, while cooking gas and cooking fuel will consume N6.2m. Refreshments and meals at his office and residence are estimated at N20.8million.

Another N45.4 million was reported to have been allocated to purchase of kitchen and household equipment at the State House.

Many Nigerians and groups have rightly condemned the proposed food bill. We join them in saying it is indeed the height of insensitivity on the part of the government to have made such a proposition. As Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) noted, such intention only shows the carefree manner in which our rulers spend public funds. Opposition parties say it is the “height of insensitivity”. We agree with all these and more.

A government that is calling on the people to make sacrifices must be willing to lead by example. It must be ready to forgo some of its own comfort before it can convince the people to toe the same line. The credibility and integrity prob-

lems that the present government has partly explain the rejection of its anti-subsidy campaign by Nigerians. It was the same ostentatious lifestyle that the country’s leaders exhibited when they were seeking debt forgiveness from our creditors. No sensible creditor would forgive the debt of such a country.

It is high time the Jonathan administration woke up to the country’s economic realities. It does not make sense for public officials to be living like oil sheikhs in a country where poverty is pervasive and where millions probably do not know where the next meal will come from. Our government officials should know that things are not as rosy out there as they are at the many cocktail circuits that many favoured public officials attend and clink glasses.

‘Many Nigerians and groups have rightly condemned the proposed food bill. We join them in saying it is indeed the height of insensitivity on the part of the government to have made such a proposition ... A government that is calling on the people to make sacrifices must be willing to lead by example; it must be ready to forgo some of its own comfort before it can convince the people to toe the same line.

Terrorist judge?

•Government must prosecute him rather than just keeping him under surveillance

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HE nation is daily regaled with the realism of why the Boko Haram scourge has become an ingrained societal menace. Just recently, a judge with the Kano State judiciary retired after his alleged romance with the sect was exposed.

The judge reportedly got acquainted with the Boko Haram members when he served as a judge on the Borno State Election Petition Tribunal that conducted its sitting, ab initio, in Maiduguri. He was reportedly leaking the movements of members of the tribunal and its proceedings to the sect members. This culminated in the eventual relocation of the tribunal to Abuja when members started receiving frightening text messages.

So far, the State Security Service (SSS),

‘The unravelling of the terrorist judge might just be a tip of the iceberg among the yet-tobe unravelled list of high profile sponsors of the sect. The security agencies should be told that without their connivance, the dastardly acts of Boko Haram and its powerful sponsors would not have been possible. That is why a template of justice must be set in the case of this suspected Boko Haram judge’

has reportedly established exchange of information between the judge and the Boko Haram members, especially Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (alias Usman AIZawahiri), the convicted spokesman of the sect. If indeed the overwhelming evidence against the judge is enough to make him retire, it is our candid judgement that he should not only be put under security surveillance but should by now have been arraigned before a competent court of law. After all, it is established that his call log showed that he actually had links with the sect that has wreaked so much havoc which is threatening the country’s corporate cohesion.

The sad act of the judge is definitely an abuse of the oath of office that he took.

That kind of misbehaviour is unbecoming of the revered office of a judge and that of the Bench and the legal profession as a whole.

So, nothing must prevent the state from charging the judge to court. His quick retirement was an admission of guilt and deterrence must be set out of the matter to send the right signal to others who are equally partners-in-crime with the judge.

The Boko Haram sect issue is becoming more problematic daily. New complexities are also being added by the second to the matter. At a point, one Senator Ali Ndume who is standing trial is allegedly said to be one of the sect’s finan-

ciers. The late Ambassador Saidu Pindar was also identified as one of the sect’s sponsors. Now, a judge has been added to the list. This is without prejudice to the speculated backing given to the sect by some powerful political elements in the north, including a former governor.

The influential sponsors of the sect are saboteurs and must be equally so treated.

The fatalities and destruction that the sect has caused the nation are enormous. Not less than 30 explosions have been master-minded by the sect alone, with hundreds of people killed and properties destroyed.

We remain baffled that a Boko Haram judge can be set free. The man should, wherever he is today, be re-arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law. He has compromised his office and position and should henceforth be treated like a suspected terrorist for allegedly aiding and abetting terrorism in the nation.

The unravelling of the terrorist judge might just be a tip of the ice berg among the yet-to-be unravelled list of high profile sponsors of the sect. The security agencies should be told that without their connivance, the dastardly acts of Boko Haram and its powerful sponsors would not have been possible. That is why a template of justice must be set in the case of this suspected Boko Haram judge. .

Death penalty, by the numbers

S

TATISTICAL evidence of racial bias should be considered when handing down capital punishment.

North Carolina is in the midst of a struggle between the governor and the Legislature over whether death row inmates should be allowed to use statistical evidence of racial bias to challenge their sentences. In our view, they should. Some communities have imposed the death penalty in such an unequal way that it makes sense to deprive them of the power to do it again.

Among the compelling arguments against capital punishment are its inherent brutality and its potential for error. But documented patterns of racial discrimination in sentencing are also well established and deeply troubling, particularly in cases in which the crime victim is white. A 2005 study of homicides in California from 1990 to 1999, for instance, drawing on FBI data, found that 2.1% of the offenders suspected of killing non-Latino whites were sentenced to death, compared with only 0.68% of those suspected of killing non-Latino African Americans.

In 2009, North Carolina’s Legislature passed the Racial Justice Act, which allows defendants to make the case — at a pretrial hearing or after conviction — that statistics show that the death penalty has been imposed significantly more often on defendants in their geographical area because of their race or that of the victim. (Similar legislation was introduced in California in 2010 but languished in committee.) If the judge determines that race has been a factor — not in the individual case but statistically — then the death sentence may not be sought or would have to be vacated.

Instead, the defendant would be sentenced to life without parole.

A year after the measure passed, a new, Republican-controlled Legislature came into office and sought to repeal it. The Legislature is now locked in a battle with Gov. Beverly Perdue, a Democrat, over the future of the law.

Admittedly, the use of statistical data is a departure from traditional notions of justice, which focus on the facts of the individual case.

But it is possible that the system may be skewed as a whole without a judge consciously taking race into account when sentencing. Presenting statistical evidence could give a judge second thoughts about his unconscious biases.

In 1987, the Supreme Court rejected the argument that statistics showing bias in imposition of the death penalty amounted to a denial of equal protection of the law in a particular case. But the court left it up to state legislatures whether they wanted to authorize the use of statistical evidence in their own courts. In the long run, states should do away with capital punishment altogether. But as long as they permit it, they shouldn’t ignore evidence that it is being carried out unequally.

– Los Angeles Times TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Kunle Fagbemi •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

20

EDITORIAL/OPINION

S

IR Since men began to organise themselves in defined territories for the purpose of social production and reproduction, the imperative of security and collective survival has assumed a very crucial dimension.

This means that from time immemorial, man is and has continued to be conscious of his safety and has been able to device means and from time improved on these means of seeking safety. In the face of numerous daunting economic, political, environmental, social, cultural challenges bedeviling the world, the issue of security has taken a complex dimension.

As Nigeria continues to address conventional security issues which involves the provision of arms, ammunition for the security

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Imperative of alternative security budgeting apparatus of the state for the purpose of traditional maintenance of military strength to ward off aggression or the expansion of the apparatus of internal security to ensure domestic order; it has become obvious that the quality and quantity of arms at the disposal of nations no longer guarantee their safety.

If the weapon heads of nation mattered at all in this 21st century, the 9/11 mayhem in USA would not have been possible. The absolute

helplessness of security agencies in containing daily armed robberies, the unending sectarian crisis in Jos and the unfortunate activities of Boko Haram extremists in Maiduguri and Yobe states are few glaring examples that conventional security needs to be re-examined.

Therefore, abandoning the time bomb in poverty, violence, injustice, hunger, failure of leadership, corruption, unemployment, election rigging, lack of basic infrastructure, quality

and functional education, food, shelter, economic trauma, globalisation and the information revolution which are raising great security concerns not only in Nigeria but throughout Africa is courting for trouble.

That the 2012 budget allocates a whooping sum of N 921.91 billion to security which is higher than the total sum budgeted for Education, Agriculture, Health, Housing and Science and Technology combined together runs short of this new

Anambra and Edo: tale of two waste disposal sites

S

IR: The location of the waste disposal sites in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, and Benin – Owo expressway in Edo State portend great dangers for travellers on these busy roads, especially during this festive season.

One of the criteria for choosing a waste disposal site is that it must be at least 500metres (1/2Km) away from a major highway. In the two waste disposal sites in question, this wasn’t observed at all. This is somewhat surprising, as it is assumed that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should have been conducted before the sites were chosen. One could only then assume that either an Environmental Impact Assessment was not carried out at all before the site was chosen or that the recommendations were not followed and enforced by the Ministry of Environments in both states.

In the case of Anambra State, the waste disposal site is located on the Onitsha – Okija road, on the outskirts of the Onitsha town. There is no clear-cut boundary between the waste disposal site and the highway, as some of the wastes from the site are already encroaching on the highway. The imminent danger present in this particular site includes loss of lives and other hazards associated with

the unfavourable stench coming from the site. The scavengers who forage on dropped wastes are sometimes carried away by their activities and most times even forget that they are on a very busy highway. Also, landfill gases such as methane that is generated from decomposing organic has adverse effects on the health of the passengers travelling on the highway.

In the case of Benin – Owo road, the distance between the waste

disposal site and the highway is not up to 20 metres. The indiscriminate incineration of the wastes dumped here portends great hazard to travellers on the road. The driver of the bus in which I was travelling had to slow down almost to a halt as the smoke from the incineration of wastes on the site was so thick that he couldn’t see the oncoming vehicle.

As Nigerians, we are faced with a lot of avoidable situations and conditions that contribute to loss of

lives of innocent citizens daily; bad roads, insecurity and so on. Loss of lives that may arise from this bad practice of waste disposal is avoidable; let us dispose our wastes properly by adhering to the rules.

This therefore, is a call on the governments in both Anambra and Edo States to take urgent action to correct this anomaly.

•Ayimoro, Gbenga Samuel.

G.R.A, Ondo, Ondo State.

security thinking which seeks to deemphasise the realist approach of power, arms and might in handling national security problems. In the security realm, all nations define goals and use the elements of national power to attain them, but not all nations do it in a consistently strategic fashion. This budget is lacking that strategic fashion.

In the words of Annan ’’today we know that ‘’security’’ means far more than the absence of conflict.

We know that lasting peace requires a broader vision encompassing areas such as education, health democracy and human rights, protection against environmental degradation and the proliferation of deadly weapons.

We know that we cannot be sure amidst starvation that we build peace without alleviating poverty and that we cannot build freedom on the foundation of injustice. These pillars of what we now understand as the people-centred concept of human security are interrelated and mutually re-enforcing’’.

Before Nigeria can begin to develop coherent national strategies, she must strengthen the foundation of security, understood in the broadest sense of the terms: accountability, nationalism, good governance, national consensus and the development of human capital.

• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze PHCN,Samaru Business Unit, Zaria, Kaduna State

NBA should present a minority report on judicial reform

S

IR: Nigerians are concerned that the representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) did not sign the final report of the Judicial Reform Committee headed by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammed Uwais. It is gratifying that the President of the NBA, Joseph Daudu (SAN), has explained the reasons behind the refusal. That put to rest speculations on the matter particularly that it has nothing to do with the recommendation on the re-instatement of Justice Ayo Salami as the President of Court of Appeal.

The grouse of the NBA representatives is said to be the failure of the report to include some of the vital recommendations they

made during the committee’s sessions. One of this is that serving judicial officers, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), should no longer be members of the National Judicial Council (NJC) which has the power to sanction or discipline any of them.

Currently, the CJN is the chairman of the NJC, and that can only complicate resolution of such cases as the dispute between the former CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and the PCA, Justice Ayo Salami who the NJC removed under Katsina-Alu. The NBA recommends that retired judicial officers in the categories of Chief Justice, President of the Court of

Appeal, Chief Judge, etc. and some experienced lawyers be appointed by an appointment committee to constitute the NJC. One would have thought that the NBA’s position is ideal for equity and justice. But, in Nigeria, a partisan President decides the electoral umpires, so that electoral fraud can be committed for his political party at will. In like manner, the conservative elements in the committee who are promoting injustice in Nigeria rejected the NBA’s position.

Secondly, the NBA representatives said the report fails to reflect their recommendation that appointment of lawyers as judges be made transparent and equitable. They allege that

currently the Nigerian Judiciary is loaded with many unqualified persons because the process allows the powers-that-be to appoint their siblings and favorites, rather than a level playing ground where the best qualified are selected.

I suggest that if it has not been done, the NBA should crown their patriotism with submission of their recommendations as a Minority Report to the CJN. I suggest further that the body that decides who becomes a Senior Advocate of Nigeria be engaged to decide also members of the NJC, along the lines recommended by the NBA above.

• Pius Oyeniran Abioje, Ph. D, University of Ilorin. Kwara State

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

21

EDITORIAL/OPINION

T

WO frantic calls from my home state of Kogi early in the month helped me appreciate some of the things taken for granted by those of us perennially moaning about the restriction of our freedoms by the heavy presence of security agencies in every nook and cranny of the Lagos metropolis.

What informed the call, which I initially considered unsolicited was a visit I had planned to undertake before the onset of the Christmas rush. An advance warning of sorts, the two messages were as pointed and straight to the point: perish the idea of home-coming.

Given my familiarity with the death corridor that the Ilorin-Lokoja highway has become, I thought I understood the basis of their concerns. I recall my Senator, the irrepressible Smart Adeyemi, once shouting himself hoarse over the neglect of this important federal highway. In any case, I didn’t think that was enough to deter me.

But then, it turned out that I was being asked to stay away for a reason different from the road headache. I even detected something bordering on panic in the voice of one of the callers: something to the effect that the state was too hot to visit either now or in the immediate foreseeable future – that I should wait until the security situation improves, or perhaps until a legitimate government is in place.

That came to me as a new dimension to the story of the virtual meltdown in governance in my dear state.

I couldn’t miss the unmistakeable sarcasm laden in the latter part of the message. It was a veiled reference to the extended tenure of the incumbent Ibrahim Idris a.k.a Ibro – who, despite the court-certified heist of his PDP in the 2007 gubernatorial election, was nonetheless gifted with tenure elongation.

Anyway, I spoke to those who should know to about the security situation in the state. I shared my concerns with a serving senator, a member of the House of Representatives, some members of the state legislature and a serving commissioner including some notable stakeholders in the state all of who confirmed that the seriousness of the security

‘It is not my place to recommend any strategy to our bored, extra-term governor currently moonlighting in faraway Dubai preparatory to his inglorious exit. The people already have bitter memories of abdication in the hands of their clueless Chief Security Officer to expect him to rise to the occasion’

F

OLLOWING the recent death of the Guardian publisher Mr. Alex Ibru there was a mushrooming of appreciation for the kind of discursive and intellectual journalism created by the newspaper he bankrolled. Famed essayist, the not so pseudonymous Tatalo Alamu described as a cultural renaissance the meeting of town and gown as well as the straddling of the Ivory Tower and the newsroom which are distinguished hallmarks of this kind of journalism. And this brings us to a discussion of the media as an alternative university and a fertilizing ground for policy relevant and informative ideas.

Prof. Fred Omu famously described the colonial press as “the most distinguished intellectual forum in Nigerian history” underscoring the rudimentary scholarly origins of the media and their conversion into a training ground for the emerging intellectual class. If you assumed that the colonial press was all agitation and propaganda bereft of cultivated thought, you are widely off the mark. At the turn of the last century, the Lagos Standard representing the emergent gentry of colonial Lagos lamented in an editorial that the youth of those times were growing up without “the sober joys of intellectual research, literary improvement, profitable debate and informed thought and opinion” suggesting that it was a quality paper that lent to anticolonial agitation an intellectual verve. Go on from that point to recall the belle lettres and accomplished prose of star journalists such as Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro, Mokwugu Okoye, Nnamdi Azikwe, Babatunde Jose, Abiodun Aloba, Bisi Onabanjo, among others and you will begin to appreciate that in a sense Nigerian journalism began as a fairly intellectual vocation.

The interesting thing about what you may call the old school of Nigerian journalism is that it was populated by professionals and freelancers who did not boast high sounding academic degrees but nonetheless attained mastery of the English Language to a level comparable to those available in some of the best news papers in England.

Recall in this regard the biting satire of Alade Odunewu described famously by Zik as “the Dean of satirical journalism” in Nigeria; the wit and mocking tenor of Peter

‘What then is the future of the educational role of the media and the tradition of the public intellectual? Like most things in Nigeria, decline and devaluation have set in to the extent that although many journalists now parade several academic degrees, they probably are not as informative or as readable as was the case a decade or so ago’

Policy Sanya Oni sanyaoni@yahoo.co.uk 08051101841

Ibro’s Kogi: a state like no other situation. Nearly all fingered the monumental abdication by the government of Ibrahim Idris as being responsible for the current state in which armed hoodlums now have a field day.

Some clarification would seem necessary at this point. I have not said that the resurgence of armed robbery is peculiar to Kogi State. That would be a fallacy of the highest order.

Indeed, the spectre of armed robbery has not only gone viral – it has become – like its kith, the Boko Haram – a national epidemic.

It is however the management or mismanagement of the situation that sets the men apart from the boys. In some states, one sees evidence of real thinking on the security situation going on. Lagos, for instance with its 17 million inhabitants obviously models them all with its novel style of providing financial muscle to security agencies through the state Security Trust Fund and the enlistment of the military to boost the numbers of men on patrol. This approach has since been adopted by Ogun, Oyo and Osun states – these are the states whose crime fighting strategies I am well familiar just as there would be other states – at least seen to be doing something.

Whatever one may say of the joint military-police patrol teams, it seems to be working as there has been a noticeable reduction in incidences of violent crimes in those states sequel to their deployment.

Let’s look at the records of violent crimes in Kogi in the last 30 days alone. From accounts, there are at least not less than 10 reported cases of armed robbery within the West and Central axis of the state in the last four weeks. Notable ones include the one in November during which the Divisional Police Command and a bank in Kabba were sacked by armed robbers. Another well reported incident happened on December 19 at Aiyetoro-Gbede in Ijumu Local Government involving the bombing of a bank. Another

The media as an open university

By Ayo Olukotun Enaoro; the barbs and pungent humor of Bisi Onabanjo (Ayekoto) and you will marvel at the comprehensiveness and depth of the informal education which this men of letters received. For anyone in doubt of the thoroughness of that generation of journalists, a reading of Babatunde José’s magnificent book :Walking A Tight Rope: Power Play at the Daily Times will dispel the fog. I had the opportunity to be exposed to this generation of intellectuals in the mid 90’s when the late Prof.Femi Sonaike and myself were assigned by the Daily Times to edit a book to commemorate Alhaji Babatunde Jose’s 70th birthday. Sonaike and I were the only academics who contributed chapters to the book but you will hardly notice or perhaps you would for academics tend to write in a fairly turgid style; both of us had a lot to learn from the virtuoso and display of literary mastery of the other contributors such as Peter Enaharo, Segun Osoba, and Felix Adenaike. The book itself was strikingly titled Jose: The Ideas Man in appreciation of the intellectual stature of the media mogul.

The point I had been laboring to make is that although The Guardian is justly credited with blazing a trail in high brow journalism, the profession had well before its debut harbored generations of intellectuals and writers who although were not self consciously egg-heads educated the nation as much by the substance of their writings as by an elegant prose style. The Daily Times produced many star journalists who contributed seminally to the development of the profession and here names like Gbolabo Ogunsanwo, Tola Adeniyi, Lade Bonuola, Areoye Oyebola, Sam Amuka, Doyin Abiola, Frank Aigboje among others come to mind. Interestingly it was from The Daily Times that Stanley Macebuh, Patrick Dele Cole, Lade Bonuola, Femi Kusa, Amma Ogan and others went on to become pioneer staff at The Guardian hence pointing to continuity of the intellectual character of journalism as it evolved over the years.

True, our public and media culture is not as philosophical as you will find in a country like France where journalism is often a breeding ground for eminent writers and philosophers; indeed as is well known, the French tradition of the public intellectual boast of names such as Albert Camus who had a distinguished stint as a newspaper editor, Bernard –Henri Levi as well as Jean Francois Revel all of whom are well known philosophers and journalists. Similarly, the French public culture was enriched by the journalistic writings of eminent social theorists such as Raymond Aron

deadly attack on police stations similar to the one in Kabba was enacted at the police station at the Ijumu Local Government headquarters days after.

At Isanlu, headquarters of Yagba-east local government, the hoodlums stopped at serving notice on their impending visit. But the greatest of them all, was the Rambo-like operation in Okene on December 20 which left 10 people dead.

And what was the response from the so-called Chief Security Officer of the state? Nothing as far as anyone can see. No words of consolation to affected citizens or assurances to calm frayed nerves; no initiatives to address the situation.

For our chief of state, life goes on!

I guess it is not my place to recommend any strategy to our bored, extra-term governor currently moonlighting in faraway Dubai preparatory to his inglorious exit. The people already have bitter memories of abdication in the hands of their clueless Chief Security Officer to expect him to rise to the occasion. How can anyone forget son soon the gory incident of mass murder right at the Governor’s backyard in August: the crushing of 50 Nigerians by an incoming vehicle after armed robbers forced them to lie on the Lokoja-Abuja highway?

Up till now, I have resisted the urge to pass judgment on the contemptibly barren and mentally challenged leadership at the Lugard House – whose only achievement is the creation of the atavistic cult described as Ibro family – a group united by their love for power and the unrestrained access to the treasury which it guarantees.

Bad enough that the state has had to put up with a nonlegacy; harder still, if not impossible to be indifferent to the rapid regression of the state into the famed Hobessian state of nature under the directing hands of an incompetent manager.

As for the Kogi Commissioner of Police – the man with the hard-to-pronounce name of Amana Abakasanga, I hear he’s writing his handover notes preparatory to cooling off at the Senior Executive Course at the elite national institute Kuru. Seems more than fitting reward for the top cop whose goons – in a show of slavish loyalty to his PDP bosses –took fellow Nigerians through a harrowing ordeal of internal deportation. Guess he would have enough time to share his reflections with course-mates on why the same courage failed when armed robbers invaded town!

Today, our dear state has become a macabre theatre of anything goes. But then, can anything good be expected from a state where mandates are freely hawked as one would do to apples in the marketplace?

Finally, what manner of police commissioner would sit idly by while the men of the underworld run rings round the state? The answer is – Abakasanga!

Here is wishing my readers merry Christmas in arrears and a prosperous 2012. who brought his intellect into the market place in order to educate the nation.

In general, the journalist as social theorist or distinguished writer is a tradition associated more with continental Europe than is the case in many countries around the world.

Howerver, programs such as writers in residence now exist in many countries as a way of leveraging on the intellectual and literary underpinnings of the journalism career. It should be noted that in the contemporary period many Nigerian journalists such as Odia Ofeimun, Kunle Ajibade, Reuben Abati, and Mohammed Haruna have regalingly carried forward the intellectual legacy of the journalistic profession while academics and writers such as Olatunji Dare, Adebayo Williams, Olu Obafemi, Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare and others have deepened the Nigerian configuration of the public intellectual through their incisive opinion columns.

What then is the future of the educational role of the media and the tradition of the public intellectual? Like most things in Nigeria, decline and devaluation have set in to the extent that although many journalists now parade several academic degrees, they probably are not as informative or as readable as was the case a decade or so ago. In same vein fewer and fewer academics are venturing into public debate indicating that the older tribe of public minded academics are not being replenished. What needs to be done to revitalize the public sphere is to narrow rather than widen the gap between the academy and the stratum of intellectual minded journalists by for example as is the practice in other countries creating opportunities for star journalists to take part in the training of mass communicators in our universities. Additionally, the journalism schools should be retooled in such a way that they can genuinely mid-wife a new generation of public intellectuals.

• Olukotun is a professor of Political Science at Lead City University Ibadan

‘It should be noted that in the contemporary period many Nigerian journalists such as Odia Ofeimun, Kunle Ajibade, Reuben Abati, and Mohammed Haruna have regalingly carried forward the intellectual legacy of the journalistic profession while academics and writers such as Olatunji Dare, Adebayo Williams, Olu Obafemi, Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare and others have deepened the Nigerian configuration of the public intellectual through their incisive opinion columns’

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

22

EDITORIAL/OPINION

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HE outgoing year no doubt has been one most Nigerians would wish to expire, if possible, today because of the bitter experiences they’ve had to contend with in the last 361days. 2011 also is one year they would not forget in a hurry, especially those that have been unlucky to be where Boko Haram had exploded bombs in the northern part of the country.

Those that have also been unfortunate to fall victims of the ongoing seemingly unstoppable war being wagged against the rest of us by armed robbers would wish that 2011 never came their way again. Ask bank workers in Oyo, Ogun, Osun and other parts of the south west. You could also ask the Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim.

But then there are also those like most of our politicians who would want as many of 2011 as possible because it has been a good year for them, the exception being Bayelsa Governor Timi Silva whose 2011 has been a mixture of the good and the bad. I am sure he will be cursing his luck for ever knowing a man called Goodluck Jonathan. Yes our own dear president and commander-in-chief.

Both have been fighting a proxy war over next February gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state. Remember the president used to be the governor there before he moved to Abuja and Silva took over. Now the rumour mills have it that the president does not want Silva again as governor of his home state and is backing a one time Attorney General of the state, Seriake Dickson, who is presently a member of the House of Representatives. In fact Dickson has been chosen as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the February election, leaving Silva in the cold. We’ll come back to that later.

While there are as many as 150 million reasons to wish that 2011 go away quickly none of us 150 million Nigerians is sure what 2012 would have in stock for us as individuals and for our dear country Nigeria. Wait a minute. Let me look at my crystal ball and see whether there is something about 2012 in there. I think I can see some things. Let me clean my eye glasses first. Whaaaaat? Is this 2012? I think I better share this with you straight away.

What I am seeing here is a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly. And before you say what is he talking about? And has it not

Nigeria in 2012 always been the good, the bad and the ugly?

Yes it has but this time around; e get as e be.

LEADERSHIP Not a few Nigerians and friends of Nigeria agree that the country has been let down by her leaders. From Tafawa Balewa to Goodluck Jonathan it has been a succession of one bad leader after another, the ray of hope offered by the Murtala Mohammed’s short-lived military regime of 1975/76 notwithstanding.

The trend is not about to stop in 2012.

Remember President Jonathan told us to begin to judge him after one year in office? On May 29, 2012 he would have spent 365 days at Aso Rock as elected leader. Have you seen anything to suggest that things are looking up for the country since he assumed office? I have my doubts. Electricity supply is still as erratic and it used to be in spite of assurances that things would improve. It’s been a case of one step forward two steps backward in the power sector. Don’t expect much improvement in 2011. Bad news for the real sector as well as the likes of hairdressers, welders, vulcanisers and barbers. It goes without saying that the economy would suffer.

The other day I was watching a programme by the Bank of Industry on the NTA network and a speaker from UNIDO did say that without constant power supply, our dream of industrialization would remain just a dream.

He said whereas the cost of energy to a manufacturer in the industrialized countries is about say 3 % it is about 35% in Nigeria. So the most expensive product is those countries would still be cheaper in Nigeria compared with what we produce here, no thanks to the huge energy cost the manufacturer here has to

bear. This is not about to change anytime soon.

We’ll still remain the highest importer and user of electricity generator in the world in 2012.

FUEL SUPPLY If there is one thing Jonathan has done well since he assumed office, it is the constant supply of petroleum products to the populace, but that may change soon as we approach the planned withdrawal of oil subsidy in 2012. If labour and the rest of civil society are to be believed then be prepared for a long drawn strike by workers in the new year the moment Jonathan removes the subsidy on petroleum products, petrol and diesel in particular.

Though I support the withdrawal, the do or die approach of the federal government to the issue leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Listening to Okonjo-Iweala and Sanusi Lamido you’ll think the end would come sooner rather than later for Nigeria if we continue with fuel subsidy. It’s as if there is no alternative open to Nigeria. They are not even listening to the contrary opinion. Mind you Okonjo-Iweala was one of the key economic advisers to Obasanjo and where did that leave us? In fact their withdrawal or nothing stance reminds one of what Fela said about leaders like them: Dis kind leaders o na wa for dem…

Chorus Many leaders as you see dem, Na different disguise dem dey o, Animal in human skin, Animal put on suit o, Animal wear Agbada.

Animal put on tie o… Need I say more? 2012 sure is going to be tough for us with leaders like this.

SECURITY Don’t expect insecurity to disappear just like that in the New Year in spite of the Boko Haram size budget on security that Jonathan has proposed to the National Assembly for approval for the year 2012. If anything there will be more bombing campaigns by the terrorist group, though I can see some breakthroughs by the security agencies, in close collaboration with our foreign friends.

As for that Senator on trial for being friendly with Boko Haram, the cloud on my crystal ball is not allowing me a clear view, but I don’t think he would go scot-free as Jonathan would want to make an example out of him and show the world that he is doing something about terrorists and their sponsors/collaborators.

And if Boko Haram did step up its atrocities and the current spate of armed robbery attacks continues unabated, I foresee Hafiz Ringim losing his job as IGP in the new year sooner rather than later. I think it’s about he’s fired.

The clamour for state police would also become louder and we may see the National Assembly taking a position on it in 2012.

POLITICS Bayelsa state is the place to watch if you are one that is interested in the dirty game of politics that has continued to mar our democracy in Nigeria. February 2012 would present us with an opportunity to see a rare show of strength between a president and a state governor, the one we have not seen since the days of Obasanjo vs Daniel in Ogun state.

Sokoto and Cross River also deserve a closer look as governorship elections hold there as well. The crises rocking PDP in these states notwithstanding, the party should still win.

The battle to retain his tenancy of the Government House in Akure would be very tough for Governor Olusegun Mimiko if the gubernatorial elected is held next year. I can see the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) dislodging Mimiko and his Labour Party.

OTHERS I can see Nigeria further going down in sports and what is this? Oh my god, power cut and the UPS is down. I guess I have to shut down the crystal ball now. Let’s see what happens next week. Happy New Year in advance.

VIEW FROM THE FOREIGN PRESS

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HE emigration of Nigerians to Europe and North America reached its peak in the late 1980s and the 1990s. These were the Babangida and Abacha years marked by economic stagnation, social discontent and corresponding nutritional deficit especially amongst the vulnerable segment of the population. In a nutritional survey conducted in Edo state between 1995 and 1997 by this writer, the prevalence of low height – for – age in children (3-5yrs of age), which is a measure of stunting was 20.6% in Benin City, Nigeria.

The per capita income in Nigeria had declined from over $1,000 in 1980 to below $200 in 1994.

It was therefore not surprising that many Nigerians who could not find work in Nigeria decided to seek better opportunities in Europe and North America. While not attempting to diminish the initial challenges they might have encountered en route to Europe and on arrival at their respective countries, most Nigerian migrants soon settled and have worked hard to create opportunities for themselves. This article reflects more on Nigerians living in the UK than Nigerians residing in continental Europe or North America.

Although it is difficult to provide detailed statistical data on the number of Nigerians resident in the UK because many have not had their immigration status regularized, recent publications by the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK) had an estimate of two million Nigerians. Amongst these are different professionals including university lecturers, medical doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers and captains of industries.

These professionals not only make Nigeria proud in their different fields, but they are contributing significantly to the economic development of Nigeria through remittances.

Recent publications in newspapers in Nigeria showed that Nigerians in Diaspora remit over $10 billion dollars yearly. It is projected that this will extend to 100 billion dollars by 2015. In order to continue these remittances and goodwill, Nigerians in Diaspora must be in good state of health and continue to maintain good nutritional status.

However, factors such as unhealthy dietary regime, lack of physical activity, harmful lifestyle and poor physiological adaptation due to climatic variation could impact on their nutrition and health status. Twenty to twenty

Diaspora Nigerians: good people, fat nation

By Omorogieva Ojo five years after the mass migration to the UK with better economic variables, the effects of these factors on Nigerians living there have become evident.

Most of these Nigerians who were in their twenties and thirties when they emigrated in the late 1980s and 1990s are now in their forties and fifties. The effect of aging on health status is well documented. The pattern of work and the environmental conditions especially during winter create minimal room for individuals to engage in out door physical activities. Similarly, the over reliance on fast foods such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza which are not healthy diets has its effect on weight gain. These unhealthy foods are often much cheaper than the healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables although savings from eating cheaper unhealthy foods will no doubt increase the amount of remittance to Nigeria. However, most of these unhealthy foods are rich in saturated fatty acids (so called bad fat) and low in mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (so called good fat).

Even the Nigerians who eat the traditional foods such as pounded yam have to consider the value of the foods in terms of their nutritional value and the size of portions served.

Eating a huge bowl of pounded yam is not necessarily helpful. Thus, a combination of unhealthy dietary intake and lack of physical activity can lead to excessive weight gain and obesity in Nigerians living in the UK. Obesity is defined as a condition of excessive body fat accumulation to an extent that increases the risk of complicating diseases.

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease and diabetes. Zimmet (1998) defined diabetes as a metabolic disorder that is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion and/or insulin action. The clinical features of diabetes have been outlined and include weight loss, blurred

vision and polyuria (excessive urination), polydipsia (thirst) and polyphagia (craving for food).

Although the primary focus of this article is not on the pathophysiology of diabetes, it is now clear that the development of hyperglycaemia in diabetes results from the failure of the pancreas to produce insulin (type 1 diabetes) or sufficient insulin (type 2 diabetes). There is evidence that hyperglycaemia (raised blood glucose) can also result from the failure of insulin (a chemical messenger) to exert its biological influence at the level of the liver and the muscle to facilitate the diffusion of glucose into the cells to be used for energy, stored as glycogen or fat. Thus, a combination of lack of insulin or poor insulin secretion resulting from beta cell dysfunction and/or insulin resistance can lead to glucose dysregulation and hyperglycaemia.

The actions of the counter regulatory hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol and glucagon in counteracting the action of insulin in diabetes have been the subject of intense studies. Obesity especially large abdominal fat, genetic constitution of the individual, ethnicity and age are some of the factors contributing to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Therefore, Nigerians who are over 40 years of age, who are overweight and obese, eat unhealthy diets and do not engage in physical activities are at an increased risk of developing chronic hyperglycemia leading to type 2 diabetes. The complications of diabetes can be profound and include retinopathy (damage to retina of the eye leading to blindness), nephropathy (damage to the kidney leading to kidney dysfunction), neuropathy (neuropathic pains and lack of sensations), limb amputations, erectile dysfunction, stroke and coronary heart disease. Based on recent research evidence, the prevalence of diabetes amongst Black African men (e” 55yrs) living in the UK has been shown to be 5.0% compared to 4.3% in the general population. There is evidence that Nigerians pre-dominate amongst Black Africans residing in the UK. At the 66th session of the United Nations

General Assembly o fMay 19, the prevention and control of non- communicable diseases, namely; cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases came up for discussion. The Secretary General’s account based on the World Health Organisation Global status Report on Non-communicable disease 2010 noted the increase in non-communicable diseases worldwide and revealed that these were responsible for more deaths than all other causes combined.

According to the Secretary General, 36 million people died from non-communicable diseases, representing 63% of the 57 million global deaths in 2008. It is projected that up to 52 million people will die from non-communicable diseases in 2030.

The UN report outlined tobacco use, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and harmful alcohol use as the major risk factors for non–communicable diseases. Nigerians in Diaspora will do well by participating in programmes and activities tailored by their host countries to meet the UN recommendations including the need for governments to integrate the health of migrants into the control and prevention policies for non–communicable diseases.

In addition, ensuring intake of healthy and balanced diet including five portions of fruits and vegetables daily, 30 minutes of exercise per day for at least five days per week and eliminating harmful tobacco and alcohol use are some of the approaches to enabling good nutritional and health status.

• Dr Ojo is Senior Lecturer in Primary Care, University of Greenwich, London.

