January 08, 2015 by The Nation

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APC kicks as DSS News INEC to publish voters list on Tue. P4 Sports Quadri is ITTF Athlete of the Year P24 alleges plan to hack INEC data Business CBN rules out capital controls P11 NEWS

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VOL. 10, NO. 3089 THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

IJAW IN LAGOS BACK APC:

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•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (middle), with the Chairman, Ijaw Community Forum , Lagos State, Mr. Patrick Agbeotu (9th left), and the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi (7th left), and other members of the Forum during a meeting with the Governor where they pledged their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Lagos House, Marina...yesterday

Jonathan attacks Obasanjo Govt: we didn’t squander reserve From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday replied his critics, lashing out at “elder statesmen making provocative statements that could could set the country ablaze”. He called them motor park touts. Dr. Jonathan did not mention the names of such statesmen. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has severally attacked Jonathan’s administration. He, last week, accused the government of squandering Nigeria’s foreign reserves. Former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, in an interview, spoke of corruption, saying compared to what he reads, his regime, which many describe as “very corrupt”

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Making provocative statements ... and you tell me you are a senior citizen. You are not a senior citizen ... you are ordinary motor park tout

was a saint. Speaking while receiving the Northern Elders Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa, Jonathan said: “Some people call themselves statesmen but they are not Continued on p.4

•Obasanjo...firing from all cylinders

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WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15 EVER RETURN?

ANALYSIS Page 3

•From left: National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Dr. Chris Ngige at Kesely Harrison Hospital, Port Harcourt to cheer up some APC members attacked by thugs while coming to the party’s rally in the Rivers State capital...yesterday.

Buhari: insecurity, economy will be our main focus STORY ON PAGE 4

APC candidate urges citizens to get PVCs Campaigns in Calabar, Warri

•FAYOSE SACKS 180 ASSEMBLY WORKERS P7 12 DIE IN PARIS ATTACK ON MEDIA HOUSE P60

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS •Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (middle), Founder, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu (left), Managing Director, Bank of Industries, Rasheed Olaoluwa (second left),Chairman, Cities Growth Commission, United Kingdom, Jim O'Neill (second right) and Creator of BRICS, Matthew Bishop at a meeting with the minister in Abuja...yesterday.

•Form left: Deputy Director-General, Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, Lagos chapter Chairman of the APC, Chief Henry Ajomale and Chairman, Archdiocesan Laity Council of Lagos State, Sir Fola Adekoya, when the APC candidate visited the Cardinal.

•From left: Project Coordinator, Women on the Winning Edge, Pastor Titi Adeosun, Convener, Women on the Winning Edge, Rev Funke Felix-Adejumo and Event Planner, Mrs. Kofoworade Macaulay Olawoyin at the press conference to unveil the 2015 Funke Felix Adejumo Foundation's Summit in Lagos

•From right: Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Onigbongbo Local Council Development Authority, Alhaja Iyabo Akerele, Council Manager Mrs. Dalumo Bukola, Executive Secretary Abiola Moshood Mustapha, Ekerin of Onigbongbo town, Chief Tajudeen Olugbayo and Mr. Olakanle Oladotun at Mustapha’s inauguration at the council’s secretariat in Lagos...yesterday.

Obasanjo... a ANALYSIS

NY honest writer or analyst will acknowledge that President Goodluck Jonathan’s national political career was a creation of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. At a time the President meant little politically outside his Bayelsa State base, Obasanjo located him and attached him to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in the 2007 presidential race. That appeared the peak the Otuoke-born Jonathan would go. But, fate intervened and today, he is President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It would seem then, perhaps as Obasanjo himself envisaged, that Jonathan would be incapable of creating an independent platform and would therefore run to his godfather at every opportunity for advice (more of instructions). However, that was not to be. The man has come of age politically. He has been weaned off the milk of the godfather and is demonstrating that he is not only in office but in power and in charge to the discomfiture of his mentor. Things have fallen apart between the two men and their political structures. For some time now, Obasanjo has been throwing jabs at the President, whose official and unofficial image makers have been fighting back. Early this week, while receiving a group of women leaders from the Southwest at his residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital Hilltop mansion, the former Head of State accused Jonathan of squandering oil cash, adding that the President was carrying on as if no one could hold him accountable. He urged the people to vote wisely next month. He has joined issues with the President on the security policy and depletion of the Excess Crude Account (ECA). His attacks on the President have raised some posers: What role will Obasanjo play in the 2015 election? Is he really a factor? Could he contribute meaningfully to the direction towards which the pendulum would swing? He has, of recent, consistently hit at his ward, describing him as incompetent in managing the country and especially the economy. Most resounding is the divergence in the views of both men on the political direction. Obasanjo wants Jonathan to play the statesman after one official term in office. Although constitutionally permitted to sit on the throne for eight years split into two terms, the former Head of State says the North deserves to be allowed to complete the Yar’Adua term. Always attempting to present the picture of a nationalist, Obasanjo wants the North appeased. Jonathan and his kinsmen think this is out of order. They argue that the North should wait for the Southsouth to exhaust the legal opportunity of a second term before the North could assume power again. In the argument, only a token attention is paid to competence. When Obasanjo was made President, he did not have the support of his Yoruba kinsmen. He was the choice of the North and the East. Overwhelmingly, the aggrieved people of the Southwest wanted Chief Olu Falae, who was the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy/All Peoples Party. As a chieftain of a party that has a dominant standing in the Southwest said: “In what ways did the Obasanjo presidency benefit his people more than the others.” It could be differently asked: “Why should any section of the country benefit more from a particular government simply because one of its sons is in power?” There are men whose personalities

•Dr. Jonathan By Bolade Omonijo, Editorial Board

excite controversy and passion. They fear no one and would drop the bombshell anywhere. Obasanjo has cut for himself the image of one who “speaks truth to power”. Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka sees him differently. He considers him a man versed in the art of appropriating others’ achievements. But many point at his attacks on past leaders to justify the image that he is not afraid to speak to power. When Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, a four-star General, ran national affairs, Obasanjo was a regular critic of the administration. He wasted no time in suggesting that the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) lacked a human face. He was equally disdainful of that government’s political agenda. He founded a body to promote good governance as that regime began to show the reluctance of its leader to quit office. At the time, he was regarded by many as a spokesman for the voiceless majority. Under the late Gen. Sani Abacha administration, the most brutal regime in the history of the country, Obasanjo joined the Abacha-must-go movement, even some maintain till date that he was duplicitous in so doing. He later paid the price as he was slammed in jail for a phantom coup plot. It was a sheer device to take him out of circulation and buy peace for the government. Eventually, when the maximum ruler permanently exited the stage, Obasanjo was freed and found himself in the seat of power in 1999. Since he left power, he has remained active in tackling his successors and presenting himself as a compassionate leader; a patriot. He chose a public forum to denounce his direct successor, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua. He called on the then ailing leader to save the country heartache by quitting the stage. In doing so, he spilled the beans, making public the private discussions he had with the late President, his health status and literally mobilising the public against the man who was presented as a sit-tight ruler, holding the nation to ransom. It was vintage Obasanjo. He showed he could both sting and bite. He cleverly omitted the part he played in scheming out others who were hale and hearty and had banked on emerging through the due process. As another election approaches, what does Obasanjo really want? As Obasanjo’s ship of state tottered on the high sea, Obasanjo’s verbal bullets rang out with the usual devastating effect. As he made pronouncements

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS

. always firing from all cylinders

•Gen. Gowon

•Chief Obasanjo

to rattle the military president, he schemed behind the scenes for what he considered most beneficial to his interest. He wanted an interim government which many felt he had wanted to head. Now, again, there are reports that he would not, at almost 77, be averse to leading such a government, even if that would be a way of achieving the proverbial third term. He is yet to come out with the idea. Knowing who he is, this might not take long in coming. Truly, the Egba man is brewing something that should be on the shelf any moment from now.

Statesmen on parade Election time is a period when politicians choose to show the stuff they

•Gen. Babangida

are made of. Everything they do is dictated by interests, declared and undeclared. But, elderstatesmen are expected to moderate views and actions in the general interest. The more discerning members of the public believe the utterances and suggestions of men who had played the game at the zenith before they bowed out fully or partially. They are usually old and wizened by age. They understand the country and will do anything literally to protect its corporate existence. In Nigeria, the elderstatesmen were either politicians or former military rulers. While sometimes featherweights electorally, they still have influence on public affairs. Such elderstatesmen include Obasanjo, the only person to have been privileged to rule the coun-

•Gen. Abubakar

try twice- once as a military Head of State, and later as a democratically elected President for eight years. Others are former military rulers Yakubu Gowon, Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar. In the civilian arm of the ruling elite, former President Shehu Shagari and his deputy, Dr. Alex Ekwueme could play some role too. Although both men are reticent, with Shagari being more of an establishment man who supports any government in power. Dr. Ekwueme, who started this dispensation seeking to upgrade his political profile by becoming the first President of the Fourth Republic, soon after recoiled somewhat into his shell. His influence has been limited with very little like other politi-

•Alhaji Shagari

•Dr. Ekwueme

cal elite from the Southeast. However, he has grown bolder in recent times mobilising his people to realise that the future could be bleak if the corporate existence of the country is not guaranteed through competent management. This declaration appears to be gaining some ground as the usual political monolithic front of the region is breaking. The Ohanaeze meeting, convened to decide what direction the region will take in the next few weeks, rejected a move to endorse the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate. This is seen as a sign of what to come. The positions of Abukakar and Babangida are not particularly discernible. While, on the one hand receiving Jonathan in his Minna Hilltop home

at the end of 2014, suggesting support for him, his aides were quick to indicate that Babangida was merely being courteous. He followed that with a veiled criticism of the Jonathan administration as very corrupt in an interview he granted the official organ of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).He said if the level of corruption going on now is compared with his time, public officials in his time were angels and saints. There are suggestions that the former rulers and military chiefs may be meeting behind the scenes to forge a common ground in saving a country deemed to be failing. How far will they go? Will they succeed? Unfolding scenarios will dictate what happens on February 14.

NLC backs judicial workers’ strike W

ORKERS’ umbrella body - the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) - yesterday backed the ongoing industrial action by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). It accused the Federal Government of breaking chains of promises made and series of agreements it signed with the aggrieved workers. Congress General Secretary Dr. Peter OzoEson said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that it was unfortunate that the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who is the chief law officer of the federation, would disregard the pronouncement of a competent court of competent law. The NLC support came on a day the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Augustine Alegeh (SAN), and human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), disagreed on the timing of the JUSUN strike. It also came on a day a meeting between the Works Minister and leaders of JUSUN ended in a deadlock. President of JUSUN, Marwan Adamu, told reporters after the meeting, which ended at about 5pm yesterday, that none of the parties involved was willing to yield ground. In a statement entitled: “Financial autonomy for the Judiciary is non-negotiable,” the NLC said that respect for the judiciary pronouncement will enrich the nation’s democracy, pointing out that strong institutions are needed for the development of the nation’s democracy. It reads: “The ongoing strike action by members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) is an outcome of government’s disregard for a judicial pronouncement by a court of competent jurisdiction. “It is equally a product of a chain of broken promises by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), states’ governments

• Fed Govt, JUSUN meeting deadlocked By Joseph Jibueze, Tony Akowe, and Eric Ikhilae

and other appropriate government agencies. “A year ago, a court of competent jurisdiction entered a judgment in favour of JUSUN by directing the AGF to deduct money and pay the National Judicial Council as part of the process of directly funding the Judiciary which in our view further strengthens our democracy. “It needs no stating that for the development of our democracy, we need strong institutions, a truly independent judiciary in de jure and de facto terms. Since the judgment, as many as seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoU)with government (arising from countless meetings) have been signed. “In spite of serial breaches by government and its agencies, JUSUN had continually displayed remarkable understanding and uncommon maturity. The direct funding of the judiciary is a constitutional right which has been further strengthened by a judicial pronouncement. “We therefore call on the attorney-general of the federation and all the attorneys-general of the states to respect this judgement. “It is saddening that these law officers are seen to be breaking the law in such a brazen manner and at a time like this. Financial autonomy for the judiciary is non-negotiable.” Also yesterday, the NBA president asked the striking workers to return to work. He cited next month’s general elections as reason. But Falana described the industrial action as well-timed to force the government’s hand. Alegeh said although JUSUN had a good

cause since there were valid court judgments in its favour, the effect of the strike on the masses was enormous. He said: “We must appreciate that these are very critical political times in our country. Various political parties are conducting their primaries, and the law court is the only avenue for individuals to ventilate their grievances; so, we cannot afford them to be shut down at this point. “It will have a negative impact on the citizenry; on that ground, we are appealing to JUSUN to call off its strike.” In his own argument, Falana said the strike could not have been better timed despite its implications on the rule of law. His words: “I think the strike was timed by JUSUN this time around to hit the political class because of the pending cases in court with respect to the manipulation of results of primary elections of the leading political parties. “A lot of pressure is likely to be on the government to sit down with the JUSUN leadership and resolve this crisis. “I’m in touch with JUSUN leadership, and I have advised them this time around to ensure they record success before calling off the strike. “We must put an end to these instalmental strikes on the part of judiciary workers. It has implications for the rule of law. “A lot of people are languishing in prison custody, whose cases have to be adjourned sine dine. So, while I support the calling off of the strike, it will not be fair if the basis for the strike is not achieved.” It was gathered that although the representatives of the Federal Government expressed con-

cern over the turn of event and attempted to placate the workers, a position the workers appreciated; the point of departure was when the government’s representatives refused to make commitments. They were expected to assure the workers that the government was willing and committed to compel the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Jonah Otunla, to comply with the orders as contained in the January 13 judgment by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja. In his ruling, the judge declared unconstitutional, the piecemeal release of budgetary allocations to the judiciary. The AGF has been reported to have said that the Federal Government had always ensured compliance with the judgment and that the problem was with the states, it was learnt that government’s position, at the meeting held in Abuja yesterday, was to plead with the workers for more time. The Nation learnt that the inability of parties to arrive at a common ground forced the minister to adjourn the meeting to a yet-to-be agreed date next week. Adamu said: “The strike continues. We are just leaving the meeting venue now. The meeting is inconclusive. Although I will not be able to tell you all that we discussed, I just want you to know that nothing has changed. “The strke continues. The government said we will meet again next week after its (government's) representatives examine our position and decide on what to do next. “There is no clear date yet for the meeting. They promised to get back to us before next week. But as far as we are concerned, the strike continues until they realise the need to obey court orders and judgments.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS Buhari: insecurity, economy will be our focus

•INEC Commissioner Akinola Salawu taking the oath of office during his swearing-in at the Presidential Villa, Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN.

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign was in full swing yesterday – 24 hours after its launch in Port Harcourt. On day one, the party campaigned in Port Harcourt (Rivers State) and Uyo (Akwa Ibom State). Yesterday, the train moved to Calabar, the Cross River State capital and Warri, the economic nerve centre of Delta State. The presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, accompanied by campaign Director General and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, also visited Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in Owerri. In all the places, Gen. Buhari made promises to deliver on good governance, fight corruption and secure the people - if elected.

INEC to publish voters list on Tuesday

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on Tuesday publish the voters register – one month to the election - in line with the Electoral Act. Mr. Kayode Idowu, INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega’s spokesman, said yesterday that the register will be on display to allow for public scrutiny for claims and objections. The publication of the register will end the anxiety over the list. Those who have not registered will no longer be able to do so before the elections. Idowu said those who registered during the continous Voter Registration (CVR) and those whose names are on the register but yet to pick up their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), will still be free to have the cards until the end of the month. The elections are slated for February 14 and 28. The list will be published in

From Vincent Ikuomola, Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

line with Section 19(i) of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended. Section 9(5) of the Act also forbids INEC from registering any person not later than 30 days before any election. Section 19(5) directs the commission to publish names of those expected to participate in the April 14th and 15th general elections forthwith. The section reads: “Subject to the provisions of section 9(5) of this Act, the Commission shall, by notice, appoint a period of not less than five days and not exceeding 14 days, during which a copy of the voters’ register for each local government, Area Councillor ward shall be displayed for public scrutiny and during which period any objection or complaint in relation to names omitted or included in the voters’ register or relation to any necessary correction, shall be raised or filed.”

Section 9(5) states: “The registration of voters, updating and revision of the register of voters under the section shall stop not later than 30days before any election covered by this Act” INEC is contemplating carving out constituencies for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) among other possible options, to ensure their participation in the elections. The committee set up to look into various possibilities has submitted a report after working for two weeks. IDP camps have been created in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states, which have been under attack of insurgents. Idowu said: “One option is to designate a safe haven as a constituency, because the law prescribes constituency and residency voting. You can designate a safe area as a safe haven and invite everybody to come to that constituency from wherever they dwell within or outside the country to come over and cast their votes.

“If you have possibility of IDP camps being homogenous in terms of where people migrated from, you can move the polling units and get them to vote. So there are many options that the security can work with but essential it will still need security cover to do these things.” Jega has been invited by the House of Representatives to explain the plan for the elections. The lawmakers are concerned about the chances of the country’s 3.3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) voting in the elections. The meeting has been fixed for January 20. The Chairman, House Committee on Electoral Matters, Jerry Manwe, the INEC boss and his team are expected to elaborate on INEC’s level of preparedness. Funding, security and franchise of IDPs as well as other sundry matters will be discussed.