‘The effect of aging on health status is well documented. The pattern of work and the environmental conditions especially during winter create minimal room for individuals to engage in outdoor physical activities’

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

23

AVIATION

‘Interline agreement will boost passenger comfort’ T

HE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has spoken of plans to fast track the implementation of interlining of tickets among domestic carriers, such that one ticket could be used on any airline that flies in the country.

Director-General of NCAA Dr Harold Demuren, who disclosed this, last week while unveiling the programme of the authority, said discussions have reached advanced stage on how to achieve the interlining of tickets among domestic carriers, as part of efforts to harmonise operations in the sector.

Demuren said the NCAA had to convene a meeting of all domestic airlines to ascertain the readiness and workability of the new measure, such that through interlining agreements, holders of a particular airline ticket will be able to fly on another airline operating to the same route without being surcharged.

“This is the way to go if we must

Stories by Kelvin Osa-Okunbor Aviation Correspondent

remain in this business, retain our clients and prosper in it. We must not only continue to carry our passengers safely from one point to another, but must offer smooth, courteous and hassle free air services from time to time.”

Demuren explained that as a build up to the interlining agreement, the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah-Ogiemwnyi had stated the readiness of the ministry of aviation in resolving the stress associated with domestic air travel.

The minister urged Demuren to set up a committee, which worked out a framework that will enable the holder of a flight ticket of any of the operating airline to travel on any available flight at any given time for flights.

He explained that the only exception may be holders of promotional tickets, which originally have conditions attached to their usage at the time of purchase.

On the strides of NCAA, in the year, Demuren explained that the authority has ordered the re-opening of Bebi airstrip.

Demuren said: “We are now doing Visual Flight Rules operations, all flight will be conducted under the Visual Flight Rules unit and it is restricted to daylight operations.

The type of aircraft, the type of triple pop short hub and landing aircraft those are the types of aircraft that will go in.”

I am appealing to passengers, especially during this holiday period they may experience delays, even cancellation if the weather is not good enough so that is why we are concerned, safety is number one.

“On aviation fuel, we have stringent measure before aviation fuel can get into the aircraft, and we don’t start from the airport, it starts from the refineries, because it is a procedural thing. Nobody can import any fuel here without going through the right process. There are a lot of certifications.”

ANLCA, MMIA assured of secretariat PRESIDENT of the Association of Nigerian Customs Licensed Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiwola Shittu has said the association will do everything possible to secure land to build its secretariat.

Shittu, who spoke during a two-day working visit of the MMA branch, also canvassed the use of bio-metric identification cards for all licensed customs agents, saying the measure would not only bring about a modicum of respect but would also ensure their access into the cargo area.

He also assured members that their branch executives as well as the national executives were working closely with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to see that land is allocated for the construction of their secretariat.

Shittu, who was accompanied on the working visit by members of the agents’ Board of Trustees (BOT), however, said they were going to do all within their power to ensure tat FAAN accedes to their request since they are part of its revenue generators.

Speaking on the bio-metric identification card and its advantage, Shittu explained that the gains are so enormous to count.

He said that with the introduction of the card, ANCLA members will not be mistaken for touts and thus would not be harassed.

Emirates launches A380 connectivity Customers on a growing number of Emirates A380s can now surf, share, email, or tweet their way across the Emirates network as the airline launches Wi-Fi internet connectivity with leading industry service provider, On Air. Customers can access the service of the Wi-Fi in the sky onboard their flight using their Wi-Fi enabled devices including smart phones, tablets and laptops. All customers have to do is open up their device’s wireless connections, log on to the On Air network and follow the simple steps to access the internet. As part of a proving phase, customers onboard many A380 flights have been using the service for many months already as the system was installed and activated on the first few A380s last year.

“Emirates recognise that being connected in-flight is increasingly important, especially on our longer flights. Adding Internet access is going to be a vital and ubiquitous part of any in-flight experience, just as it is in everyday life on the ground,” said Patrick Brannelly, Vice President Corporate Communications Product, Publishing, Digital and Events. “As a result of our testing, we were able to learn a lot about what people like to do with the internet in-flight and are pleased to be able to launch with very affordable pricing options.”

Air Nigeria bags IOSA operator third time The International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) has registered Air Nigeria for a third time as part of its Operational Safety Audit Programme (IOSA), following the successful completion of intensive Safety Audit.

Air Nigeria is the first and only West African airline that has consistently maintained its listing on the IOSA registry in three consecutive audits since 2007.

Speaking on Air Nigeria’s listing on the IOSA registry, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Kinfe Kahssaye said: “The IOSA re-registration is coming at an auspicious time when the airline has been turned-around and it is competing favourably on domestic and regional routes with plans to re-launch itself on the international scene soon”.

He noted that Air Nigeria’s safety performance since its inception has been at the forefront of the aviation industry and the recent renewal of its listing on the IOSA registry is a further demonstration that the airline has been adhering to world class safety standards on sustainable manner.

IOSA is the IATA Operational safety audit programme and the internationally accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of airlines. The audit employs internationally recognized quality audit principles that are in a standardised and consistent manner worldwide.

•From left: Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren and Head, Public Relations, Mr. Sam Adurogboye at a press conference on re-opening of Bebi airstrip, held at Aviation House, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.

Arik Air’s flights to Angola will boost investment, says envoy

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•Nigeria Ambassador to Angola, Amb. Folorunso Olukayode Otukoya (left) and Associate Vice President, Business Development, Arik Airline, Mr. Lanre Bamgbose at Angola Airport during the airline’s inaugural flight.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE.

F there is sufficient air link connecting countries in Africa, investment and business opportunities will be accelerated, Nigeria’s ambassador to Angola Folorunso Olukayode Otukoya has said.

He made this known as Arik Air began direct flight between Lagos and Luanda. The direct flight, he said would save Nigerian passengers several days of connecting flight to the Central African country.

Otukoya described the direct flight as a dream come true for many Nigerians doing business in the oil rich Central African country, which usually takes days connecting either through Addis Ababa or South Africa.

He said with the service Nigerians and others doing business in Angola could connect flights same day from Lagos into other parts of the world including Europe and America.

The ambassador said: “We are so delighted about this flight, it is a dream come true, as we have eliminated the hurdles of striving between two to three days to connect flight into Angola, which is just

three or four hours away.”

The flight will help facilitate the movement of persons and goods, stimulate business and investment, it will fast track economic development between the two countries.

It is a historic development. It is a wonderful development; it will further boost people to people movement. It will boost business and trade relations between Nigeria and Angola.

“Before now, it was a long journey connecting flights between the two countries. By this Arik flight, we have reduced the journey between Nigeria and Angola from between two to three days to just three hours. Now, it saves time whether you are going Addis Ababa or South Africa, when you are going back to Nigeria before now it took three days, Arik Air has now just broken the jinx with this direct flight.

He said: “More business people from both countries can now move freely to explore business opportunities, it is expected that it will facilitate the movement of goods and persons. Passengers can now enjoy more services of joining the Arik Air global route network.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

MARITIME

NIMASA battles pirates at sea

Govt to sanction truck drivers

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HE Presidential Port Monitoring Committee said it is set to deal with truck drivers who violate the rules at the ports.

It said the major challenge the port has been facing in managing the chaotic traffic situation in and around the port was lack of discipline of the drivers.

Speaking with The Nation during the evacuation of overtime cargo at Apapa port in Lagos last week, the Special Adviser to the President on Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Prof Sylvester Monye, accused some of the drivers of using the port access road as garage and parking lot for their vehicles.

He said significant steps would be taken by the committee in controlling traffic on the port access road.

Prof Monye identified lack of discipline by the truck drivers as the major obstacle

to the free flow of traffic in and around the port.

“The current behaviour of the truck drivers, he said, is unacceptable to the Federal Government and we are set to correct the abnormality.

This port was constructed in 1977 and despite the fact that cargo throughput has grown over 10 times, what we had 30 years ago, the type of chaos we experience sometimes can be totally eliminated if every stakeholder complies with his responsibility and it is our responsibility to ensure that everybody complies,” Prof Monye said.

He identified three major reasons trucks clog the port access road, saying one of the main reasons is the inordinate tendencies of truck drivers to overlook the process of returning empty containers to the various terminals.

NPA calls for e-system

M

•Cargo ship

PHOTO: OLUWAKEMI DAUDA

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HE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is mounting surveillance on the sea to protect authorised ships and fish trawlers from pirates, its Director-General Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi has said.

Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, Akpobolokemi said the offensive is to frustrate criminals from disturbing those promoting maritime business and to secure the waterways.

NIMASA, Akpobolokemi said, is planning to install high-power radars and Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras next year, to monitor ships, fish trawlers and smaller vessels asking for the Federal Government’s support, he said, such help is a panacea to attacks by pirates, sea robbers and serial illegal oil bunkering and economic sabotage .

• Akpobolokemi Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda, Maritime Correspondent

Akpobolokemi said the government needs to empower NIMASA with the capacity to monitor the waterways round the clock.

Investigation revealed that the security equipment, that

NIMASA is planning to acquire has the capacity to reduce sea robbery.

The equipment, it was learnt, can capture activities on the territorial waters up to several nautical miles, while the CCTV cameras can capture activities up to 20 nautical miles during the day and six at night.

A senior security official working with NIMASA, who craved anonymity, said the radars and the cameras, are capable of working 24 hours during the day with or without power supply, and can capture activities going on simultaneously in some other areas of the country.

The surveilance equipment, the officer said, needs to be acquired by NIMASA to boost water security and stem criminalities..

Investigation also revealed that apart from security is-

sues, the equipment will also record all vessels at sea, the type of goods they are carrying, where they are, what they are doing, the time they arrive the port and the time they are leaving.

The equipment will boost revenue generation as ships coming into the country are expected to notify the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), before arrival, it added.

A maritime Lawyer, Mr Sesan Olufowobi said most ship owners violate the law because NIMASA is yet to have the equipment. But if the government can make the facility available to NIMASA, it would be easy for the agency and NPA to track down any vessel that violates the law and impose fine to generate more revenue for the country.

Security, regulatory agencies urged to collaborate

S

ECURITY and regulatory agencies at the ports have been urged to work in the nation’s interest.

Managing Director, Maritime Logistics, Mr Aderogba Ladoja, advocated strong co-operation among the agencies to aid the sharing of information.

He said such an improvement in the management and dissemination of security-related information should be worked at to reduce the tension that sensitive information often generates among members of the public.

The call, Ladoja said, became necessary given the spate of violence in the country.

To avoid the recurrence of such incidents, he said the agencies should intensify efforts to realise the objectives of pre-shipment inspection.

This, he explained, will ensure that the contents of all imported cargoes are predetermined even before their

arrival.

He said: “We will continue to intensify the realisation of the pre-shipment inspection scheme. Through the efficient implementation of the scheme, all the contents of

imported cargoes will be predetermined even before their arrival.

“With the local government election coming up this Saturday, there is the urgent need for cooperation among

maritime stakeholders, especially in intelligence information sharing,” he said.

He commended the cordial relationship among stakeholders, especially in intelligence information sharing.

‘Arbitration promotes growth’

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ARITIME lawyers have said utilising the option of arbitration in the settling of maritime disputes, attracts invisible earnings for the country’s developmental plan.

Speaking at a seminar tagged effects of resolving maritime dispute through arbitration, organised by maritime traders in Lagos last Friday, the a maritime lawyer, Mr Deji Agbaje said arbitration within a nation’s borders attracts foreign direct investment and the sustenance of high level of local private sector led investments.

Agbaje noted that arbitra-

tion in its nature as time saving is a cost effective dispute resolution mechanism which has contributed to a just and timely settlement of disputes in several sectors of the nation’s economy.

He added that arbitration is needed for the smoothrunning of the maritime industry in Nigeria being a coastal state where the sector contributes a considerable percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

His words: “Most maritime arbitrations involving Nigeria parties were conducted in London in the past, however with the

combined effect of the Arbitration Act as well as arbitral institutes, facilities and associations in Nigeria disputes arising out of maritime transactions are settled within the country. This has contributed immensely to the growth of the economy.

“There is an increase of trained arbitrators, experts and support staff in Nigeria. The advent of these professional arbitrators has shortened the time frame of arbitral proceedings and contributed to providing a more effective means of dispute resolution,” he said.

ANAGING Direc tor, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Omar Suleiman has said a single electronic trade facilitation initiative will eliminate human contact and the use of discretion, which have been identified as major causes of delay in the clearance of cargo at the ports.

Suleiman said technology has brought about the need for speed. “Shippers, importers and freight forwarders are constantly searching for more efficient ways to get their business done at the port.”

Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, the NPA boss said the electronic system would not only facilitate trade but also ensure improvement in revenue generation and help developmental plans.

Suleiman said the initiative would resolve most of the major problems confronting cargo clearing at the ports.

He said the reports on the situation at the seaports calls for a one-stop-shop that will accommodate all relevant agencies where importers and their clearing agents can clear their goods within the time limit.

He said: “For us to make

our ports attractive for business, boost trade facilitation and generate more revenue, now is the time for all government agencies at the ports to embrace a single Window Electronic Trade Facilitation (WETF) programme that would put an end to unnecessary delay in cargo clearance. Corruption needs to be eradicated at the ports to boost revenue and enhance trade facilitation,’’ he said.

He said he was not against the review of port charges as it would make the ports competitive, encourage importers and their agents since it would eliminate arbitrariness and ensure parity with ports of neighbouring countries.

The NPA boss said shipping plays a vital role in world trade. “Without ships and transportation services that ships provide the world would not be as prosperous as it is today and many countries would not be able to participate in world trade hence the reason why the Federal Government is set to maximise the unlimited opportunities in the maritime industry,” Suleiman said.

Firm invests N30b at port

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NE of the concessionaires at APM Terminals, Apapa, has invested about N30.4 billion ($190 million) in infrastructure, new equipment and training of its workers in the last five years.

Its Managing Director, Mr Dallas Hampton stated this in a chat with The Nation.

He also disclosed that the company’s board of directors has approved an additional N21.6 billion ($135 million) capital investment plan. This additional investment, according to him, will add another 25 hectares (62 acres), increasing the available yard space by 55 per cent.

The additional investments will also enable the company to acquire eight new mobile harbour cranes and 13 Rubber-tire Gantry Cranes (RTGs), all

By Uyoatta Eshiet

aimed at boosting the annual container throughput capacity at West Africa’s largest and busiest container terminal.

This, according to its management, will move the container throughput from 600,000 to over one million TEUs by 2015.

Mr Dallas Hampton added: “We have done a lot of catching up over the past five years, but we are going to be setting the pace here for West African port operations for the next 50 years.” On investment level of the Organisation since the concession exercise began Dallas said, “Since assuming operational and managerial control over the Apapa Container Terminal (now APM Terminals Apapa) under a 25-year lease agreement in 2006.”

25

PROPERTY

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.com

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

email:- property@thenationonlineng.net

Toll road opens up Lekki suburb

•Lekki/Epe Toll Gate, Lagos

Roads are privotal to development. Nothing drives home this fact more than what is happening on the Lekki-Epe axis, with the opening of its 49-kilometre toll road. Tolling began on the road last Sunday after initial protests by some residents. The road is opening up hitherto unknown sections of Lekki. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports.

•CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

•Expect cheaper houses next year, says Minister

- PAGE 26

•Reps panel pledges support for spill agency

- PAGE 40

•How to pave way for fresh engineers, by expert - PAGE 40

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

26

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Expect cheaper houses next year, says Minister A

REVOLUTION is coming in the housing sector, accord ing to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple.

The revolution will happen next year, she said at the first meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Abuja. She lamented that despite government’s efforts, the cost of housing is still high.

She said: “Look out for housing revolution by 2012, low income earners can afford to own a house at that time, prices of houses will range from N1.5million, for one bedroom flat, N2.5million for a two bedroom flat and N3million for a three bedroom flat.

“At present, we are partnering with state governments to give us land for this project. For every housing estate built there will be water and light, with this in place, housing revolution has started.

“We would look at the mortgage policy so people can have access to mortgage, everywhere you go you see government building houses, yet they are not enough because of lack of proper planning.

“We would put in place the necessary enabling policies to direct our actions and strategic intervention in

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

the housing and urban development sector in order to accomplish the envisaged goals of Vision 20:2020.

“Two revised draft policies on Housing and Urban Development were presented for validation. The revised policies have incorporated the key concerns and the major thrusts of the unapproved national policies on Housing and Urban Development from 1992-2006, in addition to being effectively aligned with the current policy enunciations of government,” she maintained.

Pepple noted that civil servants have the opportunity to buy these houses now because they are in the formal sector. What about artisans like carpenters, mechanics, hair dressers that are not in the formal sector? she asked.That is why the draft policy and housing revolution is important, she added.

“What I intend doing is to make them form co-operatives. Through these co-operatives, they will be easily identified and can buy the houses with ease. That way too, they can access bank mortgages facilities to get loans easily to buy these houses,” she further added

•FHA Diamond Estate, Isheri Olofin, Lagos.

Toll road opens up Lekki suburb •CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

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ITHIN Lekki, the place many know as the abode of the rich, there is another Lekki. This Lekki is occupied by the not so rich and the land goes for N500,000! It sounds incredible but that was the price of a plot of land in Olugborogan village, which is opposite Oluwanisola Estate,owned by business tycoon Chief Rasaq Okoya. Now land there sells for over N10 million following the opening of the Lekki-Epe toll road.

With the coming of the road, Olugborogan is fast developing with people scrambling for land in the village. The rush has pushed up the price of land in the adjourning Lekki Phase 1, where a plot sells for N70 million and Victoria Garden City (VGC), between N70 million and N80 million.

With this, the Lekki/Epe axis is living up to its billing as the fastest growing real estate corridor in West Africa. The road problem, which hitherto affected business growth and expansion, appears to have been solved with the LekkiEpe Expressway. The hitherto twoway lane has given way to a sixlane toll road. Built by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) for N50 billion, the firm is to recoup its money within 30 years. The road expansion has given fillip to the growth of the real estate sector. The growth of the real estate sector is unprecedented as upscale estates are springing up with land value appreciating.

Government has also stepped up activities along the axis with the establishment of the Lekki Free Trade Zone, deep, Sea Port, airport and other private initiatives such as golf courses earmarked for private developers.

The controversy This all-important road has, however,been enmeshed in controversy.The government and residents of the area do not share the same view about the road. The government believes that the concessionaire should collect toll on the road to recoup its investment, but the residents are opposed to tolling. Initially, when the government mooted the idea, it was deplored by some

stakeholders. This led to its suspension to take care of grey areas, including issues relating to alternative route and the completion of the first section of the road.

But almost one year after tolling was suspended, the government announced its lifting, citing the tiding up of the loose ends that led to its cancellation in the first instance.

The suspension was lifted by Governor Babatunde Fashola during the presentation of the 2012 budget to the House of Assembly on November 14.

Announcing the new take-off date for tolling at a joint press conference by the government and the concessionaire, the Managing Director of LCC, Mr Opuiyo Oforiokuma, said the rates announced before the suspension last year, remained unchanged. He said toll will be collected at the first toll plaza named Admiralty Circle Plaza.

He said the toll was suspended, among other, things to enable them put the needed infrastructure in accordance with international practice such as the slip roads created and drainages.

He said they have not only upgraded alternative routes but created and built new ones to enable those who do not want to use the toll road to have alternative access to and from the axis.

He said: “The road is not all about toll, but value, safety, lower emission, cheaper car maintenance cost, reduction in travel time by user as the toll gate at Admiralty Circle Plaza is billed to take up to two million vehicles monthly.

Toll Charges “Currently, people are enjoying

the best of two worlds by paying for one and enjoying two roads.

The cost of the road is a fair cost of the asset as there are no liabilities attached with it.”

On the toll to be charged, Oforiokuma explained that vehicles plying the road had been graded into six categories. He said the normal toll for Class M (motor cycles) would be N50, while saloon cars and tricycles will pay N120, Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs, minibuses and pick-up trucks, N150, commercial Danfo mini-buses, N80.

He said light trucks and twoaxle buses will pay a toll of N250, while heavy trucks and buses with two or more heavy axles will be charged N350. He advised motorists who ply the road regularly to go for the electronic mode of payment, called e-tag and swiftpass, to save time and money.

He encouraged road users who want to enjoy these electronic options to register at selected branches. He said LCC recognises that some people may use the road more than others and have, therefore, accommodated them with a special package known as “the frequent user discount.”

He revealed that frequent users and those who will hook to the electronic payment device may gain up to 47 per cent discount.

Stakeholders’ perpective Despite all the controversies the road has stirred, some stakeholders supported the project, especially in relation to the development of the real estate sector. First Vice-President of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Mr Emeka Eleh, said he supports con-

cession and road tolling because it is the only way to maintain and sustain road construction world over.

However, he cautioned that the Lekki/Epe 49-kilometre toll road with three toll roads is rather too much for the short distance that is barley 12 minutes.

He said: “Three tolls is an overkill in a 12-minute drive. The world over, alternative routes are provided. This road is basically adding additional lane to an existing four lane, though the quality of the road is good, l can’t say that for their cost. ‘’l think it’s too ambitious but l also believe that the government will listen to the people and have a political solution in the nearest future. The road, no doubt, will impact positively on the real estate sector as more areas will open up for real estate development and travel time along the axis cut short”.

A developer and Chief Executive Officer, BuildKraft Limited, Mr Olatunde Ismail, who is a player in the axis, also lent his support to the toll road and urged the people to look at the benefits of the road in terms of the massive development it will bring to the people.

He said: “Some years ago, this axis was a no-go–area due to the traffic situation and high insecurity on the road, but the concessioning has brought with it good benefits, which is not just about having a good road but also safety.

He urged residents and motorists to calculate the toll cost in relation to the previous cost of maintenance on their cars, the safety and health implications of traffic snarl on their health and

‘Some years ago, this axis was a no-go–area due to the traffic situation and high insecurity on the road but the concessioning has brought with it good benefit, which is not just about having a good road but also safety. He urged residents and motorists to take time to calculate the toll cost in relation to the previous cost of maintenance on their cars, the safety and health implications of traffic snarl on their health and rise of property prices for the indigenes and land owners’

rise of property prices for the indigenes and land owners.

He recalled that a plot of land he bought in Badore and Lamgbasa some backwater communities of the expressway for less than N500,000 has gone up to between N10 to N15million. Ismail called on the people to see the toll road for what it is- a blessing especially regarding the real estate sector rather than a punishment from government as some people are made to believe.

He recalled that people who wouldn’t accept a land free if they were offered some years back due to the difficult terrain of the axis are falling over themselves to be part of the real estate business in the axis. He however, called on the government to examine legitimate complaints by residents and work out an amicable solution that will assuage people’s feelings.

A building materials dealer, Mr Uche Okeke, said though he found the charges a bit high, he commended the idea, especially as it has impacted on his business.

He said: “Since the government came up with the idea of the road, there has been an increase in real estate business with many estates springing up and this has translated to a boost in my business.

He called on the government to construct more alternative routes for people who cannot pay the toll fee.

For Mr Dumebi Ossai, a property agent, the toll road will only mean one thing, that is for him to increase his fees on his agency fee.

He said: “I will have nothing to lose but will gain because l will transfer the toll cost to my clients.

He said his income has, no doubt, increased from the redeveloped road as more people get attracted to the axis unlike before when no offer was attractive enough to prospective developers. He called for more incentives on the toll road to get people to patronise it.

But for Mr Inibong Udo, the toll road has created more challenges for him as he had to pay more to his landlord who cite the toll road as a reason for the increase in house rent.

He called on the government to reduce the charges. He also called on other landlords to be lenient with their tenants.

27

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

A busy year for courts The judiciary was busy in 2011.

Cases ranging from political, criminal and commercial to election petitions, made headlines.

Prominent among them is the one involving top judicial officers. The cases, even though many are undecided, have far-reaching social implications.

ERIC IKHILAE, KAMORUDEEN OGUNDELE and JOSEPH JIBUEZE highlight the cases.

T

HE outgoing year is a busy one for the judiciary. For the first time, public confidence in the last hope of the common man was shaken. 2011 will be remembered as one in which the President of the Court Appeal sued the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and others.

Before then, there were allegations and counter –allegations of impropriety. The phrase “judgment arrest” was introduced into the legal lexicon. It was indeed a busy year for the judiciary, and all eyes were on it to redeem itself.

Some of the major cases that attracted attention this year ranged from political matters, arising from election disputes, through criminal, commercial to civil matters.

Buhari vsJonathan Top on the list of cases are arising from the last general elections, the most-talked about being the one against the election of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by Gen-

eral Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

The CPC challenged Jonathan’s election, alleging irregularities in 20 states. The party believes Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo were not duly returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) based on the majority of lawful votes cast.

Although the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which sat at the Court of Appeal, Abuja delivered judgment in favour of Jonathan PDP, the Supreme Court is expected to deliver judgment on the appeal tomorrow.

Salami vs Katsina-Alu and others Suspended President of the Court of Appeal Justice Isa Ayo Salami filed the case against the National Judicial Council (NJC) and others. He was suspended for allegedly lying on oath against former CJN Aloysius Katsina-Alu. The co-defendants are Katsina-Alu; Dahiru

Musdapher, who is also NJC chairman; members of NJC’s Fact-Finding Committee - Justice Umaru Abdullahi, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, Justice Dominic Edozie, Justice Michael Akpiroroh and Mrs Rakia Sarki Ibrahim.

Others are members of the NJC Review Committee – Justice Ibrahim Auta, Justice Kate Abiri and Justice Peter Umeadi. The case, instituted in August, is still at its preliminary stage.

Cases over intra-party issues in PDP The heat generated by the emergence of Jonathan as PDP presidential candidate cannot be wished away.

On January 10, an Abuja High Court Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, delivered three marathon judgments in separate cases bordering on the eligibility of the two top aspirants for the party’s nomination -Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, Dubem

Onyia and Alhaji Lawal Kaita, who are Atiku’s loyalists went to court to stop Jonathan from contesting in the January 13 presidential primary.

The plaintiffs urged the court to restrain PDP from presenting him as its candidate his decision to contest would make nonsense of the federal character principle and the zoning arrangement of the party.

But Justice Bello dismissed the case for lacking “reasonable cause of action”. Justice Bello also dismissed another suit filed against Atiku by two-time governorship aspirants in Adamawa and Taraba states, Mr Bala Takaya and Senator Abdullahi Kirim for being premature.

The court held that the plaintiffs did not explore the internal mechanism of the party to seek redress before rushing to court.

The plaintiffs had argued that Atiku is disqualified by the PDP constitution and the 1999 constitution to seek election into any elective office because of alleged corrup•See page 29

•Ajimobi pardons murder convicts, other - P.30 • ‘Don’t remove subsidy yet, says Agbakoba - P.35

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

28

LAW REPORT

Candidate who wins case on court judgment steps into shoes of invalidly nominated opponent IN THE COURT OF APPEAL ( Judicial Division) On Wednesday, the 2nd day of July, 2008 Suit No: CA/PH/EPT/8/08 BEFORE THEIR LORDSHIPS SAKA ADEYEMI IBIYEYE ....... Justice, Court of Appeal CLARA BATA OGUNBIYI ....... Justice, Court of Appeal PAUL ADAMU GALINJE ....... Justice, Court of Appeal OLUKAYODDE ARIWOOLA ....... Justice, Court of Appeal GEORGE OLADEHINDE SHOREMI ....... Justice, Court of Appeal BETWEEN CHIEF SERGEANT CHIDI AWUSE

...APPELLANTS

AND CELESTINE NGOZICHIM OMEHIA INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & 2 ORS. ...RESPONDENTS CLARA BATA OGUNBIYI, J.C.A. (Delivered the Leading Judgment):

B

EFORE the hearing of the appeal. Mr. I.E. Imadegbelo, learned senior counsel for the 2nd - 4th Respondents rightly sought for leave to argue tire preliminary objection which leave was accordingly granted’ Learned senior counsel in his argument withdrew ground one of the grounds of the preliminary objection and same was struck out. Learned counsel therefore went on to adopt the argument in respect of the preliminary objection, which is contained at pages 2-8 of the 2nd - 4th respondents’ brief of argument and relied on the submission made therein. The senior counsel urged this court to therefore dismiss the appeal.

On behalf of the appellant, Chief mike Okoye of learned counsel identified the appellant’s reply filed the 3rd of march 2008 and submitted that the preliminary objection was argued at pages 1 - 4 of the said reply brief. Learned counsel adopted and relied fully on the reply brief and urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection in its totality.

By way of elucidation, learned counsel attempted to distinguish the case of Amgbare v Sylva (2007) 18 NWLR (Pt.1065) I cited by the 2nd - 4th respondents from the instant appeal.

Learned counsel insisted that the 1st respondent was the only one known to law as the person who was duly returned at the election held on the 14th April, 2008.

Mr. I. E. Imadegbelo, learned senior counsel who settled the 2nd - 4th respondents’ brief in his argument in the preliminary objection submitted that Mr. Celestine Omehia’s name was struck out as a party to the petition on the 29th day of November 2007, as such he is no longer a party in this appeal. He can only be made a party if the decision of the tribunal striking out his name is set aside on appeal, otherwise the decision of the tribunal remains valid. In aid learned senior counsel cited the authority of Nwangwu v Ofoegbu wherein this court, per Fabiyi, JCA held: “A judgment of a court of law or tribunal, no matter how incorrectly arrived at, subsists until set aside by a competent court through appellate proceedings or by way of judicial review. In the instant case, the respondents ought to have attacked the judgment of the customary through an appeal or by way of judicial review.”

In u further argument, learned senior counsel submitted that any reference to the 1st respondent as a party was wrongly done by the appellant, thus effecting the appeal tiled on the 14th December 2007 as incompetent.

On further submission the learned senior counsel re-iterated the trite law that once proper parties are not before the court or tribunal it would lack the requisite jurisdiction to adjudicate. In further substantiation and to buttress his submission, the learned senior cited the case of Onwanaly v Asademe (1971) All NLR. 220; Amoda v Ajobo (1995) 7 NWLR (Pt. 406) 170 at 182.

Further still and on the competence or otherwise of the appeal at hand, learned, senior counsel submitted that the right of appeal to this court is exclusively governed by the provision of section 246(1)(b)(ii) of the (1999) Constitution which provides that an appeal to the Court o1 appeal shall lie as of right from decisions of the National Assembly Election Tribunals and Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Tribunals on any question as to whether any person has been validly elected to the office of governor or Deputy, Governor According to the learned senior counsel, the decision against which this appeal lies was not on any question as to whether any person has been validly elected to the office of Governor or Deputy.

Counsel argued further that with the decision of the tribunal striking out the 1st respondent’s name, the appellant therefore has no right of appeal against that decision. Cited further in support are the cases of Ononuwa v Oshodin (1985) 2 NWLR (Pt.10) 924; Okokhue v Obadan (1989) 5 NWLR (Pt.120) 185 and Amgbare v Sylva under reference supra.

On the totality, learned senior counsel urged this court to dismiss the appeal.

In reply, Chief Mike Okoye further submitted the impropriety of the notice of appeal without the name of the 1st respondent. This hp argued was in view of the Court of Appeal lacking in jurisdiction to grant a relief against a person who is not a party to the appeal.

On whether the order of Tribunal which struck out the name of the 1st Respondent, is a final or interlocutory order, learned counsel submitted same being a final decision because it finally determined the rights of the parties.

In a further argument, learned counsel submitted that the word decision used under S.246 of the constitution includes interlocutory ruling or decision.

The authorities in the decisions of Odutola v Oderinde (2004) 12 NWLR (Pt.888) 574 and Abubakar & Ors. v Yar’adua (2008) 4 NWLR (Pt.1078) 465 were cited further in support.

At this juncture, I would wish to state that by the two notices of appeal at pages 586 - 589 and 204 - 210 respectively, the only two respondents to the appeal are Celestine Ngozichim Omehia and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the exclusion of the word “ORS”. This is in line with order 6 rule 2(1) of the rules of this court wherein “the names and addresses of all parties directly affected by the appeal” must be stated.. The necessity for the clarification of the position of the law, occasioned the summoning of counsel to further address the court on the 16th June, 2008 relating to the competence of the word “Ors” reflected in the notice of appeal, as parties. Consequently, the learned appellant’s counsel Chief Mike Okoye applied that the said word “Ors,” be struck out and, same was obliged. There are therefore only two respondents to the notices of appeal. This is apt with the trite law that a notice of appeal is synonymous to a writ of summons, being an originating process in initiating a suit or an appeal.

It is trite law that by the provision of 246 of the Constitution an appeal on matters of law, lies as of right’ However, the governing sections to this preliminary objection are sections 285(2) and 246(1)(b)(ii) of the constitution which stat-e as follows:“S.285(2) There shall be established in each State of the Federation one or more election tribunal to be known as the Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Tribunals which shall, to the exclusion of any court or tribunal, have original jurisdiction to hear and determine petitions as to whether any person has been validly elected to the office of Governor or Deputy Governorý” (underline for emphasis).

“S.246(1) An appeal to the Court of Appeal shall lie as of right from .• .... Decisions of the National Assembly Election Tribunal and Governorship and Legislative House Election Tribunals on any question as to whether • Any person has been validly elected to the office of Governor or Deputy Governorý.”

A related relevant question to pose is: what is the nature of the subject matter of this appeal? As rightly submitted and garnered by the learned senior counsel for the respondent, the decision sought to appeal against was not

•Cross section of participants at the last SLP Conference at Rockview Hotel, Abuja

a question relating to whether or not any person has been validly elected to the office of Governor or Deputy Governor but it is a complaint against the striking out of the 1st respondent’s name. The said subject certainly does not come within the ambit of Section 246(1)(b)(ii) of the constitution consequent to which no right of appeal lies.

Section 285(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides as follows:“There shall be established in each state of the Federation one or more election tribunal to be known as the Government and Legislative Houses Election Tribunal which shall, to the exclusion of any court or tribunal have original jurisdiction to here and determine petitions as to whether any person has been validly elected to the office of Governor or Deputy Governor or as a member of any Legislative House. (underlining is mine)” From the provisions of the sections above it is quite clear that the election petition tribunal is conferred with special jurisdiction for specific purpose and which jurisdiction is limited to the hearing and determination of petitions as to whether any person has been validly elected to the office as clearly specified in section 285(2) of the Constitution and in respect of which by section 246(1)(b)(ii) bf same, an appeal shall lie as of right. In the instant appeal to the office of Governor.

An additional deciding factor of the validity of this petition is the provision of rule 4 of the Rules of procedure for Election Petition under the first schedule of the Electoral Act 2006 which same reproduced states as follows: • An election petition under this Act shall: • specific the parties interested in the election petition; • specify the right of the petitioner to present the election Petition; • state the holding of the election, the scores of the candidates and the person returned as the winner of the election; and • state clearly the facts-of the election petition and the ground or grounds on which the petition is based and the relief sought by the petitioner.”

The locus classical nature of Amaechi’s case is that the absence of being a party or necessary parry would render an involvement a busy body. From the decision of Amaechi v INEC (supra) therefore the 1st respondent was no longer a party interested in the outcome of the election of 14th April 2007, with the pronouncement that he was never a candidate in that election. It follows logically that the return which was made after the election was deemed to have been made in favour of Amaechi and not the 1st respondent herein.

On this reason alone, I bold that the lower court was right in striking out the name of the 1st respondent.

•To be continued

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

29

LAW COVER CONT’D

A busy year for courts

Four former bank chiefs were arraigned for theft. They had been previously arraigned at the Federal High Court, Lagos for alleged banking malpractices.

Akingbola

•Continued from page 27

tion.

The Judge also dismissed a suit filed against PDP by another aggrieved member, Alhaji Sadiq Jada, for granting a waiver to Atiku to return to the party after leaving for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on which platform he contested the presidential election in 2007.