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar, Shola O’Neil and Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

Gen. Buhari promised to develop Southeast infrastructure, which he said President Goodluck Jonathan had neglected. Thousands of APC members and supporters gathered at the Government Secondary School, Mayne Avenue in Calabar South to recieve Gen. Buhari. Officials of the party said they were denied the use of the stadium for the event, but this did not deter enthusiastic supporters who filled the school’s football pitch, spilling onto adjoining streets. Addressing the crowd,

Gen. Buhari said the APC would tackle two fundamental problems - insecurity and the economy. He said: “The situation in this country is of genuine concern to us. We have two fundamental problems that the government of APC would attack head-on, which are insecurity and the economy. Because if there is no security, there is no way the economy will be vibrant. If there is corruption from top to bottom, a vicious cycle is established. You either kill corruption or corruption will kill the country. We are determined to make sure that the tendency to steal and misContinued on page 59

Jonathan to INEC: issue PVCs

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that registered eligible Nigerians get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the elections. He spoke yesterday after swearing in the INEC Commissioner representing Oyo State, Prof. Akinola Murtala Salawu, at the Presidential Villa. Jonathan said it was unacceptable for any eligible Nigerian not to vote in next month’s election because of inability to get his or her PVC. He said: “I believe Prof. Attahiru Jega will even want to double the number of staff, if he has the resources, to make sure that they can cope. Because Nigerians are getting worried whether INEC can actually conduct the elections. “Talking about the PVC, some governors are complaining that they are yet to get their PVCs. If governors are yet to get their voter cards, of course, that means that so many Nigerians are yet to get; and people are a bit worried. “So, the Chairman of INEC, luckily you are here. All Nigerians must get voter cards. We cannot conduct an election, where some people will not have the right to vote. “People must decide, who

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

rules them at all levels. Not just about presidential elections, but at the lowest level of elections conducted by INEC - the state assembly elections, House of Representatives, Senate and the Presidency. “All eligible Nigerians must vote and INEC must do everything possible to make sure that all Nigerians have their voter cards. Because we cannot have a situation where some Nigerians will not vote on that day. So, Prof. Salau and Prof. Jega, I wish you success.” Jonathan noted that the improvement in the electoral system during his tenure gave room for the complaints from various quarters. He said: “But to me, I’m quite pleased; not pleased in the negative sense. The awareness that has come on board that made Nigerians to want to have their voter cards. Before 2011, no Nigerian will complain about voter card. And that’s why when some politicians talk, I just laugh. “Before 2011, how many Nigerians complained about not having voter cards? Because elections were not conducted with voter cards. Nobody cared. We are all adults in Nigeria and we know what was happening. Some people came on board and sanitised the electoral process.”

Jonathan attacks Obasanjo at meeting with North’s elders Continued from page 1

statesmen; they are just ordinary politicians. For you to be a statesman is not because you have occupied a big office before but the question is what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country? Or are you a part of people who tell lies to destroy this country?” “To create enmity and make people who ordinarily would have been living together to fight themselves. Are you planning to set the country ablaze because you did not get that particular thing you want?” He went on: “At the appropriate time, Nigerians will know all of us, even though I know most of you know us but the younger ones do not know. Some people are hiding under some clogs, some big names and creating a lot of problems in this country.” “Making provocative statements in this country, statements that will set this country ablaze and you tell me you are a senior citizen. You are not a senior citizen you can never be; you are ordinary motor park tout. “Because if you are a senior citizen you will act like one. It is not because of the offices we occupy is by divine grace and

Fed Govt: we didn’t squander external reserve

HE Federal Government has denied allegations by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that it squandered the country’s foreign reserve. In a statement yesterday the federal ministry of finance said: “It is absolutely not true that the Administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has squandered the nation’s reserves.” The ministry noted that “facts are clear and indisputable. At the end of May 2007, Nigeria’s gross reserves stood at $43.13 billion - comprising the CBN’s external reserves of $31.5 billion, $9.43 billion in the Excess Crude Account, and $2.18 billion in Federal Government’s savings.” This fall in reserves, the ministry explained, “was largely a result of the vicissitudes of the global economy and oil market which caused the CBN to intervene, using some of the reserves, to defend the value of the Naira”. The ministry said: “It is not correct to say that the nation’s external reserves were dipped into or misapplied by the Administration. Anyone familiar with

providence that some of us occupy these offices. But what role are you playing to build this country?” The President noted that without peace and unity, there can never be development. He said: “I feel sad that our younger ones are beginning to see a Nigeria as if we are so divided. A Nigeria that a Mus-

From Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

foreign reserves management will be aware that the Federal Government cannot dip its hands into the external reserves. Like in other countries, the management of external reserves is one of the statutory mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Section 2 sub-section (c) of the CBN Act (2007) states that the Bank shall “maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender” – in other words, to defend the value of the Naira. No President since the democratic dispensation has contravened this Act.” The reserves it added was used to settle both public and private sector foreign currency obligations, “including the importation of goods such as equipment for power sector. Whenever an agency of government or a private individual/ company needs to make a payment in foreign currency (e.g. payment of goods and services, settlement of external debt, etc) it must provide the naira equivalent to the CBN in exchange for the required foreign

lim and a Christian cannot sit down together. I was told that even the driver of Tafawa Balewa was a Christian. Our people lived together in those days; why not now that we have even modern ways of life? “Our children leave us and go abroad, they stay together and do a lot of things togeth-

currency. “The reality is that since May 2007, the reserves have fluctuated in line with developments in the international oil market, rising from $43.13 billion at that time, peaking at $62 billion in September 2008 during the Yar’adua/Jonathan Administration when oil prices reached a peak of $147 per barrel, and falling subsequently to a low of $31.7 billion in September 2011. “Nigeria’s reserves during the period were not squandered but used appropriately in the course of normal transactions required for the development of the Nigerian economy.” On the Excess Crude savings, the ministry said it is a component of the reserves, which “was largely used to cushion the economy at the height of the global financial crisis in 2008-2009. As a result, Nigeria was one of the few countries in the world that did not seek assistance from international financial institutions at that time.

er. But when we come back home, we begin to build walls; this is a southerner, this is a northerner, this is a Muslim, this is a Christian, this is a Yoruba man, this is an Hausa man, this is an Ijaw man, this is a Nupe man. Is that the way we are going to develop our country?” According to Jonathan,

Continued on page 59

America is great because it is made up of various cultural groups and ethnic lines have been so weakened that people think only about America. He stressed that citizens of any country that begin to see themselves through their tribal enclaves cannot go anywhere. His words: “If today I’m sick,

if the best doctor that can treat me is from Zamfara or Enugu or Ekiti, they will bring that doctor to treat me. They will not ask if that doctor is an Ijaw man, Ogbia or any other tribe. And until we get to that level where we begin to use people based on their competences, yes there must be spread in political appointment and so on.” Jonathan said that Nigeria will begin to develop when there is no discrimination based on primordial privileges. “And that is what we stand for. I will continue to plead with you because from all of your activities you have been advocating for that,” he told the elders. He also denied the allegation that he does not like Northerners. He said: “Some people say Jonathan hates the North. I have heard that statement and I use to ask Namadi Sambo, they say I hate the North, but you are here. I asked the National Security Adviser and my Principal Secretary the same Continued on page 59

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THE NATION THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS

Varsities lack quality lecturers, says NUC

HE report of the Needs Assessment on Nigerian universities has shown that less than 50 per cent of their lecturers have doctorate degrees. The National Universities Commission (NUC), which said this yesterday, added that inadequate teaching staff in the right mix and quality has negative effect on accreditation performance of universities. Deputy Director, NUC, Ashafa Ladan, spoke for the commission in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a public lecture organised to mark the first Founder’s Day celebration of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. The lecture was entitled: “The challenges of private universities’ proprietorship in

•Private proprietors indicted From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Nigeria.” Ladan warned that some private universities proprietors would “either have their operating licences suspended or undergo forensic auditing due to their failure to put in place proper structure for governance and administration as contained in their academic brief and the university law.” The NUC director added that profit motive made some proprietors to violate procedures and requirements in an effort to begin lucrative and marketable courses before maturity period. Said he: “The guidelines and requirements of NUC and oth-

er professional bodies place greater constraint on some proprietors as they would have preferred to employ poor quality teaching staff to maximise their profit. “Most of the senior teaching staff in private universities are either employed on sabbatical, visiting or adjunct basis due essentially to difficulty in attracting quality staff at this level. “The quality of teaching staff (senior lecturers and above) posed greater challenge with regards to mentoring, research and research leadership, effective linkages, journal publication and the general evaluation system of standing of the uni-

versity. “There is poor understanding of the concept of governance and management structure of the university by some proprietors, which poses a serious challenge. There is poor understanding of how university works/operates by some proprietors. Some proprietors are deliberately stubborn, viewing private universities as purely a business affair, which is not the case. “Some private universities take off with bank loans and whatever is generated as revenue is shared between repayments of the loans and running the universities in an uncomfortable ratio. This challenge is

compounded by the fact that private universities do not determine their carrying capacity. This often creates poor financial standing/position for the proprietors. And unsteady funding has negative impact on quality teaching, leading to production of poor quality graduates and accreditation performance.” In his remark, Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed urged the nation’s private universities to promote academic excellence so that students can make valuable contributions to the country’s development. Ahmed, who was represented by Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Abdulwahab Opakunle, added: “Nigeria’s advancement will be considerably enhanced when we

imbibe excellence as a national ethic.” The governor urged “private universities in Nigeria to continue to provide quality university education despite the challenges confronting them. “As we are all aware, funding is a major challenge confronting universities all over the world - whether publicly owned or privately run. “However, you are urged to identify innovative ways of overcoming these challenges so that private universities will become as reputable as their publicly owned precursors. I am confident that private universities in Nigeria have the capacity and capabilities to become centres of academic excellence and groundbreaking research.”

Osinbajo leads Osun’s Walk for Change •Aregbesola urges support for APC candidate From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

•Prof. Osinbajo (third right); Aregbesola (fourth right); his wife, Sherifat (fifth right); Laoye-Tomori (second right); Adeoti (right) and others, during a Walk For Change in Osogbo, Osun State...yesterday.

Buhari raises additional N64m for campaign

LL Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has raised an additional N64 million through a crowd funding project for his campaign. Col. Hamid Ibrahim Ali (rtd), a former Kaduna State military administrator and chief of staff to Buhari, said this while addressing about 87 support groups of the APC presidential candidate in Abuja. Ali denied reports that Buhari received funds from an unnamed Arab nation for his campaign. An Abuja-based daily newspaper reported that the APC presidential candidate would soon receive some millions of dollars from Arab billionaires, who had allegedly assisted in funding his campaign in 2003, 2007 and 2011. The report also alleged that a former Oil Minister from Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Zaki Yamani, as well as some other Arab billionaires used a secret funding route to channel millions of dollars to Buhari’s campaign. But, Ali described the report as false, saying: “It is not true. I am part of the campaign team and I am in the centre of it. I don’t know of any Arab man that has spoken to us. So, it is untrue, it is false.”

•Aide: no fund received from Arabs From Tony Akowe, Abuja

The retired colonel told reporters that the APC presidential candidate was getting money from the Nigerian people to fund his campaign. He added that besides the crowd funding project, the General was getting donations from Nigerians, who are not necessarily buying crowd funding cards. He said between December 24, 2014, when Buhari said N54 million was raised through the crowd fund project, and January 7, an additional N64,702, 265. 35 has been raised. The total so far is N118,792,265. He said: “Buhari has said that he lunch the funding to get money purposely from the lower people, because he want the commitment of the people and to remember when he get to the office that it is the sweat of the people that got him there. And by that, he will be more committed to serve them.” He confirmed that the campaign team was also getting money from other sources, who might not necessarily buy card before donating money to the course, adding that if such money is deposited into the account,

it will be made public. On Buhari’s certificate controversy, Ali said: “Gen. Buhari went through the military; he got admitted and went to UK to train. So, if Gen. Buhari does not have the required qualifications, he would not in the first place have been admitted as a cadet. “So, from that time on, he has gone through so many courses and trainings. I am surprise that today at 72, somebody is talking about the issue of certificate, after he ran for three presidential elections, and this is the fourth one. “So, why is it today that someone is talking about credentials? What did INEC used to clear him before now? Ali told the support groups that the essence of the meeting was to take stock of what each of the support groups were doing to ensure that Buhari emerged president in the elections and to inform them of how much has been raised so far for the campaign. He said: “Today’s interactive session with you leaders of various groups supporting the election of General Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osibanjo is to give you update on the progress we have made in our mobilisation work across

the country through your patriotic efforts and also to let you know how much we have raised through our crowd funding effort via sales of BSO card and direct donations to BSO First Bank account. “This is in keeping with our avowed commitment to accountability and transparency the qualities our principal, General Buhari, is acclaimed for. “We salute the courage and commitment of Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides who desire change and confidence in the ability of General Buhari to provide the leadership that will secure our nation and prosper our people.” He added: “As the campaign enters its crucial stage, just about five weeks to the February 14, 2015 elections, it is important we review the activities of over 85 Buhari support groups operating under the umbrella of the Buhari Support Organisations with over 8 million individual members across Nigeria, going by our available records. “With our members across the country, who are acting as our change ambassadors, our session today will define new parameters to measure each group’s performance and how we recruit new change agents and voters to join the Buhari/ Osibanjo train and vote for our great party in all elections.”

THE residents of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, yesterday received the vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who led a walk for change round major streets of the town. Osinbajo, who was accompanied by Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat; the deputy governor, Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, addressed thousands of people at the Osogbo City Stadium. The walk was tagged: “Nigerians Walk for Change (Buhari/Osinbajo.)” Other dignitaries, who participated in the programme, include the Speaker, state House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam; the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; APC’s state chairman, Prince Gboyega Famoodun, and other chieftains of the party. Many supporters of the APC from adjourning towns and villages trooped out to join the team as the walk took them through streets such as the Oke-fia, Alekuwodo, Olaiya, Oluode market and ended at the Osogbo township stadium. Addressing the crowd at the Osogbo township stadium, Osinbajo noted that “by February I4, God will grant you people of this country the new Nigeria” they desperately craved for. The vice presidential candidate said the APC government, when sworn-in May 29, will change the country’s social and economic status from poverty that has bedevilled it under the Jonathan-led Federal Government, to a wealthy and prosperous nation. According to him, the coming of APC will usher in a government of the masses, which will focus on youth employment and infrastructural development. Osinbajo promised that the government on assumption of office will employ 20,000 youths in every state. He added that agriculture and food production will be given a priority unlike under the Jonathan administration, where he said many Nigerians are living with hunger. Osinbajo also added that primary school pupils will be fed free every school day in every state, noting that healthcare and other sectors will be adequately cared for. Aregbesola lamented that the Jonathan-led PDP government has brought untold hardship to the people, noting that the “rate of poverty is alarming and beyond the thinking of every reasonable people.” The governor urged Nigerians to support Buhari/Osinbajo for the much desired change in Nigeria. He said: “Osun is solidly behind Buhari-Osinbajo candidacy. It is compulsory to support the APC in its bid to turn around the fortune of Nigeria. The government of Goodluck Jonathan had for close to six years brought untold hardship to the people of the nation. “We must therefore join hands with Buhari-Osinbajo’s team to rescue the teetering ship of our dear country. With Buhari as president, all the nation yearns earnestly for will be done within a short period of time. “One paramount duty we must, as true citizens of this country, perform in February is to vote wisely and vote for Buhari. A vote for Buhari’s is a vote for development, growth and abundance. A vote for Buhari is a vote for an end to poverty, misrule and insecurity in Nigeria.” Many chieftains of the APC, including the APC chairman, the Assembly Speaker and others also addressed the crowd.

MDCAN laments non-payment of salary From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

HE Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has lamented the delay in payment of its members’ last year’s November/December salary. A statement by its General Secretary, Dr. Victor Makanjuola in Ibadan, reads:” This is to bring to the notice of the general public the grave injustice being experienced by medical doctors in UCH, Ibadan. As at 5th January 2015, the November and December salaries of the doctors, who are not on strike, are yet to be paid while salaries of the members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), who have been on strike over the same period have been paid. “It would be recalled that it took the threat of embarking on unprecedented strike by MDCAN to ensure the payment of three months’ salary in arrears last year on the last day of the year 2013.”

THE NATION THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS Editors’ Guild scores INEC APC attempted to hack into INEC’s low over PVCs’ issuance T data base, says DSS T HE Department of State Security (DSS) has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) attempted to hack into the data base of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with the intention of disrupting the electoral process. DSS Spokesperson Marilyn Ogar, who briefed reporters in Abuja yesterday, also alleged that the party had a number of serving security agents as its registered members. She added that the APC also did multiple and underage registration. Ogar, who did not reveal the names of the affected security workers, said the agents comprised those from the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps among others. The DSS, in November, broke into APC’s data centre located at No. 10, Bola Ajibola Street, Ikeja,

From Gbade Ogunwale and Faith Yahaya, Abuja

Lagos, where workers, documents and computers were carted away by armed operatives. But, Ogar stated that after investigation, the DSS suspected that there was an elaborate and wellarticulated plan by the party to inflate its membership data through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC’s voters register across the country. The statement said: “One of the hard drives recovered from the building contained a video of twenty-one (21) hacking tutorials. “The content of the tutorial video focused on the following areas; how to become a hacker and steps to take to avoid detection in the process of hacking web servers;

steps and procedures of system hacking, passwords cracking, decrypting, escalating access privileges, and creating backdoors to servers. “It also explicitly explained how to evade security of databases such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), firewalls and other measures put in place to deter hackers. “The video also outlined ways to identify vulnerabilities in systems and how to surreptitiously drop a USB flash drive in a target establishment, which when plugged into any computer, transmits malicious codes enough to gain access into and compromise the entire system of the target organisation; and “The video explains how to hack into the systems of media houses, with the aim of broadcast-

ing fake stories or headlines. “It was also discovered that the APC registered under-aged persons, including several infants and babies as members of the party. We know that Article 9.1 of the APC Party Constitution expressly says: ‘membership of the party shall be open to any citizen of Nigeria who has attained the age of 18 years and accepts the aims and objectives of the party. “The APC had multiple registration of individuals in multiples of 16, 12, and 10 and several foreigners were also registered as its members “Also, the APC filled forms without passport photographs, and have books containing names of people with their phone numbers and several envelopes containing passport photographs of various individuals.”

Party: findings from DSS’ raid hogwash, disservice

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the ‘findings’ presented to reporters by the Department of State Security (DSS) yesterday as a great disservice to Nigeria and an embarrassment to all intelligencegathering organisations around the world. Its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, also described the timing of the release of the ‘findings’ as a plot orchestrated in collusion with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to distract the APC from its ongoing campaigns for next month’s elections. It described as disingenuous, flimsy, premeditated, partisan and an irritant the conclusion that the APC had an ‘’articulated plan to inflate the party’s membership data as well as hack into INEC’s voter registration database through the creation of party membership forms and cards to match INEC’s voters register across the country’’. The statement reads: ‘’First the DSS and the PDP said the APC was cloning Permanent Voters Cards at the raided office, without a shred of evidence.

Now, after a ‘painstaking’ investigation, the DSS has found out that the APC was only planning to inflate its membership data and then hack into INEC’s database. And this is the outcome of its massive, monthslong investigations? ‘’This would have been funny if it were not from a primary domestic intelligence agency saddled with a great responsibility. Can this wishy-washy report stand any serious scrutiny? Can any serious intelligence gathering agency anywhere else in the world take this report seriously? “With these kind of findings, one can now understand why Boko Haram has continued to strike at times and places of its own choosing without any prior knowledge by our all-powerful DSS. ‘’Even the presentation of the report by a poorly-trained and highly-politicised spokesperson of the DSS worsened the socalled findings. Why would the spokesperson of a national agency sound like a megaphone for the ruling party, freely castigating the opposition spokesman and ‘’a number of uninformed members of the public’’? Why does she have to go personal in

presenting a report that supposedly is in the national interest? ‘’We have always warned that our democracy is in clear and present danger, not just from desperate politicians, but also from institutions of state that have compromised in their roles and resorted to crass lawlessness. The DSS’ ‘findings’ today have given us another reason to repeat this warning. ‘’While we are willing to meet the DSS in court, we can confidently say that the ‘confessions’ extracted from the arrested persons, after they were subjected to incredible acts of torture, cannot even stand in any court of law.” The party recalled that in its statement of December 5, 2014, it accused the DSS of resorting to the use of torture to obtain forced confessions from those who were arrested during the first raid on the party’s data centre in Ikeja. ‘’In that statement, we called the action of the DSS a contravention of the UN Convention against Torture, to which Nigeria is a signatory and a violation of the citizens’ fundamental human rights. ‘’We also said the DSS shackled the hands and legs of

those arrested and blindfolded them while they were being taken to Abuja. The arrested persons remained in chains even at the dark detention cell where they were made to sleep on the bare floor for the 10 days they were detained illegally. ‘’Guns were pointed at their heads by DSS personnel, who threatened to shoot them, while a pregnant woman among those who were arrested was denied access to her drugs, even when she started bleeding due to the torture to which she was subjected by the DSS. “Now, the DSS has confirmed what we said in that press statement. Is anyone still surprised at the action of countries that are distancing themselves from Nigeria over human rights violations?’’ it queried. APC said the impending release of the ‘great findings’ by the DSS after its world class investigations must have been the reason why the agency threatened it would arrest any politician who makes inciting comments, adding: ‘’Apparently, the DSS needed to silence all so that no one will dare criticise its earth-shaking ‘findings’.’’

President receives 2014 hajj report

From Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja

HE Director of Media and Publicity of President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, differed yesterday on a plan by the PDP to direct attacks on Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, during campaign for next month’s presidential election. Fani-Kayode, in Abuja yesterday, said the PDP would expose the alleged “atrocities” committed by the APC presidential candidate (Buhari), when he was in power as military head of state. He added that demystifying Buhari remained the main issue in the presidential campaign Fani-Kayode said: “It is our intention to expose Gen. Buhari for what he really is, what he stands for and the great danger that his candidacy portends for the unity of the Nigerian state, and the peace and well-being of the Nigerian people.” But, Mohammed said the APC was not surprised by the “outburst of Fani-Kayode”, adding that his statement was “full of contradictions.” The APC spokesman noted that Fani-Kayode promised that the PDP would engage in issues based campaign, but ended up attacking the person of Buhari. He argued that it was true that Buhari was a former military head of state, but insisted that he has submitted himself to party politics in the last 12 years. The APC spokesman emphasised that “Buhari is the best man for the presidency”.

HE Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Solomom Adeola, who is the All Progressives Party (APC) senatorial candidate for Lagos West, has stated that next month’s general elections present opportunity to deepen the nation’s democracy and good governance. Adeola said voters should elect an opposition party for the first time at the national level, “as is obtainable in other democratic countries of the world”. The legislator, who is aspiring to represent the largest senatorial district in the country, said this at the inauguration of his 110member campaign committee to complement the effort of the party in Lagos State. He added that the work of his team is to ensure that the party’s candidates emerge victorious at all levels in the election.

From Augustiine Ehikioya, Abuja

peat, will be dealt with. Because the government believes that we must encourage religious practice in our country.” “I charge you as religious leaders to continue to pray for the country. The excess of criminality in the North; we have issues of terror. In the South, we have issues of kidnapping. These are issues being pushed by negative forces. No person, who is really religious in any of the religions, can willingly go and kill.” Jonathan added: “We must continue to pray for the peace of the country, especially as we face the general elections this year. Anytime you open the papers, it is as if the country wants to burn. But, Nigeria will surely be safe; Nigeria will surely be united and we will prosecute the election in the end.” The Sultan thanked the president for supporting the Hajj operations, saying: “We have seen tremendous achievements and progress, since we started the hajj

Fani-Kayode, Mohammed differ over attack on Buhari

‘Best time to deepen democracy is now’

•Sultan seeks self-sustaining hajj commission RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has received the 2014 Hajj report from the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He promised that his administration will take a look at the report and address the issues raised. The President also sought for prayers against terror and for peaceful conduct of next month’s general elections. He said: “I thank you for the report you have put together, well packaged and of course, the Sultan has made the Presentation. It is a summary of the whole document. “But we take the Hajj operations very seriously, so all the issues raised here, we will look at it. The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation usually do a thorough analysis of it and come up with specific recommendations on what government should do.” “So your eminence, be rest assured that all your observations, which I will not want you to re-

HE Nigerian Guild of Editors has urged fair play in next month’s general elections, warning that the country’s reputation as well as that of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was at stake. Its president, Femi Adesina, said this in a communique after the Guild’s last quarterly meeting for 2014 in Lagos. The communique noted that with the shoddy arrangements in the issuance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), “there is urgent need for INEC to redeem the process by ensuring that eligible voters are not disenfranchised.” The statement reads: “Editors advise the political class, security agents and the populace to be cautious in their utterances, abide by the rules of campaigning and exhibit tolerance before and during the elections to avoid over-heating the polity. Security agencies, particularly, should be nonpartisan. “The Guild laments that insurgency has lasted for too long in the northern part of the country, especially in Nigeria’s Northeast, with its attendant huge death toll and massive number of Internally Displaced Persons. The crises call for harmonisation of efforts, change of tactics, and a review of the country’s security architecture, to win the war. “The Guild notes that the sudden sharp fall in global oil prices is a wakeup call on the Nigerian government to urgently go beyond rhetorics by developing economic policies and measures to diversify the economy. “Federal and other arms of government must take drastic actions to reduce the huge cost of governance, particularly in the face of recently announced austerity measures. “The Guild laments the high failure rate in the just released November/ December results of the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, believing it is symptomatic of the decay in the education sector. It therefore calls for increased allocation to the education sector, and training and retraining of teachers. “The Guild appreciates the unifying role of sports globally, and laments that as the Nations Cup kicks off in January, our national team, the Super Eagles and defending champions will be conspicuously absent at the AFCON tournament. The football authorities are therefore urged to resolve all issues bedevilling the nation’s sports sector with promptitude.

Newswatch holds Person of the Year Award

•Dr. Jonathan (left) receiving the report from Alhaji Abubakar... yesterday. ` PHOTO: AKIN OLADOKUN.

operations under National Hajj Commission of Nigeria. It couldn’t have been possible without your total commitment and support. He told the president that the Hajj operations went smoothly and was very successful, despite the

earlier challenges of the Ebola scare,” which delayed airlift by over a week to 10 days.” He added that the commission also encountered some challenges, which were enumerated in the 2014 report.

IGNITARIES will converge at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, for the maiden edition of Newswatch Person of the Year Award on January 18. It is the first award ceremony by the 30-year-old news magazine. The awards, according to the organisers, are designed to recognise and reward persons and institutions in the public and private sectors, who made positive impacts on corporate and societal governance last year. The awards, which are in 15 categories, include: CEO of the Year (private sector, public sector), Minister of the Year (Project Implementation, Revenue Generation, Overall Performance), Governors of the Year (Health, Social Development, Revenue Generation, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Education and Rural Development) and the Overall Person of the Year.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS

180 Ekiti Assembly workers sacked

Man, 69, killed in Ondo

•‘They were illegally employed’

69-YEAR-OLD man, Peter Adeboye, has been killed on his farmland at Igoba in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State. Sources said the deceased was allegedly strangled to death by yet-to-be identified persons, who attacked him on his farm. Sources said the late Adeboye went to his farm but did not return, a situation which made his family organise a search party. His wife, Esther, was said to have discovered the body. Police spokesman Wole Ogodo said: ”Nothing was taken from the deceased. Mrs. Esther Adeboye came to the station to report that her husband was missing. She said he went to the farm and did not return. A search party was mobilised. “On getting there, Mrs. Adeboye saw the body first and when they moved closer, they discovered that his trousers were removed. His neck was broken and there was blood flowing from his nose and mouth. His phone was in his hand. “The body has been deposited at the State Specialist Hospital Mortuary, Akure.”

BOUT 180 civil servants working in the Ekiti State House of Assembly have got a bad New Year gift from the government. The workers, who were employed by the administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, were sacked on Monday after they had finished the New Year prayer as part of activities to mark the first working day. The civil servants were exchanging banters with their colleagues after the prayer when factional Speaker Dele Olugbemi announced their sack. Some of the sacked workers, who asked not to be named, alleged that Olugbemi told them that “they were not properly employed by the immediate past administration”. The workers, some of

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

whom were weeping, described their sack as unfortunate and appealed to Governor Ayo Fayose to reinstate them. One said: “We are not politicians; we are civil servants and we have been loyal to the government and government is a continuum. “It is a very bad thing for you to resume work the first working day of the year and be handed a sack letter. What are we going to tell our dependants at home? “We have families to feed and take care of. Every government employs civil servants at one time or the other and we believe that the Fayose administration will

also employ new workers anytime the state’s finances improve. “For us to be sacked summarily because we were employed by Fayemi is very unfair to us and we appeal to the governor to temper justice with mercy. “We are Ekiti indigenes and many of us even voted for Fayose. Is this the way they are going to pay us back? “We urge the governor to have mercy on us and take us back because many people will be affected by our sack.” Olugbemi alleged that the sacked workers were employed by the Fayemi administration after losing the June 21 election. He alleged that their em-

ployment was to create problems for the then incoming administration. The factional speaker alleged that senior officials of the dissolved House of Assembly Service Commission (HASC) and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains “illegally used their positions to facilitate the employment of the sacked workers”. Olugbemi said their employment was an additional burden on the finances of the Assembly and the government. He alleged that some of them are redundant in the Assembly while others were not even coming to work at all. The speaker said the sack of the workers was not to witch-hunt them but to “correct an anomaly of the past”.

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

Redeemer’s University to graduate 598 From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

IVE hundred and ninety eight (598) students of the Redeemer’s University will graduate at the institution’s sixth convocation today. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Debo Adeyewa, in a pre-convocation briefing, said 28 of the graduating students bagged first class degrees, 201 second class upper division and 266 second class lower division. According to Adeyewa, the university won the establishment of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) on its campus to beat 15 universities from West and Central Africa. The VC said the institution won a research grant worth $1.5 million to support research and training of Africans in genomics and building scientific infrastructure under the Human, Hereditary and Health in Africa (H3Africa) programme funded by the United States National Institute of Health and the United Kingdom’s Wellcome Trust.

Police arrest Islamic cleric in Ogun

O •Scene of an accident on Ojuelegba Bridge in Lagos ...yesterday

NMA threatens Lagos over doctors’ salaries By Wale Adepoju

HE Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)

yesterday urged the Lagos State government to pay doctors their April and May 2012 as well as August and September 2014 salaries. In a letter to the government, NMA said the state has been given a 21-day ultimatum, beginning from December 29, to address the problems. Its chairman, Dr Tope Ojo, said NMA will ask doctors in Federal Government establishments to withdraw their services as solidarity for their counterparts in the state, to press home the demands. He berated the employment of doctors as casual staff and failure of the government to employ resident doctors at the State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Ojo said: “This threatens medical education and specialists training. Doctors are being victimised by the state’s Health Service Commission (HSC). Their working condition was appalling.”

PHOTO: NAN

‘Ondo PDP may not field candidates’

HE Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Segun Agbaje, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not field candidates for the House of Assembly elections. He spoke yesterday when he resumed work at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Akure, the state capital. Agbaje said: “Only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is having issues with the list of House of Assembly

candidates for the election and there is a deadline for this but am sure it would be sorted out. “If it is not, what would happen is that PDP will not present candidates for the House of Assembly election. Our legal department will come together by looking into the various loopholes and if it is noticed the party has breached the Electoral Act, the normal sanction would be applied.” The REC said next month’s elections would be credible,

if parties and their candidates play by the rules. He said the commission was prepared to conduct a credible poll with the assistance and cooperation of all stakeholders. Agbaje said: “We have not stopped distributing the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Over 63 per cent success has been recorded. We hope that before the general election the commission would have achieved about 70 per cent collection.”

No regrets leaving PDP, says Alao-Akala

ORMER Oyo State Governor Adebayo AlaoAkala has said he has no regrets leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Labour Party (LP). He spoke shortly after starting his campaign at eight markets in Ibadan-Gbagi, Aleshinloye, Oke-Padre, Amunigun, Oranyan, GateAraromi, Bodija and Ogunpa. Alao-Akala said he had no regrets leaving PDP, stating that God and the masses are for him and they will surely give him the necessary support to win his governorship ambition. The former governor said the PDP discriminated against him and some other

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

aspirants, but God was in support of his ambition. Addressing the traders, he promised to reduce shop rates. The LP governorship candidate described the campaign as a house-to-house visit, which started with a “friendly campaign” to traders. “I decided to begin the visit with the traders, as you will agree with me that traders play major roles in the society,” he said. One of Alao-Akala’s kinsman, Adebisi Olopoenia, said yesterday that he is still a member of the PDP.

•Alao-Akala

He said:“LP is not my party and I didn’t know anybody in that party and I don’t have any rapport with them. “I cannot leave PDP because it’s the party to beat in this coming election. “Akala didn’t inform me of his defection and I believe he cannot even call me to follow him.”

PERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Ogun State have arrested an Islamic preacher, Quadri Rabiu, for allegedly “harvesting” hair and nails from a woman. Rabiu was paraded yesterday at SARS’ Magbon office on IBB Boulevard, Abeokuta, the state capital, by the Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye. The suspect claimed that the items were taken from the woman’s body with her consent after she had consulted him for spiritual help. He was arrested during the Yuletide in Ofada , Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area. Rabiu said the hair and nails were parts of the materials required for the preparation of a love concoction to help the lady at-

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

tract wealthy men. The suspect said after the preparation had begun, the lady reappeared with the police and claimed that he collected the materials for ulterior motives. Also paraded was 31year-old Kayode Oshikoya, who allegedly hacked his mother to death in her sleep last week. The crime took place at Odogbolu in Odogbolu Local Government Area. Three robbery suspects Julius Nanzo, Saheed Abogu and Wale Okadokun- who reportedly attack travellers and commuters on the Mowe - Ibafo - Kala long bridge near Lagos were pardaded. Eight vehicles and charms were recovered from them.