Tenure elongation case Another controversial case is the one now commonly referred to as the tenure elongation involving five governors The governors are Ibrahim Idris (Kogi), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River). They are members PDP. The case is awaiting judgment at the Supreme Court having travelled from the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the Court of Appeal, Abuja. The appellants are CPC governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Brig.

Gen. Buba Marwa and INEC. They are challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which upheld the decision of an Abuja Federal High Court that extended the governors’ tenure beyond May 29. This case is dramatic in a sense. After Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered judgment in favour of the governors, INEC, which is opposed to the suit did not immediately file an appeal.

The commission also denied knowledge of an appeal entered by an Abuja lawyer on its behalf. This generated mixed reactions. Eventually, INEC filed an appeal which was decided in favour of the governors again.

After the Appeal Court’s decision, INEC threw in the towel until Marwa picked up the gauntlet when he applied to be joined as an interested party in the case.

A seven-member panel chaired by Musdapher has reserved judgment indefinitely. The CJN said date shall be communicated to counsel “within a reasonable time”.

The appellants are challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which upheld the decision of an Abuja Federal High Court that extended the governors’ tenure beyond May 29.

Two of the three legal experts - amicus curiae (friends of the court) invited by the Supreme Court have called for their removal.

They are Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) and Olukanyinsola Ajayi (SAN); the third, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), advised the apex court to uphold the decision of the Court of Appeal.

Trial of ex-NIMASA boss There is the on-going trial of the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Temisan Omatseye.

Omatseye is being tried before Justice Fatimat Nyako of the Federal High Court, Lagos, for alleged N78 million fraud. He was arraigned early this year on an 11-count charge of criminal contract splitting and unlawful approval of money. The accused is on bail.

Arms importation case There is also the case involving Azim Aghajani, an Iranian and a Nigerian clearing agent, Ali Abbas Usman Jega, who are being tried before Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lagos for alleged unlawful importation of about 12 containers laden with arms and ammunitions.

The court ordered their detention in prison following their arraignment earlier this year.

Drug manufacturers’ trial over My Pikin Almost three years after they were first charged, officials of a Lagos based drug manufacturing firm, Barewa Pharmaceutical Company - Kola Ogungbade, Adeyemo Abiodun and Egbele Eromosele- are still in court.

They are standing trial before Justice Okeke

•Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher

•Attorney-General of the Mohammed Adoke (SAN)

•Salami

•Tinubu

for alleged complicity in the manufacture and sale of adulterated baby teething mixture My Pikin.

because of his appeal.

Nnamani and 11 others are now being tried before Justice Charles Achibong of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a 124-count charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They are accused of laundering Enugu State’s funds estimated at about N5.5 billion.

The EFCC is also prosecuting a Nigeriabased Indian businessman, Patrick Fernandez, on a 56-count charge for allegedly attempting to defraud some Nigerian banks of about N32billion. The case is now before Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Money laundering cases against ex-bank chiefs, ex-governors The money laundering cases involving former bank chiefs and directors are still pending before the Federal High Court, Lagos. They are mostly bogged down at the preliminary state. Those involved include Bartholomew Ebong (Union Bank); Sebastine Adigwe (Afribank); Okey Nwosu (FinBank); Francis Atuche (Bank PHB); a director of Bank PHB, Francis Ojo; and Managing Director of Falcon Securities, Peter Ololo and some directors of Intercontinental Bank.

The cases involving some former Governors Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo); Chimaraoke Nnamani (Enugu) and a former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode are yet to be disposed off.

While that involving Ladoja is currently held down at the Court of Appeal, Lagos following the former governor’s appeal, that of Fani-Kayode is stuck at the Supreme Court

Federation,

CCB’s case against Tinubu The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) had charged former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu with alleged operation of a foreign account while in office.

But the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on November 30, freed him of the one-count charge. The three-man panel quashed the amended charge for not disclosing any prima facie case against the ACN national leader.

Trial of bank chiefs

‘

Justice Yetunde Idowu of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, awarded N25million to popular comedian, Mr. Babatunde Omidina (alias Baba Suwe) against the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). He had sued the agency for N100 million over his arrest and detention for suspected drug trafficking. The NDLEA claimed scans revealed he had hard drugs in his system, but after several defecations, nothing was found

’

EFCC charged former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr Erastus Akingbola with 22 counts of stealing Intercontinental Bank’s N47.1 billion.

He was arraigned before Justice Habib Abiru along with General Manager of Tropics Securities Limited, Mr Bayo Dada.

Akingbola is said to have interests in Tropics Securities. They pleaded not guilty.

At one of the proceedings, the bank’s Chief Inspector, Abdulraheem Jimoh alleged that Akingbola authorised the transfer of N8.6 billion to a firm in which he is a director without any loan application.

He said the money was transferred from an account holding customers’ saving deposits to Tropics Finance Limited, in which Akingbola is allegedly a director and an account signatory.

Jimoh gave a breakdown of how N8,684,500.00 was “improperly paid out” to Akingbola’s company between May and June 30, 2009. He tendered 30 documents (all duplicates) of how the transactions were made.

Original copies of the documents, he said, were missing from the bank. The only original documents tendered were issued cheques for the transfers.

“The N8.6 billion payments were made based on instructions from Tropics Finance.

They were payments from the bank’s Time Deposit Account which warehouses deposit savings accounts of customers of the bank,” Jimoh said.

Asked if any facility was extended to Tropics Finance by the bank, Jimoh said: “No.” On how the money was transferred, the witness said the Head of Income, Mr Akin Fabunmi would issue a memo for the movement of the money.

Then the sum stated would be moved from the Time Deposit account to the Pre-payment account of the bank, from where it would be transferred to Tropics Finance’s account.

A letter, signed by Tropics Finance’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Anthonia Akingbola, would state how the money would be paid out.

For instance, Jimoh said on May 27, 2009, a memo was generated for the payment of N150million to Tropics Finance. The money was paid, he said.

On June 4, 2009, N750million was transferred in two installments (N600million and N150million) to the company.

On June 8, 2009, N75million was transferred to the same company in two installments (N50 million and N25million). An accompanying letter instructed that the N25million be transferred to Tropics Securities Limited. “The instruction was carried out,” Jimoh said.

Jimoh said N200million was transferred to Tropics Properties Limited on June 11, 2009; N200million was transferred to Tropics Finance and N35million to Tropics Properties based on a June 19 letter; while N200million was moved to Tropics Properties based on a June 26 letter.

On June 29, 2009, Jimoh said N324.5million was paid Tropics Finance from the bank’s prepaid account.

Nwosu The EFCC charged former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Mr Okey Nwosu, before Justice Lateefah Okunnu on 26 counts of stealing N10.9 billion.

He was arraigned along with former directors, Mrs Agnes Ebubedike, Mr Danjuma Ocholi and Dayo Famoroti. Justice Okunnu dismissed their applications to quash the charges.

They had urged the court to dismiss the charges because they amounted to double jeopardy; because the court lacked jurisdiction and because they were already facing similar charges at the Federal High Court and at the Investment and Securities Tribunal.

Dismissing the applications, Justice Okunnu held that they lacked merit and said the offences for which they were charged at the Federal High Court were different from the ones before her.

She pointed out that in the Federal High Court case, they were not accused of stealing, but of money laundering and violation of banking rules.

Her words: “None of the defendants has •Continued on page 31

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

30

FROM THE COURT

How man was murdered, by witness

Ajimobi pardons murder convicts, others

O

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has granted pardon to some persons convicted of various crimes.

The release of the suspects last Friday followed a recommendation by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ojo Adebayo.

He said there was “the need to grant amnesty to some convicts in commemoration of the New Year Anniversary so that they can start with new lives.”

The prerogative of mercy on convicts is conferred by Section 212(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

It empowers a governor to ‘pardon, free, grant respite or substitute a severe punishment with lesser one’ as a form of amnesty for the convicts. The power is to be exercised based on the advice of the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.

Thirty-one convicts were considered. The offences for which they were convicted include armed robbery, murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, unlawful carnal knowledge, possession of banned drugs, causing grievous harm and stealing.

Ten were recommended for either commuttal of death sentence to life imprisonment or outright release from prison. Those who were not recommended were denied because they were considered dangerous to be released back into the society.

•Two suspects held for alleged rape, fraud

By Joseph Jibueze

The term others have served is not long enough to necessitate their release, while it is thought that the release of some would embolden them and members of their gang.

Also some were refused because they were not convicted in Oyo State.

Those pardoned are: Ganiyu Busari, accused of armed and sentenced to death. He had spent nine years on death row. “Being on death row for nine years is traumatic enough. Prison authorities commented that he is reformed,” Adebayo said.

He recommended commuttal of the death sentence to life imprisonment. The same applied to Morufu Bolanle, who had also spent nine years on death row.

Dele Akinyele, Samuel Akpobi and Julius Awe, who had spent 12 years on death row for armed robbery, were convicted by a Robbery Tribunal and had no right of appeal.

Their sentences were commutted to life imprisonment because they were said to be “remorseful now.”

Yusuf Nuhu, jailed five years for drug peddling, with five months to complete his jail term, was allowed to go.

Solomon Adegboye, jailed three years for stealing and causing grievous harm to the victim, had about nine months to complete his term. He was freed because “prison

By Adewunmi Abolanle

A

•Ajimobi

authorities say he is reformed and well-behaved.”

Gbenga Adeojo, jailed seven years for conspiracy to robbery, had served five years. Akpan Joseph Robbery, jailed 21 years after being convicted by a Court Martial, had served 15 years. Sunday Ajao, sentenced for robbery, had served 15 years out of 21. He was convicted by Court Martial.

They were said to be highly disciplined and well behaved, and were freed.

Those on different terms of imprisonment but granted total release were: Yusuf Nuhu, Solomon Adegboye, Gbenga Adeojo, Akpan Joseph and Sunday Ajao.

LAGOS State High Court, Ikeja has heard how a 30-year old man, Gbolaran Odutayo, was allegedly murdered.

Police Inspector Mattew Ebe told the court presided over by Justice Olabisi Akinlade that Lawali Alamu stabbed the deceased on the left chest with a scissors in a fight. He was testifying Alamu’s murder trial.

Led in evidence by the state counsel, Mrs. M.B Olaniyan, Ebe said the alleged offence was committed on July 15, 2009 at the rail way line in Agege.

He said the deceased, a cobbler, was picking planks from the demolished stalls near the rail line when the defendant asked him to pay for them.

A fight ensued between them after Odutayo allegedly slapped Alamu.

Ebe said the defendant allegedly stabbed Odutayo with the scissors the deceased returned to bring from his workshop.

He died from the injuries sustained.

Justice Akinlade adjourned till February 13, 2012 for continuation of trial.

The court also heard how a man raped a three-year old girl on November 30, 2004. The suspect, Mr Adekunle Musa (29) was said to be her teacher then. The case will come up again on January 12, 2012.

Meanwhile, a prophet of the Celestial Church of Christ Alakuko, Lagos, Mr. Israel Ola Ogundipe, was charged before Justice Akinlade for allegedly defrauding Mrs Williams Oni of over N11 million.

Testifying in the trial, Mr Japhet Fayomi said Ogundipe allegedly obtained the sum under false pretence in two trenches of 12,000 British Pound Sterling and N8 million sometime in October, 2002.

Fayomi, Chief Executive Office of Comet Brewery Limited, said the money was transferred to the CCC prophet through his bank account in England.

The witness explained that his company would disburse the money sent

by Mrs Oni to beneficiary directly after taking a photocopy of the person’s identity. The money would then be paid into the beneficiaries’ account.

Under cross examination by Chief Olusegun Raji, the counsel to CCC prophet, Mr Fayomi said he would not be able to remember the amount that was disbursed to prophet Ogundipe except he sees vthe original copy of the list taken away from him by the police from Adeniji Adele Police Station.

This, he said, was because a photocopy of the original list which he made and kept when the police visited him in 2007 was misplaced thereafter.

The witness also told the court that he has not had any close contact with the victim, Mrs.Oni, until the police visited him in 2007 adding that all contact he had with her was during telephone discussions and transaction alert whenever deposits are made into his account.

Justice Akinlade adjourned further hearing till February 2 next year.

Why we sued NURTW, by tricycle operators

By Joseph Jibueze

T

•Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Law and Human Rights, Senator Umar Dahiru and Femi Falana at the last sensitisation programme organised by the African Court on Human and Peoples Right held at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

•From left: Jibrin S. Okutepa (SAN), Festus Onyia and Chief Chris Uche (SAN) at a party organised by the NBA at the IBA Conference held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

RICYCLE operators in Lagos, under the aegis of the Three Wheelers Association, have said they went to court to challenge an alleged bid by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to bring them under its fold.

The case is before Justice Titilola Ojikutu-Oshode of the state High Court, Ikeja.

Chairman of the association, Mr Moses Buari, told reporters during their end-of-year party and commissioning of their new office secretariat in Agege that they prefer to be on their own.

He said: “The NURTW wants all the transport unions to be under them, but we have a right to say we can belong to them or not, because there is freedom of association.

“Tricycle riders have two associations: the Three Wheelers Association and the Keke Riders and Owners Association of Nigeria. That is why we have gone to court to exercise our right. We have been told to maintain the status quo.”

Buari thanked the state government for letting them operate, but said they hope more roads would be rehabilitated to boost transportation.

“Some of the roads we ply daily are very bad and hazardous to our riders and even the passengers. We call on the government to repair our streets and all roads in the state, and urge security agencies to check touts and hoodlums at the motor parks.”

He urged the state to empower tricycle riders. “We ask the government to assist our members to acquire affordable tricycles, as some are finding it difficult to buy tricycles of their own since they are very expensive,” he said.

Buari added: “We will meet are meeting with the Commissioner for Transportation to discuss issues concerning us and how we can work with the government to recognise us as a major stakeholder in the transport development in the state.

“We urge the government to recognise us by building tricycle terminus like they did for the BRT.” According to Buari, the association is not behind the ban of commercial motorcycling (okada). “We are partners in progress in the state and we are not behind the purported plan of the government to ban okada.

“It is the policy of the government, and we are all transport workers. Okada riders have their routes and we have ours and we do not have any problem with them.”

Buari said the association is doing its best to take care of members’ welfare.

They plan to make it easier for them to buy land and build houses, while trainings on safety and entrepreneurship have been organised for them, he said.

He urged them to be law-abiding and shun violence. “We are urging our members to obey the law and shun all form of violence. They should not allow themselves to be used by trouble makers. Those fighting at Orile are not our members; they are hoodlums fighting over leadership.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

31

LAW COVER CONT’D

2011: Year Judicial integrity touched its nadir

F

OR the Judiciary, the receding year witnessed a mixed grill of harvest; with the crisis of confidence that stung its leadership, at the twilight of the Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu’s era, overshadowing whatever positive achievements ever recorded.

This state of affairs was underscored by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN) Justice Dalhatu Musdapher, when on assuming office, he regretted the eroding public confidence in the Judiciary, (a culmination of the various developments under the Katsina-Alu era) and pledged to ensure a reversal.

The acrimony between the then most senior judicial officers in the land, Justice Katsina-Alu and Justice Isa Ayo Salami (suspended President, Court of Appeal) blew open some months after some aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) opened a campaigned aimed at rubbishing the integrity of Justices of the Court of Appeal.

On January 14, then Senator Iyiola Omisore (PDP, Osun State),in an advertorial published in a national newspaper entitled: “Osun Appeal Judgment: an Elaborate Fraud”, queried the integrity and character of members of the Appeal Panel that decided Osun State governorship election petition As if taking a cue from Omisore, the President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu (SAN) reportedly expressed doubt over the integrity of the Justices of the Court of Appeal. He was reported in January, to have said he could not vouch for their integrity.

Daudu was also said to have consequently vowed to investigate Omisore’s allegation that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) paid N5 billion for the judgment that sacked the formergovernor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

On February 2, the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) informed Justice Salami of the plan to “promote” him to the Supreme Court, an “elevation” he rejected via a letter dated February 4. He also accused CJN of interference in the Sokoto governorship election petition.

As part of efforts to stave-off the pressure to “move him up” at all cost, Justice Salami

By Eric Ikhilae

on Fedruary 8 filed a suit before a Federal High Court, Abuja challenging his elevation to the Supreme Court.

He averred in a supporting affidavit, that the plan to promote him was punitive in view of his refusal to allow the then CJN interfere in the dispute over the Sokoto State governorship election.

On March 9, the National Judicial Council (NJC), constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate allegations leveled against Justices Katsina-Alu and Salami. Members of the committee headed by the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umaru Abdullahi (rtd) included Justice Emmanuel Ayoola (rtd), Justice D. Edozie (rtd), Justice M. Akpiroroh (rtd) and Hajiya Rakiya Ibrahim.

At the release of its report on July 27 the Justice Abdullahi committee merely rebuked both judges without entering any indictment against them, a report many saw as a ploy to save the judiciary from further acts of self destruction.

When all thought the end had been seen, the NJC stunned all when, on July 28 it convoked a fresh panel to review the report of Justice Abdullahi-led panel. To further confound all, the NJC chose a junior judge to superintend over the fresh panel.

It selected Justice Ibrahim Auta, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to review the activities of his superiors and recommend punishment in a case involving serving Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President, Court of Appeal.

On August 10, the NJC said it found Justice Salami guilty of professional misconduct. It consequently gave the then President of the Court of Appeal, a seven-day ultimatum to apologise to it (NJC) and Justice Katsina – Alu, an apology, it insisted must be in writing.

Responding to the development, Justice Salami, on August 11 described the NJC’s verdict as laughable. Justice Salami, who was by then heading to the court to challenge the NJC’s verdict, reportedly said the duo of the CJN and the NJC ought to apologise to him

and the country for the embarrassment they had caused the judiciary by their conducts.

He pledged to pursue the case to its logical conclusion.

In the suit he filed, challenging the NJC’s decision, Justice Salami insited on his allegation against the then CJN over the Sokoto case, arguing thathis allegation against the CJN was beyond what NJC could handle.

Justice Salami iargued that the NJC, as constituted, has no powers under the law to make findings from allegations made under oath before a law court, describing the Council as a mere administrative body.

Surprisingly, the NJC deployed all antics to evade service of court processes on it, until it almost got to a point of utmost embarrassment.

On August 18, the NJC recommended the sack of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Salami, for alleged insubordination.

He was directed to proceed on compulsory suspension pending when President Goodluck Jonathan would approve the Council’s recommendations. He was also directed to hand-over to the most senior justice of the Court of Appeal. Like a propelled yoyo, working to achieving a predetermined goal, President Jonathan approved the recommendations, even on a Sunday.

This development attracted criticism from all well-meaning Nigerians who saw this as the worse attack on judicial integrity in the nation’s history. On August 20, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) threatened to carry out a mass action.

A day after, at its annual general meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) protested President Jonathan’s action on Justice Salami. It berated the NJC for disregarding the rule of law and directed its members from attending the swearing – in ceremony for the new senior advocates.

NBA observed: “We are witnessing the slide into anarchy and lawlessness which history will record as having been fired up by the judiciary.” The body kicked against the subsequent appointment of Justice Dalhatu Adamu in Justice Salami’s place.

NBA President, Daudu was particularly

•Katsina-Alu

quoted to have said : “Vesting virtually all influential powers in the hands of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Constitution had unwittingly brought about the collapse of the judiciary.

“As things stand now, urgent constitutional amendment is required to inter alia retool the judiciary and all its agencies in such a way that never again will one man, who is still serving in judicial capacity have a decisive say in the appointment and removal of judges at every level.”

On August 22, some lawyers protested, at the NBA general conference in Part Harcourt, what they termed the desecration of the judiciary by politicians and judicial officers who pander to dictates from their political backers. Similar protests also took place in Lagos and Abuja.

A busy year for courts •Continued from page 27

provided particulars to controvert these facts that the charges are not similar. I don’t see any evidence of malice or bid by the prosecution to deny the defendants fair hearing.”

Justice Okunnu added that the cases at the Federal High Court and at the Investment and Securities Tribunal are not prejudicial to the charges before her, adding that the trial does not amount to double jeopardy.

Atuche Former Managing Director of Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank) Mr Francis Atuche is facing three separate charges at the Lagos High Court: two before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo and one before Justice Okunnu.

EFCC charged him separately before Justice Onigbanjo with two former directors of Bank PHB, Mr Lekan Kasali and Mr Fumi Ademosun. They are facing three counts each of conspiracy and stealing of over N11.4 billion from the bank.

In the case before Justice Okunnu, Atuche is facing a N25.7billion theft charge with his wife, Elizabeth and former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Mr Ugo Anyanwu.

Atuche tried to get the charges quashed, but his preliminary objections were dismissed.

Last Thursday, Justice Onigbanjo held that the fact that Atuche is facing trial in other courts did not amount to double jeopardy or abuse of court process.

The cases, he said, are not based on the same set of facts.

According to the judge, the cases “cannot be said to amount to abuse of court process since they do not arise from the same set of transactions.”

He said Atuche’s rights cannot be said to have been prejudiced, adding that the information (charge) is competent. “The application fails in it’s entirety and I refuse it,” he said.

The judge also dismissed Ademosun’s bid to have the charge against him quashed, say-

•Akingbola

•Buhari

ing the application also “fails in its entirety.”

Adigwe was accused of converting billions of units of Afribank’s shares belonging to 1,258 subscribers to the use of different companies. EFCC alleged that he induced Afribank Capital Limited to pay Spring Capital Limited N11.5billion as the stock market price for Afribank’s 388,346,154 ordinary shares at N29.61 per share.

By doing so, the agency said he got Afribank Capital to pay more than it would ordinarily have paid for the shares “but for the fraudulent device.”

EFCC said he did likewise in respect of Afribank Trustees and Asset Management

Adigwe and others The EFCC arraigned former Managing Director of Afribank Plc (Mainstreet Bank) Mr Sebastian Adigwe and five others on a 36count charge of stealing, conspiracy to commit felony, receiving stolen property and cheating. They were alleged to have stolen N87billion from the bank, which they deny.

Others arraigned with him are Afribank’s former chairman, Osa Osunde and former executive directors –Isa Zailani, Chinedu Onyia, Henry Arogundade and Peter Ololo.

Company, which he allegedly got to pay Spring Capital N8billion as the stock market price for Afribank’s 360,238,657 ordinary shares at N22.21 per share; thereby inducing Afribank Trustees to pay more than it would have paid for the shares.

The defendants were accused of fraudulently converting various sums of Afribank’s money through Rehoboth Asset Limited, Broworks Limited, Suletical Nigeria Limited, Alsmiths Nigeria Limited, Resolution Trust and Investment Limited, Kolvey Company Limited, Petosan Property and Development Company Limited, and Larix Company Limited.

The money, EFCC said, was converted to the use of AIL Securities Limited, Falcon Securities Limited, Asset Management Nominees Holding Limited, Freeland Petrol Limited and others.

Ololo was accused of receiving Afribank’s N12billion through Resolution Trust “knowing same to have been stolen,” while Osunde, while being a Director of Freeland Petroleum allegedly received over N800million stolen units of Afribank’s shares.

The offences are contrary to Sections 390 (7), 516, 427 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 17, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

They pleaded not guilty. The court is yet to rule on their preliminary objections.

The Baba Suwe case Justice Yetunde Idowu of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, awarded N25million to popular comedian, Mr. Babatunde Omidina (alias Baba Suwe) against the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

He had sued the agency for N100 million over his arrest and detention for suspected drug trafficking. The NDLEA claimed scans revealed he had hard drugs in his system, but after several defecations, nothing was found.

The court, on November 24, declared Omidina’s October 12 arrest and detention as gross violation of his rights.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27 , 2011

32

LAW & SOCIETY Lawyers and economists have highlighted the imperatives of creating the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).In Abuja, at the yearly Law week, they supported the removal of oil subsidy, but called for safety nets to cushion the adverse economic effects of the exercise. JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU was there.

Lawyers, experts back creation of sovereign wealth, subsidy removal

T

HELadi Kwali hall of the Abuja Sheraton Hotel was filled to capacity during the Annual Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abuja branch. Welcoming participants, Chairman of the Law Week Committee and former GeneralSecretary of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ibrahim Eddy Mark, urged participants to give in their best. He stated that the branch chose the topic for this year in their efforts to assist in finding lasting solutions to the country’s economic and social problems.

Speaking on the topic, Revamping the economic potentials of Nigeria (NLC) chief economist, Nigeria Labour Congress, Abuja, Dr. Peter I. Ozo-Eson , examined the remote and far reaching consequences of the removal of oil subsidy. He highlighted the benefits and challenges of the creation of the SWF. In a chat with The Nation, Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN) said: ‘’Well, I am happy that the major stakeholders at the highest level have been able to see eye to eye because we’re told through the press that there was an impending lawsuit coming up, which has never come to pass.

Gadzama said: “But again we have to look at the constitutionality of it because the rule of Law is the foundation of all kinds of developments-political, social or cultural. It is never late, it is better late than never. I am happy that there is peace in the land, again let us do things properly. Law and economics are together, they are intertwined, they are two sides of the same coin because the law traverses all segments of the society and you cannot have a successful economic transformation without the appropriate legal frameworks or legal regime. ‘’Lawyers must drive the process, they should be involved, and they should be carried along so that we can have proper laws to guide our economic rejuvenation, transformation and advancement .

Ozo-Eson said: “The S WF if we had started it from the beginning, we would have been able to separate the oil revenue from the economy. Therefore, all these negative impacts, such as the exchange rate being artificially kept high would not have been there. We would use it as a fund, specifically for investment and others you would save for inter generational equity. If we had done that, then the impact of oil and all the corruption here and there would have been avoided.

“Unfortunately, we have mismanaged the bulk of it, we are now trying to do it, but it is still better, at least for the sake of intergenerational equity, let us save whatever we are able to keep aside, so that the exhaustible resources, our children and children’s children will have the benefit of it. It is still something we can benefit from.

“Secondly, if we create the fund,

then the element of stabilisation fund within it can be used to smoothen the erratic behaviour, which the international price of oil confers on the economy and finally create some semblance of stability.”

On creating SWF without removing subsidy, he said: “Why not, of course we can. If you take what we earn from exports, once we have decided what proportion of it that must go into that fund, then from the earnings from outside goes into fund.’’

“That is it, but the issue of subsidy is that you transparently budget it.

It becomes part of the budget and you make provisions for it. That should be outside the SWF. It is the governors who are trying to tie the two together because they are trying to use one as a bargaining chip for going along with the president. Other than that, the two issues are separate.

On the influence of international oil price in our domestic consumption, Dr. Ozo-Eson said: “Initially, what we started doing as a country was to designate a quantity of our crude oil for domestic consumption. It used to be 350 barrels per day that was handed over to the refineries when they were working. It was given to the refineries at a predetermined price, which was initially nine Dollars per barrel. Later it was increased to $9 per barrel irrespective of what was happening to the international price of crude that price was designated to the domestic economy. It was when the domestic refineries stopped functioning that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was taking that quantity of crude, exporting it getting the international price for it and then the difference between the international price and $12 dollars, which was the domestic price became an issue of corruption and a policy was made about the year 2000, that NNPC should now charge for the domestic consumption whatever price was applicable at the international market.”

He said: “We must confer benefits on the domestic economy by pricing crude to the domestic economy at a price that will sustain economic activities, that will sustain domestic production of things using petroleum products, if we do it that way, it will be sustainable.’’

Ozo-Eson said: “As an economist, my position is that it is a wrong economic decision. I have done a paper on it which was presented at the roundtable by the Economic Society. Basically, the economic argument that I make is that, let us not just focus on revenue; the governors are focusing on revenue for money to spend, but as an economist, I think that what we should be concerned about is what we call the general equilibrium impact of removing the subsidy. If you remove the subsidy, it has implications for various sectors of the economy.

“A study was done in the year 2000

by NISER, which did a general

•Dr Ozo-Eson

•Ephraim-Oluwanuga

•Ibrahim Eddy Mark

equilibrium study and it showed that there would be negative impact on various sectors. Today, the matter is even more compounded; the informal sector is now very large because of unemployment and all that. And the energy of choice of the informal sector is Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). If you raise the price of petroleum like what they are trying to do, you are going to create chaos in the informal sector. For all these people who are trying to survive as hairdressers, as business centres, etc., you are going to raise the cost of their operations and many of them will close shop, go out of business and there will be such tension and the rate of crime will increase. So, why do we want, because the governors want more money to spend, why do we want to destroy the rest of the economy?

Why do we want to concentrate on just the oil sector alone? What will happen when the rest of the economy is facing negative consequences?”

Shola Ephraim-Oluwanuga said: “I know both parties on the divide have very strong opinion and very strong reasons. For instance, the government, their reasons are: look, there have been a lot of distortions about the fuel subsidy, there ought to be a little bit of independence for the government, the government should remove their hands from subsidising fuel.

“While the generality of the masses are saying: look, if you want to remove fuel subsidy, you must create an environment; you must create a structure whereby you’ll cushion the effect on the masses.

Said Oluwanuga: “I think that to have a winning situation in respect of the fuel subsidy issue, government must realise that it can’t just remove subsidy without giving people something in exchange.

Once you remove the subsidy, what you’re saying is that people should begin to pay for what the government is paying for. In other words, there is going to be a sort of problem on the people, so, for you to be able to sustain this, you must ensure. Let us develop our raw material, that is, oil.

Let’s develop the oil and gas and ensure that we refine it here. Once you refine them in-house, it means that the price, which people will pay for it, will drastically drop and we won’t need to import too much. Also, you have to create Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A lot has been said about the MDGs, particularly as it concerns poverty

alleviation.

Oluwanuga said: “In other countries, they make their vehicles designed to be handled by the poor.

In Malaysia, they have programmes they specifically designed for the poorest of the poor. In other words there are things on ground they are able to handle so that if you remove subsidy and there is inflation, increase in prices, there are safety nets.

“Infrastructure is another thing. If you go to South Africa, Exxon got power through coal. In fact I have been to that place. They generate about 40,000 MW and more than 80 per cent of it is from coal. In Nigeria, we have coal in Nkalagu, we have coal in Kogi State; study the modus operandi and then replicate the same thing here.

“We have spoken about that so many times. Once you have power, you have infrastructure. For instance, look at the transportation system, Nigerians Railway Corporation (NRC) is comatose; revive this so that people would have options.

“It is a matter of when subsidy will go, because a few people are milking the country dry on this issue of subsidy. It has to go, but when it will is what the government must handle well.”

On the linkage between institutional frameworks in Nigeria and the possible effects of oil subsidy removal, EphraimOluwanuga said: “When you remove the subsidy, a number of institutions have to be strong. For instance, when you remove subsidy, it will also have effect on the capital market. Once it has effect on the capital market, if you remove subsidy, you are talking of a number of public quoted companies that are not in the market.

Some people have said something about the MTNs of this world and the Globacoms of this world who make a lot of money from the system, but are not in the market.

“You want to create wealth. To create wealth, your big companies that are making much money must go to the market and cede out some of their ownership to Nigerians.

The MTNs will take all their funds after they do some corporate social responsibility jobs in South Africa; there they talk about social responsibility index. Here we haven’t started talking about that at all.

“Rather than doing their corporate social responsibility

here alone, Nigeria should have a bite in the ownership of these companies. If Nigeria must have a bite in the ownership of those countries, it means that the capital market must be strong enough to be able to protect the weak, to be able to protect the weak investors who are investing in the market.

“The capital market should be strong enough to protect minority investors. That is why you have the regulator who has the power to cover up when the minority investors do not have enough voice to be able to talk and codes in place to be able to cover up.

On the issue of SWF, Oluwanuga said: “The simple answer to sovereign wealth is all about a fund, savings. This comes up when you make a lot of money in one area and you save part of it for a rainy day.”

“A number of oil producing nations have a form of wealth. Look at Dubai, when they go into a place, they invest so much. This is so because they have captured certain funds to invest in foreign countries.

Of course, there are best practices as regards SWF so that countries will not use it to buy not only the economy of other countries but the political structure of other countries over.

“I believe saving is worth the scheme but the process (matters).

Whenever you are talking of substantial satisfaction, there is also procedural satisfaction. What people were clamouring for is the procedure. I believe in the constitutional procedure, I believe that if the states and the Federal Government can sit down together and agree and possibly waive some of their constitutional rights, as it were, to be able to concede something and let us have a SWF in place so that we can capture all the money that we are making – the excesses that we are making from oil – and be able to invest heavily in the economies of other nations. We can go to countries like Ghana and invest. We can even invest in our own infrastructure through the Partnership with the Private Sector (PPS). So, I think that the SWF is something that is critical, it is something Nigeria should embrace.

However, the government should ensure that there is a procedural satisfaction; you cannot force it down the throat of the people, you must follow the laid down procedures.

The Federal Government must sit down together and be able to harmonise these issues.”

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

LAW & SOCIETY CONVOCATION LECTURE OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NIALS) IN LAGOS

•Former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Rose Ukeje and Director-General of NIALS, Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN)

•Mrs Sena Jerry-Imahiagbe and Mr Muyiwa Olusa

•Mr Austin Odokuma and NIALS Secretary, Mr James Bathnna

•Prof Obiora Okafor of the Osgoode Hall Law School, Canada; Prof Clement Dakas of NIALS, and former NIALS Librarian, Chief Theophilus Dada

•Mr Sylvester Imhanobe and Dr Francisca Nlerum of NIALS

•Guest lecturer, Prof Ikechi Mgbeoji of the Osgoode Hall Law School, Canada

•Dr Chinyere Ani and Ms Laura Ani PHOTOS: SOLOMON ADEOLA

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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LAW & SOCIETY AT A COLLOQUIUM TO MARK THE 50TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY OF CHIEF JOE KYARI-GADZAMA (SAN) AT THE YAR’ADUA CENTRE, ABUJA

•From left: Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), former Chief Justice of Nigeria Muhammed Lawal Uwasi’s

•Former Attornery-General Minister for Justice Chief. Kanu Agabi and former Chief Justice of Nigeria,

•From left: Chairman FIDA Abuja, Iyabo Ogunseye and Chairman NBA Abuja branch, Mazi Afam Osigwe

•Director-General Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies,Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) left and Dr. James Agbonhese

•Former Governor of Ekiti State, Olusegun Oni (left) and Chief Solomon Awomolo (SAN)

•Director-General Nigerian Law School, Dr. Mamman Tahir (left) and Chief Solo Akuma (SAN)

•From left: Chikwendu Madumere, Simon Egede and Prof Peter Akper (SAN)

•Hon Olivia Agbajoh

•From left: Ibrahim Kaigama, former Chairman, NBA, Mela Nunghe and Michika

•Prince Oli and his wife, Chinyere

•Prof M. M Gadzama

PHOTOS: JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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LAW PERSONALITY Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) is a former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), a renowned civil rights activist and distinguished maritime lawyer. Agbakoba was a member of the Judicial Reform Committee and a member of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) invited by President Goodluck Jonathan to discuss the removal of oil subsidy. In a chat with journalists, he explains reasons for not signing the report of the committee, the expected impact of their recommendations on the judiciary, why the CSOs oppose the removal of subsidy and sundry national issues. JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU was there. Excerpts

‘Our recommendations, if implemented, will revolutionise the judiciary’ W

HAT is your appraisal of the job done by the Judicial Reform Committee, why didn’t you sign the re-

port?

I didn’t sign the report because the day the report was ready for signatures, I was not available. I was at the tribunal in Awka, Anambra State. However, I sent a letter of apology that I would not be there to sign the final report, so the report in the media, which suggests that I did not sign because I was out of the country was inaccurate. In fact, the chairman of the committee, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Lawal Uwais made it clear that I had written to be excused. For clarification purposes, I had written a letter to them to say that the reason given by Justice Uwais for my absence, that I had travelled abroad was not correct, I was in Awka.

How then do you appraise the work of the committee?

The committee had robust sessions, as you know. It was made up of key actors in the justice sector comprising lawyers, academics, judges, both serving and retired, therefore there were robust views, tensions and varying views expressed.

How did you harmonise those views?

We all took the view that having been collectively appointed, we would like to produce a report, which we have done.

How do you feel about the report submitted by the committee?

The report, if implemented, will revolutionise the judiciary. For instance, we are going to start advertising for the appointment of new judges, that is a revolution. Before there was nothing like that, Chief Judges (CJs) sat in their offices, picked names and appointed them. Nobody knew what was happening, but now, there will be a robust verification process for selecting those who are going to be there, putting their names out and asking members of the public, do you have any objection to these people being appointed judges, if you have, let us know.

Any other recommendation?

There was also the agreement about performance.

What do you mean by this?

It means there will be a performance measuring index and judges who fall below expectations will be severely punished with sanctions including dismissal. There was very much concern about the slow pace of justice delivery and I played a very strong role here. We are now going to look at how we can revamp and create model rules of courts. We are now going to move from a model of partial front loading to the English total frontloading . So, once you front load your case, the other man has exactly 30 minutes for cross examination.

You have the statement of claims, the pleadings, the facts of the case, the evidence to support your case, the legal arguments will be there, the document, witness statements all frontloaded, so that is your case, anything you don’t put there would not come in again.

What about the issue of Interlocutory applications?

The issue of interlocutory applications are all out because you have your full time to do the frontloading. If that total front load is done properly, it will absolutely cut the time by years spent in determining cases here. Then court administration, the way the courts work, can’t we introduce some changes in this area. For instance, processing court documents, serving court documents, deliver ICT. Shouldn’t there be e-pay platforms, so that at about 4 a.m., in the morning, I can file in my claims into the registry. Why should I, in this modern day and age take N5,000 cash to a cash registry that might have closed, whereas I

‘And we felt that this has not been done and at that point the president proposed subsidy removal, we could not support him. But that if we had clarifications, understanding, engagements, information, yes, there might come a time when we can say yes, we support you’ •Agbakoba

can have a pay platform with my epayment process. So, these are all the recommendations that we made to the CJN and I hope he does implement them. If he does, it will shake the roots and branches.

These are the roots and branch shaking recommendations.

Why are you against the removal of oil subsidy?

The argument is not about being for or against the removal of oil subsidy, the argument is about Nigeria. Having spent about 30 odd years speaking about Nigeria, taking part in her activities, going to prison on several occasions, losing my international passport, being flogged several times, the last thing I would like to do is to contribute to instability in the country.

So, when President Jonathan invited us as civil society representatives to persuade us on the need to remove fuel subsidy, the civil society view was that we are not opposed to the removal of subsidy, but we questioned the process. We reminded him that in the year 2000 when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had strikes, one of the contentions of Adams Oshiohmole at that time was that you can’t keep increasing this thing as you like, that was what he told President Olusegun Obasanjo. We need a structure and that led to the creation of

the legal framework we call Peroleum Products Price Regulatory Agency ( PPPRA) What position did the Civil Society finally take before the President on this issue of subsidy removal?

Mr Femi Falana told him: “’My only concern is that the power to regulate the price is spelt out in Section 7 of the PPPRA Act. So, if there is a need to thinker with the prices, because to remove subsidy is to jerk up prices, you have already created an agency to which you have assigned that statutory responsibility. You have also given that agency a second job in S (7)(i) which is that they should engage Nigerians in a robust discussion and seek their understanding. ‘’PPPRA should establish linkages with key segments of the society and ensure that its decisions, which includes subsidy removal, enjoy the widest possible understanding and support of Nigerians’’ .And we felt that this has not been done and at that point the president proposed subsidy removal, we could not support him. But that if we had clarifications, understanding, engagements, information, yes, there might come a time when we can say yes, we support you. But first of all, we need to actually know, is there a subsidy? You have to provide the answer. All the above reasons made us to say no, this is not the time to remove the

subsidy.

What is your take on the state of security?

The late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is the man who has spoken then truth about Nigeria, and until we tell ourselves the truth that what we have is a loose federation, we are centripetal federation, we won’t make any progress.

Boko Haram, O’Dua Peoples Congress (OPC), Egbesu, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni Peoples (MOSOP) and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) are not security problems. They are just political problems, which we must tackle head-on.

What is the way forward for the judiciary as we enter a new year?

I don’t have to remind you of the events which led to the setting up of the Judicial Reform Committee. It was basically the rift between President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami and the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius KatsinaAlu which led to the loss of confidence by Nigerians. Some of us held the view that it was improper the way Salami was suspended. Without prejudice to the merits, the due process path was not followed. So, Salami was wrongly suspended and we, therefore, recommended that he should be recalled.

What other issues did you raise?

We raised issues over the CJN’s headship of the NJC. There was a bit of tension over who should head NJC. Eventually, it was agreed that the CJN should head it. But that the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should take part as the appointing authority. So, what we’ll now have as appointing authority is the CJN, NBA President, President of the Court of Appeal, three retired CJNs and three retired Presidents of the Court of Appeal. There was a robust debate and I signed on, having satisfied myself that it was the best way to go.

Did you make a specific recommendation?

I recommended quicker dispensation of justice. The slow pace of our justice delivery is worrisome. I recommended state Courts of Appeal, which in my view should lessen the burden of the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court for instance shouldn’t be burdened with interlocutory appeals. That should end at the Court of Appeal.

Is that all?

I also recommended electronic filling of case, so that it would be possible to sit in my office and file a case at the High Court electronically. If I can sit in my office and book a flight on an airline, why can’t I file a case from my office? These are the kinds of changes that we should expect. We should also dispense with oral arguments in court. This is because evidence, documents, written arguments are already front-loaded and the counsel on the other side already has them. So, what are we going to argue over again? At most, give 30 minutes for oral submissions for each side and the judge will decide.

Lawyer loses dad FORMER National Financial Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Marc Enamhe lost his father, Sir Dominic Okpashi Enamhe (KSJ) on December 14. Born on March 16, 1932, Sir Enamhe, a retired Civil Servant was the president of Bekwarra Customary Court in Cross Rivers State between 1995 and 2001.

He was Justice of the Peace for Bekwarra 1997 till his death and Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in his community.

Sir Enamhe will be buried on December 31, at Gakem, Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross Rivers State.

•Marc Enamhe

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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LAW & SOCIETY ON THE ROAD TO DURBAN:

Cultural legitimacy and climate change crisis

•Fagbohun

E

VERY indigenous group all over the world has developed cultural belief systems. Consequently, a group of in-

dividuals who share common values and social practices would gradually form a standard of acceptable behaviour called cultural norms. Similarly, continued acceptance as a member in one’s cultural group often requires that one exhibits certain behaviour and belief. To this extent, cultural norms not only shape one’s attitude and responses, but are defined and maintained by those within the social group. It is based on this approach that Law and Leonard, concluded that culturally based scripts are related to normative behaviour. Because scripts are learned, members of one’s culturally based group can pass them on and reinforce them.

These scripts, once developed, exist as a mentally programmed formula for individuals to respond to in their interaction with other members under a particular context more or less automatically.

Examples abound of the impact of different cultures on people of that culture both in their individualist and collectivist tendencies. In one study on Chinese cognition, it was found that most Chinese are strongly influenced to be respectful and obedient to superiors if they are present or even indirectly involved in a work situation. Again, and premised on the difference in value placement between cultures, it has been noted that people from English speaking countries such as North America, England and Australia tend to be more individualist and maintain less power distance than those from the non-English speaking countries such as Turkey, Italy and China who are more collectivist with larger power distance.

The critical significance of this cultural difference is that in a conflict situation, while a person from an individualist culture will perceive conflict as a natural and inevitable aspect of social life and assume that every person or group has a unique goal or interest, it is not so for a person from a collectivist culture. Further, while the individualist culture values direct confrontation and negotiating one’s need and interest as productive resolution, the collectivist culture differs.

In the same way that culture has been defined, legitimacy has also been defined as lawfulness by virtue of being authorised or in accordance with law. In a second sense, it can be defined in the context of undisputed credibility. A political scientist sees legitimacy as the popular acceptance of a governing law or regime, while a moral philosophist will interpret it as the normative status conferred by a governed people upon their governor’s institutions, offices and actions, based upon the belief that their government’s action are appropriate uses of power by the legally constituted government. Flowing from the above, cultural legitimacy would connote the popular acceptance by a cultural group of the undisputed credibility of certain norms, attitudes, val-

ues and ideals as shared within their group.

In the context of pathology of behaviour, the point was made earlier that climate change requires changes in the habits of billions of people, as well as organizations such as firms, and that the practical policies to generate incentives for these behavioural changes require action by governments that may not have the interest or ability to exert much influence on the subjects. A host of literature has also noted the overwhelming global scientific consensus on the link between man-made emissions of CO2 and other GHG and changes in global temperature.

In a 2008 report of the United States of America’s National Academy of Sciences, it was observed as follows: “Climate change as occurring as caused largely by human activities”.

Article 1 (2) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) also defined climate change as a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. Consequently, it has been advocated that there is an urgent need for a harmonious co-existence between humans and their environment, particularly as can be made possible through a more efficient allocation of political will and the build-up and strengthening of social capital (people).

The need for change in the habit of man underscores the relevance of cultural legitimacy to climate change in relation to the pathology of human behaviour, attitudes and orientation. In essence, if we are to formulate an efficient policy or implement an effective program aimed at changing the habit of man in aid of climate change, it behoves that we first look within man for that which is consistent with his native belief system, practices and ideals before searching for complements from outside of him. Unfortunately, official policies, laws and programs directly related to climate change both at the national and international levels have continued to expressly focus on legislative power using the instruments of science, technology and economic options. These components are most times conceptualized in a top-down deterministic manner. For instance, the UNFCCC recognized that steps required to understand and address climate change will be environmentally, socially and economically most effective if they are based on relevant scientific, technical and economic considerations and are continually re-evaluated in the light of new findings in these areas.

Without doubt, there is great attraction in legislative power. The product of legislative power in the form of statutes, (and in a limited sense, Conventions) give the society in satisfying simple form, an answer to a complex problem. What we must, however, not forget is that man’s obedience to law starts from within him; what he believes in or does not believe in. For majority of people therefore, if within them they do not believe the premise or premises of a particular law, no matter how strong that law is couched, they will find a way of deviating from it. Where they do believe in a law, they will require minimum supervision to enforce their compliance.

Hart noted this much when he observed: At any given moment, the life of any society which lives by rules, legal or not, is

By Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun

likely to consist in a tension between those who, on the one hand, accept and voluntarily co-operate in maintaining the rules and so see their own and other persons’ behaviour in terms of the rules, and those whom on the other hand reject the rules and attend to them only from the external point of view as a sign of possible punishment.

One of the difficulties facing any legal theory anxious to do justice to the complexity of the facts is to remember the presence of both these points of view and not to define one of them out of existence.

The prime feature which underlie cultural legitimacy is the authority and reverence derived from internal validity. For this reason, it needs involve no thought on the part of the person obeying cultural norms and ideals. From generation to generation, all of them within that social group share the internal point of view as a public that the cultural norms and ideals of their group are general standards of behaviour for all of them, though individuals may, on occasion, deviate from the general standard of behavior. Such will raise critical concern within the social group and the characteristic feature in such situation is for all within the group to in unison denounce the deviation and put the deviant to public opprobrium.

The point here is not that cultural norms are immutable and cannot change. Such a view will be misleading. What will be required as a minimum is for such a change to also have popular acceptance since this is what will signify that it is satisfactory to the majority. The significance of this analysis for climate change is that since it has been identified that behavioural change is key to making a difference, then, it will not be out of place to give concrete recognition to the cultural ideal by not only harnessing its existing positive contributions, but also by re-orientating behaviour.

•The Promise of Cultural Legitimacy for Mitigation and Adaptation As earlier noted, there has been two generic strategies put forward to meet the challenges of climate change, namely, mitigation and adaptation. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), defines mitigation as an anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of green house gases. In the UNFCCC, three conditions were made explicit as mitigation strategies when working towards the goal of greenhouse gas stabilization in the atmosphere: •that it should take place within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change; •That food production is not threatened; and •That economic development should proceed in a sustainable manner.

Mitigation, thus, contemplates the use of both policy instruments and technology in the context of sustainable development.

In the case of adaptation, its goal is to reduce the risk of adverse impacts by enhancing the ‘resilience’ and ‘resistance’ of ecosystems to change. By way of strategies, all Parties are required to take climate change

Eastern Bar holds conference The Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) will hold its national conference on February 15 and 16 next year.

Theme: Challenges to National Security Venue: Tinapa Studio Auditorium, Calabar, Cross River State.

A statement by the chairman of EBF’s Governing Council, Kemasuode Wodu states that the conference will focus on such areas as: •Law enforcement (state police as a viable option).

•Insecurity and its economic implications •True Federalism and such sundry sub topics that will likely assist to strengthen and improve the security situation . He said: ‘’This will be EBF’S contribution to the course of nation building and our quest for a better Nigeria where peace, tranquility and the rule of law takes the centre stage of our national life.’’

considerations into account, to the extent feasible, in their relevant social, economic and environmental polices and actions, and employ appropriate methods, for example, impact assessments, formulated and determined nationally, with a view to minimizing adverse effects on the economy, on public health and on the quality of the environment, of projects, or measures undertaken by them to mitigate or adapt to climate change.

While mitigation tackles the causes of climate change, adaptation tackles the effects of the phenomenon. Both mitigation and adaptation are thus a combined set of actions in an overall strategy to reduce green house gas emissions. The fundamental problem for both mitigation and adaptation is that there is an underlying assumption that the behavioural trends that are increasing total energy use in developed and developing countries will sooner than later recognize and buy-in into the technological and economic potentials for greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Sadly, the realities appear to point in a different direction. From the very basics, dwelling units and vehicles in many countries are growing in size while the intensity of electrical appliance use is increasing for the high-income groups. For the low-income groups, poverty is exacerbating the pressures on them and constraining them to embrace more unsustainable practices.

In order to better understand the promise of cultural legitimacy for both mitigation and adaptation, it is perhaps appropriate to analyse the current approaches and long-term cooperative actions intended to achieve these two genetic response 6.

Mitigation Under the UNFCCC, Parties are required to undertake efforts to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. In accordance with the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities’, the commitments for developed countries are different from those of the developing countries. Currently, the Kyoto Protocol includes emissions reduction targets for industrialized countries (Annex I countries for the period 2008 – 2012) with a view to achieving a worldwide cut of around 5% from 1990 levels.

The conflict situation that has arisen in relation to the above is both complex and intriguing. The world’s largest emitter, the United States of America, has made participation in binding emissions reduction contingent on actions by large emitters in the developing countries, such as India and China. The governments of many developing countries have categorically rejected the option of binding targets on the premise of the historical responsibility of the industrialized world and their overriding concern to have unfettered economic development. Even when the G8 pledged to achieve a fifty percent reduction of their emission by 2050, a group of large developing countries refused to sign notwithstanding the aspirational and non-binding nature of the commitment.

As at 2008, the focus of the Ad-hoc Working Group on further commitments for Annex 1 Parties under the Kyoto Protocol in relation to the possible tools and the rules to assist developed countries to reach reduction commitments includes the following: •emission trading and project based mechanisms (such ash the Clean Development Mechanism aimed at assisting developing countries to meet part of their emission reduction target by investing in emission reduction projects in developing countries); •focus on GHG sectors and source categories; •possible approaches for targeting emissions from specific sectors such as cement, steel, aluminium and other energy intensive industries; •focus on land-use, land-use change and forestry.

•To be continued

37

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, was the first political office holder in the last administration to publicly announce President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to contest the April 2011 presidential election. He went ahead to lead a coalition of support groups that championed the President’s cause, to the consternation of some powerful northern interests. Abba-Aji has now joined those seeking to take control of the ruling party next February. The President’s support may prove decisive at the February convention. Assistant Editor GBADE OGUNWALE reports

PDP chair: Leaders, aspirants wait on Jonathan A

S the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws nearer, aspirants to the various positions in the party’s national executive committee have been mapping out strategies and tactics. They are spreading their tentacles far and near with a view to garnering enough support for their aspirations.

The aspirants have been campaigning at relevant quarters, selling themselves to prominent party members ahead of the contest.

But one candidate who may stir President Goodluck Jonathan’s conscience is former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji who is contesting the national chairmanship of the party with nine other aspirants.

Shortly before the PDP presidential nomination for the April 2011 election, bitter disagreement and internal wrangling rocked the PDP over zoning and the eligibility or otherwise of Jonathan to seek the party’s presidential ticket. In the heat of the acrimony that pitched the President against some pro-north chieftains of the PDP, Abba Aji stuck out his neck and announced to the world that Jonathan would seek the party’s presidential nomination.

He stuck out his neck further into the fray when he came up with Friends of Democracy, a support group that started the campaign for Jonathan’s candidature. In a matter of weeks, many other support groups emerged from the horizon, trumpeting the Jonathan’s cause. At the last count, no fewer than 200 of such groups with various nomenclatures had joined the campaign.

To avoid working at cross purposes, the group led by Abba Aji brought all the other support groups under the umbrella of Friends of Democracy. As coordinator of what had metamorphosed into a coalition of support groups at the time, Abba Aji started a nationwide Jonathan-forPresident campaign long before the party could put a campaign machinery in place. With strong media presence, the coalition had already planted Jonathan’s presidential ambition in the public realm. This made the President’s September 18, 2010 declaration at the Eagle Square a mere formality as millions of Nigerians had already caught the “Goodluck” bug. It was after Jonathan had clinched the party’s ticket that the presidential election campaign committee of the PDP took over the task.

Asked if he was expecting a role reversal between him and President Jonathan now that he is seeking to become the party national chairman, Abba reeled philosophical.

According to him, his decision to initiate the campaign for the President was borne out of his personal conviction that Jonathan was the best of all the aspirants that indicated interest in the plum job. “So it is a matter of conviction. Nothing stops the President from giving me his support if he is convinced that I am the best material for the job. But he is not under any obligation to do so if he does not believe that I deserve it. My involvement in the Friends of Democracy that started the campaign

• Jonathan for the President was informed by my conviction that he was the best man for the job. I did not do it for him as an individual but I did it for the party. I did it for the Nigerian people and I did it for the country. So for me, it was a national assignment and not loyalty to an individual. This is what many people don’t understand and I think it is necessary to make this clarification”, Abba Aji stated.

When it was put to him that despite plunging headlong into championing the Jonathan campaign, Abba Aji said that should not be an issue. According to him, all the people that the President appointed into one public office or the other are qualified to be so appointed and that there can only be one person for any given appointment. “More so there are many others who worked hard in various capacities for the President’s success at the election. So it is not right for anybody to make an issue out of that. I know the President to be a rational person and I believe he is doing the right thing under the circumstances”. The former Adviser said he would rather focus on his plans for the PDP if he is elected to lead the party rather than dwelling on who got what appointment or who didn’t get what. ”On my part, I am offering myself for scrutiny in a process that is entirely the prerogative of PDP members and stakeholders. I am however, humbly presenting to them my nearly forty years of public service at state and federal levels, out of which I have served for twenty-one years in top positions (as Executive Secretary of Health Management Board; Director of Finance and Supplies of Governor’s Office; Director - General (Permanent Secretary) at the state level; Managing Director of NSITF; Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and until last June, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters. I have also served as member of the Borno State PDP Executive Committee; Member of Borno State PDP Caucus, and Member of the PDP National Caucus for many years. I have also successfully carried out

• Aji party assignments. As Chairman of the 2008 PDP North Central Zonal Congress, I conducted the congress that produced the National Secretary who is the current Acting Chairman of our great party”. There is no doubt that whoever is going to lead the party in the nearest future is going to inherit myriads of problems, notably how to reconcile the various factions thrown up past disagreements within the party. But Abba Aji described reconciliation as an easy task for any focused leader.

According to the Borno State-born politician, political reconciliation is not a difficult task where there is sincerity of purpose. “Indeed, it is made easy by the fact that all intra party political offences are pardonable. So I will adopt the good old conventional procedure of bringing warring factions together, putting the disputed issues on the table, and discussing them sincerely. It is very much like patching up old friendships. Soon they will even forget that I had anything to do with their being back together. This in turn, will be sustained by the level playing field which I intend to ensure in the party”. The PDP has been saddled with the problem of indisci-

• Tukur pline among members an ugly trend the party has been battling unsuccessfully to overcome over the years. This may also present a serious challenge for the next crop of executives of the party. How is he going to ensure discipline in the party if he gets elected as chairman? “I think we have a good measure of discipline in the PDP. In addition to party Standing Committees on Discipline, we also have at all levels and chapters of the party, very senior and experienced persons whose duty it is to promptly check acts of indiscipline whenever and whenever they rear their ugly heads.

If I am given the chance, we will design measures to curb indiscipline particularly during election campaigns and I will enjoin my colleagues in all other political parties to do the same,” he said.

One issue he attempted to brush aside was the absence of internal democracy which has led to friction among the various leaders of the party at both the state and the national levels. He retorted: “There has been more internal democracy in the PDP than in all other political parties put together even before the current Electoral Act made it mandatory requirement for all parties. It is a fact

• Aminu that PDP is the only political party whose congresses and conventions are conducted under the watchful eyes of national and international audience. I will, nonetheless, greatly improve on internal democracy through the pursuit of my level playing field and reconciliation agenda”.

Abba Aji will be contesting the chairmanship slot with other bigwigs from the North East geopolitical zone to which the position has been zoned.

There are three contestants from Adamawa State. They are Dr. Hassan Adamu, Alhaji BamangaTukur and Professor Jibrin Aminu. There is also Ambassador Idris Waziri from Taraba State, former Bauchi State Governor, Adamu Mu‘azu and his counterpart from Gombe, Alhai Danjuma Goje.

There are three other aspirants from Borno where Abba Aji hailed from.

They are Alhaji Shettima Mustafa, Alhaji Gambo Lawan and Alhaji Ibrahim Bunu. How does he rate his chances in view of the intimidating political credentials of many of the aspirants? Abba Aji said: “My honest view is that every one of us in the race is sufficiently qualified to be the next national chairman of the party.

• From left: Special Adviser on Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina; Commissioner for Home Affairs, Oyinlomo Danmole; Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Wale Ahmed and Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Gbolahan Lawal at the Lagos State 2011 Community Day celebration held at Police College, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

38

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

POLITICS

President should be ready to step on toes, says Solomon Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) represents Lagos West Constituency in the Senate as the Minority Whip. In this encounter with Assistant Editor DADA ALADELOKUN, he unveils his views on topical national issues.

T

O some people, you Senators are in Abuja on a jamboree. How would you assess the senate so far?

We are doing serious business of governance because everyone appreciates the enormity of the problem at hand. Quite honestly, the senate is coming of age. The present senators are accomplished Nigerians and statesmen who have made their marks in their various endeavours.

And they are bringing the vast experience which they have gathered so far to bear on legislative business. However, I must quick to add the fact that we are learning from the previous sessions from the Senate. In the Fourth Republic, this happens to be the fourth senate. We’ve had the fourth, starting from 1999 up to the sixth which ended in 2007. And you can imagine the level of experience we have gone through in all those years of legislation. So, the present legislators are standing on the shoulders of the previous ones, which is a good thing for democracy in Nigeria.

Then, how well has the Senate used that experience to partner with the executive to make average Nigerians smile?

Talking about the relationship between the executive and the legislature in relation to the populace at large, I think we still have a lot to do in terms of the perception of the executive of the legislature. Some of them have not imbibed the culture of democracy that gives different powers to different arms of government and also allows one to serve as a check on the excesses of the other. That is where the problem is. We still have a situation where some executives still see the activities of the legislature on them as regards the oversight functions as undue interference. Besides, I think we are gradually seeing ourselves as representing the people. Again, we are now realising that you also have to be accountable to the people. Also, both of us are realizing that you have to give a report at one time or the other whenever the people call upon you. All in all, I think we are gradually moving even though we cannot be compared to the older democracies. But with the rate we are going, we will get there ultimately.

The vexed issue of fuel subsidy is already causing tension and apprehension in the country. What is the position of the Senate on fuel subsidy after receiving the report of the committee set up on the issue?

Sincerely, we are yet to receive the report of the committee. It is still carrying out investigations on the management of fuel subsidy fund.

The motion talked about the amount spent so far on fuel subsidy for a period of nine or ten months. And I think the motion put the total spending at N1.3 trillion or thereabouts from N240 billion that was actually budgeted. So, what the motion was seeking is: what happened to the fund and how we have been managing that fund. Of course, a lot of questions will arise.

‘It is unfortunate that our voodoo economists often come up with all sorts of indices to tell us that there is growth in the economy. But I reduce everything to the purchasing power of the naira in my pocket. What will it buy for me? How will it add to my overall wellbeing? All these invariably will affect every other thing’ • Solomon

It is this committee that will now tell us whether we are actually subsidizing and to the tune of how much. It will also tell us what we are subsidizing. Is it product or transportation of the crude to the refineries? We are being told that there are various aspects of this subsidy. So, we should be able to situate every aspect of this subsidy in the right perspectives. When we know which one we are subsidizing, we will be able to know which one is avoidable and which one is a waste. Unless we know all these facts, we may not get the right situation. But whatever we say now may be prejudice whatever is going to be the outcome of the findings of the committee.

But we can’t but discuss it because of the feelings of most Nigerians…

Yes. You cannot take the attitude of an average Nigerian away. The average Nigerian believes that subsidy will bring hardship. And you cannot ignore that position. It is not too difficult either to understand their fears, if we have to go back to the memory lane. The question is: what has always happened each time we claimed we have removed subsidy visa-vis the rate of inflation? You discover that every time there is increase in the pump price of petroleum products, we have more than corresponding increase in the price of commodities and services. Right now, we have been told that inflation rate is not something we should jump about. We are trying to keep it below double digit rate but you and I know how successful we are. And it is paramount for government to ensure that the purchasing power of our naira does not diminish. It is unfortunate that our voodoo economists often come up with all sorts of indices to tell us that there is growth in the

economy. But I reduce everything to the purchasing power of the naira in my pocket. What will it buy for me? How will it add to my overall wellbeing? All these invariably will affect every other thing- life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality and any other thing you can think of. These are things we cannot ignore. I believe all these issues about subsidy arise because of importation of the products. If it is going to take us three years to put refineries in place, we need to know. I remember very well during Obasanjo regime that 17 licences were given out.

What happened to the 17 licences? It is only when you give licences to those people with core competence that you can expect anything meaningful. Nothing stops us from having as many refineries as possible. What law says we must have only four refineries? If there is any law like that, then we must throw it out. We need private investors. We did it in communication industry, it worked. Today, nobody is talking anymore about NITEL. We only talk about it when we talk about their assets. Let’s also do it in power. In doing it, of course, we will step on toes. In doing it, some people will be hurt. But as, they say, you cannot make omelets without breaking eggs. So, if we have to make certain sacrifices to get things done, why not?

Look at the proposed plan by the National Assembly to amend the constitution and the renewed agitation for creation of more states.

What are you doing to ensure the listing of the newly created local government areas in Lagos State?

Surely, state creation is a very contentious is-

sue and it will never go. Create 32 more states to make 72; we will still have more agitation. I am not saying that agitation for state creation is not genuine. Agitation for state creation is legal; people are free to ask for it. The constitution makes provision for it any way as long as you meet provisions for it. But in don’t think that should be our priority now. That is my reservation about it. We must make the states viable. It is not enough to create states, they must be viable.

There is hardly any state now where we don’t have demand for more state. In some states, we have more than one. If on the average we have one agitation per state, it means we have 36 state agitations, which implies that we have 72 on the overall. Is that practicable? If we decide that every region should have one state each, how do we do it? Who will have and who will not have?

For me, there are more pressing issues than state creation. There are economic issues, unemployment and power problem. Once we address all these problems, agitation for state creation will no longer be in the front burner. And why more local governments were created in Lagos State between 2003 and 2004 was to ease administration at that level. And, of course, several states too were already doing that but some of them quickly went back because of the pressure from the centre. Prominent among them was Katsina State. To solve the imbroglio precipitated by the need to list, we are looking into the possibility of removing the listing of local government from the constitution. Right now, what is stated is that regardless of how many number of local government you create, it will not affect your allocation. If it will not affect my allocation, what is the point insisting on listing of local government in the constitution? Besides, there must always be a referendum before any local government is created. Where the electorate, who in true definition of democracy is the sovereign, decides on having additional local government, their wish automatically becomes binding. The Lagos electorate said they wanted more local governments and they had it. Nothing should be a stumbling block because that is the requirement.

The plight of an average Nigerian is worsening by the day with hunger, unemployment and poor power supply. What is your word for the President now?

While presenting the budget, the President mentioned some of these issues which pointed to the fact that he is aware of the situation in the land. He also said that the budget was targeted at solving some of the problems. I want to believe that having identified the problems himself and making an attempt to solve it, what he would need is a strong political will to solve these problems. I believe the President knows that what he has in his hand is not child’s play. And it should be treated headlong. I think having identified the challenges, the man has solved some part of the problems.

‘Why Tinubu is a political icon’

By Emmanuel Oladesu

• Akande

A

N action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) leader in Lagos Chief Ayo Akande has lauded the leadership role of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Yorubaland. He urged the people of the six states to support the party’s national leaders noble intentions for prosperity and progress of the race.

He said, although Senator Tinubu is a detribalised national leader of ACN, he has demonstrated that charity begins at home.

Lauding him for the power shift from the con-

servative bloc to progressives, he pointed out that the performance of ACN governors of Lagos, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo and Ogun states demonstrated that his liberation struggle in the Southwest in post-Bola Ige era has not been in vain.

Akande noted that Ige was murdered before he could leave the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to lead the battle to reclaim the Southwest from political marauders.

Akande, a member of the executive committee of the party in Lagos State, observed that Tinubu had laid the foundation upon which his successor, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has continued to build.

He recalled that, despite the hostility of Obasanjo Administration, the former governor proceeded with the creation of additional councils to foster grassroots development.

Akande said, not only was Tinubu preoccupied with economic and political development of Lagos, he also spared thoughts for the fate of other Southwest states groaning under the yoke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said the schools he built, the roads he tarred, housing estates he constructed, hospitals he established and other amenities he put in place are worthy legacies of his eventful tenure.

Akande also spoke on “Tinubu the true feder-

alist”, pointing out that his objection to the lopsided federal arrangement has exposed Nigerians to the dangers of the centrist approach to governance.

He said: “What is the federal government doing? It is a large congregation and they are holding on a large percentage of the revenue. You must break it down.

“Local government creation is very fundamental. Once the local governments are doing well, the state will do well. If your local government is able to do roads and drainages, you have done the whole of the state. More money should be pumped into local government structurally and put quality into their management. But, except you remove this element of corruption, you will never get quality people running them. “What has the federal government got to do with roads?

Federal roads are not being fixed and in deplorable condition. For example, Ibadan to Lagos is bad. If they had left their repair to the state, one connecting state will be able to say let us fix this road. Not that somebody would sit in Abuja and say “Airport road is not good”. They don’t care”.

Akande lamented that Tinubu was being witchhunted by the PDP federal government as part of its agenda to foist one party system on the country. He congratulated the party leader for triumph over his detractors.

He said: “Tinubu left office more than five

years. Bringing him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal was a distraction.It is an attempt to intimidate Tinubu. They have seen him making steady progress politically. ACN’s profile is rising. But Tinubu is not somebody that can be intimidated. He is a fighter for a just cause, rule of law and democracy. “Tinubu should be the leader of the Yorubas in the context of political leadership. Awolowo was the leader of the Yorubas and he was not an Oba. The Obas should look after the tradition. Let the politicians look after politics. Whoever is doing well in politics should be the leader. He is the leader now”.

Akande said that, under Tinubu leadership, Yoruba has been united by the outcome of the last general elections in the geo-political zone, reminiscent of the harmony of the Awolowo era when the states rejected the mainstream agenda.

He enjoined progressives across the federation to use the opportunity of the constitution review to press for true federalism, state police, review of the revenue formula and sustainability of the local government system.

Akande opposed the single tenure proposal by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying that “what are important to the citizens are electricity, regular fuel supply by home refineries, jobs for jobless people, good roads and comprehensive social welfare”.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

39

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

40

PROPERTY/ENVIRONMENT

Lekki/Ajah axis hosts Royal Garden Estate

S

ITUATED in a serene commu nal environment on LekkiEpe Expressway is a 150-hectare estate, tastefully built and dubbed Royal Garden Estate.

The estate, according to its promoters, Trojan Estate Ltd, is segmented with the detached houses built on land sizes of 660-metre, 920-metres, 1200 and 1500m.

To encourage subscription across the board, the promoters of the estate said they have made an elaborate arrangement for mortgage facilities bank rolled by First Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc. On the facilities available at the estate, the statement revealed that there is good road network, private transportation services, drainage system, 390 street lights poles with underground cabling system, fire stations, equipped with 83 water hydrants at 400metres interval and a shopping complex. Others are business and retail park, sport and recreational centres, schools and crèche.

The open day organised by the management of the estate where occupants and intending residents were invited to come in and inspect the top of the range facilities put in place in the estate, the statement said it is an opportunity for interaction, which can open new vistas for the management of the estate and intending residents on what may have been missed in

terms of infrastructure provision.

Team leader, Marketing and Sales, Mr Korede Lawrence, said at the event: “Despite the huge investment expended by the firm on the massive estate, their fulfillment stems from the fact that the majority of Nigerians have been given an opportunity to own personal houses based on the robust mortgage arrangement put in place by the promoters of the estate.”

He called on the public to take advantage of the ambience and tranquility of the estate that boast of competitive infrastructure with adequate and convenient mortgage products that suits budgets and be part of the growing family of Royal Garden Estate.

‘Despite the huge investment expended by the firm on the massive estate their fulfillment stems from the fact that the majority of Nigerians have been given an opportunity to own personal houses based on the robust mortgage arrangement put in place by the promoters of the estate’

•LAWMA trucks

How to pave way for fresh engineers, by expert

E

NGINEERS will be of more benefit to the country if they are innovative and stay ahead of challenges, a former President of the Nigeria Institution of Structural Engineers (Nistructe), Mr Kunle Adebajo, has said.

He was delivering a paper entitled: Paving the way for the emerging engineering generation at the yearly Ralph Alabi Memorial Lecture of the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).

He said emerging engineers are faced with the challenges of inadequate training, lack of capacity, skill, experience, tools and knowledge, insufficient patronage by the government, weak procurement capacity and proliferation of tiny sized or one man firms that start out too early and, consequently, limited in growth.

Others, according to him, are inadequate status of the engineering profession leading to exodus to other professions or to ‘greener pastures’ abroad, poor system of technical and vocational education in addition to poor remuneration.

Adabajo advised that to keep up with the changing environment, the engineer must constantly update his or her own skill set, and be a life-time learner.

He said: “For the young engineer, who to all intents and purposes, does not even yet have a developed skill set, not to talk of updating it, things can get even more daunting.

“On the other hand, if we all agree that the future success or otherwise of this country rests firmly on the shoulders of engineers, then it is essential that we build a formidable generation of engineers who can take us to the technological promised land.”

He regretted that the nation produces engineers who, though expected to be emerging champions, clearly lack the necessary skill.

There are too many young engineers who are either unem-

Stories by Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie Asst Editor

ployed or not effectively and gainfully doing what they have been trained to do. ‘’This to surely not augur well for the country and will definitely have drastic consequences several years down the line,” he said.

According to him, engineers are expected to be experienced not only in their discipline, but also have a strong work ethic, be team workers with soft skills to negotiate, communicate and demonstrate leadership capabilities.

However, he observed that the opportunities are many for the emerging engineering generation, at least for the competent engineers who can hold their own, despite the threat of globalisation.

On the measures that should be implemented to overcome these challenges, he canvassed the upgrading and accrediting of private technical and vocational institutions, mandatory continuous professional development and training.

Others are investment in local education training at higher levels, strengthening the links between local engineering educational and professional institutions and their industrial and municipal counterparts engaged in infrastructure delivery.