Police refute statement on doctor’s death

HE police in Ondo State yesterday denied a report credited to it that the inferno, which killed late former State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. David Oguntuase, was allegedly caused by electricity surge. At a briefing by the leadership of the State NMA headed by Dr. Betiku Bamidele, the union said the circumstances surrounding the death of the medical doctor were suspicious. He faulted police spokesman Wole Ogodo for narrowing the incidence to electricity surge. Bamidele said the late Oguntuase’s neighbours confirmed that there was no power supply at the time of the incident. But Ogodo said he did not speak with reporters that the

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

deceased’s death was caused by electricity surge Ogodo, who spoke with The Nation, said: “I only told them that the late Oguntuase died in the inferno. I never mentioned that his death was caused by electricity surge. “I also told those reporters who phoned me that I will not want to speak further on this issue because the police are working on how to unravel the cause of death. We are waiting for the postmortem result. “I am urging Nigerians to disregard all these online newspapers that I said Dr. Oguntuase’s death was caused by electricity surge. I didn’t speak with any of these online newspapers.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS Dipo Dina’s group joins PDP

Omirin: we have a maximum ruler in Ekiti From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

EMBERS of the Dipo Dina Movement (DDM) have ditched the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Dina was a governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress before he was assassinated on January 15, 2010. Over 5,000 members of the group were led by a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Water Resources, Adekunle Otun (a.k.a Kope); his elder brother, Alhaji R.O Otun and Prince Demola Alatishe. “We were told that it was the PDP people who killed our leader, the late Dipo Dina, and that they would do everything to bring his killers to book. We believed their lies. But almost four years down the line, they have done nothing. We have seen through their lies and have decided not to be fooled again,” Otun said.

Trailer with ballot boxes impounded From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

HERE was anxiety within political circles in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following the impoundment and release of a trailer conveying ballot boxes. The driver and one other person were arrested at 2am in Yemetu area of the city yesterday. It was learnt that the trailer was impounded on the suspicion that it was carrying outlawed items. However, it was later discovered that its contents were ballot boxes meant for next month’s election in Osun State. The ballot boxes were stored in a 40-feet container. It was gathered that the trailer and the consignment were later released after police investigation showed that the boxes were the property of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). There was anxiety in the camps of various governorship candidates and other candidates, prompting them to make frantic calls to security agencies, fellow politicians and other stakeholders to confirm the news as well as those behind it. A source said: “A trailer carrying a 40-feet container with registration number FKJ 285 XN was actually impounded by the police but after ‘a thorough check’, it was cleared & released.” Police spokesman Kayode Ajisebutu could not confirm the incident. He said he was outside the state and did not get through to the commissioner of police.

•Omirin

HE Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, yesterday opened up on the relationship between the lawmakers and Governor Ayo Fayose. He said: “The state is being ruled by a maximum ruler and a dictator who runs his administration on lies and falsehood.” Omirin cleared the air on the statement he reportedly made on Tuesday that there was no assassination attempt on his life. He decried a story aired on the radio and television channels of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) in which the stations claimed that he (Omirin) was misled in the recent actions taken by the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers. Addressing a briefing in AisegbaEkiti, Gbonyin Local Government Area, the Speaker said what was in the undertaking he signed at the state police command was that he did not see suspected assassins, who came to his Ado-Ekiti home on Monday night

but concerned residents informed him of the presence of strange men outside his home. He said what he said at the police headquarters tallied with the content of the statement issued by his media aide, Wole Olujobi. The Speaker said Fayose had made it impossible for the APC lawmakers to perform their legislative functions by writing to the police to arrest them immediately they arrive in the state and at the same time accusing them of abandoning their duty post. He said the governor had stopped the salaries of all the APC lawmakers “even when he (Fayose) lacks the constitutional powers to do so”. Speaking on why they held a sitting at a secret location, Omirin said the standing order and the constitution empowered them to do so when their lives are in danger, noting that “abnormal situation calls for abnormal solutions”. He said: “Few days after our last sitting, the governor wrote to the commissioner of police that we should be arrested and I told him that all of us are ready for arrest and there is no law stopping us from sitting anywhere if our lives are threatened. “The governor has been calling for my head since then and I don’t think that the governor has a genuine love for Ekiti State because each time we are coming to the state, he would accuse us of bringing thugs to the state, which is not true. “The case in court was filed to challenge my “removal” and not that we should not sit. “Fayose has stopped our salaries, our running grants and other entitle-

•Accuses state media of falsehood •Fayose: Speaker’s confused

ments. He has no power to stop our salaries. “We have a maximum ruler in Ekiti, a dictator and that is what the President is doing at the federal level, where impunity is going on unabated.” The Speaker noted that the APC lawmakers had contacted the National Assembly on the alleged illegality and impunity in Ekiti. “We have contacted the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on the need for an interface with us. They are reconvening next week and we will be there to state our own position. I believe something will be done about this illegality. “Governor Fayose has no power under the law to stop our salaries. We belong to a different arm of government and he has no reason to act in this most unlawful way.” The Speaker also denied requesting for Christmas gift from Fayose, contrary to what the governor told the public. He said: “I want the Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, to publish what I wrote in the undertaking if I said I was being misled by APC leaders. I cannot be teleguided by anybody at 59. “My dealings with Fayose since he was sworn in had made me realise that his administration was founded on falsehood and blackmail. “I have tried with my colleagues to reach a truce with Fayose, but each time

we made efforts what we see are petitions to security agencies blackmailing us that we were planning to invade the state with thugs. “On New Year’s day, Fayose phoned me to greet me and he jokingly requested for his Christmas gifts, which I quickly replied that he should be the one to give me Christmas gifts. “He said he did not know the place to take the gifts to whether Osogbo, Lagos or Ado- Ekiti, but I was surprised when he claimed that I was begging for Christmas gifts. “This puts me in a difficult position to discuss with the governor because whatever I say he would turn against me. “I found it so funny to read on the pages of newspapers that Fayose said I requested Christmas gifts. This is petty and I won’t be part of it.” But the governor described Omirin as “a confused person, inconsistent and should be ignored”. Fayose, who spoke through his chief press secretary in a statement yesterday, said: “Omirin and other APC lawmakers, who have sent themselves on self exile, have become inconsequential in Ekiti politics. They should enjoy their exile and wait for the court to decide their case. “Omirin and his co- travellers cannot hold the state to ransom. The propaganda they are doing is to impress their paymasters because they are broke.”

Tejuoso: we don’t need bloodshed in elections

HE Osile of Oke-Ona, Abeokuta, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, has appealed to politicians to obey the rules of politics, adding that the country can avert bloodshed after the general elections. The monarch, who spoke yesterday in Lagos, at the presentation of his 15page booklet titled: “Handling victory or defeat in elections”, lamented the lack of the fear of God by the political class, stressing that character and good name do not matter to desperate actors. Oba Tejuoso said the booklet, which is being printed by ‘Project Peace,’ a platform for preaching peaceful elections, is not for sale. Copies will be distributed freely and it will also be available on the internet. He said he was motivated to send the message of peace to Nigerians, particularly politicians, who should realise that politics should not be a door-die affair. Oba Tejuoso said: God does not want bloodshed, despite the plan of the devil. Elections will hold next month. People have different ideas about elections. But, we don’t want bloodshed. We urge politicians and government officials to conduct themselves very well during the election. “I offer this advice as a medical doctor, traditional ruler and one of the fathers of the nation. There could be

•Oba Tejuoso (left) and his son, Femi at the presentation...yesterday By Emmanuel Oladesu

divergent views. But, the views must be harnessed by all to move forward. Nigeria is a large political family. God is against bloody elections. God does

not want anybody’s blood to be shed.” The monarch recalled that he was inspired to send a message to former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi to pray to avert bloodshed in the last governorship election.

Oba Tejuoso added: “We are also planning to raise an altar of thanksgiving and prayer in Abuja to avert bloodshed in the general elections.”

Lagos APC candidates to INEC: provide Permanent Voter Cards

ANDIDATES of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the over six million registered voters in the state get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before next month’s elections. Expressing concerns about hitches in the distribution and collection of PVCs in the state, the candidates lamented that eligible voters might be disenfranchised, if the situation was not urgently addressed. They spoke at a parley hosted by the party’s governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, at his Gbagada campaign office.

•Ambode meets party’s candidates The event was initiated to have all the Lagos APC candidates united in their campaign strategies. According to them, it would be disastrous if registered voters were denied the opportunity of exercising their constitutional rights. The candidates, therefore, urged the electoral body to allow those with Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) exercise their civic obligation during the polls. They said this option would become necessary to forestall massive disenfranchisement. Ambode said: “The issue of PVCs is critical to successful polls and a commendable electoral

system and we demand that INEC provides these tools of change for the masses. “Under no circumstances should any eligible registered voter be disenfranchised because of non-availability or collection of PVCs. “All voters must be able to exercise their rights and choose the candidate of their choice during the polls through every legitimate means.” His running mate, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, said: “I want to advise INEC to decentralise the distribution and collection of the PVCs, instead of directing the masses to one point of collection in a whole local government. “I believe that will be a simple and effective

way to stop the confusion in the process right now.” The Lagos West senatorial candidate, Olamilekan Adeola, said: “No voter should be disenfranchised. Every vote must count and no one should be stopped from voting.” Some of the candidates at the parley include Gbenga Ashafa(Lagos East); Abiodun Faleke (Ikeja Federal Constituency); Adeyemi Alli(Mushin Federal Constituency); Akeem Muniru(Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency) and Wole Diya(Somolu Federal Constituency). Others were Desmond Elliot (Surulere 1); Olusegun Olulade(Epe); Rotimi Abiru(SomoluBariga); Tunde Braimoh(Kosofe) and Tobun Abiodun(Epe), among others.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS Holy Trinity old students meet

OLY Trinity Grammar School Sabongidda Ora Old Students Association, Lagos branch, will hold its New Year party on Sunday. The Chairman of the association, Mr. Ogba Eboreime, said a lot has been lined up for members. He urged younger alumni to participate in meetings, as they could bring energy and vibrancy to the gathering. “The monthly meeting is a forum to support new alumni and a platform for new friendships and business relationships. Moreover, we strive to ensure that the high standards of the school are maintained to meet the current challenges and skills required in today’s world.” The Lagos branch has been involved in fund raising activities to support projects in the school, such as rehabilitation of laboratories, sports facilities, borehole, generators, etc. Founded in February 1948, Holy Trinity Grammar School, Sabongidda Ora is one of the leading secondary schools in Edo State. The school has graduated notable Nigerians in the academia, political sphere, government and in business, who have and are still making their mark nationally and internationally.

Buhari: I'll tackle corruption

HE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of destroying public institutions by encouraging corruption. Buhari, who spoke at the Government House, Owerri, the Imo State capital, decried the rot in the system, saying: "Corruption has become a vicious circle in Nigeria and except it is tackled, nothing can be done about insecurity." He vowed to deal with corrupt government officials. His words: "Corruption has destroyed the country. When I was in power, N1 was equiv-

•Okorocha urges him to repair Southeast roads From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

alent to $1.4, but today, corruption has taken over all aspects of our public life and except we tackle it, nothing can be done about insecurity. "PDP has destroyed the country; one does not know where to start from. Today there is insecurity, no infrastructure, no electricity. If the money budgeted for the military was used for the purpose it was meant for, we won't experience insecurity. If the Federal Government had deployed the same number of soldiers sent to Ekiti and Osun states for elections after the abduction of the

Chibok girls, they would have been rescued." Governor Rochas Okorocha assured the APC standardbearer of the support of the Southeast. He said: "Southeast is your home. I contested the primary election against you. I came out to win, but you defeated me. Your coming here today has opened the door for new discussions. In your previous elections, you had challenges in the Southeast, but this time, we will sing a new song." Okorocha listed the challenges facing the zone and urged Buhari to tackle them

when elected. Said he: "We need additional state in the Southeast. We need a second Niger Bridge. The roads from Enugu to Onitsha, Aba to Ikot-Ekpene are in a bad condition. We appeal to you to prioritise these issues when you become the President." Buhari was accompanied by the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Osita Izunaso, among others.

HE Asiwaju Onigbagbo of Ijebu Christians and Olori Omo Oba of Ijebu land, Otunba Subomi Balogun, has said he was committed to the creation of Ijebu State. He said he would do his best to make Ijebu nation a better place for the present and coming generations, adding that he would contribute to the development of his town. Balogun, who spoke at the annual prayer for his family at the Otunba Tunwase Court in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, said he loved the sons and daughters of his town. He said the annual prayer had become part of the activities of the ruling families in Ijebu-Ode. “It is a way of thanking God for what He has done for the family last year and praying for a better and prosperous new year. “I will continue to do my best to make life better for my people. I will continue to enlighten the Ijebu about their origin and history. I will continue to pray for the Ijebu. I will continue to advocate the creation of Ijebu State.”

Jonathan for Enugu tomorrow From Chris Oji, Enugu

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will campaign in Enugu tomorrow. The Enugu State Deputy Coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr. Charles Egumgbe, a lawyer, told reporters yesterday in Enugu that the President’s campaign would be likened to a tsunami. He said PDP had 100 per cent support in the state, adding that no amount of blackmail or calumny would affect its success at the polls.

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

AN Igbo group, Igbo Patriots, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to vacate power and allow Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) take over the mantle of leadership, to ensure peace and development. It said yesterday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, that Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has a solution to the country's problems. Speaking with The Nation, the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Osita Obi, described Jonathan as a clueless President. He urged political leaders in the Southeast to learn politics from the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His words: "This is a man, who has brought the Southwest people together from one state. This is what former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi should have done in Igbo land. "Tinubu has become everybody's role model in this country. He has played the role the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo played in the West and anybody who tries to fight him is like fighting an oracle."

Provost for Federal College of Agric

I’m committed to Ijebu State, says Subomi Balogun From Jeremiah Oke, Abeokuta

Jonathan urged to vacate power for Buhari

•Dr. Ojo-Oba flanked by Deputy Director, Federations and Elite Athletes Development, National Sports Commission, Mr Caleb Gidado (left) and Chairman, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Mr Kayode Adeniyi, at the conference...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

No regret spending 25 years in civil service, says Ojo-Oba

ORMER General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba, who retired from the federal civil service as Director, Federation of Elite Athletes Department, National Sports Commission (NSC), said he had no regret spending 25 years in service. Ojo-Oba spoke at a news conference to mark his retirement. He clocked 60 yesterday. He said he had survived ups and downs in the course of doing the job , adding that experiences reinforced his belief in the system. “There is no regret that I am leaving the service. “If I had not exhibited some measure of perseverance or patience, probably I would not have been where we are today. “When we were joining the service, we never said we wanted to become Hon. Commissioner in charge of

Information, Youths, Sports and Culture. “We never said we wanted to become Games Service Manager of the All Africa Games, we never said we wanted to be General Secretary of the NFA which was the ultimate and still the ultimate. “All these things happened between the time I joined and now that I am leaving, so where is the regret? “If there will be any regret at all, I will say it is positive regret that I decided to retire. So, I enjoyed every bit of my service year including the ups and down. “If a journey is too straight forward, one should even be careful. So, like every other earthly venture, I had my own share of the ups and downs and they later came to reinforce my belief in the system. He, however, gave thanks to God for the grace to con-

tribute his quota to sports for two and a half decades. “I give thanks to Almighty God for the grace of being able to contribute the little have been able to, for Nigerian sports in the past two and a half decade. “From a mere freelance interpreter working part time for the then NFA, am leaving the civil service today to the glory of God as a full director in charge of the activities of all the sports federations. “I also want to fully appreciate my bosses all over the years. My special appreciation goes to the former FIFA referee, Festus Okubule for the insight he gave me. “Also, for the role he played in changing my course from being a classroom teacher to a part timer prior to full time employment with the NSC.’’ The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that OjoOba started his career in the civil service in 1989 as a Se-

nior Bilingual Secretary of the NSC. He became the Head of NFA’s International Competitions Department from 1990 to 1992 before later becoming the Head of Department of Competitions from 1992-1995. Ojo-Oba later became NFA’s Head of Marketing and Sponsorship Department in 1995 before becoming an officer in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Planning till 1997. He was the Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture in Oyo State from 1997 to 1999. Ojo-Oba later rose to the post of an Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Sports And Social Development from 2004 to 2005. He became the Secretary General of the NFA from 2007 to 2010 before becoming a Deputy Director of Sports.