•Adebajo

•Grand Towers Shopping Mall, Abuja

Reps panel pledges support for spill agency

T

HE House of Representatives’ Committee on Environment will support the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to achieve its mandate, the panel has said.

The panel chair Uche Ekwuife made the pledge during a visit toNOSDRA Headquarters in Abuja.

A statement by NOSDRA’s Head of Public Affairs, Henshaw Ogubike, said the committee pledged to see how NOSDRA could be made more viable.

She, however, implored NOSDRA to intensify efforts in sanctioning oil companies that pollute the environment.

Hon. Ekwunife noted that this would not only help to deter such companies but would also help enhance the revenue base of the oil spill agency.

Charging NOSDRA to be alert at early detection of oil spill, she assured that the committee will assist in reviewing the Act of the

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

agency to make it formidable in ensuring that oil companies that contaminate the environment pay for it.

The statement reads: “She further asked the agency to intensify awareness and sensitisation campaign on its response and remediation activities in order to assert its existence, especially in the light of overlapping of its functions by similar organisations.”

Speaking earlier, the DirectorGeneral/Chief Executive Officer of NOSDRA, Sir Peter Idabor, expressed gratitude for the visit of members of the House Committee on Environment, stressing that

this would help members of the committee to understand the activities of the agency, as well as the problems and challenges.

He highlighted some of the activities of the agency to include the procurement of 19 meter Policat oil response boat, inventorisation of past impacted sites in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states, certification of 1,119 numbers of past impacted sites, construction of laboratory and warehouse in Port Harcourt, activation of National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) and production of Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) map of the Nigerian coast line from Badagry to Calabar 50km inland.

‘She further asked the agency to intensify awareness and sensitisation campaign on its response and remediation activities in order to assert its existence, especially in the light of overlapping of its functions by similar organisations’

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

41

HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

The health sector didn’t meet expectations in the outgoing year. It was as if the sector was comatose given the poor delivery of services and lack of facilities. Hence, many patients who could afford it, travelled to countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and India, among others, for treatment and better care. The primary heath care system could not provide the needed care. In this report by WALE ADEPOJU and BOLA KOUGBE, many speak on expectations in the coming year.

Towards a better health care in 2012 N

IGERIANS’ expectations about having a virile health sector were dashed in 2011.

This is because of the unfulfilled promises by the Federal Government to transform the sector to meet the growing demands of patients. As a result, many still seek treatment abroad. The allocation to the sector in the budget is meagre.

The Nation went to town to feel the pulse of the common man on the street on their expectations in the coming year.

An activist, Mr Abiodun Aremu, said: “Honestly, it is very difficult for me to say, categorically, that the country has a health sector due to the poor system. I believe a health sector must have a followup, such as the primary sector and any other medium that should be involved.

“For instance, the 2012 budget has no proposition for the health sector, considering a population of 180 million people. It is, indeed, a disgrace that a country, such as Nigeria, which is rich materially and in human resources cannot set anything right from any level.”

A unionist, Mr Segun Ogun, said most Nigerians treat themselves when they are sick. He said: “I cannot say anything relating to the health sector because most people rely on self-health and religious means to resolve their health issues.

“Basically, what is required of the health management is an obvious aspect. The reason being that the present dispensation in the country, which comes after the so called international model is an era of inactive polity where the government divert interest to man-oriented issues such as generation of electricity, health care, education etc. This is why most leaders travel out of the country for minor illness. My expectation is that there should be a paradigm where people are provided with the basic needs of life and the government is restructured to facilitate these propositions.“ A school proprietor, Mr Muyiwa Oshaye, put the country’s health care delivery at 50 per cent. For the coming year, he said: “The governments should improve on the Primary Health care System by providing adequate facilities including competent health workers. The people from rural areas should have access to health care. HIV/ AIDS sensitisation should be scaled up. There should also be provision of more ambulances to meet emergency needs.

He said this year, the government, particularly the state government failed in health workers

salary which was marred by various strikes across the country.

Miss Okikiola Olabisi, who works in a law firm, said the government should provide necessary equipment for public hospitals, even, if the provision comes in small packages, to help improve the services rendered by doctors and nurses because they function according to their capacity. Whatever, they have within the work environment is what they work with.

Olabisi said the most important thing was to ensure the availability of the facilities.

She said: “Also, the public should contribute to development by paying their taxes so as to make it easier for the government to provide necessary equipment.”

A petty trader, Madam Bernice, praised the government for initiating laudable projects. She said: “I don’t use public hospitals due to the poor services they render to patients in the past. But a friend told me they have improved. I tried one and I think the response was satisfactory. However, there was much delay. I had to wait in a room for some hours before I was finally attended to. While I was waiting, I watched movies on a local television station. Others around even slept off while waiting.”

She said the issue of recruitment of health workers should be taken seriously as most hospitals still lack adequate capacity to care for the sick. This was because there was only one staff member attending to all the patients. He was doing everything without anybody coming to assist him. It was the same person who took measurement that ran blood tests and samples. He also took details and wrote them on cards after which took them away finally for documentation. After waiting for the doctor for several hours, he finally showed up only to attend to few people afterwards went on a break.

There are drugs that are made available at the point of purchase but the problem is there are no doctors to prescribe the drugs. Most doctors resume at late hours unlike private hospitals where the staffs are ready to receive you at any point in time. Truth is the doctors who operate in public hospitals are not encouraging. The government should try to employ more doctors that would render the necessary services to patients. Also, the government should pay doctors’ salaries at the appropriate time so as to encourage them to work harder.

A businessman, Mr Uche called for the provision of more hospi-

• Aremu

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•Ogun

•Bernice

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•Solomon

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tals equipments to improve treatment outcome. This, he said, would assist in minimizing the rate of unemployment in the country, considering the fact that, there are many unemployed graduates out there who have degrees in medical studies. A visit to major hospitals, such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) with poor infrastructure shows that the health sector has a disturbing

record. He said: “Also there is the issue of strike which deeply affects people’s lives and worsens the health situation of individuals. The government should employ professionals to make hospitals safer and favourable for patients.”

A fashion designer, Mr. Olaleke Solomon said the sector has not really been beneficial to the masses, especially patients that are seriously in need of medical atten-

tion due to emergency. He said the government should provide the people with free health care services. “I have been ill twice this year and because I could not afford hospital bills, I had to visit one of the local pharmacies to purchase drugs so that I can get better.

“Therefore, free health care services should be put into consideration. It would help to improve and save people’s lives. In addition to this, anti-malarial drugs should also be distributed freely to the masses and patients who visit the hospital to help minimize the spread of malaria,” Solomon added.

A businessman, Mr Adetayo Oluwafemi said hospitals were congested because the people are ill. He said a lot the people found it difficult to get free medical care.

Oluwafemi blamed the government for unreliability of the sector. he added: “The government policies didn’t help the growth of the sector.

I believe. If government provides adequate facilities for the hospitals, the sick can have access to adequate treatment. Health care workers should also be well-paid as to prevent brain drain in the sector.

“Research has shown that workers who are poorly paid are usually inefficient. Most workers also search for greener pastures in private hospitals to get extra pay. This, they do by abandoning their jobs at their place of work causing delay in the treatment of patient and even death at public hospitals.”

Another major problem, he said, has to do with poor appropriation for the sector in 2012 budget. “I do not think the government has any plan for the sector because the major appropriation was on security whereas the health sector ought to have had a paramount share. In addition to the new year resolution, I think the government should reverse the 2012 budget and pay more attention to her health environment, she should also build more public hospitals for the masses so that they can have access to free medical services. I believe these would resolve part of the problems facing the health sector.

A student, Mr Adewale Sheriff, said the government should provide adequate medical services for the masses and it should also found means of preventing delays in accessing care in public hospitals.

Narrating an event, he said: “A neighbour of mine was rushed to the hospital about three months ago after he was stabbed with a broken bottle by some hoodlums, after waiting for some time the boy eventually gave up the ghost. This is the kind of situation we witness each time we visit the hospital, the patients are not given serious attention and even when they are something or someone would have gone amiss.”

The government, he said, should also find means of preventing the sale of fake drugs to preserve lives.

“On next year, I feel there should be adequate provision of equipment in public hospitals to help save more lives. The government and doctors should also emulate the system of the white people and become professionals in their field of opera,” Sheriff added.

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THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

HEALTH

Fed Govt challenged on Anti-stigmatisation Bill

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O achieve zero target for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, People Living With HIV/ AIDS (PLWHAIDS) have urged the National Assembly to pass the Anti-stigmatisation Bill, which has been before it for over five years.

The group, under the aiges of the the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), spoke at the launch of the report of five researches conducted in 2009 and 2010. It said nothing tangible could be achieved without enabling laws in place.

NEPWHAN National Coordinator Mr Edward Ogenyi urged the National Assembly to give the bill accelerated passage.

He said: “One of the findings in

• From Austin Ehikioya, Abuja

the studies is that HIV/AIDS discrimination in Nigeria is still high, especially within the health facilities. We discovered that HIV/AIDS victims also experience one form of discrimination or another within their work environment.

“We believe that with this trend there is the need for the National Assembly to quickly pass the Antistigmatisation and Discrimination Bill into law; and if passed, employers of labour will be aware that there are laws that guide against HIV/AIDS stigmatisation and discrimination.”

According to him, for the past five years, the National Assembly has not done anything positive on the passage of the Bill.

“What we have now is a Bill and it is not yet a law. We are still waiting for the passage of the Bill into law. But if you look at the National HIV/AIDS Policy of the Federal Ministry of Labour it is stated that for a person with HIV, if the person is working and he is discovered not to be doing well either because the job is more strenuous he should be given a less strenuous job instead of terminating his appointment on the basis of his HIV status."

“The Bill specified fines by individuals or employers of labour who discriminate against their employees on the basis of their HIV status. We will hammer on that when the Bill is passed into law.”

Nutritionists want micronutrients in food

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UTRITIONISTS are calling for the fortification of food products with micronutrients to reduce malnutrition-induced diseases.

They spoke at a forum organised

by Bio-Organics Nutrient Systems Limited in Lagos.

A lecturer at the Department of

Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, Prof Laolu Akinyele, said micronutrients are needed in very small quantity but their absence in the body could pose severe consequences.

According to him, the absence of these nutrients can affect every stage of the lifecycle from embryo to

adulthood.

Akinyele said: “Lack of micronutrients in foods could cause delayed growth and impede intellectual development in babies. It also causes blindness and anemia in adolescents, night blindness and maternal anemia in expectant mothers, diabetes and cancer in adults.”

Health Tourism With Dr Dheeraj Bojwani e-mail: indiasodel@gmail.com

Retinal surgery in India

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HE human eye is similar to the structure of a camera. All parts of the eye must function together properly to produce clear vision. The function of the eye is to convert light into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to the brain through the optic nerve. It is in the brain that this electrical signal is converted into Vision.

The cornea and crystalline lens are the lenses that focus the picture onto the eye’s film, the retina. The iris is the colored circle in the front of the eye. The black pupil, in the center of the iris, enlarges and contracts to regulate the amount of light entering the eye. The vitreous is a transparent jelly filling the inside of the eye. The choroid is a system of blood vessels which covers the outer retinal surface, providing it with oxygen and nourishment. The sclera, or white of the eye, is a tough protective outer shell that corresponds to the body of a camera.

The optic nerve carries the light images to the brain.

The retina The retina is the innermost layer of the wall of the eye. It is made up of light-sensitive cells known as rods and cones. These detect shape, colour and pattern.

The retina is supported on the inside by the jelly-like vitreous, which fills the eyeball behind the lens. On its outer side, it is attached to the choroid, or middle layer, which is rich in blood vessels. Nerve fibres leaving the retina bundle together to form the optic nerve, which relays visual information from the retina to the brain.

The retina has two parts: •Director, Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Kabir Mansur and Country Director, FHi 360, Mr Otto Nzapfurundi Chabikuli, at the launch of Malaria Action Programme for Nigeria in Abuja.

‘Information managers key to health care’

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EALTH Information Managers Association of Nigeria (HIMAN) has been described as the key to health success.

Niger State Governor, Dr Mu,azu Babangida Aliu, made this known at the 35 th National Scientific Conference/General Meeting in Minna. The theme is Envisoning intelligent health care in Nigeria.

According to him, the group has been generating, analysing and retrieving data. It has also been collecting, processing and retaining data, he added.

Aliu, represented by the

Commissioner for Health and Hospital Services, Mallam Yahaya dan Sallau, said data disseminators would enable the government and private sector plan for the health sector.

He urged the group to continue in its noble cause as the nation began its transformational agenda, adding that it should uphold the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) that concern their profession He said his state employed some members of the body, saying it would also ensure the accreditation of the School of

Health Technology and Nurses were accredited by his administration. “We provided electronic library and will do more,” he added.

Responding, HIMAN National President, Mr Olawole Ajiya, praised the governor for what he did for the state, urging him to do more.

He said 14 papers were presented at the conference in line with the position of HIMAN practice. There was formation of three groups to study the presentations and report back to the communiqué drafting committee, he added.

Anti-counterfeiting: NAFDAC, Airtel sign MoU

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HE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airtel Nigeria on the use of text messages by customers to authenticate their medication.

According to NAFDAC Director-

By Wale Adepoju

General, Dr Paul Orhii, Airtel Network Limited will provide Short Messaging Service (SMS) at an affordable rate to support the agency’s Mobile Authentication Service (MAS).

Orhii said the joining of the companies withthe agency in its cam-

paign to rid the country of fake, unwholesome and counterfeit drugs was a step in good direction.

He said the Indian Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr Mahesh Sachdev, was instrumental to the collaboration with the company, saying the MoU was the precursor to the partnership agreement to be signed next year

• the peripheral retina • the macula The peripheral surrounds the macula, which is very small and is what is used when we see something out of the corner of our eye. Because peripheral vision isn’t bringing in the detail clearly, it ca not be used for reading or other close work. If someone is seen off to the side, they may be recognizable because of their general shape, but it will be impossible to distinguish the expression on a face.

The gift of sight, even imperfect sight, is such a blessing. But sometimes an injury or trauma causes harm to that gift. The aging process affects the ability to focus on details. Other health concerns, such as diabetes, can affect one’s vision. For many people, retinal surgery is a viable solution for repairing damage. Surgical specialists use amazing procedures with advanced tools and technologies to restore vision or, at least, to slow the loss of vision. The Retina is a subspecialty of ophthalmology concerned with disorders of the back of the eye, many of which may have very serious visual consequences if

left untreated. Some of the more common disorders a retina specialist will treat are • Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) • Diabetic Eye disease • Retinal Detachments • Vascular Disease of the Retina With a retinal surgery of any kind, whether noninvasive with laser, pneumatic retinopexy, scleral buckling, or vitrectomy; no overnight stay in the hospital is usually needed but the activities get limited for a period of time.

Most retinal surgery is successful, although a second operation is sometimes needed. After your retinal surgery, recovery and healing process will start. The prognosis of the retinal surgery depends on: • the number of the holes, • the size of the holes, • and the presence of scar tissues on the retina.

Retinal eye surgery recovery usually means the problem with the retina has now been resolved, and a patch is placed over the affected area for a few days. The patient must avoid lifting anything, and in general just be patient while healing takes place. In some instances, the patient is instructed to lie still in bed for a few days to let healing begin. Ask questions. Understand the condition and the treatment options. Undergoing retina eye surgery isn’t on anyone’s “things I most want to do in my life” list. But when it’s necessary, the prospective patient who is well-informed will make the best decisions.

Retinal surgery in India Many patients from the West travel for Retinal surgery in India mainly because of the low cost, quality hospitals, experienced eye surgeons, and no wait times. Other reasons why this surgery is becoming so popular is the positive clinical feedback from patients who have had this procedure in the last few years. Not only the cost of retinal surgery in India is very low but the level of service is also very high.

Great care should be taken when seeking a specialist to find someone who is knowledgeable, respected, reputable, and experienced. Eye surgeons of India are known for their immense knowledge, steady hands, success rates, and quick recovery. The doctors here in India are competent to counsel the foreign patients and answer all queries concerning their malady. Indian hospitals have the best of eye surgeons, the latest and highly sophisticated medical equipments and other facilities. India definitely makes for the best choice when it comes to Retinal surgery.

Dr. Bojwani is the Chief Executive of Forerunners Healthcare Consultants Pvt Ltd, India’s Pioneer Medical tourism organisation.

Local contact: 07042394040, 07090830097, 08191462542, 07037065779, 08023051420

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2011

44

With ekpoita :funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08022664898

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Correspond (9) 2. Pinch (3) 3. Sexual Desire (4) 4. Ourselves (2) 5. Moisture (3) 6. Discourage (4) 10. Expression of Surprise (3) 11. Get with Difficulty (3) 15. Enumerate (4) 17. Bird (3) 18. Taxi (4) 20. Father (2)

1. Finalised (9) 7. Employ (3) 8. Tear (3) 9. Succeeded (3) 10. Consumed (3) 12. per Unit (4) 13. Bird (4) 14. Beer (3) 16. Imitate (3) 18. Bed (3) 19. Resort (3) 21. Justly (9)

MISSING LETTERS All the words in the columns below have lost their first letters as indicated by the blank spaces above them. You are required to find and affix them. When done, all the first letters will form a 9-letter, sexually offensive word or action. Happy Puzzling!‘

SHOWbitzz NO STRINGS ATTACHED

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Eliminate Fuzzy Thinking Alexander Graham Bell

Natalie Portman

Ashton Kutcher exhibits actual subtlety and emotional depth as an actor in this romantic comedy, but the sexual content makes the film questionable for most teens under 17, so they’ll have to witness his growth as an actor in something else. Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Kutcher) met as adolescents, when she rebuffed his advances. They meet again as adults, fall into bed for a one-night stand, then decide to continue the relationship as a sex-only fling. She’s a medical resident who works ridiculous hours and he’s a would-be Hollywood writer trying to escape his famous actor dad’s (Kevin Kline) party-guy rep. Worse yet, his dad has taken up with Adam’s ex-girlfriend (Ophelia Lovibond). It is the softhearted Adam who soon develops stronger feelings for Emma, but she balks — at first.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The sexual situations, though not frequent or with nudity, are quite explicit. Characters also drink, make condom jokes and drug references, and use strong profanity. The movie deals intelligently with the idea that most people can’t sustain long-term sexual relationships without an emotional element.

Pep Talk

Lacking confidence...

Feeling unsure about what you should do next...

Jumping from one marketing strategy to another...

Being unclear about when you’ll reach your business goals...

All of these issues (and many more) can be traced back to one of the biggest challenges struggling entrepreneurs face: lack of focus.

It is called fuzzy thinking.

Fuzzy Thinking Stems From Neglecting to Acquire Critical Information Too many entrepreneurs are missing critical information. Not having this information inflicts incredible damage on their chances of success.

Because it keeps the path to achieving their dreams out of focus, fuzzy.

And you can’t follow a fuzzy path. So they bounce around, get confused, become overwhelmed and attempt to copy what other people are doing... But the path that’ll lead them to success still remains out of focus.

What’s worse is that most entrepreneurs are not only unaware that this information is absolutely essential... they don’t realize it’s missing. So they never track it down.

In order to go from fuzzy thinking to focused thinking, you need to know the answers to three questions...

1. What, exactly, do you want?

2. What’s the absolute minimum necessary to have it?

3. What’s the fastest and easiest way to get it?

Think about it for a moment...

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“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”

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HUMOUR True Believers The two thousand member Baptist church was filled to overflowing capacity one Sunday morning. The preacher was ready to start the sermon when two men, dressed in long black coats and black hats entered thru the rear of the church.

One of the two men walked to the middle of the church while the other stayed at the back of the church. They both then reached under their coats and withdrew automatic weapons. The one in the middle announced, “Everyone willing to take a bullet for Jesus stay in your seats!”

Naturally, the pews emptied, followed by the choir. The deacons ran out the door, followed by the choir director and the assistant pastor.

After a few moments, there were about twenty people left sitting in the church. The preacher was holding steady in the pulpit. The men put their weapons away and said, gently, to the preacher, “All right, pastor, the hypocrites are gone now. You may begin the service.”

Getting Into Fights A young couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word.

An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position.

Now don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this solution. As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the husband sarcastically asked, “Are they relatives of yours?”

Answering these questions - especially question three - requires some heavy-duty thinking. Nobody can “Yes,” his wife replied. “I married into the family.” give you the answers.

Our ideas like orange plants, spread out in proportion to the size of the box which imprisons the roots.

– Edward Bulwer Lytton

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

45

DISCOURSE

Challenges of education in Lagos State (2) Conclusion of the text of the lecture delivered by Professor Kunle Lawal in honour of the late Prof Mufutau Ishola Agbalajobi at the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija, Epe, Lagos.

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HE social effect of rapid urbanisation on the rural communities of Lagos State with the implication that youths in Epe, like those of other rural communities, are now restive and became the ready recruitment ground for tough boys and political hangerson during electioneering and other socio-political activities. For their female counterparts, the same syndrome of becoming house maids in the new middle class settlements that we have identified has often yielded ground to subtle and at times full blown prostitution with all its negative connotations. When the average youth in Epe cannot find the much touted menial jobs, they now returned to base and constitute themselves into social nuisance and menace. The most unsalutary effect of this situation in Epe today is the situation in which these youths now establish smoking joints where all kinds of hard drugs and narcotics are done, often with impunity!

Also, this lecture will be incomplete if a comment is not made about the fortunes of the Manpower Development Board School, established by the late Chief Hamzat Beyioku Adebowale. Chief Adebowale had the aspiration and ambition to establish a purely technical school that could provide the much needed technical know-how not only to the indigenes of Epe and its environs, but indeed to all that might come to its fountain to drink from its available knowledge. Unfortunately, the fortunes of the school started dwindling once it became a Lagos State Government Technical College. The implication of this is that Government Bureaucracy has robbed Manpower Development Institute its relevance. It has also robbed the Epe community a unique contribution to the development of technical manpower and know how in Lagos State. This statement is true because in the first five years of its existence, the Manpower Development Board turned out the best plumbers, auto electricians, auto mechanics and others which were generally acknowledged.

There should be some panacea and antidote for many of these myriads of challenges in the secondary school system. For instance, the problem of examination malpractices can be reduced, further, by strengthening the examinations ethics department of the Ministry of Education. This can be achieved through an integrated system that will minimise the role of continued education centres as well as reinvigorating the compliance (inspectorate) department of the Ministry. Another worthwhile solution to the problem of increasing drop out rate of young adolescent girls from our secondary schools is the need to pursue, with more vigour, the laudable idea of Alternative School for Girls, which the government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu floated in the 2003. The Lagos State School Code of Conduct, also an innovation of that government should be resuscitated and implemented without further delay. Essentially, the Ministry of Education is a routine agency of government. What needs to be done is to be proactive about the challenges of education and then keep to the established quality control and compliance prescriptions.

The mega city-state and the challenges of education in Lagos State in the 21ST Century In 1978, the Lagos State Government established a College of Science and Technology (LACOSTECH) through the instrument of an Edict No. 1 of 1978. Its main campus was situated at Isolo. LACOSTECH, which later became the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), was established to train students in such professional areas and discipline as accounting, finance, management, business administration, insurance and secretarial studies. Subsequently, mechanical and electrical engineering as well as science and technology and mathematics were added to its curricular.

In terms of its objective, therefore, the Lagos State College of Science and Technology was set up, essentially, to produce the core of the middle-level manpower for the state. How well this objective has been realised is a matter of conjecture.

Yet is important to state that the LASPOTECH has tried to achieve its brief even within the limits of the space (both financial and administrative) provided for it by its proprietor. It has remained an institution with a convoluted and poorly defined outline of objectives. This challenge being faced by the Lagos State Polytechnic can be replicated for the entire polytechnic system in Nigeria. The reason for this conclusion is not far to seek. In a situation whereby the programmes of these polytechnics and colleges of technology were meant to be self-sustaining up to a terminal stage suddenly became mere entry qualifications for university degrees must be cause for serious concern. This phenomenon itself is a result of the excessive reliance on paper qualification whereby possession of university degrees is held to be the major indicator of brilliance and the acquisition of skills. It is my candid and humble opinion that nothing could be further from empirical truth.

It is my considered opinion that until we revive the concept of a truly vocational and technical knowledge in the hierarchy of our educational system, we may still have to grope in the dark for some time to come. This is because up until the late 1980s and early 1990s, graduates of the polytechnics in Nigeria were usually well respected and they enjoyed the pride of place in the professions. In fact, they are usually more technically sound than even the graduates of universities in some specific professions. And what better place for this country to start this deliberate rejuvenation of our technical manpower and education than in a mega city state like Lagos with its array of technical colleges already in existence in different corners of the state. I believe that these technical schools can in fact be the major fillip to the improvement of enrollment into our polytechnics, rather than these polytechnics being mere transit camps for students who ordinarily could not get admissions into the universities. In this case, what we should do is to improve the facilities in each of these technical colleges and make them profession specific, a centre of excellence in particular trade or technical area for each of them apart from the general technical education subjects which they are expected to offer. This way, it might be possible to redeem the image of an technical school as the outlet for those that never do well in raw academic pursuits, an erroneous conclusion resulting from the fact that the first technical school (Topo Rehabilitation School, Badagry established in 1876) started as a rehabilitation centre for delinquents by the Roman Catholic Mission.

HE next issue for this type of Endeav our is to introduce what, for want of a better nomenclature, I will call “Industrial Curriculum”. The industrial curriculum concept is all about catching them young, interesting the very young and impressionable students with some kind of exposure to specific technical vocations early in their postprimary educational pursuit. If we introduce our JSS II students to some form of apprenticeship with some carefully chosen and reputable technical organisations during the short and long vacations, it is my belief that some of them might just develop interest in the specific technical vocation. I have in mind, such technical vocations as auto-mechanics; autoelectrical; refrigeration and air conditioning; fashion designing; etc for a start. It is important to state quite clearly that this programme should be made compulsory for all the pupils of the junior secondary schools. It is possible that this way, some children with inherent talent and aptitude for vocational and technical training might be discovered at this early

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stage. The programme will then serve, also, as a concept that might ensure that many of our children are productively occupied during the period of their short or long vacations.

Details of this concept and its workability can then be worked out by educational bureaucrats.

The opportunities offered by the development of technical education are rather unlimited for a society graduating from an urban frontier into a mega city metropolis such as Lagos. In advanced countries of the world nearly all technical vocations are properly certificated before one can be allowed to practise them. For Lagos which is nearing a crescendo as the first mega city state in Africa, a golden opportunity presents itself for the society to make a clean break with the past and to forge ahead, further, in its all-round transformation of Lagos.

With the present culture of zero tolerance for environmental abuse and nuisance, the government can embark on a crash programme to organise specific training for the artisans in the vocations and offer a moratorium of, say, five years for those interested in practising such vocations to be properly certificated, perhaps using the Technical Colleges as the operational base of such crash programme. Such technical vocations include auto-mechanics, auto-electrical, R & A, truck driving, among others. A special category of this type of training is needed for those who are engaged in such delicate activities as auxiliary nurse in private hospital and clinics across the state. The foregoing should be seen as offering a way out for the management of educational matters in a mega city state like Lagos. This is because at the rate at which Lagos is growing, government must be proactive to envisage the likely problems associated with such rapid urbanisation and then, envision the ways and means of meeting the challenges of this rapid urbanisation.

Indeed, as we capture these ideas for the rapid transformation of Lagos in educational terms, it is worthwhile to hint at the transformation of the Lagos State Polytechnic into a fullfledged University of Technology. The idea of this University of Technology is not new and it is expected to address the following issues: first is to offer an outlet for the graduates of the various technical curricular that are presently mounted in the Polytechnic; and second, is to further expand the facilities available for the programme of developing technical education to its brim. The Lagos State University can then be saddled with the responsibility of developing as a centre of excellence for conventional education. This will go a long way in meeting the challenges of marrying the aspiration of the founding fathers of Lagos state for a truly unique educational system for the people.

Another important innovation which is desirable at this stage of the educational development of Lagos State is the need to establish, without further delay, a Lagos State Tertiary Education Commission (LATECO). The LATECO should be fashioned after the National University Commission with the ex-

‘It is my considered opinion that until we revive the concept of a truly vocational and technical knowledge in the hierarchy of our educational system, we may still have to grope in the dark for some time to come. This is because up until the late 1980s and early 1990s, graduates of the polytechnics in Nigeria were usually well respected and they enjoyed the pride of place in the profession’

press functions of centrally co-ordinating tertiary education in Lagos State. This function should be a multi-dimensional one to include channeling of funds from the state government and other extra-governmental bodies to the tertiary institutions. Also, it should be the apex clearing house for government’s tertiary education policies. The major advantage in setting up the tertiary education commission for Lagos State is to insulate the tertiary institutions from government interference as well as being the apex integrative outfit to coordinate matters of tertiary education in the state.

The Lagos State Government can and should be encouraged to facilitate the establishment of an institution that would be devoted to the study of various issues arising from the megacity status of Lagos State. Such an institute for want of a better name can be called the Institute of Lagos and Urban Studies. In our search for its relevance, such institute can be likened to the Aspen Institute in Washington D.C. or the Woodrow Wilson Centre in the same city and it will have the unique responsibility of embarking on useful investigation and offering advanced information and knowledge on aspects of urbanisation and environmental issues. The emphasis of this proposed institute should be on raw research and it should focus on such themes as: migrations and its effects on the socio-economic infrastructure of modern Lagos; the practical needs of public and urban housing; the element of flooding in metropolitan Lagos consequent upon of urban growth; the climatic changes consequent upon urbanisation and the very important issue of land use and the vast erosion eating deep into the urban frontiers of Ikorodu and Badagry areas of Lagos. The issues are limitless but the advantages of such an Institute working day and night, year in year out on these and similar issues are enormous. It is quite germane to the establishment of this type of institute for such meaningful area of knowledge as marine and other sea-based activities especially in view of abundance of aquatic resources available in the Lagos area. This is because for the megacity status of Lagos to be meaningful, deliberate efforts must be made to evolve a set of longlasting social infrastructures, such as the provision of an all-round development of efficient and well integrated public transportation, which if taken in totality, will offer Lagos State an opportunity to develop its keel for a journey into eternity as a mega city.

Conclusion

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HILE a full blown discussion on the general imperatives of a mega city is not the intention of this short lecture, a deliberate and deserving attention has been given to education, considering the pedigree of the person in whose honour today’s lecture is being held. The late Professor Femi Agbalajobi was a foremost educationist who also was once a Honourable Commissioner for Education in Lagos state. While some of the ideas being pushed here may be novel, most of the issues raised on tertiary education were the same ones pushed by the Late Professor Femi Agbalajobi. I should know because for close to fifteen years, we sat together to discuss some of these issues.

In discussing the future direction which education must take in Lagos state in the years ahead, then, no efforts must be spared to expand the scope of the information and knowledge available to government on the challenges which the megacity status of Lagos is bound to bring in its wake. As has been earlier posited, the time for a separate institute for Lagos and Urban Studies is long overdue. As far as I know, there is no specific think tank devoted to the study of Lagos as an urban phenomenon. Yet, Lagos is the fastest growing urban metropolis in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. The Lagos State government must evolve its own unique think tank devoted, deliberately and exclusively, to the pursuit of knowledge about urbanization and the various changes that Lagos is facing daily. It is under this type of institute devoted to the study of Lagos that education can find its proper place. The type of education that can absorb the shocks of the megacity status which Lagos is bound to assume in a few years from now is such that deliberate efforts must be made to make it functional, for society to openly see its value and for individual to derive maximum benefit from its modus operandi. These few thoughts are some of the ideas that have attracted my attention for some time now. I want to thank the organizers of this event for finding me of sufficient merit to be invited to share some of my thoughts on the challenges facing education in Lagos State with its megacity status that is standing menacingly in the horizon in a few years time. I thank you for your attention.

46

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NATION SPORT

47

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFER WINDOW

Mancini backs £38m Aguero to reach 30-goal milestone

Wenger reveals Sagna set to return at end of January M

A

ANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini believes Sergio Aguero can hit the 30goal mark this season.

Signed in the summer for a club record £38million, Aguero has taken no time to adjust to Premier League life.

The Argentina star bagged two more goals in Wednesday night's win over Stoke to take his overall tally to 15, 13 of which have come during City's surge to the Premier League summit.

However, Mancini doesn't want the 23-year-old former Atletico Madrid man to stop now.

With Manchester United just two points adrift of their neighbours heading into the Christmas programme, Mancini wants Aguero to lead City's striking team to even greater achievements.

'I hope Sergio can score 30 goals,' said the Blues boss. 'It is the same for Edin (Dzeko) and Mario (Balotelli). If they scored 50 goals between them it would be good for us.'

You're my No 1: Roberto Mancini has backed his star man to score 30 goals this season You're my No 1: Roberto Mancini has backed his star man to score 30 goals this season Although it was generally acknowledged across Europe that Aguero was a player of exceptional talent, he could hardly have been expected to open his City career in such prolific fashion.

He joined the club at the end of July, when he came off the back of an arduous and unsuccessful Copa America campaign with Argentina.

Normally, players who have taken part in the South American championship either start slowly due to their lack of a pre-season programme, or flag after a couple of months because of

RSENAL'S defensive injury crisis was

eased somewhat when manager Arsene Wenger announced that Bacary Sagna was 'ahead of schedule' in his recovery from a broken leg suffered in October.

The France international fractured his right fibula in the 2-1 north London derby defeat to Tottenham, but he was seen running during a training session at the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

Sagna's injury sparked something of an injury crisis at the club, with Carl Jenkinson, Johan Djourou and Kieran Gibbs all since picking up knocks.

But Wenger, who also announced on Friday that Gibbs will be out for another month, revealed that Sagna is stepping up his recovery ahead of schedule.

'You could see that he's a bit ahead of schedule,' the Frenchman said.

'We have to [be careful] but physically he will be ready very quickly because he worked very hard in the gym.

'We think the end of January is a reasonable target for him.'

Wenger has been forced to use centre-backs Djourou and Laurent Koscielny out of position at right-back to cover for the loss of Sagna and his deputy Jenkinson.

But Arsenal fans will be relieved to know that Wenger will once again be able to call on one of the club's most reliable performers in recent season from the end of next month.

• Sagna

West Ham enters the race for Zamora

• Mancini

Ferguson happy with Man Utd’s form ANCHESTER

M

W

EST HAM are ready to launch an ambitious bid to bring crowd favourite Bobby Zamora back to Upton Park.

The England forward is ready to leave Fulham after falling out of favour with manager Martin Jol and is a target for several Barclays Premier League clubs.

However, he is reluctant to leave London, where he and his family are settled.

Despite the evident gamble, Zamora would be willing to drop down a division in the hope of making a quick return to the top flight with Sam Allardyce's side.

The 30-year-old is valued at around £8million and would stretch West Ham's budget but his signing would be a massive boost for the club he helped out of the Championship in 2005.

Sunderland, Aston Villa and Everton are also interested in Zamora but while Sunderland could afford him the others will have to sell first.

Tottenham, who have been linked with Zamora in the past, are looking for younger players.

tiredness.

Aguero has so far avoided both problems.

'Sergio is very strong physically,' said Mancini. 'He is not tall but his strength is amazing. Also, he has always scored goals in every championship. For this reason I don't think he has had any problems.

'He is still only young and maybe now his value is even more because he has scored 15 goals in three or four months.

'He has the confidence to score even more but what is important at the moment is that he has improved our team.'

There is little doubt Mancini would want Aguero in his side for the major matches against Liverpool, all three of them, Manchester United and Tottenham in January.

It is therefore quite possible the striker will be rested for either the Boxing Day trip to West Brom and the New Year's Day excursion to Sunderland.

That would require Dzeko to recover from the ankle injury that kept him out of the Stoke win though.

van der Vaart fit after hamstring scare

R

AFAEL van der Vaart Van der Vaart was a peripheral figure before being substituted against Chelsea. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has said Rafael van der Vaart has not suffered a hamstring tear as

• van der Vaart

first feared.

The 28-year-old was substituted during Spurs' 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Thursday and Redknapp had feared he could be out until the new year.

But speaking to Sky Sports News, Redknapp said: "He looks okay.

"He looks like he could be fit [to face Norwich on 27 December]."

After the Dutch forward was substituted at half-time, Redknapp's initial diagnosis was that the 28-year-old faced a few weeks out.

However, Redknapp revealed that a later check had provided positive news.

"We thought he had a hamstring [tear]. He went for a scan and it didn't show a tear,"

he said.

"I think he probably had a bit of cramp in there where he's had a problem before, a bit of tightness he felt maybe might go, so he took the precaution of not playing on with it."

Van der Vaart is close to scoring a goal every other game for Spurs in the Premier League, with 19 in 40 starts The Dutch midfielder is likely to be key to any continued title challenge Spurs might make, the London club are currently nine points behind Manchester City with a game in hand.

However, Van der Vaart played down any title talk despite the club having moved third on the back of a run of only one defeat in 14 league matches.

UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that he is happy with his squad and therefore won't make moves in the January transfer window unless a top player becomes available or if his already decimated roster is hit by further injuries.

The Red Devils boss has already dampened expectations of a splurge in the New Year and has claimed that he won't be

• Ferguson

swayed into changing his stance despite seeing a number of major casualties to his squad.

The Premier League champions have seen their midfield options drastically reduced in recent weeks, with Ashley Young, Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher and Anderson all sidelined, while captain Nemanja Vidic is out for the season with knee ligament damage.

Despite the long injury list, Sir Alex is confident in his current options ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Wigan and told the club's matchday programme: "All things being equal I am perfectly happy with the strength of our squad in terms of depth, quality and age range.

"I will not be swayed by the endless tweets and blogs urging the club to get busy in the transfer market next month.

"As far as I am concerned I am marching perfectly in step, true to my beliefs and principles. While recruiting some of the world's leading players can lift you into contention for honours, it doesn't necessarily take you all the way, as I hope we will be able to demonstrate before the end of the season as other factors come into play.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

48

NATION SPORT

B

A R C E L O N A midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed his heart is still at Arsenal and would love to returns to Emirates if ever he was forced to leave Nou Camp.

Fabregas finally completed a protracted transfer to the Catalan giants this summer for a fee worth an initial £25 million, after a long-running saga that resulted in some bad blood between the two clubs.

He was adamant on leaving the Gunners and did not take part in the pre-season tour of Asia ostensibly because of an injury.

The Arsenal captain was also reported as telling his team mates that he would never play for the Gunners again.

However, Fabregas has now revealed he would love

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL...EUROPEAN FOOTBALL...EUROPEAN FOOTBALL...

Fabregas loves to play for Arsenal again to return to Arsenal if he was ever forced to leave the Spanish club.

The 24-year-old was emotional upon leaving north London in August, and has now revealed that the Gunners are the only club he would want to go to if his second spell at his boyhood team ever has to come to an end.

"If I have to leave Barcelona,

I will go back to Arsenal - I would like to," Fabregas told Sky Sports News. "I am not embarrassed to say that the day I left I could only say 'Thank you very much', I couldn't say more.

"I'm not embarrassed to say that I nearly cried. Arsene Wenger, I have never met someone that loyal. He is one of the best, I really believe that."

• Barcelona's Lionel Messi (top) and Cesc Fabregas celebrate a goal against Real Madrid during their Spanish Super Cup second-leg soccer match at Camp Nou stadium11

Corinthians’ Adriano involved in shooting incident

T

HE former Inter and Roma striker has been embroiled in a controversy in his homeland

after a young lady was shot in the hand Corinthians striker Adriano was involved as a 20-year-old

was shot in the hand in the early hours of Friday morning as they sat in a car following a party.

Adriane Cirilo dos Pintos was taken to the Barra D'Or hospital and given emergency attention. The young woman said that Adriano was playing with a .40-caliber pistol in the back seat of the vehicle when the gun had fired.

However, Adriano denies her version of events.

"I was in the front seat; the shooting was done in the back seat," the striker was quoted in a statement reproduced on Globoesporte.

The woman is in stable condition at the hospital but must undergo further tests on Saturday and may need surgery because the bullet caused a fracture in her left hand.

Neither Adriano nor Corinthians have commented on the incident, and the player said he would not give evidence at the police station because of the possibility of an uproar caused by his presence.

Huntelaar denies rumours of Man United move S PSG makes Kaka transfer priority

A

SSOCIATED with a plethora of stars during the January transfer window, PSG are reportedly keen to keep their long association with Brazilian players still going strong Real Madrid attacker Kaka has emerged as Paris SaintGermain’s chief target during the January transfer window, according to Le Parisien.

The affluent side from the French capital indulged in a summer of intense spending, capturing Javier Pastore for •40 million from Palermo as their crown jewel. A similar spree is envisaged next month, and already PSG have been associated with Porto's Hulk and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City, amongst others.

However, it is Kaka who is top of their shopping list.

Head coach Antoine Kombouare is set to be pushed aside by the Parc des Princes outfit, and the French media strongly suggest that Carlo Ancelotti will be their next coach. The Italian has a strong link with Kaka from their time together at AC Milan, during which the Brazilian picked up the Ballon d’Or after leading his side to the 2006-07 Champions League crown.

Kaka has not enjoyed such fortune since moving to Spain. Injury and a loss of form has hampered the 29year-old, who is believed to be valued at •40m, and as such he has fallen behind Mesut Ozil in the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu.

CHALKE striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has rubbished reports that he could be set for a move to Manchester United.

Out of contract in the summer of 2013, the 28-yearold Dutchman has indicated that he is willing to talk to the Bundesliga outfit regarding extending his deal, an objective that general manager Horst Heldt indicated is on his agenda earlier this month.

However, if terms cannot be agreed, the Germans may feel it wise to cash in on the striker before his value starts to depreciate as the end of his commitment nears.

"I know nothing of alleged interest from Manchester United,” Huntelaar, who has scored 15 goals in 16 league appearances this season, said to Voetbal International. “I will not even speculate, I am concentrating fully on Schalke."

“I'll let any offers come to me quietly and will then see what happens. This is the attitude I’ve always had.

“My contract runs until the

summer of 2013. If they [Schalke] want to talk, I'll gladly listen.”

Schalke presently lie third

in the German top flight and will be keen to hold onto their top scorer as they continue to battle for a place

in next season’s Champions League.

How do you stay up to date with football when on the move?

With http:// m.goal.com – your best source for mobile coverage of the beautiful game.

Chelsea, Juve in race for Higuain

C

HELSEA'S hopes of signing Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain as the long-term successor to Didier Drogba have hit a snag with the striker also a target for Juventus.

The Argentina international has slipped behind France star Karim Benzema in the eyes of Jose Mourinho, and is likely to end his six-year stint in Spain next summer.

However Chelsea had been keen to swoop in ahead of Serie A leaders Juve who need the assurance of Champions League football before they can formally launch their £24million bid, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa.

The Blues have already lost

Nicolas Anelka, and will be without Drogba for much of January due to the African Cup of Nations, while Fernando Torres remains woefully short of form.

And while Higuain would be unable to play in Europe, Andre Villas-Boas believes the 24-year-old is just the man to keep Chelsea firing on all cylinders domestically.

Earlier this month a source told the Daily Star: 'Higuain is unhappy at being left out all of the time. He wants to fight for the title but was on the bench against Barcelona ... when Real lost 3-1 and he knows where his place is now. He would be interested in what people have to say to him.'

Paris Saint-Germain and his former club River Plate are also considering a move.

• Higuain

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

49

NATION SPORT

Sharapova out of Brisbane International R

USSIAN tennis star Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the Brisbane International with an ankle injury.

She first suffered the left ankle injury at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo in September and has yet to fully recover.

"Unfortunately my ankle is not 100 per cent and I won't be able to make it this year," Sharapova told Brisbane tournament officials in a statement released today.

It would have been her first appearance at the Brisbane event which begins January 1.

The 2008 Australian Open champion said the injury, which also forced her to withdraw from the China Open and later the WTA Championships in Istanbul after two losses, should not affect her chances of competing at next month's grand slam event, which begins January 16 in Melbourne.

"I do expect to be ready for the year's first grand slam and I am really looking forward to competing on court."

• Sharapova

Schumacher top overtaker in M 2011 F1 season

I C H A E L Schumacher might have had another tough year in Formula One after his return, but he ended the 2011 season as the top

overtaker, according to data compiled by the Mercedes GP

team.

The seven-time

World

LPGA founding member Danoff dies

B

ETTYE Danoff, one of the 13 founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, has died in Texas at age 88, the association said in statement yesterday.

Danoff, known by her fellow golf pros as “Mighty Mite” because she was a petite woman, weighing about 100 pounds and only five-foot-two, died on Thursday, the LPGA said. A trailblazer for the sport, Danoff brought her children with her to tournaments and became the first grandmother on the tour.

• Danoff

“Bettye really did make a difference, in the world of golf and all of us are living proof,” LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement posted on the association website.

“Because of her courage, and the vision/belief of many others that followed our Founders, we all get to participate in a fantastic business and game.”

The Dallas native got her start in golf at age six after her parents opened a driving range and nine-hole course.

She won four consecutive Dallas Women’s Golf Association Championships from 1945 to 1948. And in 1947, Danoff defeated Babe Zaharias in the Texas Women’s Open, ending Babe’s 17-tournament winning streak. Danoff turned pro in 1949.

Danoff would often bring her three daughters, Kaye, Janie and Debbie, with her when she competed. There was no childcare for LPGA players on the road at that time. “I remember traveling for five consecutive tournaments with her while she played,” said Debbie Bell, Danoff’s youngest daughter.

“She was often frustrated because she had to find friends and people to help watch us while she competed.”

In 1961, Danoff’s husband, Dr. Clyde Walter Danoff, died suddenly. After that and until the mid-1970’s she played only in tournaments in Texas and Oklahoma and taught golf.

• Schumacher

Champion recorded 116 passes in the 19 races, two more than the Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi.

Schumacher's tally can be attributed to his ability to gain places initially in the race every time he qualified low on the grid and a Mercedes car that only proved slower to the top three teams in Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari; Autosport reported Saturday.

Schumacher finished the year at eighth position in the drivers' standings, behind younger teammate Nico Rosberg for the second year in a row.

The team's data reveals that there were a total of 1,486 overtaking moves during the season.

In individual races, the Turkish Grand Prix saw the maximum number of overtakes at 85, ahead of Canada (79) and China (67).

The rounds in Monaco (16), Australia (17), India and Brazil (18) witnessed the least number of overtaking manoeuvres.

The top 10 overtakers of 2011, according to Mercedes GP's data:

Training camp gets hearts racing

S

OME New Zealand swimmers will go to any lengths for success at next year's London Olympics.

In the case of top breaststroker Glenn Snyders, that's been around 3700 lengths of a 50m pool over the past three weeks - the most he has ever achieved in any single block of training.

What's more, it was at an altitude of about 2300m above sea level as some of Swimming New Zealand's High Performance Centre athletes set about a threeweek training camp at Flagstaff in northern Arizona.

It's the first time Swimming New Zealand has taken a squad to rarefied air.

The camp was led by SNZ's performance coach Mark

Regan, who is a keen advocate of altitude training and has run several camps at the Australian Institute of Sport and with the Danish national team.

It was new to the 24-yearold Snyders, who goes into the Olympic year as New Zealand's top-ranked swimmer - rated sixth in the 100m breaststroke, seventh over 100m and 12th on corrected rankings over 200m.

Snyders, from the North Shore club, said the camp was demanding, although he did not find the lack of oxygen as debilitating as he expected.

"It's tough, especially for breaststrokers.

Those freestylers get it easy, I reckon," Snyders joked.

"I noticed walking to the

pool on the first day I got a bit out of breath. It felt like walking into a hot, stuffy pool; it was a bit hard to breathe but not too bad in the water.

"It is difficult in those first few days. My heart rate skyrocketed in the first week, especially doing breaststroke, and anything over 100m was very hard."

While the results are often quite individual, the theory of altitude training is that with around 20 per cent less oxygen, the body creates more red blood cells, which carry the oxygen to the muscles. When athletes return to sea level, they get the benefit of this increased red cell count - in better recovery, workload and/or performance.

Six Indian athletes banned

S

IX Indian women athletes, including Asian Games double gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji, have been given one-year suspensions after testing positive for banned anabolic steroids earlier this year.

India's 400 metre runners Akkunji, Jauna Murmu, Mandeep Kaur, Priyanka Panwar, Sini Jose and Tiana Mary Thomas were found guilty in June and July and were provisionally suspended by the National Anti Doping Agency (Nada).

All six athletes had tested positive for methandienone, while Thomas and Kaur's samples also featured the banned steroid stanozolol.

The one-year bans will be effective from the date of the athletes' provisional suspension, a Nada disciplinary panel, chaired by Dinesh Dayal, ruled on Friday.

With next year's Olympic Games starting on July 27, the suspensions are likely to rule the athletes out of the prestigious event in London.

Akkunji and her team mates had not taken the banned drugs intentionally so were given a reduced sentence, the disciplinary panel ruled.

“We did not find any significant fault on the part of these athletes on how the banned substances entered their bodies and they will get reduced penalty,” Dayal said.

Akkunji, Kaur and Jose were part of India's 4x400m relay team that last year won gold at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Akkunji also won the 400m hurdles in Guangzhou.

Also given a suspension was H a r i k r i s h a n a n Muraleedharan. The male long-jumper had tested positive for methandienone and was suspended for two years.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

50

NATION SPORT

• Mame Biram Diouf (left) and Rio Ferdinand handover a team poster

Christmas spirit takes over at United as Fergie,players show their charitable side

O

• Nani, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck pose with a baby from the hospital

N the pitch Manchester United have been more Scrooge-like in recent weeks as they show no sign of giving away points, judging by their 5-0 win at Fulham.

But off it they have been aiming to make up for lost time after a host of United stars visited the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital to give season's greetings to patients and staff.

The likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nani, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck spent Friday handing out presents to children at the hospital as well as happily posing for photographs.

It wasn't just the patients that benefited, with the club also donating ipads to the hospital.

Rio Ferdinand spoke of his joy at meeting the children as well as praising the staff at the hospital Ferdinand said on Twitter: 'Just been with the team to the manchester

Hospital for Children and gave out some presents and hopefully put a smile on a few kids faces!

'Shout out to all the lovely doctors,Nurses + all who work in the hospitals doing amazing work + making changes in peoples lives.'

Michael Owen also took to the social networking site to praise the staff as well adding his humbling experience.

The striker said: 'Been to dozens of hospital visits during my career but it's impossible to get used to seeing sick kids. I visited the Burns Unit, the Terminally ill ward and high dependency ward. I had a lump in my throat most of the afternoon.

'Can I just say that the surgeons, nurses etc do an unbelievable job and their work is appreciated by so many people.'

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson also was caught up in the festive mood by handing an early Christmas present of £500,000 to a leading lung

cancer charity.

The Manchester United manager, who lost both his parents to the disease, handed over the cheque to the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation after the money was raised in a pub-based lottery game.

Fergie said: 'I am delighted to support such a worthy cause and one that is very close to my heart.'

Matt Boyle, fundraising director of the charity, added: 'Half a million pounds will have a real impact on the work we do providing help and hope to people affected by lung cancer.

'I would like to thank all the pub goers across the UK who have bought tickets and supported our work.'

The lottery, run by Gamestec, is a pull-tab lottery game where players can win up to £1,000 per play, as well as other smaller cash prizes. Twenty per cent of the £1 ticket price goes to the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

SLIDING TACKLE

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

52

Wenger may rest

AVB gets $234m Chelsea war chest

record-chasing van Persie

Mancini close to £15m three-year deal

• van Persie

Adebayor: Tottenham can challenge for title

•Mancini

Messi targets World Cup glory with Argentina

•Adebayor

OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...OTHER SPORT...

Khan hits Pakistan for Boxing Tourney

•Khan

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

53

NEWS NDDC begins road construction

Community to honour Ogwu

T

HE member representing Bomadi/ Patani Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Nicholas Mutu, has said the N20 billion Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Gbaregolor-Ezebiri Road would be completed soon.

Mutu, who is the House Committee Chairman on NDDC, hoped that with the budgetary provision for the project, the contractor would start work soon.

The lawmaker made the statement during an interdenominational service at

•MTN to sponsor Ofala Nnewi From Adimike George, Onitsha

A

KPO community in Aguata Local Government of Anambra State will, on Thursday, honour prominent sons and daughters as part of activities to mark the first Ofala festival of the community’s monarch.

Ofala festival is the coronation anniversary of monarchs in Igbo land.

Briefing reporters yesterday at his palace, the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Jonathan Okpalaezecha, said those to be honoured include Nigeria’s Ambassador to United Nations on Security, Prof. Joy Ogwu, the former member representing Aguata Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chuma Umeoji, the first PresidentGeneral of Umuada-Igbo, Dr Kate Ezeofo, among others.

According to him, the recognition of the sons and daughters is part of the Ofala festival, which is a celebration by a town’s traditional ruler to encourage social unity among his people and to display the town’s rich cultural heritage both to his people and to outsiders.

“Actually, this is the first Ofala to be conducted in the town.

“The people are really excited to see what the celebrations will look like.

“So, it is important to them. Everybody is excited.

MTN Nigeria is to sponsor the 48th Ofala Igwe Nnewi Festival, which is billed to hold at the palace of the monarch, Igwe P.A. Orizu, in Nnewi, Anambra State, from tomorrow till Thursday.

The company’s General Manager, Consumer Marketing, Kola Oyeyemi, said: “MTN has, over the years, been championing the effective sponsorship of various cultural festivals within the country in a bid to demonstrate its brand promise and passion to enrich the lives of Nigerians.”

The annual Ofala Nnewi Festival, which has enjoyed MTN sponsorship for five years, is a celebration of the cultural values and heritage of the Nnewi Community.

It features a variety of colourful activities and the participation of numerous illustrious Igbo sons and daughters, including tourists and Nigerians in the diaspora.

T

Akugbene for Christ crusade in Bomadi Local Government of Delta State.

He said when the road is completed, it would link the Ijaw communities for commercial business.

The lawmaker urged his constituents to be patient with the construction company, averring that as part of his oversight functions, he would ensure that all projects awarded by the commission were carried out to the letter and on specification.

Rivers firm to employ 3000

R

•Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio and his wife, Ekaette, singing at the Akwa Ibom State Government Christmas Carol. With them is their daughter.

IVERS State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has said the leasing of the state-owned Risonpalm to a private company would bring good result, especially employment generation.

Amaechi said about 3,000 people would be employed by the private company which took over Risonpalm when it starts operations.

The governor spoke at the

Teenager dies in swimming pool in Edo

A

16-year-old boy, identified as Eghosa, has reportedly died in a swimming pool in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Christmas day.

It was learnt that Eghosa and his two friends went to the popular Naomi’s Garden at the Government Reservation Area to swim in the pool.

Sources told The Nation that

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

Eghosa and his friends were asked to swim in the pool meant for teenagers but that he moved to a deeper side where he reportedly drowned.

The garden’s Manager, Cletus Ogidi, who confirmed the incident, said it occurred when one of the life guards went to the loo.

He said the late Eghosa was rushed to a nearby hospital but there was no doctor to attend to him.

His words: “We later took him to Ajaji Oriafo Clinic where he died.

“The police accompanied us to deposit the body at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital.

“The swimming pool is measured. We have our rules but he went to a deep

spot.”

Ogidi said the late Eghosa’s parents , accompanied by policemen, followed him to identify the body at the mortuary.

He, however, said the incident did not affect business but noted that prices have been increased to dissuade teenagers from swimming. Besides, more life guards have been employed.

Obi gets award From Adimike George, Onitsha

ANAMBRA State Governor Peter Obi yesterday recieved the Commander of Peace award from the Obosi community in Idemili North Local Government.

Obosi is the home town of former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Emeka Anyaoku, and the Corp Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC),Osita Chidoka.

Speaking at the event, Anyaoku said Obi was the only governor who had shown genuine commitment to peace in the state, especially Obosi town.

He said his intervention in the town checked the destruction of life and property witnessed during the recent crisis in the town.

The ex-Commonwealth Secretary assured that measures to ensure continued peace would be intensified.

Obi called on the people to embrace peace for the res-

By Adebisi Onanuga

cial Officer , Semiu Makanjuola, faulted the recommendation of the Senate, which requested the Federal Government to revoke the sale of the newspaper after it had fulfilled all the guidelines by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) for the acquisition of the com-

191st convention of the Ogbakor Ikwerre cultural organisation, held at Ovogo Odegu in Emohua Local Government.

“The new owners will replant. It is not machines that will plant, it will be human beings. The owners have said when they finish a minimum of 3,000 workers will be employed,” Amaechi said.

Similarly, the governor also assured that the administration would acquire 10,000 hectares of land to revive the abandoned rice farm in Rumuewhor community of Emohua Local Government.

“We will revive the rice farm in Rumuewhor which was abandoned. We need the farm to produce rice.

While we shall be employing as many people as possible to work on the farm we shall also be creating an economy that can feed the people.”

Enugu Assembly warns council chairmen From Chris Oji, Enugu

T

•Obi (right) receiving the award from Anyaoku....yesterday

toration of the town’s glory.

He warned those fanning the embers of discord and anarchy of serious conse-

quences, if they do not mend their ways and embrace peace.

The governor called “for collective efforts, especial-

ly among the people of the town, to draw a new road map that will facilitate the rebuilding of the town to restore mutual trust”.

‘Folio Communications owns Daily Times’ HE management of Folio Communications Limited has said it remained the owner of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc (DTN).

It said it was still in control of the majority of shares of the company.

Folio Communications, in a statement in Lagos yesterday by its Chief Finan-

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Warri

pany.

The company said it was not true that the Senate stripped it of the ownership of DTN and transferred ownership and shares in the company to DSV Limited.

Makanjuola said Folio Communications has legal certification that backed its ownership of DTN, the majority of its shares and man-

agement of the newspaper publishing company.

The Chief Financial Officer of the company said reports that Folio Communications had lost control of DTN was mischievous and may have been sponsored.

He wondered why DTN was singled out of about 45 privatised government companies on which the

Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation.

The company said it could also not understand lawmakers’ position on the matter after the Senate President‘s acknowledgement of the letter from Folio Communications which pointed out that the matter was pending in court.

HE Enugu State House of Assembly has warned outgoing local government chairmen not to embark on any extravagant and wasteful projects to cover up their corrupt practices in office.

The lawmakers said they have information that some chairmen had started white elephant projects to siphon money from public coffers.

The Committee Chairman on Public Accounts and AntiCorruption, Okechukwu Nwoke, warned council chairmen not to meddle with public fund.

During a visit to the Local Government Service Commission by the committee, Nwoke said the government law on borrowing and prudent management of resources as passed by the House was still operational.

He warned that it could be invoked any time to check waste in the system.

The lawmaker insisted that no local government council was permitted to borrow beyond the internally generated revenue of such council.

His words: ‘Our position is that government fund must be expended judiciously, and in line with the provisions of the law. We shall not hesitate to invoke the relevant sections of the law on any council chairman who tampers with public fund, either by awarding extravagant contracts or making wasteful borrowing’, he stressed.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

54

EQUITIES

More firms risk de-listing

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 26-12-11 2ND-TIER SECURITIES Company Name LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 22 2 1 25

Quotation(N) 0.63 22.00 7.87

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 6,235,500 3,748,365.00 11,000 229,900.00 5,400 43,416.00 6,251,900 4,021,681.00

Quotation(N) 5.15

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 89,929 450,318.44 89,929 450,318.44

Quotation(N) 1.29

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 537,774 696,519.06 537,774 696,519.06

Quotation(N) 4.76 2.14 1.73 4.10 1.55 9.00 14.00 8.11 4.06 1.05 2.73 11.15 0.54 0.57 12.00

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,660,347 8,016,054.39 2,176,001 4,641,322.14 26,266 45,342.18 1,007,743 4,106,424.35 112,609,592 167,805,628.87 11,866,926 107,752,844.45 7,325,822 104,057,569.03 788,950 6,425,437.50 4,305,363 17,569,390.78 860,000 903,000.00 16,313,011 42,642,692.32 36,738 389,422.80 3,248,627 1,705,586.04 299,865 170,889.40 4,506,695 54,088,222.49 167,031,946 520,319,826.74

Quotation(N) 245.00 5.70 110.10

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 594,112 145,428,234.78 20,000 108,400.00 1,292,427 142,273,862.75 1,906,539 287,810,497.53

AIR SERVICES Company Name NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 16 16

AUTOMOBILE & TYRE Company Name R. T. BRISCOE (NIGERIA) PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 12 12 BANKING

Company Name ACCESS BANK PLC DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC FIDELITY BANK PLC FIRST BANK OF NIGERIA PLC GTBANK PLC STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC SKYE BANK PLC. STERLING BANK PLC UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC UNITYBANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC ZENITH BANK PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 51 29 6 28 141 361 204 26 48 11 135 10 26 10 101 1,187 BREWERIES

Company Name GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 60 1 111 172

M

ORE quoted compa nies on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) risk delisting over non-rendition of their 2010 financial yearend accounts, The Nation has learnt, According to the management of the NSE, 13 companies as at September 5, 2011, were placed on full suspension for non-rendition of their 2010 annual reports to the Exchange.

Out of these, a source close to the NSE, said nine risk delisting as they were yet to meet the stipulated deadline, while the previous year-end 2010 is yet to be made available to the exchange. The respective yearend for the affected firms is December. They include IPWA, Union Dicon Salt, Lennards, Aluminium Manufacturing Company Nigeria, African Alliance Insurance, MTI, Investment & Allied Assurance, W.A.

By Tonia Osundolire

Glass Indusstries and Afroil.

On July 01, this year, the Exchange placed on technical suspension, 48 firms for failing to meet up with the March 31, 2011 deadline issued to quoted companies to submit their financial results for the previous year.

The technical suspension came three months after the March 31 2011 deadline.

Following the suspension of these companies, the NSE in a statement in July, affirmed that the action was in pursuant to article 90 of the Exchange’s rules, which states that the NSE may at its discretion at any time, suspend or lift suspension in trading in particular securities. “These companies’ stocks will be on technical suspension for the next one month; after which The Exchange reserves the right to take further action,” the statement said.

Other firms on the list of 13 on full suspension for non-rendition of their 2010 results, include Coatain (W.A), G. Cappa, and Poly Products (Nig).

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NSE, Oscar Onyema, said until these companies make available their results, they will remain on suspension, adding that failure to do so; means they are set to be delisted from the NSE. As at close of business on December 22, only two insurance companies, were still on suspension as at September 05, 2011, for nonrendition of their year 2010 Annual Reports.

African Alliance Insurance and Investment & Allied Assurance, are the two insurance companies amongst the 10 placed on technical suspension and the only firms remaining out of the list of 48 companies that were suspended.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 26-12-11

BUILDING MATERIALS Company Name ASHAKA CEMENT PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTHERN NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC LAFARGE WAPCO PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 48 7 8 9 72

Quotation(N) 11.62 4.20 105.50 44.89

Quantity Traded Value 1,310,886 42,700 3,278 72,341 1,429,205

of Shares (N) 15,513,966.12 179,340.00 363,104.06 3,167,830.80 19,224,240.98

Quotation(N) 8.49 14.50 8.59 0.52 5.11

Quantity Traded Value 150,500 311,930 700 2,000 120,000 585,130

of Shares (N) 1,236,750.00 4,611,167.40 5,719.00 1,080.00 583,200.00 6,437,916.40

CHEMICAL & PAINTS Company Name BERGER PAINTS NIGERIA PLC CHEMICAL AND ALLIED PRODUCTS PLC NIGERIAN-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 4 8 2 1 3 18

INSURANCE Company Name AIICO INSURANCE PLC. CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INSURANCE PLC GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC GUARANTY TRUST ASSURANCE PLC LAW UNION AND ROCK INSURANCE PLC. MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC N.E.M. INSURANCE CO. (NIG.) PLC. NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC. SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 61 30 4 9 3 1 1 10 2 3 1 1 2 128

Quotation(N) 0.50 0.95 2.09 0.61 1.42 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.94 0.50 0.50 0.52

Quantity Traded Value 6,121,300 13,161,000 152,535 2,174,756 9,670 40,000 3,000 716,966 12,000 5,020 2,000 46,000 89,258 22,533,505

of Shares (N) 3,061,709.86 12,257,600.00 329,142.80 1,284,211.04 14,026.40 20,800.00 1,500.00 358,483.00 6,000.00 4,919.60 1,000.00 23,000.00 46,414.16 17,408,806.86

Quotation(N) 0.60

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 205,000 122,990.00 205,000 122,990.00

Quotation(N) 0.84

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 19,579,235 15,847,296.70 19,579,235 15,847,296.70

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 10,000 5,000.00 10,000 5,000.00

COMMERCIAL/SERVICES Company Name COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS PLC RED STAR EXPRESS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 17 18

Quotation(N) 0.50 2.25

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 40,000 20,000.00 742,400 1,651,084.00 782,400 1,671,084.00

Quotation(N) 1.32 5.89 28.00 0.60 30.01 27.00

Quantity Traded Value 1,254,360 21,781 449,472 2,013,428 188,197 162,651 4,089,889

Quotation(N) 31.60 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 87,602 2,771,237.68 10,000 5,000.00 97,602 2,776,237.68

LEASING Company Name C&I LEASING PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 7 7

CONGLOMERATES Company Name A. G. LEVENTIS (NIGERIA) PLC JOHN HOLT PLC PZ CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UAC OF NIGERIA PLC UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 14 3 33 19 20 31 120

MARITIME of Shares (N) 1,678,538.80 121,973.60 12,441,917.94 1,204,046.77 5,661,344.03 4,439,143.70 25,546,964.84

Company Name JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 49 49 MEDIA

Company Name AFROMEDIA PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

CONSTRUCTION Company Name JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC MULTIVERSE PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 11 1 12

MORTGAGE COMPANIES Company Name ASO SAVINGS AND LOAND PLC Sector Totals

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Company Name CUTIX PLC NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1 2

Quotation(N) 1.63 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 200,000 326,000.00 9,000 4,500.00 209,000 330,500.00

No of Deals 1 1

No of Deals 14 17 67 51 25 9 19 31 4 2 239

No of Deals 1 1

No of Deals 3 21 6 6 2 38

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,362,881 64,207,853.15 163,991 1,823,852.30 3,611,934 16,528,237.82 1,258,060 5,951,037.15 106,509 6,659,547.82 83,630 194,532.00 683,033 2,712,596.60 132,147 58,694,836.00 2,090,000 1,045,000.00 41,436 20,718.00 9,533,621 157,838,210.84

No of Deals 12 12

Quotation(N) 0.70 0.76 23.00 1.90 1.13

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 11,327 7,928.90 1,769,299 1,381,987.64 11,105 255,415.00 70,000 134,299.19 10,150 10,962.00 1,871,881 1,790,592.73

Company Name LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N) 1.96

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 6,659,000 13,108,086.00 6,659,000 13,108,086.00

Company Name UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 9 9

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 442,827 2,193,845.00 442,827 2,193,845.00

Company Name ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 1 1

Quotation(N) 1.71

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 100,248 170,536.52 100,248 170,536.52

No of Deals 6 11 15 7 4 112 9 164

Quotation(N) 60.67 31.50 3.10 12.87 133.91 21.76 188.10

Quantity Traded Value 2,684 123,844 194,162 12,355 17,396 662,698 53,681 1,066,820

of Shares (N) 155,258.00 3,857,664.56 574,561.43 151,632.55 2,277,684.00 14,464,248.42 10,100,846.10 31,581,895.06

No of Deals 2 5 7

Quotation(N) 2.95 3.40

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,220 3,550.20 100,500 342,200.00 101,720 345,750.20

Quotation(N) 12.16

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 25,120 317,024.00 25,120 317,024.00

REAL ESTATE

Quotation(N) 4.89

Quotation(N) 0.50

No of Deals 4 4

ROAD TRANSPORTATION

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 9,000 4,500.00 9,000 4,500.00

No of Deals 9 9

Quotation(N) 0.50

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,177,087 589,714.37 1,177,087 589,714.37

THE FOREIGN LISTINGS

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Company Name CHAMS PLC Sector Totals

No of Deals 18 18

PRINTING & PUBLISHING

INDUSTRIAL/DOMESTIC PRODUCTS Company Name VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 50,000 51,000.00 50,000 51,000.00

PETROLEUM(MARKETING) Company Name MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC CONOIL PLC ETERNA OIL & GAS PLC. FORTE OIL PLC MOBIL OIL NIGERIA PLC. OANDO PLC TOTAL NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

HOTEL & TOURISM Company Name IKEJA HOTEL PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N) 1.02

PACKAGING Company Name NIGERIAN BAG MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N) 48.91 11.30 4.65 4.72 62.50 2.31 4.02 445.66 0.50 0.50

HEALTHCARE Company Name EVANS MEDICALPLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC Sector Totals

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 10,000 5,000.00 10,000 5,000.00

OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Company Name NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Sector Totals

FOOD/BEVERAGES & TOBACCO Company Name 7-UP BOTTLING CO. PLC CADBURY NIGERIA PLC DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIGERIA PLC HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NATIONAL SALT COMPANY NIGERIA PLC NESTLE NIGERIA PLC TANTALIZERS PLC UTC NIGERIA PLC Sector Totals

Quotation(N) 0.50

Company Name ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED Sector Totals Overall Totals

No of Deals 26 26

Quotation(N) 9.97

Quantity Traded Value of Shares (N) 1,287,084 12,541,500.11 1,287,084 12,541,500.11

2,368

247,673,462

1,123,207,535.06

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

55

MONEY LINK

Banks to save N192b via cash-lite banking

By Collins Nweze

B

ANKS are expected to cut down on operating expenses significantly from next year through a cost trimming process emanating from the deployment of cash-lite and e-payment transactions system.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had in a circular released early this year to all banks, Cashin-Transit (CIT) operating firms, payments system service providers, as well as money card acquirers, issuers and processors, increased penalties for cash transactions by individual and corporate bank account holders to help reduce the high usage of cash as well as moderate the cost of cash management among operators in the country’s financial system.

Experts said by eliminating the “cash-and-carry” status of the banking system for the use of electronic channels, the cost of doing business would crash and the capacity of the banks for financial intermediation, greatly enhanced.

The Managing Director of the Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, said at the Lagos Business School, 2011 End of Year Dinner, held recently in Lagos, that the direct cost of cash management borne by banks was as huge as N114.5 billion in 2009, adding that it is projected to increase to N192 billion in 2012, representing an increase of about 68 per cent.

This is a cost that the banks will do away with in the electronic payments era, thus making credit and other services of the banks cheaper for customers, he said.

“The cash-lite initiative is targeted at reducing lending rates by cutting down banks’ operating expenses by as much as 30 per cent to make it possible for both large and small businesses to access

credit at affordable rates,” said Rewane.

The analyst, stated that the cashlite and e-payment system initiative embarked upon by the Bankers’ Committee and billed to takeoff next year, have also raised the value of inter-bank transfers and settlements by 27.3 per cent to N83.6 trillion as against the N65.7 trillion in 2010.

“Also, the value of cheques rose by 21.4 per cent in the first nine months to N12.33 trillion, as against N10.15 trillion in the cor-

be eligible for encashment over the counter and would only be paid through the clearing house.

The apex bank added that Cashlite banking will enable the apex bank achieve about 30 per cent reduction in the cost of funds being passed by banks to customers.

“The cashless economy initiative has tremendous benefits for the people and the economy. It would reduce the cost of cash handling and cost of funds, with available statistics showing that the CBN and the banks would have spent over N200 billion on

responding period in 2010, he said.