‘APC must protect its members from PDP’s impending attacks’

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) must brace up for attacks by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyalists ahead next month’s election, the party’s spokesman in Lagos Joe Igbokwe has said. He said Nigerians should gird their loins for the danger ahead as PDP leaders get desperate. “As things stand, APC needs to wake up to device ways to protect its members and teaming supporters. The potentially dangerous elements in PDP and their agents have nothing to give Nigeria now except agonies, tears and blood,” Igbokwe said in a

By Joseph Jibueze

statement. According to him, during the flag off of APC presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign in Port Harcourt, one person was feared dead and many others seriously injured when armed youth shot at vehicles moving supporters of APC to the venue. “In Lagos, PDP has been training thugs in the name of FERMA, importing arms, and arming them for the task ahead. “In Niger Delta, Jonathan’s loyalists are importing huge arms also with stolen money

for the showdown if President Jonathan fails to make it in the February 14 presidential elections. Across the country stories of arm build up and training of thugs are filtering into the ears,” Igbokwe said. Igbokwe said PDP, which claimed to rule Nigeria for 60 years but is now gasping for breathe and fighting for survival, will not go down without a fight. “More than 70 branded Hiace Buses were to be moved from Kaduna to Kano campaigns but no driver volunteered to drive any of the vehicles for fear of the power of the people. “PDP was supposed to pick

a powerful Northerner to head President Jonathan Campaign Organisation but no serious person had the courage to pick the job. “Open the pages of newspapers you will see endorsements and endorsements for candidate GMB. The house called PDP is giving way gradually, it is going down gradually, it is collapsing systematically and it is sinking slowly,” Igbokwe said. Igbokwe said having decimated and desecrated a promising country, PDP is ready to give Nigerians serpents instead of fishes, stones instead of bread and urine instead of water.

President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina as the substantive Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure for five years. Born on May 21, 1966, Dr. Odedina attended Lisabi Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State from 1979-1984; Federal College of Agriculture, Akure from 1984-1986, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan from 1987-1989. He holds a M.Sc. in Crop Science from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port-Harcourt and Ph.D. in Crop Production from the Federal University of Technology, Akure. Dr Odedina also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Agricultural Education from Wolverhampton Polytechnic (now Wolverhampton University) United Kingdom. He obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Vegetable Science and Technology from Beijing Vegetable Research Centre, China in 2000. In 2001, he obtained a Post Ph.D Certificate in Biotechnology from the Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research (EMBRAPA). A release signed by the Registrar, Dr. Pius Ade Adebisi, said Odedina joined the services of the College on September 27, 1990 and rose through the ranks to the position of Chief Lecturer in 2012.

•Dr. Odedina

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS

HE payment of £55 million compensation by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to Bodo community in Ogoniland, Rivers State, has been described as an important victory for the people. In a statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Amnesty International (AI) said six years after two oil spills destroyed thousands of livelihoods in the Bodo community, a legal action in the United Kingdom (UK) had made SPDC to make an out-of-court settlement compensation to the affected community. The statement by the Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International, Audrey Gaughran, said the money would be split into two with £35 million going to 15,600 individuals and £20 million to the community. He said: “While the payout is a long-awaited victory for the thousands of people who lost their livelihoods in Bodo, it should not have taken six years to get anything close to fair compensation. “In effect, Shell knew that Bodo was an accident waiting to happen. It took no effective action to stop it; then, it made false claims about the amount of oil that had been spilt. If Shell had not been forced to disclose this information as part of the UK legal action, the people of Bodo would have been completely swindled.” Amnesty’s Director of Global Issues noted that the wait took its toll on Bodo residents, many of who had their fishing and farming livelihoods destroyed in the spill. The AI chief said throughout the period, the residents had to live with the pollution and without compensation, while many faced grinding

‘55m pounds compensation is victory for Ogoniland’ Shell to pay $83.5m for Niger Delta community’s oil spill

IL giant, Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC), has agreed to pay a Nigerian fishing community 55 million pounds (about $83.5 million) for the worst oil spill in Ogoniland, Rivers State. The compensation is considered an unprecedented settlement that experts say could open a floodgate of litigations there and abroad. The agreement ended a three-year legal battle in Britain over two spills in 2008, which destroyed thousands of hectares (acres) of mangroves and the fish and shellfish that sustained villagers of the Bodo community in Nigeria’s Southern Niger Delta. It “is thought to be one of the largest payouts to an entire community following environmental damage,” said Martyn Day, of the claimants’ London lawyers, Leigh Day and Co. “We hope that in future Shell will properly consider claims such as these from the outset and that this method of compensation, with each affected individual being compensated, will act as a template for Shell in future cases” in Nigeria and elsewhere. Shell Nigeria is 55 per cent owned by the Nigerian government. George Frynas, who has researched and published for 20 years about community conflict and litigation, said the agreement has “enormous importance” that “may open the floodgates for other communities around the world to sue companies”. From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

poverty. Gaughran added: “Oil pollution in the Niger Delta is one of the biggest corporate scandals of our time. Shell needs to provide proper compensation, clear up the mess and make the pipelines safer, rather than fighting a slick PR (public relations) campaign to dodge all responsibility.”

Lawyers around the world will be watching closely and looking for ways to bring more cases to the United States (U.S). and the United Kingdom (U.K.) courts because the amounts involved are so huge, he said. The last precedent-setting case saw Shell paying compensation of just over $300,000 in Nigeria in 1994. Frynas is a professor at Britain’s Middlesex University Business School. Murtala Touray of IHS Country Risk said Nigerian courts could now be inundated with similar compensation litigation. Nigeria’s oil-rich southern Niger Delta suffers hundreds of oil spills every year and villagers have been in conflict with oil companies for decades. Typically, victims spend years battling a corrupt Nigerian court system only to come away with a pittance, Frynas said. Touray called yesterday’s agreement a significant and precedent-setting development that “will create huge expectations among the communities of instant transformation of their lives from poverty to opulence.” Bodo community leader Chief Sylvester Kogbara described more modest aspirations. He told The Associated Press that villagers are discussing setting up as petty traders and other small businesses until their environment is restored. Under the agreement, some 15,600 fishermen and farmers get 2,200 pounds ($3,340) in a country where the minimum monthly wage is less than $100.

Reacting to the compensation, the Director of Programmes of the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD) Styvn Obodoekwe said: “The compensation is a step towards justice for the people of Bodo. But justice will be fully achieved when Shell properly cleans up the heavily polluted creeks and swamps so that those who

rely on fishing and farming for their incomes can begin to rebuild their livelihoods.” A cleric, who was among those affected by the oil spill, Pastor Christian Kpandei said: “I am very happy that Shell has finally taken responsibility for its action. “I’d like to thank the lawyers for compelling Shell to make this unprecedented move.”

Ex-militants dismiss MEND’s support for APC candidate Buhari •PDP to APC: explain your connections with MEND

BVIOUSLY jolted by the support of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, a group of former militant leaders has adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as the candidate of their choice. In a statement by its spokesman, Captain Mark Anthony, the group, under the aegis of the Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), denounced MEND’s statement on Tuesday, backing General Buhari. NDLF said MEND no longer existed. The statement said: “We want to say, categorically, that MEND does not exist or represent Niger Delta youths and ex-militants; it is just a mere paper hype intended to discredit our son and brother, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in the eyes of the public. “President Jonathan remains the best President Nigeria ever had, and we are comfortable with him and his style of administration. Therefore, we back him in his second tenure to rule and transform Nigeria...”

the people of the state. Fielding questions from journalists on the issue, Tuesday, Oshiomhole said as the Governor, he has a duty and responsibility to hold in trust and protect all assets belonging to the People of Edo State that are entrusted to the government of the State. He said, “As the Governor of this state, I have responsibility and duty to protect the interest and asset of Edo State and those properties are not in the names of any individual. They are in the names of Edo State Government and we cannot fold our hands and allow individuals to continue to occupy properties belonging to Edo State Government and paying rents to the wrong authority. I remain firm that if the interest of Edo State is involved, I must stand firm and execute it without fear or favor and that is exactly what we have done.” Giving a background on

NE person was confirmed dead and property worth several millions of naira were destroyed yesterday when some buildings near Pesu Market in Warri, Delta State, was razed. It was gathered that the fire started from a store, where petroleum products were kept at 11am, killing the only

•One of the burnt Comrade buses by UNIBEN students

how the properties got to the university authorities, he said: “As I am sure you will recall, when UNIBEN was set up, the then Military Governor, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, in his wisdom, decided as a young institution to assist some of the officers and staff with accommodation and so, some houses were made available to accommodate some of the staff of UNIBEN. “However, they have occu-

pied these properties without paying any rent to Edo State Government but a couple of years ago, just before I assumed office as governor, the Federal Government in line with the policy of monetization under which salaries of employees including other allowances were abolished so that rather than provide these for certain categories of public officers, they were to be paid in lieu of either official quarters or cars.

Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to explain its connections with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). The MEND had declared support for APC’s presidential flag bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at the party’s electioneering campaign in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Tuesday. But a statement yesterday by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said while the onus lies on the APC to choose those to work with in its quest for power, the explanation had become necessary, following the unsavoury public reactions and concerns trailing the statement by MEND’s support for Gen. Buhari. The statement said: “What exactly does APC have in common with MEND? Why do they want to resurrect it? Nigerians want to know. Are we also expecting a similar statement from insurgents in the North, who initially named Gen. Buhari to lead the dialogue between them and the Federal Government?”

One dead as fire razes market in Warri

Oshiomhole: UNIBEN got three-year quit notice on govt property DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the state government served authorities of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) a notice, three years ago, to vacate eighteen properties belonging to the Edo State Government, but rather than vacate, they took the government to court. The Governor said to fulfill all righteousness, the government waited for the court to deliver judgment, which it did on December 16, last year, ordering the university authorities to vacate the said properties “forthwith” ruling that the 18 properties belonged to the state government. According to him, having waited from December 16, 2014 for the illegal tenants to vacate the properties and they refused, the government took steps granted by the court to recover the properties in the interest of

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri and Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

“Subsequently, the Federal Government announced the policy under which they had put on sale all apartments and quarters occupied by public officers having monetized the allowances of such officers and so, in Edo State, Federal Government and some of its agencies had published their intention to sell off the houses that were previously occupied by Public officers.”

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

casualty, identified simply as “a Hausa boy”. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report. The fire, which was still aglow when our reporter visited the scene, also destroyed some stores, a poultry, a skills acquisition training centre and other business concerns, livestock, merchandises and multi-million naira equipment. The training centre, called Shetans Nigeria Limited, had trained people sponsored by the presidential amnesty programme, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The fire destroyed all its equipment. A training supervisor with the skills centre, Fregene Omawechogwa, told reporters that the centre trained people in computer, photography, welding and other skills. He said it was holding equipment worth millions, all of which were lost to the fire. Some other traders were seen trying to salvage what was left of their wares, while hoodlums were sighted looting the chickens that were half roasted in the ravaging inferno. Fire fighters in the area were said to have arrived the scene of the fire incident late. But they stopped the fire from spreading to other parts of the multi-purpose market. The remains of the victims were evacuated to the central hospital when the fire reduced.

Ex-militant: on Urhobo governorship candidate we stand

FORMER militant in the Niger Delta creek, General Israel Akpodoro, has said the successor to Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan should emerge from Urhobo-speaking people.

He spoke at the Muritala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, in a chat with our correspondent. The Urhobo-born ex-militant, who is the National Vice President of the Phases

Two and Three of the ýPresidential Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government, said it was necessary for the Urhobo to produce the next governor of the oil-rich state. He said this was the

yearning of the majority. According to him, the Urhobo, who live in Delta Central Senatorial District, constitute the largest homogenous entity in the state, with the largest number of registered voters.

Akpodoro noted that a free and fair election would produce a governor of Urhobo extraction. The former militant leader, who also is the founder of Urhobo Youth Forum for Change (UYFC),

said the support for an Urhobo governor had no link with any political party. He stressed that during the governorship election, the people would cast their votes for a personality and not a political party.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Sovereign Wealth Funds are managed conservatively. They don’t borrow money the way banks do, so you can’t compare this business to banking business. This business does not expose itself to that kind of risk. It is not the same thing as private equity •Managing Director/CEO, NSI A, Uche Orji

CBN rules out capital controls despite naira slide T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it will not introduce capital controls, rather, it is reviewing a rule introduced last month that investors said crushed liquidity in the foreign exchange market, its Governor, Godwin Emefiele has said. According to Bloomberg, the naira has been battered by oil prices that have dropped more than 50 per cent since June. The naira depreciated almost 11 per cent in the past three months, the highest among 24 African currencies tracked by Bloomberg. The CBN last month told banks to clear foreign exchange positions daily, having previously allowed them net-open positions of

Stories by Collins Nweze

one percent of shareholder funds, in a bid to bolster the currency. “There will be a review in due course. But I can tell you categorically it will no longer be one per cent. It will be less than one per cent. The reason we put a stop to one per cent is because we felt that it was too large to be held by banks as a trading position. “The CBN has no plans to change a rule adopted around the same time that dollars bought in the interbank market be used within 48 hours or sold to the regulator. The naira is “currently appropriately priced” and no new measures

are being considered,”the CBN chief told Bloomberg. The currency weakened for a third day, declining 0.2 per cent to trade at 184.23 per dollar in Lagos. “We are satisfied with the current adjustment that’s been done. It remains a free entry and free exit market,” Emefiele said. Nigeria, which gets 70 per cent of government revenue and almost all export earnings from oil, has proposed spending cuts and in November raised interest rates 100 basis points to a record 13 per cent in a bid to stem capital outflows and defend the naira. The CBN on November 25 also moved the naira’s official peg for twice-weekly auctions to a midpoint of 168

per dollar from 155 and widened its trading band to five per cent either side from three per cent. The measures implemented by the regulator have made it difficult for foreign investors to exit their holdings, Samir Gadio, head of

African strategy at Standard Chartered Plc, said. “There’s a risk that these measures last as long as the CBN feels it doesn’t have the ability to control the exchange rate,” he said. “That is news to me that foreign investors are unable

to exit their positions. If any foreign investor needs to exit its position, he should make a demand to a bank. If the bank cannot find those dollars to buy in the interbank market, the central bank will provide the dollars,” he said.

Nigerian stocks drop in world’s worst performance

IGERIAN stocks fell for the biggest threeday decline since August 2006 as oil prices traded near $50 a barrel and investors sold their holdings following a rally late last year. The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All Share Index retreated 4.2 per cent by the close in Lagos, the most among 93 global indexes tracked by Bloomberg. The gauge, down 16 per cent this year, rose 20 per cent between Dec. 17 and the end of the year as investors were attracted to the low

prices, according to Ayodeji Ebo, head of research at Afrinvest West Africa Ltd. “We’re now seeing profittaking. The confidence in Nigeria is still not there. The macroeconomics are weak and oil prices are plunging,” Ebo said by phone from Lagos yesterday. Brent crude fell below $50 a barrel yesterday before trading 0.1 per cent higher at $51.15. Oil is down 54 per cent since the end of June. Nigeria, Africa’s largest crude producer that relies on oil for almost all export earnings,

increased interest rates to a record 13 per cent in November to protect the naira. The currency depreciated 10 per cent against the dollar in the past three months, the most among 24 African currencies tracked by Bloomberg. Banks were among the worst performers. Shares of Zenith Bank Plc, the country’s second-biggest lender by assets, weakened 9.7 percent, the most since October 2008. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, the largest bank by market value, dropped by the same amount.

Govt eyes 800, 000 jobs from mechanised farming

HE Federal Govern ment has said about 800, 000 jobs would be created through the implementation of full scale mechanised farming. The government also noted that 4,800,000 metric tons (mt) of food will be added to the existing 21, 000, 000 mt under the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES). Also, additional 10,000,000 farmers will have access to mechanised farming equipment through the Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise (AEHE), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development explained in a statement yesterday. The government said the new mechanisation policy, which is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) will see the government providing 35

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

per cent of the finance while financial institutions will provide 35 per cent, Agromachinery Vendors will provide 20 per cent while Service Providers Operator (SPOs) will make 10 per cent available. The statement explained that the short term projection of the scheme through the partnership is to make available a minimum of 6,000 units of tractors and power tillers each. It will also make available about 13,000 units of various harvest and post harvest equipment to set up a minimum of 1,200 AEHE to render Mechanization Support Services to farmers To drive this new scheme, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr.

Akinwumi Adesina said President Goodluck Jonathan through the ministry has approved N4.5billion to implement an intervention scheme to serve as a model for replication. He said the first phase of this intervention will make available 590 units of tractors, 500 power tillers, and various harvests and post harvest equipment to set up 118 AEHEs centres. “The on-going Mechanisation scheme will provide 1,230 units of tractors, 2000 power tillers and 3400 units of various harvest and post equipment such as rice reapers, grain threshers, cassava planters and harvesters, boom sprayer among several other equipment to set up 246 units of AEHEs in demand driven locations nationwide,” the minister said in the statement.

• From left: Frontline industrialist Chief Kola Daisi; founder, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Otunba Olasubomi Balogun and Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, at an event in Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State.