The CBN, said the new cash-lite banking regime permits a daily cumulative limit of N150,000 and N1 million on free cash withdrawals and lodgments by individuals and corporate customers, respectively.

Individuals and corporate organisations that make cash transactions above the limits will be charged a fee of N100 per thousand and N200 per thousand respectively, while third party cheques above N150,000 will not

Association to flush out fake MFBs’ operators

T

HE National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB), has put in place measures to rid the sector of fake operators. The measures include adequate monitoring of activities of the operators, payment of annual dues and membership identification, among several others.

The association’s Chairman, Olufemi Babajide, told The Nation yesterday, that the need became necessary in order to accord operators some level of credibility.

He said the operators would be made to conform with all known rules guiding microfinance banking to encourage growth from next year.

He said: “We are going to do self identification to ensure compliance with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policies. We would do all we can to lift the image of the operators and ensure growth.”

He said it is a disservice to see people destroying attempts made at ensuring that a larger percentage of the populace have access to banking services. He said the per-

He said no efforts would be spared in giving the operators some of the best training to foster growth. He said the sub-sector would fully restore confidence to the people, through implementation of proactive measures.

The industry sub sectors is likely to experience a lifting, occasioned by the various initiatives put in place by the CBN. The microfinance banking sub-sector is expected to witness improvement in 2012, due to reform activities carried out by the apex bank.

The Chairman, National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Olufemi Babajide, said the imposition of a new capital regime on the operators would bring the necessary growth to the industry in 2012.

Speaking to The Nation, the Director, Development Finance Department, CBN, Mr Paul Nduka Eluhaiwe, said 2012 would record growth across boards for the operators.

Eluhaiwe said operators would

By Akinola Ajibade

centage of people that banked with the 24 commercial banks is very small, adding that all efforts to rubbish the activities of the MFB operators should be resisted.

Babajide, explained that the association is making efforts to ensure the trial of fraudulent operators in a special court. “ We are looking at having special courts to try offenders. Under the prevailing circumstances, it would be very difficult to try offenders as the case may go on for a period of five years or more.

But with special courts in place, there would not be anything like that. There would be speedy trial of the offenders or flouters of micro financing rules,” he said.

On other measures, he said the association is considering partnering with institutions, such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), chartered institute of bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), among others for manpower development.

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

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM Amount

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) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2011 “ 14-04-2011

GAINERS AS AT 26-12-11 SYMBOL STERLNBANK LIVESTOCK UBA JAPALOIL NB CONOIL REDSTAREX CONTINSURE IKEJAHOTEL NPFMCRFBK

O/PRICE 1.00 0.60 2.60 0.80 105.00 30.06 2.15 0.91 1.88 0.98

C/PRICE 1.05 0.63 2.73 0.84 110.10 31.50 2.25 0.71 0.95 1.96

CHANGE 0.05 0.03 0.13 0.04 5.10 1.44 0.10 0.04 0.02 0.95

LOSER AS AT 26-12-11 SYMBOL FIDSON TOTAL SKYEBANK VITAFOAM CUTIX BTBRISCOE AGLEVENT CUSTODYINS JBERGER FIRSTBANK

O/PRICE 0.80 198.00 4.27 5.14 1.71 1.35 1.38 2.18 32.96 9.38

C/PRICE 0.76 188,10 4.06 4.89 1.63 1.29 1.32 2.09 31.60 9.00

Amount

Offered ($) Demanded ($)

MANAGED FUNDS

OBB Rate Call Rate

record appreciable degree of success in 2012, as CBN is likely going to release the N54 billion microfinance development fund to them. He said the development would improve the activities of the operators, make them better players, foster competition, and assist growth of the small and medium scale enterprises.

Also, the President, Finance Houses Association of Nigeria (FHAN), Eddie Osaronkhoe, said finance houses have been experiencing stunted growth in the past few years. Osaronkhoe said the decision of the CBN to carry far reaching reforms in the sub-sector in 2012, would bring growth to the operators.

He said there would be recapitalisation of the finance houses, introduction of innovative ways of doing businesses, improved profitability, among others, next year. He predicted growth for the finance houses, saying that 2012 would be better for the operators and the economy in particular.

DATA BANK

Tenor

NIDF NESF

cash management by 2012.

This cost can be ploughed into infrastructure development. It would also mean that majority of Nigerians would stop subsidising the cash handling cost of heavy cash users,” it said in a statement.

Research also indicated that 10 per cent of branch transactions in Nigeria are above N150,000, but they make up about 77 per cent of the value of cash transactions in the country’s financial system.

The initiative will also usher in an era of convenient and secure payment systems.

Amount

Exchange

Sold ($)

Rate (N)

Date

450m

452.7m

450m

150.8

08-8-11

250m

313.5m

250m

150.8

03-8-11

400m

443m

400m

150.7

01-8-11

EXHANGE RATE 26-08-11 CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Currency

Year Start Offer

Current Before

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

NGN USD

147.6000

149.7100

150.7100

-2.11

NGN GBP

239.4810

244.0123

245.6422

-2.57

NGN EUR

212.4997

207.9023

209.2910

-1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

Bureau de Change 152.0000 (S/N)

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

Parallel Market

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

NSE CAP Index

NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N)

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS Name

(S/N)

153.0000

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

Aug ’11

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

8.75%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 9.4%

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 118.85 98.43 0.76 1.04 0.88 1,642.73 8.24 1.39 1.87 7,351.90 193.00

9.08 1.00 118.69 97.65 0.73 1.04 0.87 1,635.25 7.84 1.33 1.80 7,149.37 191.08

ARM AGGRESSIVE KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND THE LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY THE DISCOVERY FUND • ARM AGGRESSIVE • KAKAWA GUARANTEED

CHANGE 0.04 9.90 0.21 0.25 0.08 0.06 0.06 0.09 1.36 0.38

• STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor 7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

Rate (Previous) 24 Aug, 2011 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

Rate (Currency) 26, Aug, 2011 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK Previous

Current

04 July, 2011

07, Aug, 2011

Bank

8.5000

8.5000

P/Court

8.0833

8.0833

Movement

56

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

FOREIGN NEWS Zimbabwe: 11 drown in holiday boating accident

Z

IMBABWEAN state radio says 11 people died, most of them children, in a Christmas Day boating accident on a lake outside the capital.

The radio said yesterday a pleasure boat capsized at Lake Chivero on Sunday, drowning 11 of 19 people on board. The children were on a holiday outing at the lake 20 miles (30 kilometers) west of Harare and were aged between five and 14, it said.

The radio report also said a wildlife ranger at the lake died Saturday when his canoe overturned in rough weather. The lake is also a conservancy, leisure resort and water-supply reservoir.

Egypt accuses Israelis, Ukrainian of arms smuggling

E

GYPT’s prosecutor general yesterday referred two Israelis and a Ukrainian accused of arms smuggling to the Emergency Supreme State Security Court, his office said.

The Ukrainian and one Israeli are in custody, while the other Israeli will be tried in absentia, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

One of the Israelis — who are both of Arab origin — crossed the Taba border terminal from Israel into Egypt and was found to be carrying weapons and ammunition in a wooden case, the official MENA news agency reported.

According to London-based rights watchdog Amnesty International, the Emergency Supreme State Security Courts, “like military courts, violate the right to a fair trial and deny defendants the right to appeal.”

•Protesters in Casablanca...yesterday

Thousands protest in Casablanca for reforms

S

EVERAL thousand people have taken to the streets of Casablanca to press for deeper political reforms, saying that recent changes did not go far enough.

The protesters, mobilising on a call from the so-called February 20 pro-democracy movement, held their first demonstration without the Islamist Justice and Charity group.

The group withdrew from the February 20 movement earlier this month, claiming it had been the object of “attacks” from youths within the movement.

Up to 5,000 people demonstrated in Casablanca’s poor Hay Mohammadi suburb, an AFP journalist witnessed, while police said about 3,500 people in total protested countrywide.

“We are here to to say that the fight will continue despite the withdrawal of political organisations, Islamic or otherwise,” protester Hamza Mahfoud told AFP. “Our demands are legitimate and they have not changed: a

parliamentary monarchy and more social justice,” said Mahfoud.

Earlier this month, the February 20 movement said it was willing to talk with the newly elected Islamist head of government under conditions that included the release of political prisoners, a guarantee of press freedom and more individual liberties.

The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) won elections in November which the protest movement boycotted.

Unlike the overthrow of governments in Tunisia and Egypt, Morocco’s king nipped swelling protests in the bud by offering constitutional reforms that curbed his near absolute powers.

For the mostly young protesters who began to march in February giving the movement its name, the reforms were not enough, but the movement has lost some momentum since the elections.

Libya’s ex-rebels demand 40% representation in NTC

L

IBYA’s former rebels, who battled the forces of dead dictator Muammar Qaddafi, are demanding greater representation in the National Transitional Council, a commander from Misrata said yesterday.

The “thwars” (revolutionaries) demand that 40 percent of the NTC be composed of former rebels “because they are the symbol of this revolution,” said Fraj al-Soueili from Misrata, the port city east of Tripoli that was besieged by Kadhafi’s men.

He was reading the final communique after a conference of the “Union of Thwars in Libya,” which says it represents up to 70 percent of the ex-rebels.

On Wednesday, NTC chief

Mustafa Abdel Jalil called on the former rebels at the conference in Tripoli to come up with a list of potential candidates to join the interim body.

“We will choose seven, eight or nine to become members of the national council,” he said.

Abdel Jalil’s announcement, which came as the NTC faces unprecedented criticism since the fall of the former regime, was welcomed with rounds of applause and cries of “Allahu Akbar (God is greatest).”

There are currently around 50 members of the NTC, which must be dissolved following the election next June of a national congress.

Soueili said civil society groups and local councils

should also have a former rebel representation of 40 percent, 10 percent women and 10 percent from the Amazigh Berber, Toubou and Tuareg minorities.

“The council is not representative enough ... The question is being discussed (with the authorities), but it’s going to happen,” said Al-Bahlul Essid, one of the conference organisers.

He said was it was not a question of dissolving the NTC but enlarging it.

The former fighters are also demanding the dismissal of several NTC members accused of being “opportunists” or collaborating with the former regime, another delegate, Mohammed Khfayer from AlBayda in the east, told AFP.

Sudan rebel front vows unity after leader’s death

A

ANTI-SUDAN’s government forces in a “revolutionary front” pledged unity yesterday despite the killing of a top rebel, but an analyst dismissed their goal of toppling the Khartoum regime.

Three rebel factions which had formed an alliance with the Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement said the death of JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim will not deter them from their mission to overthrow President Omar AlBashir.

JEM on Sunday night announced the killing of Ibrahim, 54, saying he died in a government air strike on his camp.

The Sudanese army said Ibrahim was wounded on Thursday evening in a clash with government forces in Umm-Gozain, an area of North Kordofan state near North Darfur, and died on Saturday evening.

A JEM spokesman said he was killed early on Friday.

“We are very strong and we think that our alliance will not die,” said Kadia Shimallia of the SPLM-N rebel group in Blue Nile state in Sudan’s southeast.

He vowed they will work together, “to keep on this march towards Khartoum.”

Ibrahim al-Hillu, of the Sudan Liberation Army

(SLA) faction headed by Abdelwahid Nour, said his Darfur group will “stand by our brothers in the Justice and Equality Movement” and abide by all agreements signed with them.

“We are now joined together to fight to the last bullet to remove this government,” said Hussain Minnawi, a leader of the SLA faction led by Minni Minnawi. “We will escalate the fighting later on.”

The rebels say they are in a struggle for “democracy and civil rights” against an Arab-dominated regime unrepresentative of the country’s political, ethnic and religious diversity.

Kenya’s Mudavadi steps up bid for top job

K

ENYAN Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has launched a campaign in Western Kenya to rally the region behind him as he seeks to challenge Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the ODM presidential candidacy next year.

Since last Friday, Mr Mudavadi has met more than 300 elders from the Luhya, Teso and Sabaot communities, hosted 1,440 grassroots party delegates from 24 branches and held talks with FordKenya’s Moses Wetang’ula and Noah Wekesa.

“I have declared my candidature and I am ready to compete and admit defeat but will not run away and form another party like others,” he declared at the home of Luyha Elders Forum chairman Patrick Wangamati in Webuye at the weekend.

He was accompanied by assistant ministers Alfred Khangati (Kanduyi) and Sospeter Ojaamong (Teso), and MPs Yusuf Chanzu (Vihiga), Justus Kizito (Shinyalu), Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i), Alfred Odhiambo (Butula) and Wilbur Ottichilo (Emuhaya).

Mr Mudavadi has announced that he will go for the presidency on an ODM ticket.

He has moved to reunite ODM members in the region who are divided following grassroots elections last month that saw some leaders, among them Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya and Mr Kizito lose in the subbranch elections.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

57

FOREIGN NEWS

Kim Jong-un meets South Korean delegation in Pyongyang A

PRIVATE delegation of South Koreans have paid their respects to Kim Jong-il’s son and heir during a visit to Pyongyang.

Kim Jong-un has made several high-profile appearances on state TV since his father’s death was announced a week ago. Analysts said his surprise meeting with the South Koreans could be intended to push South Korea to pursue cooperative projects that would give the North much-needed aid.

The South Koreans visited the Kumsusan memorial palace, where Kim Jongil’s body is lying in state, and met Kim Jong-un, Seoul’s unification ministry said.

The delegation was led

by Lee Hee-ho, the widow of the former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung, who engineered a “sunshine” engagement policy with the North and held a landmark summit with Kim Jong-il in 2000, and by the Hyundai Group chair-

•South Korean delegation led by former first lady Lee Hee-ho in Pyonghang...yesterday

woman, Hyun Jeong-eun, whose late husband had ties to the North.

North Korea identified

Kim Jong-un as the head of the ruling Workers’ party central committee, a post that gives him authority

over political matters in addition to the military control attributed to him in recent days.

litical crisis which has left hundreds dead.

Under the deal, he handed over powers to his deputy and promised to leave office

by February in return for immunity.

But Mr Saleh’s actions since signing the deal have been viewed as contradictory by many.

He said on Saturday he would leave for the US “in the coming days... to get out

of sight... to calm the atmosphere for the unity government to hold the presidential election” in February.

But he has also said he would return later as “an opposition figure”.

A senior US official said yesterday that Mr Saleh would be admitted if he still needs serious medical treatment for the injuries he sustained during an assassination attempt in June.

However, this would not necessarily mean him leaving the country for good.

Many opposition activists were jubilant when he left the country for Saudi Arabia in June to seek medical help, only to see him return in September.

Thousands of activists are still regularly holding protests demanding Mr Saleh and his closest aides be put on trial.

On Sunday, nine protesters in the southern city of Taiz were killed by forces loyal to Mr Saleh.

U. S. pledges to join battle against bombings Continued from page 4

Speaking at his postChristmas blessing yesterday, Benedict said he had learnt with “profound sadness” of the “absurd” attack on the St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, which was claimed by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.

It was the second year in a row that the group has staged Christmas attacks.

Benedict invited everyone to pray for the victims and for Nigeria’s Christian community.

He said: “In this moment, I want to repeat once again with force: violence is a path that leads only to pain, destruction and death.

Respect, reconciliation and love are the only path to peace.”

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe also yesterday condemned the “violent attacks” which rocked Nigeria’s

churches on Christmas Day. In a statement posted on the ministry’s website, the French top diplomat sent his condolences to victims’ families and the Nigerian government, denouncing the “outbreak of violence”.

“As I expressed to the Nigerian authorities during my visit there in November last year, France supports them in their fight against terrorism,” Juppe added.

French President Nicolas

Sarkozy on Sunday also strongly condemned the Christmas Day bomb attacks.

Nigeria is France’s biggest trading partner in subSaharan Africa with French oil giant Total among the major producers of crude oil in the country.

Scores of people were killed in a series of bomb attacks targeted at churches across Nigera during the Christmas holidays.

Outrage as parish holds Mass for Xmas Day blast victims

Continued from page 8

“It means NEMA has an idea of those who perpetrated the bombings.

Whoever is behind such a statement should know how he will select his words to give to the public.

“Why should NEMA be denying that the incident happened in the church?

That statement is unfortunate and it has made many people angry.”

In a statement by NEMA’s Head of Media and Public Relations., Alhaji Yusau Shuaib, the agency said the death toll has risen to 26.

It also insisted that the

Time to make peace with North Korea

By Leke Salaudeen

N

US considers Yemeni President Saleh’s travel request A MERICAN authorities are considering a request from Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to travel to the United States.

On Saturday, Mr Saleh said he would be leaving for the US in order to calm the unrest in his country.

Mr Saleh said he was not going to seek medical help, but a senior US official said he would only be admitted “for legitimate medical treatment”.

Mr Saleh signed a peace deal last month to end a po-

ANALYSIS

blast occurred on a road very close to the church.

The statement said: “The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in collaboration with other stakeholders continued to provide necessary support and assistance to the victims of the recent explosion that occurred in Madalla, a community outside Abuja on Christmas Day. “A rescue team from NEMA led by the Director General, Muhammad SaniSidi, also inspected the spot of the explosion on a road very close to popular St.

Theresa Church in Madalla that was damaged, as well as other shops within the vicinity.

“Muhammad Sani-Sidi described the explosion as a condemnable act and urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of brotherhood and live peacefully among themselves.

“He said as a humanitarian agency, NEMA, is always very conscious of its responsibility in addressing the plight of distressed and victims of disasters and would continue to collaborate

with other critical stakeholders in addressing the recurring disasters in the country.

“The Xmas blast occurred on a road very close to St Theresa Church Madalla where lives were lost, with sections of the church damaged and vehicles and shops destroyed. Three rescue officers of NEMA were also injured when the ambulance they used to evacuate victims to hospital somersaulted along Kubwa Road.

“So far, the official record has shown that 26 dead bodies have been deposited in the mortuaries while many injured people from the explosion are receiving treatment in the hospitals.”

OBODY knows for sure what may happen in North Korea following the sudden death of Kim Jong-il. A key part of the mercurial dictator’s legacy is the dysfunctional secrecy that envelops the country like a dark funeral shroud. In equal measure, Kim threatened, and felt threatened by, the outside world. His personal insecurity translated into a national policy of paranoia.

The first, pressing consideration for Western countries, principally the United States, which effectively guarantees South Korea’s defence, will be whether Kim’s designated heir and successor, his third son, Kim Jong-un, is able to assert and entrench his authority. State media has purposefully thrusted Kim to the forefront of the nationwide mourning ceremonies, making clear that like his father and grandfather before him, he is the new “dear leader”.

This is both good and bad news. Western analysts have long warned of the dangers of a power vacuum and the possibly dangerous consequences of a struggle over the succession. Tensions with South Korea rose sharply in 1994 when Kim Jong-il took over from his father, Kim Il-sung, and unlike Kim Jong-un, who is in his 20s, he had two decades or more to prepare himself for the top job.

But Kim Jong-un’s ascendancy may depend on his early showing that he is up to the task. When his ailing father appeared to run into domestic turbulence at home last year, he resorted to the old trick of conjuring outside threats and externalising the problem. The result was the unprovoked sinking of a South Korean naval vessel and a brief bombardment, a year ago this month, of a South Korean island.

Some reports at the time suggested Kim Jong-un was involved in, or even commanded, these attacks, as a way of proving his martial credentials. The worry now for South Korea, which has placed its armed forces on the high alert, and for Seoul’s American and Japanese allies, is that a fresh period of confrontation may be about to begin as Pyongyang’s new leader attempts to demonstrate his authority.

A second key consideration is the safety of North Korea’s atomic weapons stockpile. Kim Jong-il’s grisly signature achievement was to turn his country into an acknowledged nuclear power, conducting two bomb tests in 2006 and 2009. Disarmament talks between the US and North Korea resumed last summer after a year’s hiatus, but substantive progress has been largely lacking, while the six-party talks involving both countries plus South Korea, Japan, China and Russia are stalled.

Concerns that the succession crisis could mutate into a nuclear crisis seem misplaced at this point.

North Korea’s weapons stockpile is understood to be primarily under the control of the armed forces, principally the generals in the NDC rather than the Kim dynasty. Although military by nature, it remains essentially a political tool – a lever used for extracting concessions, respect and aid and assistance from supposedly hostile neighbours.

This approach has served the regime well, in the sense that it has been able to maintain itself in power and has avoided foreign intervention despite its appalling economic mismanagement. The new leadership might be expected to continue to use its nuclear programme as a bargaining chip, rather than an offensive weapon. This is not to say, however, that there will not be more nuclear tests or provocative missile launches over the Sea of Japan in the weeks and months to come, depending on how the internal political dynamics play out in Pyongyang.

China’s public endorsement of the power handover is similarly reassuring and problematic at the same time. Beijing is North Korea’s only significant ally and its praise for the late Kim and explicitly, for his successor, was evidently designed to calm matters. China believed the North Korean people would “turn their grief into strength, unite as one, and continue to advance the cause of socialism,” a spokesman said. China, he said, would help make “active contributions” towards maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the wider region.

On the other hand, these statements indicate plainly that Beijing is counting on the regime staying in place and put on maintaining the overall status quo, as far as possible. This is not an objective favoured in Washington or in London, which would dearly love to see North Korea come in from the cold and an end to its “rogue status”. Where China stresses continuity, William Hague, Britain’s foreign secretary, sees an opportunity. “This could be a turning point for North Korea,” Hague said. “We hope that its new leadership will recognise that engagement with the international community offers the best prospect of improving the lives of ordinary North Korean people.”

58

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NATION SPORT

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFER WINDOW

Fergie: Money may not buy City success

M

ANCHESTER UNITED boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists neighbours Manchester City will not be allowed to buy the Premier League crown this season.

Cash rich City have spent £400million in the transfer market since Sheikh Mansour took control of the club back in August 2008.

Most of the money has helped manager Roberto Mancini assemble a squad which has seen them climb to the top of the standings this season.

But Ferguson believes that, although having the financial clout can help, it does not necessarily take you all the way.

The Red Devils’ boss said: “Yes, money can buy success as we saw when Chelsea suddenly became cash rich.

“And we are witnessing a similar surge by Manchester City under their wealthy owners.

“Their transfer clout has taken them to the top of the league and they are favourites to win the title.

“But, while recruiting some of the world’s leading players can lift you into contention for honours, it doesn’t necessarily take you all the way - as I hope we will be able to demonstrate before the end of the season as other factors come into play.”

I can keep doing, scoring goals and getting goals and playing well, then hopefully force my way in.

“The players we have, it’s packed in areas, obviously the manager rotates certain players around, but I have to keep working hard and keep trying to play.

“When I found out I was starting against Stoke I was happy and I don’t mind the rotation system as long as it is fair, hopefully that’s going to continue. I understand I’m at a massive club and I am happy with that.”

• Fergie

A

• Bent

M

ANCHESTER CITY winger Adam Johnson admits he wants to be playing more regularly.

Johnson is keeping his fingers crossed that the crashing left foot drive from outside the box nudged two managers born in Italy.

“Obviously I’m disappointed I haven’t played as many games as I would like, everyone wants to play games,” he told City’s website.

“But I think that was my fifth Premier League goal so it’s all

• Jonshon

Bent not for sale—McLeish STON VILLA manager Alex McLeish said the club have no plans to sell striker Darren Bent.

There has been speculation over the England international’s future in recent weeks, and he has been recently linked with QPR. Rumours were fuelled when Bent was seen out shopping in the 2-0 loss at home to Liverpool while he was out with a thigh injury.

The striker has scored five goals this season, falling short of the rate he sustained in the second half of last term when he netted nine times after a club record 18 million pounds move from Sunderland.

McLeish had earlier spoken of the need to sell players in order to free up money for new signings, but he has now moved to clarify that this does not involve the sale of Bent, telling reporters: “I wouldn’t think anybody can afford Darren.”

“It would send out the wrong message unless we went out and signed Luis Suarez or something. A striker of Darren’s ability would be difficult to replace,” McLeish said.

Johnson: I have been frustrated

Houghton: Liverpool must score more goals to gain top four spot

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Ba: Leaving Magpies difficult

I

N-FORM Senegal striker Demba Ba has admitted he has mixed feelings about leaving Newcastle for the African Cup of Nations next month.

The former West Ham United hitman switched to the Sports Direct Arena in June and has since netted 13 goals in 18 appearances in all competitions this season.

With the remaining four strikers at the club only contributing only 9 goals all together, the 26-year-old’s absence will be a huge blow for Alan Pardew’s men.

Ba recognises his absence will adversely affect the Magpies, but also revealed he is determined to succeed with Teranga Lions when the competition begins in January.

“It will be a terrible blow to leave the team next month. This is my club and I am proud of it but this is for my country,” he told The Sun. “I am going there to play for my country and to try to win.

“I am not going there for a holiday. It is a big tournament.

“I have mixed feelings about going away, but I have to do it.

“I want to make my people and my country proud in the African Nations Cup. “I will feel sad leaving at this stage because everything is going well, although we need to improve some of our results.”

AY Houghton believes Liverpool must start converting more of their chances if they want to have a serious shot at claiming a top four spot.

The former Anfield favourite Houghton insists if Kenny Dalglish’s men are more clinical in front of goal, they can get back into the Champions League.

“It’s just a matter of time before Liverpool start beating teams two, three or four nil,” Houghton told talkSPORT. “At least they are making chances but they have to start finishing them though.

“When you’re playing a team and you get 1-0 up then get the second and try and get

a third. There have been times when Liverpool haven’t played that way and let others team back into the game.

“Liverpool have the best defensive record in the league, they have worked on that that, the back four have been brilliant. Jose Enrique has been absolutely superb, as good as anyone and he looks the complete left-back, in an area that Liverpool have struggled in over the last few years.

“They must need to start winning games more comfortably and when they start doing that there’s no doubt that Liverpool have a great chance of making the top four.”

Silva: Mancini has helped me AVID Silva believes he is playing the best improve football of his career

D

• Demba Ba

this season and has credited Roberto Mancini’s attacking philosophy for his improvement.

Silva was slow to settle into the Premier League following his move from Valencia 18 months ago, but found some sparkling form during the second half of last season and has gone from strength to strength at the start of the current campaign.

He has been at the heart of a blistering run that has seen City rise to the top of the table at Christmas after scoring 53 goals in 17 league games.

The Spanish playmaker has been given free rein to demonstrate his creativity and is thankful to Mancini for his approach to management.

“The manager plans all our matches with an offensive vision and this is so positive for my style of game,” Silva said in The Sun. “Mancini is not the habitual Italian coach who thinks only about maintaining a lead.

“I remember how he insisted that it is better to win 3-2 than 1-0. Thanks to that philosophy I have improved my game and I am grateful to him.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

NATION SPORT Inter ‘need Champions League’

59

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL...EUROPEAN FOOTBALL...EUROPEAN FOOTBALL...

I

NTER general manager Ernesto Paolillo admits the club must qualify for the Champions League “or we’d have to further reduce our budget.”

The Nerazzurri have had a tough start to the campaign and have climbed back up to fifth place, but next year only three Serie A representatives will enter Europe’s top competition.

“When UEFA’s new financial fair play regulations come in, we will all sooner or later have to knock down our expenses,” Paolillo told Tuttosport.

“Do not expect any big January buys, as we will only do what is necessary to fill the gaps. There is less money around and the rules wanted

by Michel Platini force a more careful gestation of resources.

“Qualifying for the Champions League is fundamental, as without third place we’d have to further reduce our budget.

“I’d give the team 6.5 out of 10 for this season. It wasn’t a great start, but we did well to get back on our feet.”

• Buffon

J

UVENTUS goalkeeper Gigi Buffon admits there’s been a change in “direction” at the club in 2011.

Juve go into the New Year in great shape.

“There has been an evident change of direction from July onwards, but getting ahead of ourselves would be stupid,” said Buffon.

BUFFON WARNS JUVENTUS

Don’t get carried away “We are not even halfway there and up until now the journey has been a strain in every respect, including

psychologically. All it takes is a moment and you find yourself back on the floor. I never want to experience

those first few months of 2011 again. It was awful.”

“However, I wouldn’t blame Gigi Del Neri, as he is

Platini: Barca v Man United was 2011’s best

U • Paolillo

We’ll be ready for Old Firm clash, says Rangers boss

R

ANGERS manager Ally McCoist has insisted that his side will be confident going to Celtic in Wednesday’s Old Firm game despite their recent dip in form.

The Gers were beaten 2-1 away at St Mirren on Christmas Eve after having two players sent off, and are now only one point ahead of Celtic who won 2-1 at home to Kilmarnock on the same day.

Rangers have now conceded a lead over their Glasgow rivals that once stood at 15 points, albeit with two more matches played, yet McCoist is confident his side will be ready for the Parkhead clash despite the momentum being with Neil Lennon’s men.

“We will be ready for the game, I can guarantee you that,” McCoist told The Guardian.

“It’s going to be a tough game but we will be ready and the players won’t need lifted for that one because it’s a big, big game.

I take where you are coming from, Celtic are on a good run of form at the moment in terms of victories. But it counts for absolutely nothing.”

EFA president Michel Platini has branded the Champions League final encounter between Barcelona and Manchester United as the best match of an “exceptional” 2011.

The Catalan club triumphed 3-1 over the English champions at Wembley in May, and Platini believes that the encounter was the finest of a great year of football.

“2011 will be remembered as a year that saw many

• Platini

exceptional moments in the world of football. There have been many moments in both large and small competitions,” Platini said, according to Sport.es.

“However, if I had to choose one, it would be the Champions League final at Wembley.

“Not only was it a legendary match, it also reminded us all that we’re here to serve the sport and the players, without whom nothing would be possible and that make these dreams

come true.”

Despite feeling that 2011 has been a vintage year for the sport, Platini added that he felt that 2012 could be even better.

“2012 will be essential for football. The European Championships in Poland and Ukraine promise to be

unique,” the administrator enthused.

“Next year we have a new purpose. We enter a new era in club football due to Financial Fair Play, which is supported and carried out worldwide as in a symbol of unity and responsibility.”

Coentrao: I was right to join Real Madrid

R

EAL MADRID leftback Fabio Coentrao has insisted that he has no regrets over moving to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer.

The Portugal international signed for Madrid in a •30 million deal and has been a regular contributor for coach Jose Mourinho, with 17 appearances in all competitions.

Chelsea and Bayern Munich were also attributed with an interest in Coentrao during the summer, but the 23-year-old has revealed that he would have stayed at Benfica if Madrid had not come knocking.

“The truth is that I had other concrete offers, as you all know,” he told Record. “Half of Europe was after me back then.

“But, as I also said, my desire was to stay at Benfica.

Between all the clubs interested in me and Benfica, I always preferred to stay, but when Real made an offer everything changed.

• Coentrao

“Every player dreams of reaching the top and I am no exception. I am not belittling Benfica, who are a very good club, but Madrid are at a much higher level.

“Joining Madrid was the right thing to do. I am realising a dream, no doubt about it.”

a great Coach and a good man. He was just unlucky.

With a far weaker Juventus side than the current one, he was in the Scudetto race until December 2010, then in January it all went wrong. Endless injuries, heavy bans, we often ended up playing the youth team.”

Dhorasoo: Ancelotti the best coach

F

ORMER Paris SaintGermain midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo has declared Carlo Ancelotti the best coach he has ever worked with.

The ex-France international was at AC Milan while the 52year-old was in charge at San Siro and, although he soon departed for the French capital, the Italian left a lasting impression on him.

“He’s the best coach I came across in my career. With him, Milan won everything, and he was a great player,” 38-year-old Dhorasoo told Le Parisien.

“He’s a mate who loves his players, and who is loved by them. He’s also a great psychologist.”

After the departure of Antoine Kombouare, rumours are rife that Ancelotti, who has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in the summer, could take up the reins at Parc des Princes.

Dhorasoo believes that his former boss would succeed at the Ligue 1 leaders, despite the notoriously difficult atmosphere at the club.

• Ancelotti

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

60

NATION SPORT

B

RITISH boxing finished 2011 on a disappointing note as Amir Khan and Carl Froch joined David Haye as former world champions.

But despite the fact WBO title-holder Nathan Cleverly is currently the only fighter from these shores with a major title, it’s far from doom and gloom on the domestic front.

The next 12 months are already shaping up to be filled with bruising encounters, world title shots and rivalries galore.

Haye, Khan and Froch are all likely to waste little time challenging for championships again, while the likes of Matt Macklin, Ricky Burns, Kell Brook and the returning Kevin Mitchell should have cracks at conquering the world.

Add to the mix rising stars such as Tyson Fury, James DeGale, George Groves and Billy Joe Saunders, and suddenly you can see plenty of reasons to be cheerful.

AMIR KHAN (former WBA and IBF lightwelterweight champion) WITH victories over Paul McCloskey and Zab Judah under his belt already this year, Khan went into the December showdown with Lamont Peterson dreaming of a showdown with Floyd Mayweather.

A controversial split decision saw him lose his WBA and IBF lightwelterweight titles but the Bolton fighter is already plotting to bounce back with a bang in 2012.

Peterson is the main man in his sights but he may have to wait before setting the record straight. Moving up to welterweight remains on the agenda, although Khan himself admits he still has much to prove in his current division.

The 25-year-old showed his mettle when he battled back from the first defeat of his pro career to Breidis Prescott in 2008 — and we’re backing him to come back even stronger this time around.

CARL FROCH (former two-time WBC supermiddleweight champion) THE COBRA dropped the prestigious WBC title to Andre Ward earlier this month and immediately admitted the better man had won on the night.

Froch’s reputation remains intact after losing via unanimous decision to Ward and a two-fight clash with IBF champ Lucian Bute appears to be his destiny in 2012.

One of the Bute fights would take place on English soil and Nottingham’s finest is also keen to settle the score with Mikkel Kessler, who defeated him during the group stage of the Super Six tournament.

Froch, who has won 28 of his 30 fights, is in no mood to hang about licking his wounds. He said: “I’d like to fight Kessler again before Bute, but that’s the kind of fighter I am.”

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS (Southern Area middleweight champion) THE former Olympian picked up some real momentum this year after putting frustrating injuries behind him.

Saunders notched five straight victories to extend his unbeaten record to 12

Top 10 British boxers to watch

• Billy Joe • Carl Froch

• Khan

• Tyson Fury

• James DeGale

• Kevin Mitchell

• George Groves

• Ricky Burns • Kell Brook fights, picking up the Southern Area title along the way.

With Frank Warren guiding him and Mark and Jimmy Tibbs in his corner, the 22year-old southpaw is widely expected to waste little time closing in on the British title in 2012.

Martin Murray currently holds the domestic and Commonwealth crowns but his sights are set on bigger things after holding WBA boss Felix Sturm to a draw — and that could quickly open doors for Saunders if the champ opts to vacate.

TYSON FURY (British and C o m m o n w e a l t h heavyweight champion) HAVING once been widely ridiculed for punching himself in the face, the next 12 months could prove to be defining for Fury’s career.

At just 23, the Manchester slugger has plenty of room for improvement and will know he must tighten his defence dramatically before targeting heavyweight

• David Have bosses Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko.

But after outclassing Dereck Chisora to claim the British and Commonwealth straps in July, suddenly people began to sit up and take notice.

If he can maintain his improved physique, this 6ft 9in giant appears to have all the tools to make a real splash in the stagnant heavyweight division — especially if talk of making his debut in America becomes a reality.

GEORGE GROVES (British and Commonwealth supermiddleweight champion) THE SAINT became a household name in May when he edged a majority decision over nemesis James DeGale at London’s O2 Arena.

He went into the bout as the underdog in the eyes of boxing experts nationwide but emerged with his reputation enhanced and the satisfaction of knowing his old amateur club-mate’s

pre-fight trash talk had come back to haunt him.

Suddenly the unbeaten 23year-old Londoner was the talk of the town and he handled the spotlight like a true champion, refusing to rub DeGale’s nose in it any more than necessary.

Groves finished the year with a devastating tworound stoppage of Paul Smith, while a return bout against tough Scot Kenny Anderson appears to be next up for the Hammersmith fighter.

Of course, a rematch with a certain boxer nicknamed Chunky is also likely to materialise at some point in 2012.

JAMES DeGALE (European supermiddleweight champion) SMARTING from his points defeat to bitter rival George Groves in May, Chunky called for an immediate rematch.

The bout failed to materialise and he endured a frustrating five months out of the ring until promoter

Frank Warren handed him a crack at European titleholder Piotr Wilczewski.

DeGale was taken the distance by Wilczewski but a gritty majority decision silenced many of the critics who had claimed he was nothing more than a motormouth after being humbled by Groves.

The Olympic gold medallist always claimed he would be a world champion by the time the Games came to London in 2012 — and a world title shot could still become a reality before next summer.

And, of course, the next 12 months should also deliver the opportunity to settle the score with ‘the ugly ginger kid’.

KEVIN MITCHELL (lightweight) WHEN Mitchell returned to the ring for the first time in over a year to crush John Murray, the West Ham fan appeared to have the world at his feet once again.

Back in 2010, Aussie bruiser Michael Katsidis

had shattered his big night by stopping him inside three rounds at his beloved Upton Park.

The defeat was the first of Mitchell’s career and, for a variety of reasons, it proved hard to bounce back from.

But he redeemed himself against Murray in July and a crack at the then vacant WBA title against Brandon Rios beckoned. Murray, however, was eventually handed the fight instead as the 27-year-old Hammer was unable to travel to America due to a curfew.

With his personal life firmly back on track and his problems seemingly in the past, Mitchell has vowed to bring home a world crown in 2012.

KELL BROOK (welterweight) HEADING into 2012, Special K seemingly has the world at his feet.

He made his American debut earlier this month and promoter Eddie hearn firmly believes the unbeaten Sheffield fighter is destined for stardom.

Brook admits he is in no rush to win a world title, taking the approach that a crack at major honours will come along when he is 100 per cent ready.

The classy 25-year-old will continue to raise his profile in the States and would be a serious contender for a domestic showdown with Amir Khan should his fellow Brit move up to welter within the next 12 months.

As his nickname suggests, Brook truly is ‘Special’.

RICKY BURNS (lightweight) AFTER defending the WBO super-featherweight title against Nicky Cook, Burns decided the time was right to vacate the belt and move up to lightweight.

And he announced his arrival in the division by defeating Michael Katsidis via unanimous decision to claim the interim WBO strap in May. The full title is currently held

by Juan Manuel Marquez and the likelihood is Burns will succeed him sooner or later in 2012.

Fights with domestic rivals John Murray and Kevin Mitchell could also be on the agenda as all three are promoted by Frank Warren.

But regardless of the path Burns follows, the next 12 months should provide the Coatbridge fighter with plenty of memories.

DAVID HAYE (former undisputed cruiserweight champion and WBA heavyweight title-holder) WHEN Haye retired two months ago, many fight fans were glad to see him hang up his gloves after blaming a broken small toe for his limp performance against Wladimir Klitschko.

That fateful night in Germany saw Klitschko add the WBA crown to his WBO, IBF and WBA titles as he cemented his place as the division’s dominant fighter.

But Haye, 31, is not willing to go quietly and openly admits he will return to the ring in 2012 should Wladimir or big brother Vitali be serious about facing him.

The Hayemaker said: I am ready for every eventuality and happy to face either of the brothers. Whenever it happens, I’ll always be ready and willing.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

61

NATION SPORT

• Petit (right) after winning the World Cup with Vieira (left)

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legend in French football circles from the moment his shot hit the net at the Stade de France on 12 July 1998, Emmanuel Petit can look back on a hugely successful career in the game. The midfield linchpin rounded off the scoring as the hosts beat Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final and he then followed that up with continental glory at UEFA EURO 2000. At club level Petit racked up an equally impressive collection of winners’ medals during spells with Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea.

Since hanging up his boots in 2004, Manu has become one of the most respected television pundits on the French scene, offering the public the benefit of his excellent insights and genuine candour.

Earlier this month, he also provided his analysis during the announcement of the final list of candidates for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or Award, and afterwards he agreed to share his thoughts with FIFA.com. Petit gave his views on the three contenders, his own illustrious career and the state of the French national team.

Xavi, Lionel Messi and Cristiano

• Petit

Petit: France are better as outsiders Ronaldo are the three candidates for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or Award. Do you agree with that shortlist?

It’s easy to lose objectivity in this type of discussion, but the list of the three contenders makes some sense. Spanish football is enjoying a certain supremacy at the moment and this list fits in with that reality.

Do you have your own favourite among that trio?

For me, they all deserve the Ballon d’Or. Xavi has redefined the position of midfield anchorman and taken that role forward. He’s Barcelona’s jack of all trades: he moves the ball forward from deep, organises attacks, scores goals and creates them. His talent is immense.

As for Lionel Messi, he adds magic to Barcelona’s team work. He’s exceptional, a PlayStation player.

That said, Cristiano Ronaldo would get my vote, and God knows how much I like the other two! But in a Real Madrid environment where things are maybe more complicated than they are at Barcelona, he boasts some impressive statistics. Despite dominating in England, he didn’t think twice about testing himself again by going to Madrid. He’s assumed his responsibilities perfectly and maybe has more of an ability to score with his head compared to the Argentinian. He’s just a tad out in front, but I’m still waiting for both of them to finally make full use of their abilities with their national teams.

You crossed paths with a number of Ballon d’Or winners during your career. Which of them impressed you the most?

I loved Marco van Basten, Michel Platini and also Zinedine Zidane.

For me, you have to fulfil a whole list of criteria to deserve the Ballon d’Or – and being an example off the pitch is a fundamental one as far as I’m concerned.

Attacking players tend to win the most votes. As a player confined to more defensive roles during your career, do you find that

unfair?

Guys like Paolo Maldini, Lilian Thuram, Franco Baresi and Marcel Desailly were giants at the back.

They were all good enough to win the Ballon d’Or. Maybe we should have one Ballon d’Or for each position!

What did you enjoy most about being a holding midfielder, a typically unsung role?

The unselfishness and importance of the position. The midfield anchorman is at the crossroads between all the various aspects of a team. He’s like a roundabout and everything goes through him. If the midfield isn’t working well, the whole team feels it. I adored players like Fernando Redondo and Frank Rijkaard in that position, even if they were very different. I was fortunate enough to share the pitch with them – and the danger is that you end up standing back and watching when you play against them (laughs).

France coach Laurent Blanc has tried a few different options in that position, giving chances to Yohan Cabaye, Yann M’Vila, Alou Diarra, Abou Diaby and Maxime Gonalons. Do you see any of those players as the next Emmanuel Petit?

I’m left-footed, and that’s one of a number of things missing in the current France team. Les Bleus tend to favour one side of the pitch more than the other. Cabaye is improving his game at Newcastle and I hope he manages to add another dimension to his play in the Premier League. He mustn’t confine himself to a role as a holding player; on the contrary, he should look to be involved in moves going forward. That will require him to have a more physical profile, real tactical clarity in his movement and a more refined technical finesse. In England, teams move the ball around quicker and that means you have much less reaction time.

In total, you spent six years in England and just one in Spain.

Why did you experience less success in Spain than elsewhere?

I arrived at Barcelona at perhaps the worst possible moment in the last 20 years (laughs). I laugh about it now, but I found it less funny at the time. I’m not bitter, though. We had a squad that was coming to the end of an era. Rivaldo, Pep Guardiola, and the De Boer brothers were fantastic players, but they were on their way down, as was I. That explains what happened.

Barcelona had an impressive contingent of players in the initial list of 23 candidates for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or and now boast two in the shortlist. Are they the best club in the world?

They’re the team that keeps winning everything, anyway.

They’re the club that sums up modern football perfectly at the moment. Plenty of people are growing tired of watching them knock the ball around, but their players have given new life to terms like ‘pressing the opposition’, ‘winning the ball back’ and ‘possession’. For me, this Barça team right now are what football is all about. They’re one of those rare sides who manage to raise football to its highest possible level, like Brazil in 1970.

You played for Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea. Which of those clubs left the greatest impression on you and why?

The year 1998 with Arsenal and the France team was the pinnacle

of my career. To win six titles in one year is something extraordinary.

As a former international, what did you make of France’s qualifying campaign for EURO 2012?

I’m not going to fall into the popular trap of patriotism. I think that, right now, Laurent Blanc’s France team has neither the mental capacity nor the football ability to be considered among the favourites. France have a number of top-quality players, but those players still haven’t managed to express the full range of their talent in the national team. Still, it’s all the better if we’re able to shake off the tag of group favourites, as we showed in friendly wins against England and Brazil that we’re better in the role of outsiders.

What are thoughts on your former France team-mate Laurent Blanc as Les Bleus coach?

He’s trying to do the best he can, and I think he’s doing it well – Les Bleus are on a long unbeaten run.

In terms of their play, I think we’re right to expect much better, but he would be the first to say that. After the events in Knysna [at the 2010 FIFA World Cup] and the awful image left by the France team, it was suicidal to take the reins of that side. At the moment, he must simply be frustrated that certain players are a long way from their best when they play in blue. He must also be frustrated that generations change: football is becoming more and more of a sport for individuals. Taking that into account, I think he’s doing a more than competent job in charge of the France team.

Can you see yourself moving into a coaching role like him?

I have other priorities right now.

To be a club or national coach, you need to dedicate yourself 200 per cent to that job. At the moment, I’m not willing to make such significant sacrifices in my private life and professional career.

“I’m not going to fall into the popular trap of patriotism. I think that, right now, Laurent Blanc’s France team has neither the mental capacity nor the football ability to be considered among the favourites.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

62

SPORT EXTRA

West Brom hold Man City •Osaze plays for 88 minutes

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IGERIAN striker, Osaze Odemwingie saw 88 minutes of action for West Bromwich

By Olusoji Olukayode Albion in a pulsating English Premier League

fixture at home to league leaders, Manchester City at the Hawthorns.

City had their chances to make it five points clear of rivals, Manchester United who beat Wigan 5-0, but the home side were up to it, warding off the star-studded side’s incursions.

West Brom sit nine places below their opponents but left very little to show the

gap as they made their way up the visitors area in search of a tie breaker which failed to surface.

Roy Hodgson’s army went into yesterday’s game with two consecutive away wins, beating Newcastle 3-2 at the Sports Direct Arena in their last fixture and Blackburn 21 at Ewood Park with Odemwingie notching a goal each in those fixtures.

Man Utd hammer Wigan 5-0

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• Osaze

IMITAR Berbatov scored a hat-trick as Manchester United muscled their way level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

City still hold the advantage on goal difference, but even that lead was cut to five by United’s second successive fivegoal triumph.

It was tough luck on Wigan, whose chance disappeared once Republic of Ireland striker Conor Sammon was sent off for catching Michael Carrick with his elbow just before the break.

Already leading through Park Ji-sung’s early goal, United took maximum advantage.

Berbatov doubled their lead before half-time, then scored twice more, bringing back memories of his form in the first half of last season, when he claimed three match balls.

On this occasion, he owed the honour to Wayne Rooney, who stepped aside to let him take the penalty after Park had been fouled by Antolin Alcaraz.

The excellent Antonio

LONDON 2012 PARALYMPICS GAMES

Adewale picks Wild Card Ticket for Nigeria N

IGERIA enhanced its chances of having a memorable outing at the London 2012 Olympic Games when it picked a wild card ticket in the Wheelchair Tennis as Alex Adewale emerged champions in an Olympic qualifying tournament which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

National Wheelchair Tennis coach, Frank Tarmena stated that Adewale, who in August shone in the Salzburg Open in Austria which led the International Tennis Federation (ITF), jerking Nigeria’s wild card to three from its previous single slot, took his stupendous form that has seen him rise to the top three in the domestic stage to the ACSA Johannesburg Open which took place at the Selbourne Park Tennis Stadium in East London, where he won all his five matches to clinch the title at the expense of the other 24 players which represented 14 countries.

He was however, unable to repeat the feat in the second leg which was the ACSA Border Opens which took place at the University of Johannesburg Tennis Club when he lost in the second round. He did however, leave the tournament with his head high above his shoulders when he partnered a South African to win the doubles in the ACSA Border Open.

Adewale, who returned to Nigeria Tuesday evening,

expressed satisfaction that he was able to achieve his dream of qualification despite the difficult circumstances that he experienced ahead of the championship.

“It was like a miracle because, I wasn’t sure of making it to the tournament because just about two days to the start of the tournament, I was still running around to get some money to spend, but thanks to coach Frank who rallied round to make sure that I did

not miss the tournament,” he said.

Tarmena stated that he is still optimistic that Nigeria will get all the wild card tickets that the country is open to, stating that the duo of Wasiu Yusuf who featured in Beijing 2008 and Jude Uwaize alongside two female players will be under intense preparations for the next qualifier slated for February 2012 in Kenya.

Newcastle rediscover winning form against Bolton

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EWCASTLE United have bounced back to the winners list with a 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers at Reebok Stadium.

The Magpies scored twice in two minutes in the second half to see off the Trotters who saw a similar thing happen to them at Fulham just nine days ago when they conceded twice in a minute to lose 2-0.

It was a match of few chances but one that was successfully taken came in the 69th minute when Ryan Taylor got a cross in from the left for an unmarked Hatem Ben Arfa, who had come on less than ten minutes earlier, with the French winger firing home from just outside the six-yard box for his first league goal of the season.

Bolton’s fate was decided just few minutes later when Cheick Tiote intercepted in midfield

before releasing Gabriel Obertan down the right where he found Demba Ba who got in a deft touch which took a slight deflection for his 14th of the campaign.

Earlier, Taylor forced a good save from Jussi Jaaseklainen in the 14th minute when he curled a long range free-kick with the Finn punching away at the near post before Martin Petrov got Bolton’s first shot on target when his curling shot from a short free-kick was brilliantly saved by a diving Tim Krul late in the first half.

In the 50th minute, Krul did well to cut out a Petrov cross from the left just in time to deny Gary Cahill a scoring chance as Newcastle were unlucky not to take the lead eight minutes later when Obertan made a positive run down the right before turning onto his left and forcing Jaaskelainen into a crucial save.

Valencia was also on target to ensure Alex Ferguson will be handed the perfect 70th birthday present of a place on top of the table should his side overcome Blackburn on New Year’s Eve, given City are not in action until 24 hours later.

If there was one game where Ferguson might not have been too alarmed to field a defence including Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia, this was it.

Wigan had not managed so much as a draw in 13 previous meetings between the sides and the combined score from their past four encounters was 16-0.

United soon added to their tally as Patrice Evra slalomed his way into the Wigan box, then picked out Park Ji-sung with a neat cut-back.

The South Korean had enough space to pick his spot, into the top right corner, well out of Ali Al Habsi’s reach.

United continued to create chances at regular intervals, with Nani, Berbatov and Darron Gibson all trying their luck.

However, Wigan were not content to play the meek visitors and with Victor Moses building on recent impressive performances and Ronnie Stam exploiting the hosts’ lack of an orthodox left-sided midfield player, created just as many chances as their hosts early on.

Sammon wasted the best, turning onto David Jones’ pass but drilling a shot straight at Anders Lindegaard.

The Irishman’s day quickly got much worse, and any chance Wigan had disappeared.

There is no doubt Sammon’s arm did end up in Carrick’s face, offering referee Phil Dowd the opportunity to send him off.

However, it did appear the Wigan man was attempting to use it as a barrier to shield a bouncing ball from his opponent.

There was no malice, and very little force, behind the action and Latics chief Roberto Martinez was not on his own in believing his side had been harshly treated.

And, as good sides do, United quickly exploited the situation.

Had injury not struck him down in August, Gibson might well have moved on in the summer.

As it was, Ferguson was probably glad to have him available for this one.

The Irishman delivered a teasing cross from the right flank, which ended up with Berbatov.

PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS Chelsea 1-1 Fulham Bolton 0-2 Newcastle Liverpool 1-1 Blackburn Man Utd 5-0 Wigan Sunderland 1-1 Everton West Brom 0-0 Man City

CHELSEA V FULHAM

Jol: Gamble paid off

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ARTIN JOL conceded he took a gamble with his selection for Fulham's 1-1 draw at Chelsea after losing Bobby Zamora and Andrew Johnson to injury.

The strike duo missed the Boxing Day derby at Stamford Bridge and Jol handed summer signing Orlando Sa only his second Premier League start.

Clint Dempsey was played in midfield and he scored Fulham's equaliser on 56 minutes after Juan Mata had given Chelsea the lead two minutes after half-time.

"Sometimes you have to take a gamble, and that is what we did today," said Fulham boss Jol. "Our two main strikers dropped out so we had to come up with something else. I think it paid off."

Indeed, Fulham were unrecognisable from Wednesday night's 5-0 home thrashing by Manchester United.

Jol added: "We had a good result against Liverpool, a good result at the Emirates.

"You can't say we are inconsistent - it was just against United that we didn't

have a good result.

"We've shown we can give all these teams a good game."

Jol was particularly delighted for David Stockdale after the young goalkeeper was forced to pick the ball out of his own net five times against United.

Jol, who was uncertain whether Zamora or Johnson would be fit for Saturday's trip to Norwich, added: "They had one chance in the first half and I thought we were the better team in the first half."

• Jol

Blackburn, Liverpool draw 1-1

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VEN the return of captain Steven Gerrard after a two-month absence failed to lift Liverpool out of their current Anfield malaise as the Barlcays Premier League’s bottom club Blackburn left with a point they barely deserved.

The England international, sidelined since October with an ankle problem, played the final 21 minutes but could not inspire a change in fortunes.

Kenny Dalglish’s side, although unbeaten at home this season, have now drawn six and won three and been held five times in the last six outings at Anfield.

And had it not been for

• Gerrard

Maxi Rodriguez’s 11th goal in his last 12 starts it the result could have been more embarrassing after Charlie Adam had put through his own net on the stroke of halftime.

A familiar pattern of failing to take chances emerged very early on but the difference here, throughout the whole side, was the lack of spark and crispness which the Reds have usually had.

Luis Suarez’s secondminute free-kick which sailed just over set the tone before Adam sliced an ambitious volley from outside the area which gave Mark Bunn, deputising for the injured Paul Robinson, a much easier save than he could have anticipated.

There followed two efforts from Suarez, one into the side-netting from Glen Johnson’s pass, and the other missing the target completely with a left-footed shot from a similar position on the right of the penalty area.

In recent months opposition goalkeepers have made a habit of saving their best performances for Anfield and Bunn’s pointblank block from Andy Carroll, starting for the first time in four matches, after Downing had kept in Jose Enrique’s deep cross had a familiar look to it.

No New Year break for Eagles T HURSDAY’s planned break for home-based Super Eagles players has been shelved by the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and the technical crew of the national team.

Officials of the team said the need for proper bonding and for the team to have a character of oneness informed the decision not to go on break for four days. The coaches led by Stephen Keshi, also feel that all the work that has been done on the players will be lost by

the time the players return.

The team is now to remain in camp till January 15 when they should play an international friendly, as the January 7 date for a friendly is not certain yet. Already Liberia is being touted as the Eagles’ likely opponents. The team will now leave camp January 17 to regroup in February for the battle of Kigali.

THE NATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

63

SPORT EXTRA MONTHLY SATURDAY BOXING SHOW

Fashola reiterates commitment to sports development •Commends Edun for supporting boxing •Agbaje emerges Gov. Belt winner

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HE Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday restated his commitment to develop sports from the grassroots.

Speaking as guest of honour at the special edition of the Monthly Saturday Boxing Show, an initiative of the Lagos State Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF), held at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Yaba, Fashola said the success of the event is an indication that amateur sports have been revived in the state.

He said: “We have revived amateur sports in Lagos particularly boxing. Looking at my programme I discover that so many boxing clubs have sponsored and supported boxers to this competition. That means that all the Local Governments Areas in the state are fully

By Innocent Amomoh represented in boxing at the amateur level.

“I will want to thank specially, as I have done continuously, Mr. Wale Edun, Chairman of the Hall of Fame for leading this initiative. I hope that our state will see more Wale Eduns to support and drive inspiration in other sports like Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis, Swimming, Athletics, Judo and Karate, and our government will provide the means whenever we see these organisational supports. But it has to be a people –driven thing. There must be passion behind it.”

Fashola said that the success of the state at the last National Sports Festival (NSF), especially in boxing, is a testimony that government’s

investment in amateur sports, particularly boxing is yielding the desired results.

“To our administrator therefore, it is not enough to organise events, but to sequence the calendar of our events so that they cascade in these orders. When we see a sports festival champion in Nigeria, we should genuinely and legitimately expect to see an African champion, and when we see an African champion, we should not be far off looking for a Commonwealth champion, and if we see a Commonwealth champion we are sure there’s an Olympic champion in the making.

“And if you look at the story of the late Sunday Bada, Innocent Egbunike, Mary Onyali, Davidson Ande, this was the road they walked, and this is the road you all have to walk. It is a long road, but from what I see here, Nigeria is waiting for you, and your

•Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) (2nd left), Olawale Edun (1st right) and the three boxers, Olaide Fijabi, winner Taiwo Agbaje and Mutiat Adebayo at the special edition of the Monthly Saturday Boxing Show best is yet to come. Thank the Honourable Commissioner for sports, the Special Adviser on grassroots development, Wale Oladunjoye for their commitment on grassroots sports which is the basis of

sports development,” he said.

At the end of the nine-bout competition, national champion in the 52kg, Taiwo Agbaje emerged as the best boxer, defeating youngster

•Attacking statistics for Yakubu this season in contrast with the preceding three seasons

•Aiyegbeni

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FTER completing the signing of Yakubu on transfer deadline day, Steve Kean stressed the importance of having a forward who has a track record of finding the net in the Premier League, observing that “he has been around and scored goals everywhere he has been so that is [a] nice habit to get in as a striker”. The only problem was that the statistics in recent years suggested that Yakubu may have already kicked that habit at the highest level.

In his last three seasons at Everton Yakubu found the net just 10 times in 53 appearances, scoring four times in 2008/09, five times in 2009/10 and just once in 2010/11. His recent record in the Premier League pointed towards a player in decline, who had already fulfilled his potential and was winding down his top flight career.

Blackburn’s top scorers last term – Niko Kalinic, Jason Roberts and Junior Hoilett – bagged just five goals apiece, making them the lowest top scorers for a club last season, so the need for a new striker was obvious. That Yakubu was the man for the job was less apparent.

Yakubu averaged a goal every 669 minutes last season for

Everton, with a chance conversion rate of just 7%. All five of Blackburn’s front men who found the back of the net last season appeared more efficient in front of goal than Yakubu, as Kalinic scored with 16% of his shots, Roberts with 22%, Hoilett with 14%, Benjani with 17% and Mame Biram Diouf with 8%.

However, Yakubu’s impact since his arrival has been instantaneous and after just 12 league appearances he has already matched his ten goal haul from the last three campaigns combined. In reaching ten goals he has already become the first Blackburn player to hit double figures in the league since Benni McCarthy in 2008/09. His turnaround in form is illustrated by the below statistical comparison with his record in recent seasons: Since joining Blackburn his attacking statistics have improved beyond recognition.

Yakubu has averaged almost a goal a game for Rovers, scoring every 98 minutes, scoring almost three times as frequently as during his final three seasons with Everton, where he scored a goal every 288 minutes. His shooting accuracy has also significantly improved to 67% in

Aiyegbeni firing Rovers to safety?

2011/12, from an average of 50% across the three preceding years.

This increase is all the more remarkable when considering that Yakubu’s shooting accuracy has always been high, as can be seen by a comparison with the two leading marksmen since the start of the 2008/09 season.

Yakubu’s average shooting accuracy of 50% over the three years falls shy of Darren Bent’s 55%, but is greater than Wayne Rooney’s 47%.

A cursory glance at the goals for column in the league table illustrates the impact Yakubu has had since his arrival at Ewood Park.

Having outscored just four sides in 2010/11 (Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, West Ham United and Sunderland) with 46 goals scored at 1.2 goals per game, Blackburn have only been outscored by six sides in 2011/ 12 (Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City) with 24 goals at 1.4 goals per game.

Yakubu’s goals represent 42% of the entire Blackburn squad’s goals this season, showing how Blackburn have become reliant very quickly upon his delivery of goals. Only Demba Ba of

Newcastle United, 57%, and Robin van Persie of Arsenal, 48%, have scored higher percentages of their sides’ goals this term. All three players have made exceptional starts to the season and a comparison of the league’s top scorers at Christmas demonstrates the extent of Yakubu’s renaissance in the Premier League: Of the nine players to have netted eight or more times, Yakubu is the only player to have done so in a struggling side, as Blackburn occupy last place in the table while the rest of the league’s

top scorers play for sides in the top seven. Yakubu’s appearance among the league’s top scorers is therefore despite being in a side that creates far fewer chances than the other sides, where Yakubu has joined the league’s elite strikers despite having less than half as many shots as both Rooney and van Persie.

The number of goals scored

by Yakubu has been amassed on the back of clinical finishing in front of goal when chances do come his way. This is evident as his 67% shooting accuracy is the highest of the league’s top

Ibrahim Ali and carting away the prestigious Governor’s Belt.

Mutiat Adebayo, who defeated Elizabeth Osoja in the only female bout finished in the third position, while Olaide Fijabi emerged second after defeating Taiwo scorers by 5%.

TheOyegunwa only player in in the league 64kg catergory. the who has also mustered 25 shots or more with a higher accuracy is Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart, who has an astonishing 77%.

However, unlike van der Vaart, who has a chance conversion rate of just 19% of his shots, when Yakubu strikes he not only hits the target but invariably finds the back of the net, with 37% of his shots going in. Again, this surpasses all of the other top scorers, this time by 6%. No player who has taken ten or more shots this year has a higher chance conversion rate than the Blackburn forward.

However, even with Yakubu in exceptional form, Blackburn are still consigned to the foot of the table at Christmas; an ill-fated position given that only one side has ever recovered from this position to safety come the season’s finale. That side was West Bromwich Albion back in 2005/06, who – encouragingly for Rovers – were eight points from 17th place at Christmas, while Blackburn, despite a torrid start to the season, are just five points adrift of safety.

In order for Blackburn to avoid the drop Yakubu will need to maintain the freescoring streak that has seen him recapture the form that has taken him into the top 30 Premier League marksmen of all time. Of those still active in the Premier League just nine have netted more goals than Yakubu. The Ewood faithful will be hoping that his goals ensure that he continues to remain active in the blue and white halves of Blackburn Rovers come the start of next season.

•Attacking statistics of the Premier League’s top scorers at Christmas 2011/12

www.thenationonlineng.net

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

TOMORROW IN THE NATION

VOL. 7

NO.1,987

‘What moral right has government not to repair the roads or refineries immediately, urgently? Government thinking is far too mundane and slow because government officials have not used their own money to buy fuel or pay fuel bills in 20 years’’ TONY MARINHO

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

Y

OU know things are pretty grim in Abuja when the president of the IMF, the intimidating Christine Lagarde, comes calling the week before Christmas, at the height of a debate on the government’s plan to end a dubious subsidy on gasoline, a step that Labour and civil society and the general public have denounced and vowed to resist.

I will not be surprised if Ms Lagarde took President Goodluck Jonathan aside and spelled out with the utmost solemnity the consequences of not ending a subsidy that the IMF and the World Bank and the London Club and the Paris Club regard as a pernicious assault on market forces and international trade.

The consequences might include calling up Nigeria’s outstanding foreign debt, freezing new borrowing, and ending all assistance programmes. Faced with these and other dire sanctions, the authorities have re-framed the issue and ratcheted up the effort to the point that the whole thing now smacks of hyper-desperation.

Dr Jonathan for one has missed no opportunity, however unseemly, to declare that the subsidy has to go. He did not even spare the Christmas Carols night at the Presidential Villa, which was supposed to herald the season of goodwill to all, parlaying the nationally televised event into a forum to herald everything but goodwill to the public.

Only a few — the elite who maintain fleets of sports utility vehicles — have been profiting from the subsidy anyway. The “ordinary Nigerian” had nothing to lose and everything to gain if the subsidy were abolished, he has been reassuring the public.

Even if the price of petrol were to rise tenfold, the elite — the only group alleged to be profiting from the subsidy — will have no difficulty paying up to fill their fleet of SUVs. But what of the millions who, in the face of the epileptic power supply, rely on petroengine generators to light their homes and run their shops and businesses — pepper grinders, tailors, carpenters, farmers, barbers, welders, and countless other artisans?

And what of the millions who rely on commercial petrol-engine vehicles to travel from place to place, who will now have to pay a great deal more?

When they claim that only in two of Africa’s oil producing countries – Libya and Algeria, — is petrol cheaper than in Nigeria and that in every other oil-producing country, consumers pay much more for petrol than they do in Nigeria, they undermine rather than strengthen their case.

Why should Nigeria follow the examples of Angola and Gabon rather than the examples of Algeria and Libya? In whatever case, to compare the price of gasoline in Algeria and Libya with the price in Nigeria without reference to the per-capita income in those

RIPPLES CHRISTIANS TOLD TO SUPPORT GOVT ACTIVITIES– News

...but not OIL SUBSIDY REMOVAL O!

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

Desperate days in Abuja

•Ms Lagarde

countries is disingenuous.

If the subsidy-must-go brigade is innocent of the abysmal income levels in Nigeria, they should hear it from one of their own, Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, at last week’s Hijrah Lecture of the Lagos State House of Assembly: Ninety per cent of Nigerians live on less than two dollars a day, and 70 per cent live on less than one dollar a day.

Leaving nothing to chance, officials have even injected fear into the debate. If the socalled subsidy was not ended immediately, the consequences would be like a funfair compared with what had happened in Greece, where the government was forced to institute brutal economic reforms to pull the country back from the edge of bankruptcy.

Greece’s crisis resulted from an imminent default on its debt repayment, a taxation system that was as porous as a basket, a bloated

civil service bloated further by a large retinue of freeloaders, and guaranteed early retirement with hefty benefits. Greece has no oil and has not been subsidising petrol consumption.

There is, then, the claim that government could not continue borrowing just to sustain a subsidy, no matter how many profited from it. A great deal of borrowing has been going on, to be sure. But was this solely or even principally for the purpose of financing the alleged subsidy? What portion of the borrowing actually goes to sustain the alleged subsidy?

And finally, there is the assurance that the funds to be realised from ending the subsidy will be spent to improve the conditions of living for the vast majority of Nigerians, unlike the subsidy that merely enriched a few.

The process has already begun, according to Information Minister Labaran Maku. Many highways have been built already, many freight and passenger trains have been restored to commission. Dredging the River Niger has been completed, and all kinds of craft will soon commence navigating it.

But if the government could do all that while subsidising petrol consumption, why end the subsidy now?

So that even more roads can be built, constant electricity and water supply guaranteed in the cities and the villages, irrigation schemes to boost agriculture constructed, and millions of young men and women put to work, not forgetting three million pregnant women who will enjoy full ante-natal care.

And to ensure that all this comes to pass, the Federal Government is setting up a scheme with the beguiling acronym SURE, as in Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment.

How many times shall we go down that road? SAP and MAMSER and Better Life for

HARDBALL

O

N Christmas Day, the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, detonated two bombs near and on the grounds of St Theresa

Catholic Church, Madalla, Suleja, Niger State.

The casualty figures of the dead and injured are still being compiled, but it is feared that more than 25 people died from the early morning explosions. Initial doubts as to who was responsible were dispelled when the sect claimed responsibility. In spite of all the efforts made by security agencies – they lost the three policemen on guard at the Church— to prevent such a gory incident, the bombers proved that any sanguineous group bent on a suicide mission invariably succeeds. It is only the degree of success that cannot be guarantee.

Last Friday, after assessing the alienation in the country and the socio-economic crises undermining the basis of civil government, this column warned that the country was heading for a security meltdown. The column then advised that it was necessary the authorities took more proactive and intelligent measures to forestall the breakdown of law and order if the consequent insecurity was not to engender disintegration. Barely a few days later, the Madalla bombs went off. Added to the virtual lawlessness in the north eastern part of the country, a problem that is gradually spreading to and engulfing the Northwest, the prediction is no longer whether there would be a meltdown, but when.

The bombs of Madalla All measures to cage Boko Haram have failed. As other countries experiencing suicide bombings have proved, extremism fuelled by religious fanaticism is difficult to rein in. It is true Boko Haram began as an anti-government protest group, on account of its members’ frequent battles with government security agencies, particularly the police. But in consonance with its vision to enthrone Sharia law in the northern parts of the country, it has since become both an anti-government and anti-Christian extremist group.

It has also partially, and on ad hoc basis, expanded its self-imposed mandate to include settling of political scores and destruction of those it considers as the group’s enemies.

As this column warned last Friday, the security problem is clearly getting out of hand. It has gone beyond President Goodluck Jonathan’s sanguine statements that it is the turn of Nigeria to face terrorism. Even he must by now have realised that he has run out of statements on Boko Haram, exhausted his condolence messages to victims’ families, and his promises to bring the terror masterminds to justice have become inadequate. His words now mean nothing to the country, nor do they deter the bombers. But his crestfallen coun-

Rural Women from the Babangida era, and NEEDS, SEEDS and LEEDS from the Obasanjo era, were all advertised as sure-fire remedies for whatever was ailing Nigeria. But what beneficent mark did they make? Who remembers them today except as monuments to mass deception?

The claim that ending the alleged subsidy would make it possible to provide ante-natal care for three million pregnant women – three million, no more, no fewer — is particularly intriguing. How did they arrive at this figure, when no one knows Nigeria’s population size to the nearest 25 million?

That figure is too precise. Nigerian officials are simply not given to that level of precision.

Isn’t that what they call” being too clever by half”?

In whatever case, how will the lucky women be chosen? Will this be a one-time expedient, thanks to funds accruing from the subsidy to be withdrawn, or a scheme that will be institutionalised? Does it mean that the women would receive no ante-natal care unless the subsidy is withdrawn?

No less curious is the precision with which the amount to be realised from ending the subsidy and how it will be expended has been determined. The allocations have been calculated to the nearest Naira. The Federal Government knows exactly what it stands to receive, just as state and local governments know how much will redound to their coffers.

Isn’t this what they call “working to the answer”?

In all this, it is of no consequence that nobody knows for certain how much gasoline is actually imported or consumed, and therefore just how much is expended on the alleged subsidy. Nor does not matter that, faced with high gasoline prices, people will cut consumption drastically, and with it the alleged subsidy.

The claim that there was a subsidy on petrol that had to be withdrawn was always dubious. The growing list of wonders that would be accomplished by ending it and the desperation with which the campaign is being prosecuted render the entire scheme more dubious still.

Better to come clean and admit that the treasury and the foreign reserve have been depleted. Better to call the whole thing by its proper name – a tax on consumption— and stop doing violence to language and logic and facts and the sensibility of Nigerians.

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•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above trymen demand intelligent responses to the problem in place of the indiscriminate killings security agencies have, in frustration, fostered. It is unlikely anyone would be pleased with the whispers that the government is planning to convoke a security summit to discuss and find solutions to the terrible menace.

Some breakthrough arrests have been made by the secret service. Disturbingly, however, the arrests have seemed to justify the fear that a few members of the northern elite are complicit in the operations of Boko Haram.

It is possible that like the Southeast and Southwest elites who romanticise their ethnic militias, and even engage in stifling and ill-advised friendship with those militias, members of the northern elite are inured to the danger to themselves and the rest of the country of placing their agendas in the hands of such rabid and unconscionable groups. If Rwanda, Burundi, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan do not teach us a lesson, then we must be profoundly deaf, blind and stupid.

If we are still interested in saving the union, we must rise as one country to condemn the tactics and agenda of Boko Haram. Indeed, the northern elite must now show courage by going beyond merely condemning the bombings, while the government, which has so far proved singularly incompetent in the fight against extremism, must show leadership and demonstrate firmness, fairness and focus.

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