Foreign exchange reserves record $34.49b T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday pegged the nation’s foreign exchange reserves at $34.49 billion (N5.74 trillion) as at Jan. 5. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CBN posted the foreign exchange reserves data on its website. According to the bank, the figure represents an increase of $20 million (N3.36 billion) from the $34.47 billion (N5.79 trillion) recorded on Dec. 31, last year. The bank said the $34.49 billion (N5.74 trillion) represented the ‘gross’ amount while $33.52 billion (N5.63 trillion) was ‘liquid’ and $975 million (N163.8 billion) ‘blocked’. NAN reports that the Federal Government had through fiscal policies made attempts since 2013 to shore up the foreign reserves to $50 billion (N9.05 trillion). The CBN had in 2014 relied heavily on external reserves to support the Naira which came under pressure following falling international prices of crude oil. Crude oil prices at the international market have continued to rally between $55 and $60 per barrel since December, last year. According to the CBN, the continuous pressure on the

•Loses $2.3b in one month

foreign exchange market was also attributable to the rise in the internal demand for the dollar. The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, had earlier said the country had spent huge assets from the foreign reserves in ensuring that the official exchange rate was maintained at its previous value of N155 to a dollar. In spite of government’s efforts to shore up the naira, the CBN devalued it to N168 to a dollar in November, last year. Meanwhile, CBN data showed that official reserves decreased by $2.3 billion in December to $34.5 billion. Analysts at FBN Capital attributed the latest fall to the result of the sharp decline in foreign exchange inflows from the oil industry and the related exit of some offshore portfolio investors. “The end of the holiday season may have applied the brake to import demand but the more significant development has been the halving of the oil price over the past six months.

The CBN feels that foreign exchange demand is in part speculative and has therefore issued a number of circulars. On December 17, it ruled that authorised dealers must have flat foreign exchange positions at the close of each trading day rather than the previous one per cent of shareholders’ funds. Head, African Markets at FBN Capital, Olubunmi Ashaolu said the CBN has mandated banks’ customers had to utilise foreign exchange bought on the interbank/autonomous markets within 48 hours, failing which they had to surrender it to the CBN. He said: “We suspect that these circulars will, over time, prove to be porous. Our greater concern is the further depletion of offshore holdings of Nigerian securities in the face of pressure on the oil price and hence on the naira exchange rate. “Clearly the CBN cannot continue to draw down reserves at the rate of more than $2billion per month for long. Since the oil price is not expected to rebound quickly and since the CBN is unlikely to adopt a floating exchange rate regime, we should prepare for additional administrative measures,” he said.

SAHCOL urges zero tariff on equipment importation

HE Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, Alhaji Olu Owolabi has urged the Federal Government to grant zero tariff on importation of ground handling equipment. He said the zero tariff has become imperative because of the high cost of acquiring

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

heavy duty equipment used for group handling. Owolabi said since government granted zero tariff on aircraft spare parts about two years ago, ground handling companies have not benefitted. He said same should apply

to the heavy duty machines used by handling companies in order to ensure rapid growth in the aviation sector. He said: “Government meant well for the industry when it said it was embarking on the upgrade of airports. It should be supportive when handling compa-

nies are buying airlines’ needs.” The SAHCOL boss decried double taxation by the airport authority and expressed the hope that the committee set up by the aviation minister will address the trend. He lamented that what thev firm got from airlines are not commensurate with

services rendered by the handling companies. While saying SAHCOL would have been listed at the stock exchange, Mr. Owolabi regretted that the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease stalled its movement into two West African countries adding that negotiations were on top gear with

some countries in the subregion before the Ebola outbreak. With the best equipment in ground handling in the country, Mr Owolabi said the company was not where it ought to be adding that the more the company expands, the more it needs to acquire equipment.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS INDUSTRY

industry@thenationaonlineng.net

Taking Africa’s economy to global height The potential for economic growth in Africa is huge. Experts at a summit organised by the Institute of Business Development say if the leadership harnesses its human capital and material resources, the continent’s economy will be transformed, reports Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

FRICAN economy has been growing in the last decade, making them primary destinations for investment. For instance, about 18 of the 54 African countries have a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of between six and seven per cent yearly. However, the reality on ground portrays a continent unable to ride on the back of this impressive economic growth statistics to make itself relevant in the global arena. Recently, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Olusegun Aganga, lamented that despite Africa’s potential in terms of population growth and rich agricultural and mineral endowments, its contribution to global trade remains poor, while its intraregional trade is stagnant. Africa’s share of world trade, according to experts, is a meagre three per cent. Also, less than four per cent of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows go to the continent. Also, with a combined GDP of about S1.6 trillion, the combined GDP of the continent’s 54 countries is just about that of Brazil. The GDP of the entire sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa, is just about equal to that of Belgium or that of metropolitan Chicago. Also, all the electricity produced in sub-Saharan Africa, half of which is, in fact produced by South Africa, is equivalent to that of Spain, which has 20 times fewer people than Africa. Yet, the continent boasts tremendous agricultural and mineral resources. Apart from holding 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, it is also rich in oil & gas. With relatively cheap labour, young and highly entrepreneurial population, a growing middle class with spending power, large consumer market, and an increasingly stable polity, Africa’s economic future should be looking brighter. But this has not been the case. A combination of factors including lack of infrastructure, corruption, insecurity, and lack of political will among others have continued to hold the continent down. Today, unemployment remains high, per capita income is low, life expectancy is low, while access to basic necessities of life remains luxury. However, at a recent 3-day Institute of Business Development (IBD) (‘IBD Week/Summit 2014) in Lagos, experts say that the continent’s economic future looks bright if the leadership demonstrates enough political will to harness the abundant resources in Africa. “Africa is highly endowed; Nigeria is endowed; Ghana is endowed, but let’s look at those opportunities. By utilizing their resource capabilities, companies in Africa can improve the lives of people in our continent through increasing investment, creating jobs, increasing skills, and developing and providing goods, technologies and innovations,” says Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Business Development (IBD), Mr. Paul Ikele. At the summit themed, ‘Business Development in Africa: Emerging Issues and Strategic Actions,’ Mr. Ikele said that considering the continent’s population, new and innovative strategies are required to position it to take a chunk from the global market. He explained that the purpose of the summit was to bring together some of the world’s leading thinkers, captains of industry, and heads of key government agencies to challenge current business models and practices, and explore how African businesses can create new opportunities in the face of current challenges. Mr. Ikele noted that the current challenge of falling oil prices, which affect some oilproducing countries in Africa particularly Nigeria, should indeed, be seen as an oppor-

•From left: Registrar, IBD, Mr. Paul Ikele; representative of Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Abubakar Achimugu; President, IDB, Mr. Ifeanyi Obibuzor; representative of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Bola Agbabiaka; Vice President, IBD, Mr. Adewale Talabi, at ‘IBD Week/Summit 2014’ in Lagos

tunity to galvanise activities to diversify their economies. “Why should we be worried (over crashing oil prices)? What about the global warming? What about the ozone layer that is cracking?” he asked, noting that nothing is static. While pointing out that oil-producing African countries should have been intelligent enough to use the period of the oil boom to provide sustainable development, Ikele argued that “If we had used that oil money to improve our palm oil, cocoa, groundnut and so many other resources, even if there is no oil again we will still plan and work like any other developed economy.” To Ikele, the answer lies in careful and strategic planning. Hear him: “When others are planning we should equally plan. When China, Indonesia and others knew that because of global crisis there was going to be shortage in food production they started planning. Why can’t we look inward? This oil & gas that we are still flaring can’t we domestic it in Nigeria? How many Nigerian homes are using gas to cook? How many industries are using electricity? Nigeria has almost 200 million populations. If Nigeria can sustain this by providing goods and services things will be better. We should stop looking outside; let us look inward. That was what China did. Today China’s economy is out-growing America’s economy.” Part of the inward-looking strategy, according to Ikele, is the need for African economies to check for areas of comparative advantage. “Nigeria is the fourth largest producer of cocoa in the world, but has no single chocolate factory,” he said, asking, “Why can’t we check for areas of comparative advantage?” The President/Chairman of Council, IBD, Mr. Ifeanyi Obibuzor, agrees with Ikele on the need to diversify the economies. He believes that the plunge in oil price is a blessing in disguise. “The oil price crash is a good starting point. It is going to make us begin to think out of the box. No country survives as a mono-economy. Across the world, economies are driven by micro-enterprises,” he

said. For Vice President, IBD, Mr. Adewale Talabi, African economies must address the key challenges of lack of trust and collaboration amongst government agencies, which affect trade growth. “Trust is a major issue in doing business. At moment, there is no collaboration among Customs and Immigration of various African countries. These agencies create all sort of bottlenecks,” he said. Some of the impediments to trade, particularly in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region include tariff and non-tariff barriers. Removing such trade barriers require the cooperation and strong political will among member countries. Besides, a collaboration of the public and private sectors in removing such impediments would create a freer and bigger market that would attract investment capital. Earlier in his keynote address, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) represented by the General Manager, Business Development, Mr. Abubakar Achimugu, noted that African economies are not planning. “It is either we are not planning well enough or that when we plan we don’t implement,” he said, adding that poor budget planning and implementation in African countries is one of the factors working against integration of African economies. He also made a case for African countries to break away from their colonial past, as politics of Anglo-Phone and Franco-Phone Africa has continued to place a barrier in the way of Africa trading within itself. According to Mr. Achimugu, the world is driving towards globalisation and Africa should not be left behind. While pointing out that Africa remains the centre of global aviation, for instance, he said, “Kenya is hub of East African aviation business just as Nigeria is West Africa’s aviation hub.” He therefore, argued that funding for aviation is critical for the continent’s development. This, according to him, was why FAAN has been exploring various funding options including Public Private Partnership (PPP),

‘The oil price crash is a good starting point. It is going to make us begin to think out of the box. No country survives as a mono-economy. Across the world, economies are driven by micro-enterprises’

concessioning, Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT), among others. He however, noted that the success of each funding option depends on how well African countries are able to sale the opportunities or package the various commercial offerings to attract investors. While insisting that aviation is a global business and should not be subjected to local politics, the FAAN General Manager added that “We have to look at how business is being done in Africa because we are losing a lot of money.” Experts say that the formation of regional trade blocs is a positive step, but more determination and urgency are required in implementation. Also, achieving the necessary scale is possible if existing barriers to free movement of goods and services across national borders are reduced or eliminated, and companies have the freedom to act on a regional basis. The expectation is that this would reverse the trend where intra-Africa trade accounts for less than 15 per cent of total trade – the lowest of any continent. The consensus of experts is that there has to be a ‘true’ African Union (AU) in the mould of the European Union in terms of guaranteeing the free movement of goods, services, and people. But all of these to happen, participants at the summit say there is need for Africa to focus on addressing its huge infrastructure deficit notably power, which has been identified as the single largest constraint on investment. For instance, Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy with GDP size of $500b, can barely generate N4, 000 Megawatts of electricity for her population of about 170 million. Nigeria is said to generate less electricity than the tiny island state of Singapore, despite possessing huge gas reserves. In Liberia, only one per cent of the urban population has access to electricity, and even in more developed areas, lack of roads can force farmers to lose nearly 50 per cent of their produce in attempts to bring it to market. Experts also canvassed the need to facilitate the informal sector’s growth and improve its productivity by widening access to finance and technology. Besides, Africa’s education system must focus on producing skilled and employable people. They observed that despite the emergence of a few world-class indigenous manufacturers such as Nigeria’s Dangote Cement, the contribution of manufacturing to GDP in Africa has declined to just 13 per cent.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

COMMENTARY LETTER

EDITORIALS

Aliyu’s toxic sermon • How a governor should not talk

HEN he assumed office as Governor of Niger State in 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Muazu Babangida Aliyu chose to be addressed as the Chief Servant of the state. The loquacious governor projected the image on every occasion of a public officer motivated by an elevated perception of politics as an opportunity to offer selfless and dedicated service to the people. The idea of the occupant of the elevated office of governor perceiving himself as a ‘chief servant’ suggested that he would be an embodiment of the highest and noblest ideals of altruistic leadership. It has however turned out that nothing could be further from the truth. Governor Aliyu, whose second term in office ends in May has been engaged in a most cruel game of deception with the

‘Given his low estimation of the role of positive values in politics, Aliyu could not certainly have taken the oath of office he swore to uphold as governor with any seriousness. For, the oath presupposes a fidelity to moral values that he has shamelessly disavowed’

unfortunate people of Niger Sate. The governor’s irresponsible remarks while inaugurating the PDP gubernatorial campaign committee this week reveal that he has been a closet Machiavellian, after all who believes that his perverse ends justify any means however immoral and despicable. In Aliyu’s shocking words on the occasion, “If you cannot lie, get out of politics. Anything you are involved in has its own rule. You are in politics to win, win first and let other things follow. Don’t be the one crying louder lest you will be the one they will take to court. If you are talking of honesty or morals, go and become an Imam or pastor. Politics cannot be the way it used to be. The challenges are more now, the variables have changed … Our society is not as grateful as it used to be, the values and morals have gone down. If you want to win, use the modern morality”. That a man who, by his own admission is so completely deficient in moral integrity occupies high public office is symptomatic of what is grossly wrong with Nigeria. It explains the abysmal level of corruption and impunity that have severely undermined the country’s security, stability and development. Alhaji Aliyu’s noxious sermon illustrates to what depths of depravity Nigeria has sunk under his party, the PDP’s watch in the last 16 years. We shudder to imagine what negative impact the governor’s views will have on impressionable young minds that

innocently see a state governor as a role model. Given his low estimation of the role of positive values in politics, Aliyu could not certainly have taken the oath of office he swore to uphold as governor with any seriousness. For, the oath presupposes a fidelity to moral values that he has shamelessly disavowed. He openly advocates lying and deception as political virtues. Such a man cannot be trusted with public funds. His temerity indicates an utter lack of respect for the people of Niger State and Nigeria as a whole. Even more dangerously, a close interrogation of his utterances to the campaign committee suggests that he is not averse to election rigging as a means of acquiring political power. Aliyu was one of the governors and other top officers of the PDP who left the party in protest against the perceived anti-democratic inclinations of the Jonathan presidency. It is not surprising that he abandoned the struggle against impunity in the party and ran back to his vomit. That is his strange brand of political morality. The same man has canvassed support for the PDP governorship candidate, Umar Mohammed Nasko, as his successor as governor in next month’s election. We hope they are not birds of the same feather with disdain for moral values. Politics is forvalues, not for carpet baggers. men like Aliyu should be shunned in the coming election cycle.

LASAA Vs Lagos CP •Legality and fairness are the keys to settling this needless quarrel

N Lagos, an election time trouble is brewing between the police and the Lagos State Signage Advertisement Agency (LASAA). But the dispute would be absolutely needless, if both parties followed the basic tenets of legality and fairness. Kayode Aderanti, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), had it announced that he would henceforth arrest LASAA officials who removed any campaign billboard or posters, adding that his decision was based on a torrent of complaints by politicians that LASAA was unfairly removing their posters and billboards. A news report even claimed the police boss would still carry out the arrest, even if the posters were illegally erected. If that report was true — but we hope it was not — then the Lagos CP would be guilty of lawlessness, which would indeed be a profound paradox. There is nothing arbitrary in police arrests, only if it is based on legality. Inasmuch as the police can arrest citizens for breaking the law, it cannot touch them for obeying the law. So, if LASAA cadres remove billboards or posters, that, by law, have no business being erected or pasted where they are, the police cannot, by any logic or common sense, arrest those officials. Police cannot arrest citizens for doing what the law prescribes. But that is one aspect of the matter. The other leg of the LASAA response is the issue of fairness and equal access by all political parties to erect campaign messages, without let or hindrance. It is fundamental to the concept of free and fair elections. Reacting to CP Aderanti’s threat,

George Noah, LASAA’s managing director, practically called his bluff, daring the police to go ahead, and see if they could arrest LASAA’s staff for doing what the law prescribes. That would appear a clinical response to the police threat; which also underscores the lawful limits of police powers. “Let me state clearly that the removal of posters that deface our environment is a statutory obligation of LASAA,” Mr. Noah said. “The agency is therefore baffled that the Nigeria Police responsible for enforcing the laws of this nation is by the statement encouraging and expressly supporting the flagrant disregard and contravention of environmental guidelines issued to all political parties.” An obviously angry Noah said the police threat came despite that he fully explained the situation to the CP, who nevertheless went ahead with the threat, thus appearing to brush aside his explanation. But is LASAA fair to all parties, in carrying out its lawful duties? If it is not, it contravenes the law, by carrying its duty in bad faith. So, LASAA must be fair to all parties. Having said that, however, both parties must handle the situation with tact and honour. An election year is especially delicate; and you do not need two government agencies adding fire to the tinder. LASAA must be careful not to create the impression that its actions are skewed towards favouring the ruling party in the state. That would be putting itself under needless controversy that would doom its brand equity and poison its public perception. But CP Aderanti too must be tactful in

his pronouncements. He cannot afford the perception of a police officer driven by sentiments — or worse, a viceroy of the federal authorities to bring to heel some errant state rascals. That would be a wrong mindset: that the police is centrally controlled does not insulate it from local laws. In fact, the law is the oxygen of police operation. Without strict compliance with the law, the police loses its essence. In his reaction in the billboard/poster excitement, Mr. Aderanti sounded too close to a putative partisan-in-uniform: what the opposing politicians seem to lose in LASAA’s alleged partisanship, he seemed to ooze, they would gain in police arbitrary power! That is the illogic of threatened arrest, even if LASAA followed the law. Let the police and LASAA follow the law and fairness. The beautiful result would be peace in Lagos, anchored on justice and fair play. Lagos needs no less in a crucial election year.

‘Both parties must handle the situation with tact and honour. An election year is especially delicate; and you do not need two government agencies adding fire to the tinder. LASAA must be careful not to create the impression that its actions are skewed towards favouring the ruling party in the state ... But CP Aderanti too must be tactful in his pronouncements’

Why is Ironsi not on the naira?

IR: I could be off beam now, but I am at a loss as to why General Thomas Aguiyi Ironsi is not on any currency note in Nigeria. I am equally curious to know why those of his geographical block have not thought it fit to celebrate this man and have left it to the federal government that has chosen to consign him into the quarters of irrelevance. It is shocking that in this country some individuals are handpicked to be celebrated and given special recognition, and sad that no one has ever deem it right to inform the youths about our past great leaders. ‘Stomachism’ rather than ‘Intellectualism’ mindset has become the order of the day. Nollywood has by the same token failed as most of the movies presented to the world are laced with superstition, black magic instead of showcasing the qualities of great and inspirational leaders of the nation to our tender and yet-to-be corrupted school children. It is not surprising to read that some of the persons, who aided Ironsi to the other world, are called statesmen, brave men. Somebody is blessed to be celebrated nationally on Nigeria’s national currency and even all over the world by the naming of a major airport in a strategic part of the country after him. It is disappointing that Ironsi’s constituency - the Army has under no circumstances tried to clear his name and honour a gentlemanly soldier and a former head-of-state as it should be. As stated by this writer elsewhere, “General Aguiyi-Ironsi was entreated to be head of state and he rose up to the occasion without fear; a leader who truly knew the problems of Nigeria, who was marked to be slain in a coup but foiled it and whose only sin according to his detractors and their ilk was that he didn’t kill the coup plotters because he was sane enough not to shed blood because there was no law or decree allowing him to do such.” Is Nigeria not living on a lie and is this bias not a fraud? If the military lacks the guts to remember this man, how come no elected governments at the centre have done so since 1999? It was Napoleon who said, “Any commanderin-chief who undertakes to carry out a plan which he considers defective is at fault, he must put forth his reasons, insist on the plan being changed and tender his resignation rather than be the instrument of his army’s downfall.” Is the celebration of Ironsi defective and why? Can Nigerians see his photograph on the 50 Naira note or even the 1000 note? Can we see other important federal monuments named after him? Can the president now and any other in 2015 buck the trend and celebrate General Aguiyi Ironsi appropriately for posterity sake? We need to lessen pressures of ethnicity which is so high, and it does no good to suggest incorrectly that Ironsi himself stood in the way of development 47 years ago. It is a huge wrong to him, Nigeria and to history. • Simon Abah Port Harcourt, Rivers State

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THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: Recently, the Al-Shabaab the Islamic terrorist group in East Africa caused an outrage in Kenya on two occasions: the first was when a bus load of Kenyan citizens was waylaid and 36 Christians were singled out and murdered in cold blood. The second incident took place late last November in a mining camp in the same country: while miners were soundly asleep, the same Al-Shabaab terrorists showed up and murdered dozens of Christians in cold blood. The terrorist said the deed was in retaliation for the Kenyan government’s participation in a combined military action to root out the terrorist group from that region. These two incidents led to the dismissal of the security chief as well as the resignation of the interior minister of that country. This is in great contrast to what obtains in Nigeria where we have a sit-tight Minister of Defence and the National Security Adviser who have refused to resign their positions despite the fact that they are clueless as to the best way to tackle the insurgency. Instead of resigning, they continue to give excuses for non-performance. Last October when the military launched a well co-ordinate attack on the Boko – Haram insurgents and were gaining on them, a cease-fire was inexplicably declared with a claim that the Boko Haram insurgents had agreed to negotiate for the release of over 200 Chibok girls abducted since last April. The group later denied any ceasefire deal with the government and the great price

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Nigeria: The wages of impunity Nigeria paid for that ruse was the re-grouping of the sect to launch devastating attacks that led to the fall of Mubi and other towns. Up till today, those responsible for the so-called ceasefire deal with the insurgents never apologized to the nation for failing her neither did they take the honourable path of resigning their positions. When the issue of the missing $20 billion came up and the NNPC could not give any satisfactory explanation as to how the money was spent, instead of resigning her position as

the minister overseeing that parastatal, the lady had the temerity to go to court to stop the House of Representatives committee set up to investigate the matter! The same thing happened with the case of a jet which the same minister was said to have appropriated ‘for her exclusive service and on which billions of naira was spent for the minister’s pleasure alone! That too has been swept under carpet as nobody is talking about the matter anymore. Also, last year, the Minister of In-

• Steve O.Attah Lokoja

Danger as PDP gets desperate IR: Nigerians should gird their loins for the danger ahead as PDP leaders get desperate over next month’s Presidential elections. There is total disquiet and confusion in the House of PDP as events of February draw near. A party that says it will rule Nigeria for 60years is now gasping for breath and fighting for survival. How are the mighty fallen? The House called PDP is giving way gradually, it is going down gradually, it is collapsing systematically

and it is sinking slowly. In Port-Harcourt during the flag off candidate Buhari’s campaigns, one person was feared dead and many others seriously injured when armed youths shot at vehicles moving supporters of APC to the venue. In Lagos PDP has been training thugs and arming them for the task ahead. Across the country stories of arm build up and training of thugs are filtering into the ears. General Buhari of 2003, 2007 and

Chibok girls: Nine months after IR: Tomorrow January 9 marks 270 days, nine months since the abduction of school girls in Chibok town, Borno State. With about 37 days to election, it is becoming hopeless that Chibok girls will be released anytime soon. Campaigns and election matters will soon dominate the whole news in Nigeria and indeed the world. The much discussed election is undoubtedly going to be a great test on Nigeria and indeed for Africa’s democracy, and indeed security.

terior, Abba Moro, organized a recruitment exercise into the immigration service that turned out to be a nightmare, claiming not less than 19 lives of the applicants. There was an out-cry of condemnations and the call for the resignation of the minister. But the man sat tight! When integrity and honour are set aside and impunity and corruption mount the stage, the country’s image receives a battering in the comity of nations. When you have a president who does not seem to care whether his ministers are corrupt or not but all

that matters to him is how to actualize his second or third term bid, the nation will continue to be a huge joke amongst other country of the world. Is the President displaying the all pervasive third world leadership syndrome that when one climbs up to that high pedestal, one loses one’s sense of reality and immerses oneself in fantasy until suddenly, the reality dawns on one-as happened to Blaise Campaore in Burkina Faso recently? When is the bubble going to burst in the face of our president? Is the President so reassured of the impregnability of Aso Rock and so convinced of his messianic role that he has failed to take into cognizance what the masses of this country are going through right now?

The level of hopelessness among Nigerians is also increasing by the day. Nigerians must rise beyond the politics of tribe and religion. Uprightness, capacity to deliver on the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians is one good reason why Nigerians must converge even if it is for the first time to rescue this land. Under normal circumstances, the Chibok girls ought to have graduated if that incident had not occurred. It is likely that some of them would have been in the university

by now. Some of them could have been married with babies by now. Some of them could have started legitimate business by now. All of those dreams are gone at least for now. Nigerians must remain in prayers for a better Nigeria, put all their commitment into a free, fair and credible elections come February. •Comrade Abdulbaqi Katsina Katsina State

Jari

2011 is no longer the same Buhari in 2015. Buhari in 2015 has become dynamite, an explosive, a game changer, a fortress, a smoking gun, an avatar, the numero uno, the political bulldozer, the caterpillar. Machine gun, a hurricane and a colossus. To ignore the GMB massive movement now is to play to the gallery, to dismiss his build up now is to tell a lie to yourself, and to set aside his potentials now is to be economical with the truth. Calculations, equations, permutations have changed and they are turning almost 360 degrees. It is a complete turn around. The momentum is there. The speed is there, the dynamism is there and the force is there also. As things stand APC needs to wake up to device ways to protect its members and teeming supporters. The potentially dangerous elements in PDP and their agents have nothing to give Nigeria now except agonies, tears and blood. Having decimated and desecrated a promising country, PDP is now ready to give Nigerians serpents instead of fishes, stones instead of bread and urine instead of water. Now, what do you do a cook who cannot cook well? You sack him.

What do you do to a teacher who cannot teach well? You sack the teacher. What do you do to a President who cannot lead his country very well? You vote him out! APC is not PDP and it can never be. Unless you vote in APC and try them for at least four years, you cannot do an objective comparison between APC and PDP. APC stands for good governance, national security, economic development, human capital development, land and resources development, active foreign policy. APC will fight impunity and abuse of power. APC will fight political irresponsibility of wealth without work and politics without principles. We have shed enough blood in this country and God forbid that we should travel that road again. Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State is relying on the Military and the Police to remain in power. PDP and its drivers are relying also on the powers of the Army and Police to remain in power at all cost. Can these vital and strategic institutions afford to fail Nigerians again in this election? • Joe Igbokwe Lagos

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

COMMENTS

Kayode Osuntokun remembered

HIS year marks the 20th year since Professor Kayode Osuntokun passed on . If he had been alive, January 6, the day of epiphany would have been his 80th birthday. How time flies! I still remember those horrible days when I was with him in the Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge not really knowing how serious his case was until his friend Sir Keith Peters, Regius Professor of Physics (medicine) told me Jide, you know Kayode will not be returning home to Nigeria. I immediately knew what he meant. My brother that meant so much to me was dying before my eyes and there was nothing I could do about it. It was horrible. Everyone in the family had always taken our medical problems to him and he always found solutions to them. Our rural folks at home in Okemesi always waited for his visits to lay before him their medical conditions and in his inimitable way, he would treat them and sometimes used psychology for good effect by jokingly telling them not to talk to any of their wives after swallowing whatever medicaments he gave them. We would laugh over his pranks! Our people at home did not know of course that they were consulting one of the best neuro-scientists in the world. He had garnered all the certificates available in his field from MD, PhD to Dsc and the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and prizes across the globe. If he had lived, I believe he would have been a strong contender for the Nobel prize especially because of his research on Alzeimer disease. He was such a global figure in medicine that his earlier research on cyanide poisoning associated with consumption of garri (cassava) had led to disease emanating from it being named the Osuntokun’s syndrome. We as a family were very proud of his unparalleled achievement and none of us expected he would die so young at 60 with so much accomplishment that even one could not have done in a century. It was like he was in a hurry to finish his earthly work. His birth was itself a miracle. My mother was about to die with him in her womb when my father rushed to Prophet Joseph Babalola who through prayers facilitated his delivery. When a few years later my mother had a set of twins and because of the hardship of raising three babies at a time, she donated Kayode to Babalola and his Christ Apostolic Church. Kayode as a precocious child finished reading the Holy Bible from Genesis to Revelation-before he was six years

HE signs are all too clear and they point to one thing : President Goodluck Jonathan should go. Not too long ago, many of those seeking his exit today were his ardent supporters. They rallied round him when some forces wanted to sideline him in the running of the country when the late President Umaru Yar'Adua died in May 2010. Before Yar'Adua's death, those who had custody of him prevented then Vice President Jonathan from knowing what was happening. Jonathan was in the dark about the health of his boss and about everything that was going on in government. He was number two just in name and as his wife, Dame Patience, later revealed, he was reduced to reading newspapers in the office, while some of the late Yar'Adua's aides and his widow, the then First Lady Turai ran the country. But the bubble burst when Yar'Adua died. The cabal was exposed for what it was. Since the Constitution states explicitly that the vice president should take over after the president's death, they had no choice than to allow the law take its course.

269 DAYS AFTER

WHERE ARE THE ABDUCTED CHIBOK GIRLS?

old. The child indeed was the father of the man! He showed his hands very early in life. He waltzed through secondary school by clearing all his subjects at O Level at Distinction grade, a feat that can only be equalled not excelled. He did the same at medical school in Ibadan. He had in record time finished his training as a neurologist under eminent British professors in Cardiff and Newcastle in the UK. He became a professor of medicine in his 30s and the rest they say is history. It was not all work and no play; he was a good footballer and was once Western Nigeria’s Lawn Tennis champion. On his death bed, he once asked me about what would happen to all the work he had done. He was meticulous even to the point of where he would like to be buried. He had told his wife he should be buried at right side of his father’s grave. I have not met somebody as organized as he was. Sometime in 1992 when I was ambassador of Nigeria in Germany, he gave me a letter written to him in 1953 by someone asking him to send him a pair of shoes known then as ronke. The letter in terrible English was first a mystery to me until I saw my name as the writer. I showed this letter to my children who simply dismissed it as probably something written by an illiterate cousin from Okemesi. I finally told them that their illiterate father at 11 wrote the letter! My brother had kept that letter for almost 50 years! He was so selfless to the extent that he bequeathed half of his estate to the University of Ibadan to support professorship in medicine and ophthalmology in honour of himself and his equally cerebrally endowed wife who is a retired professor of ophthalmology at the University of Ibadan. He was the first African to serve as an examiner in the British Royal College of Physicians examination and the first African to be appointed visiting professor to the Royal Hammersmith Hospital in London. The most important thing was that he was a father, husband and brother. He was of course honored by his country as an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and was the second person to receive the National Order of Merit (NNOM) after the great Professor Adeoye Lambo, a great friend of his who stood by him when he was evacuated from Lagos in 1995 by medical ambulance. Recently he was adjudged as one of the most distinguished Nigerians of the last century. A great man never dies just as a great idea never dies.

He lives on in his published scientific papers of over 300. His library was shared between Ekiti State University and the College of Medicine University of Ibadan. His estate and a friend who doesn’t want himself named and Jide this grateful brother Osuntokun have endowed a medical prize at Ekiti University College of Medicine. He lives on of course in his children and grand children. Two of his children became doctors in his life time. Two were lawyers and one a distinguished and accomplished chartered accountant. One grand child is already finishing medical school in the United States and another is on scholarship in Yale to mention some of the grand children who are already following grandfather’s footsteps. If Kayode can see how well his family had done since he left mortality for immortality, he would no doubt be proud of them and realize that when ashes cover a burning fire, it does not mean the fire is completely extinguished and when the bunch of plantain is chopped off, it will sprout again! Let this be our testimony of Kayode Osuntokun’s promenade on this side of heaven. He was a man in a million.

‘If Kayode can see how well his family had done since he left mortality for immortality, he would no doubt be proud of them and realize that when ashes cover a burning fire, it does not mean the fire is completely extinguished and when the bunch of plantain is chopped off, it will sprout again!’

The market is over Because of the goodwill he then enjoyed, winning the 2011 election was a piece of cake for Jonathan. But in less than two years in office, he burnt his bridges. Across the country today, the singsong is that Jonathan must go. Why is this so? What offence did he commit? Has he not fulfilled his promise to end irregular power supply? Has he not built or reconstructed roads? Do we still have unemployed graduates roaming the streets? Are our schools and hospitals not functioning well? So, why should anybody campaign against Jonathan’s return? It was easy measuring whether he still enjoys the support of the people with what happened nationwide on New Year's eve. In their New Year messages, virtually all the clerics hinted that change was in the offing. They were not campaigning against Jonathan; they were telling the people just like former President Olusegun Obasanjo did on Monday ‘’to vote wisely’’. Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) General Overseer Pastor E.A. Adeboye said being an election year, he would not say much. ‘’But at the end of the year’’, he told his flock, ‘’many of you will say all is well that ends well’’. I leave the decoding of that to you. To Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM) General Overseer Pastor D.K. Olukoya, Nigeria will not break up over the coming elections. But the renowned Enugu based Catholic Priest, Rev Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka, did not mince words in giving his own message. ‘’We need change. Whatever it will be, let it be. This is my golden message to my beloved country…By the grace of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we

are announcing spiritually, change! 2015 should not be a year of any hooligan maneouvring to hijack power. This is our New Year message. Listen, when you get home, tell anybody you see that from the oracle of the Holy Spirit, we are announcing change. Can somebody help me to shout change in Jesus Holy name. ‘’Once upon a time, the whole country was crying for a leader who would help us to move forward with our economy, have an authentic democracy, give our unemployed youths jobs, enable our power to be steady, who would industrialise Nigeria, who would encourage mass education and agriculturise Nigeria…Then Goodluck met Yar’Adua and Yar’Adua died. Before you know it, the Goodluck met our oil and our oil had a bad luck and poured away. Before we knew it, the Goodluck met our naira, our naira had a bad luck. Where are we going? What is the fate of this country? Shall we continue like this? We need change.’’ No matter how you look at it, the Revered Gentleman has said it as it is. We need change. Things cannot be allowed to continue like this. If yesterday, we were shouting hossanah, we did so in ignorance because we thought Jonathan will correct societal ills. With his humble background and most importantly, considering the circumstance of his emergence, we thought he would have the people’s feelings at heart. The country has not benefited from his leadership looking at all indices of development. This is why today, the people are calling for change. Those reaping from the system will, of course, say otherwise, but

the larger segment of the society that is at the receiving end cannot but wish for change this year. Change does not come easily, it must be worked for. So, Nigerians should be ready to, with their votes, effect a change in national leadership in next month’s elections. Enough of crying in the corners of our homes, lamenting the rot in the system. We can do something to remedy the situation and that is by casting our vote ‘’wisely’’ as Obasanjo advised. ou may not like Obasanjo, but you may not fault him at times when he takes his stand on certain issues. Being a former leader, he knows the workings of the economy inside out and the picture that he painted of things on Monday is not palatable at all. Hear him: ‘’Our nation is plagued with insecurity, economic downturn, increase in poverty, corruption and impunity in doing things. People do things because no man can do anything to them, but God will catch them. ‘’Our economy should not have been this bad. When I was leaving office about eight years ago, I left a very huge reserve after we had paid all our debts. Almost $25billion we kept in what they call Excess Crude Account. When we left in May 2007, the reserve was said to have been raised to $35billion. But today, that reserve has been depleted. “Our reserve after we had paid off this debt was about $45billion. I heard that the reserve increased to almost $67billion before the end of

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

that year. Our reserve now, I learnt, is left with around only $30billion. That is why the naira has been falling against the dollar…’’ The Southeast which Jonathan considers home seems also to be up in arms against him. In an upcoming interview in The Sun, former Vice President Alex Ekwueme hinted that “Jonathan may not have maximum support from the Southeast”. This statement is pregnant with meaning. The handwriting is clear on the wall. The chances of Jonathan being rejected at the poll are high. But his loyalists see his chances as bright and are goading him on with such statement as “in 2015, it is either good luck or bad luck” Of course, it will be our good luck if he loses and otherwise if he wins. Well, you do not tell a blind man that the market is over. He will return home when he no longer hears the noise of the market place.

‘You do not tell a blind man that the market is over. He will leave when he no longer hears the noise of the market place’

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

COMMENTS

OVERNOR Amaechi of Rivers who also doubles as General Buhari’s presidential campaign director, has been roundly condemned by government and our overwhelmed military over his view that soldiers engaged in anti-insurgency operations had a right to protest the lack of arms and ammunition needed for successful military engagement. This was a reaction to mass death sentences passed on 54 soldiers for disobeying the order of their commanding officers. To further disabuse the minds of the public from a statement the military believes is capable of inciting the soldiers, Major General Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information has pointed out that “the war on terror is not all about equipment but mindset of both the military and the public”. He has in the light of that privileged information warned politicians to “refrain from pronouncement and attitude that seek to undermine the established justice/ disciplinary procedures and processes of the military system”. I think it must be conceded to Olukolade that soldiers signing for the military know the consequences of breaching the military laws. But with General Obasanjo, a man who should know better as a former field General and former Head of state now authoritatively asserting that “in the military profession, there are no bad soldiers but bad officers” and that if we see a situation where the soldiers are not doing well, examine the officer, military leaders from now on may find it hard to continue blaming others for their inadequacies. Yes there are military laws and the soldiers enrolling in the military are conscious of the consequences of breaking such rules. I think the missing link is the spirit of the law. And I think this is where the leadership of the military has failed their foot soldiers. But it is difficult for one not to share Olukolade’s anguish and anger against politicians, the source of the past and current travails of the military. The infiltration of the military by ethnic irredentists as politicians in the first republic led to unleashing upon themselves ‘internal haemorrhage’ first on January 15 and July 29 1966, subsequent 30 months civil war and the long years of military involvement in politics ending with emergence of political fraudsters and treasury looters as Head of state and reducing a professional army of pre-independence to “an army of anything is possible” by 1998. Today, the military is not just at war with Boko Haram, a by-product of PDP intra-party feuds; it has been infected by a Jonathan administration riddled with corruption and

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has missed being the sun of the nation’s life and that of the pit of degradation, called the Niger Delta. Everlasting night has settled upon Nigeria, spurred by moral bankruptcy and the clueless chaos of his governance. There is nothing his administration has done that inspires hope in the people within the last six years. Nigerians have grown accustomed to the deafening cacophonies of missing billions in the oil sector and the NNPC accounts, pension fund looting, oil bunkering, abandoned projects, devaluation of the nation’s currency, spilling of innocent blood by the nihilist Boko Haram militias etc. Most of all, mega-corruption and the government’s inability to tame the bloodcurdling insurgents Boko Haram has been President Jonathan’s undoing. He could not use his “Omnipotent Government” to suppress the vices because he is a beneficiary of the self-inflicted crises. President Jonathan’s government has been a major source of mischief and disaster ever witnessed in Nigeria. Granted that the worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by governments in human history, but there come a time the people strive for change, and the time is now. The above statement was echoed - not exactly the same - by no less a personage than the fierce and fire-spitting Catholic Priest Rev. Ejike Mbaka. The iron cast priest obviously ventilated Ludwig Von Mises, the Austrian School economist, sociologist, and classical liberal who became prominent for his work

‘Goodluck Jonathan. The Goodluck in Jonathan has become a bad luck to Nigerians. Whatever brought him in should send him back and let Nigeria be. By this time in few months to come, many are going to lose their jobs and there is no alternative”’

Amaechi Vs Olukolade impunity. The result is crisis of confidence in the military as it battles the insurgency with its cycle of violence against innocent and helpless people of North-eastern Nigeria. In the face of the general atmosphere of insecurity in the north, the urbane Sultan of Sokoto has now passed a ‘fatwa’ calling on Muslim faithful to defend themselves against Boko Haram since government has let them down. This was coming on the heels of similar call by Muhammadu Sanusi II, emir of Kano late last year. Yet a military that is increasingly finding it difficult to re-establish its relevance and indeed needs help has continued to regard itself as the most nationalistic group and custodian of our common will. This is long after various studies have abundantly demonstrated that most members of the Nigerian military like their counterparts elsewhere are hardly motivated by altruism. Rather, they are rational beings who enrol in the military not to commit suicide but to take the advantage of the opportunities it offers to climb the social ladder. Buhari, former military head of state and presidential candidate in the February election once told the story of how he secured a chance to go to the military school as a poor village boy because unlike today, Ahmadu Bello, the then premier of the north extended opportunities to the children of the poor even in the rural areas. Therefore, Nigerian soldiers like their counterparts elsewhere in the world have hopes and aspirations. They want to fight and live. They look forward to welfare packages after retirement just like legislators, governors and local council politicians. Kitting soldiers to fight to live is therefore not an idle talk. If those set on the path of martyrdom are kitted with modern fighting equipment, how can

we provide less for those fighting for their nation with the hope of acquiring good education and a secured future? For this reason many democratic nations have already elevated the protection of soldiers from avoidable death on the battle field to a human right issue . The greatest responsibility of an officer is securing the life of his soldier. In a globalised world, our military leaders cannot continue to act as if they don’t have obligations to others. When two British soldiers Corporal Stephen Allbut and Trooper David Clarke were killed by a friendly power during their Iraq engagement in what was described as ‘completely avoidable tragedy’ by an inquiry to the incident, a coroner indicted the British Army officer in charge of the operation. His major offence was not deploying 47 state-ofthe-art satellite recognition sets leased by the Ministry of Defence from the US which were capable of tracking friendly tank movements. Similarly the report that British troops were deprived of the right equipment to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan led to the setting up of Chilcot Inquiry in Britain where Gordon Brown faced questioning with General Lord Gurthrie the chief of staff from 1997 to 2001 accusing him of allowing soldiers to die. Brown as chancellor at the period was indicted for not making funds available therefore forcing the Armed forces to cope without a wide range of equipment’. Here neither military leaders nor government think they owe anyone any explanation for their failures. Alarmed by the low quality of arms in spite of huge allocation of over a quarter of our annual budget of N4 trillion to ministry of defence for two years consecutively, the US suggested that the source of wealth of some military officers be

probed. The government ignored the advice probably because those considered as friends of government are above the law. It was the same form of impunity that greeted Kashim Shettima, the governor of besieged Borno State’s first alarm that with the relative ease at which Boko Haram was overrunning everywhere, our troops probably needed more fighting kits and better motivation. Doyin Okupe and other presidential hurrah boys were deployed to all available electronic media to accuse the governor of attempting to incite our hard-fighting and ‘well-kitted’ soldiers. When over 200 young girls were abducted from their dormitories and driven over a distance of over 200 kilometres in a state under emergency, the president’s wife and minister after minister took turns to call the governor names. This was followed by the insurgents’ take-over of over 20 LGA in Borno, the sacking of some military barracks and the killing of an estimated 4000 innocent Nigerians. It was after all these that the president, without an apology to Shettima and Nigerians sought the approval of the National Assembly to seek $1billion loan to equip the military. While one appreciates Olukolade’s righteous indignation against politicians, if he ‘shines’ his eyes, he will be pleasantly surprised that Amaechi is not the problem. It lies as much with the leadership of the country as with the leadership of the military. I think instead of chasing shadows, and trying to play safe, leaders will benefit from the admonition of American General David Petraeus, an architect of victory against Iraq insurgency to his colleagues when they faced their own demons in Iraq. “What you face is simply a moral challenge, a test of will and commitment that if you believe that all is not well – change it; do not wrestle with the sum of your fears; but embrace the course you believe to be right ...”

‘While one appreciates Olukolade’s righteous indignation against politicians, if he ‘shines’ his eyes, he will be pleasantly surprised that Amaechi is not the problem. It lies as much with the leadership of the country as with the leadership of the military’

Jonathan’s sun sets in the East By Erasmus Ikhide in praxeology, a deductive study of human choice and action. “There is no more dangerous menace to civilisation than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men”, Von said. Rev. Mbaka hits the bull’s eye when he told President Jonathan the stark truth he hates to hear: “What is the fate of our children? Tears fill my eyes when I see our young graduates hoping and walking our streets. What is the meaning of kidnapping? Kidnapping is the grandson of unemployment. Boko Haram is a great grand child of the same unemployment, mass looting, and poor governance”. “President Jonathan cannot lead Nigeria. As things stand right now, from the oracle of the Holy Spirit, Jonathan should honourably resign quietly and let Nigeria be. The destiny of Nigeria is greater than Goodluck Jonathan. The Goodluck in Jonathan has become a bad luck to Nigerians. Whatever brought him in should send him back and let Nigeria be. By this time in few months to come, many are going to lose their jobs and there is no alternative” “During election, Jonathan will answer Azikiwe, Ebele and become an Igbo man and after election, the Ebele, the Azikiwe and Goodluck will vanish from his identity. Who is fooling who actually? Look at our federal roads, we are not even asking for new ones, roads built by Buhari and Babangidas — the so called Hausa people— cannot be maintained. Follow Enugu here to Onitsha, children born some years ago do not know that there was a lane along the other side of Isiagwu and we are all saying continue. The continuity of Jonathan means disaster to Nigeria”. “When there is no road, no power, all this fake promises… where is the power? That Onitsha Bridge, has it now been built? No. After six years, and Goodluck has what it

takes to do whatever. He surrounded himself with hooligans. By the time he comes down, he won’t have anybody to work with. He played himself into the hands of hooligans. My interest is about the wellness of this country. Nigeria must survive. What we are passing through is by the help of God. The same God who saved us from Ebola will save us from this bad luck season”. “Look at it, there was a time there was an argument about pension fund – such billions. Who is talking about it now? Billions and we were hearing it… from excess crude oil money, where is the impact of the excess crude oil money? Now from oil boom, it has met a bad luck; it’s now oil doom. If my father will be my leader and my siblings will all die, let a stranger be my leader and let my family be”, Rev. Mbaka said. I quoted the Catholic Priest at great length because of his religious standing, his following, his geopolitical firmament and the ethnoreligious sentiments that have dampened Nigeria political growth. Political leaders who failed to fulfil electoral promises to the electorate deliberately appeal or exploit ethnocentric and religious sentiments of their selfish gains in sections of the country. No Nigerian leader has gained popularity through divisive politicking, ethno-religious grandstanding than President Goodluck Jonathan. Then what is government if it is not to promote human happiness and welfare? All the blemishes plaguing this administration came as a result of the parasitic sycophants who give the president a halo of false glory and are hell-bent on feasting dangerously on the nation’s easy oil wealth. The reason, lamentably, is that Jonathan didn’t attain ideological maturation before he found himself in the corridors of power. He is being goaded on by dint of virtual providence and veritable luck.

Minds more developed and ideologically balanced have proved that one of the greatest bequests to modern civilisation and governance is not entirely humility, but a great deal of granite hardness, as the need arises to trample on closest friends who stand in the way of the masses. With one stroke of abhorrence for corruption, President Jonathan could have transformed Nigeria. In President Jonathan’s administration, Nigerians have lost one of the nation’s supposed great educationist whose products we have not yet found in our time their fullest use, to corruption! He missed the chance to wear the cap described in Mein Kampf, The Struggle Of My Life: “From millions of men, one man must step forward who with apodictic force will form granite principles from the wavering ideaworld of the broad masses and take up the struggle for their sole correctness, until the shifting waves of a free thought-world there will arise a brazen cliff of solid unity in faith and will”. World-historical men - the Heroes of an epoch - must therefore be recognised as its clear-sighted ones, their deeds, their worlds are the best of their time”. You can now gauge why President Goodluck Jonathan government is beset by treachery, overwhelmed by violence visited on it by the Boko Haram, drown in blood and will go up in flames in an orgy of self-willed annihilation which will answer some terrible longing question in the minds of Nigeria. The President who ought to be a man of staggering political genius, an incredible reformer by the reason of his education and experience has yielded to crass opportunism and megacorruption. Which ever way, President Jonathan’s sun has set at midnight in the Eastern part of Nigeria, at the Adoration Ground, where he holds a portion of the nation to a grand illusion of oneness and slavish governance. • Ikhide wrote in from Lagos.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

COMMENTS

HE traditional “wise-men” of Yoruba civilization (respectfully known as Babalawo, ‘Father of the Secrets’) used to say, “Koro-koro la nrofa aditi” –that is, when consulting the oracles for someone who cannot hear well, the message needs to be clear and said loudly and repeatedly. It is difficult – extremely difficult – for Nigeria to hear well or to hear the truth. And that is because Nigeria’s multiplicity of nationalities and cultures intervene between Nigeria and any important message; they make it impossible for Nigeria to hear important messages clearly and to benefit from them. If Nigeria is dying today (as it is), that is the most fundamental reason. The basic FACT of Nigeria’s existence is that Nigeria is not a nation – a nation being a people group with their own homeland, their own culture and language, and their own self-image, and therefore their own unique expectations, ways of doing things, of enforcing their own national moral laws, of rewarding or penalizing their members, etc. If an event in history creates one sovereign country that combines many of such nations, then that country, to survive for any length of time, must be very thoughtful and careful in managing the interrelationships among its component nations. If the country’s management of those inter-relationships is poor, unduly demanding and aggressive, and generates stress for some of the component nations, then the country cannot possibly be stable – and it runs the risk of quickly breaking up. That is the basic summary of the history of independent Nigeria since 1960. By aggressively pooling all powers and resources together in the hands of the federal government, we have created a powerful demon that will destroy Nigeria. In this column and in other writings, I have said these things repeatedly, and as clearly and loudly as I possibly can – in accordance with the wisdom of the fathers of

Nigeria at the crossroads my Yoruba people. In this beginning of another year, I say them now again. Without restructuring Nigeria, without basing our states on the realities of our nationalities, and without taking away many of the powers and resource-control now held by the federal government and vesting them in the state governments, Nigeria will break up – probably violently, and probably very soon. In fact, as I watch the situation develop these days, I am already expecting my own separate Yoruba country to materialize soon; and I am already thinking of how I and others like me will contribute to making our Yoruba country orderly, progressive, prosperous and powerful in the world. I am also full of prayers for other probable new countries (especially an Igbo country, a Hausa-Fulani country, and others that seem to me increasingly inevitable in the circumstances that have been evolved in Nigeria). Everything of significance emphasizes the truth that Nigeria has been destroyed by us Nigerians. As an important example, look at what is happening to our economy. The sharp falls in crude oil prices of these days are having a devastating effect on Nigeria because, according to the moulding of our economy by the federal government, the income from crude oil is the alpha-and-omega of our economy. Before crude oil started to become important to our country in about 1970, our country was doing quite well on some cash crops (cocoa from the South-west, palm produce from the South-east, and groundnuts from the North). We were also, on the whole, fairly productive peoples in food-crop farming, livestock farming, fishing, etc. From the 1950s, we were also beginning to develop as an entrepreneurial and gradually industrializing coun-

‘Everything of significance emphasizes the truth that Nigeria has been destroyed by us Nigerians. As an important example, look at what is happening to our economy. The sharp falls in crude oil prices of these days are having a devastating effect on Nigeria because, according to the moulding of our economy by the federal government, the income from crude oil is the alpha-and-omega of our economy’

HESE are very sobering times in Cross River State. Negative tendencies that were buried several years ago are being exhumed all in a bid to score cheap political points. ýStrangely, good guys are now being made to look like devils all in the name of politics. Nothing is more distressing than the on-going campaign by some embattled and failed politicians to portray the state governor, Senator Liyel Imoke as one who hates Efik people of the state. Yet in truth, no other politician, including Efik sons and daughters, in recent times, has done more to uplift the Efiks than Imoke. Until 1999, no Efik man or woman was ever elected the governor of Cross River State. Indeed, the buzz words on everyone’s lips then was that no Efik could be governor of the state. In truth, this position had nothing to do with the competence of the Efiks to hold such an office. Rather, it was a simple case of all the other ethnic groups loosely referred to as Atam, coming together to form a huge voting bloc, to ensure that only their own ruled. But the Efiks were able to break that jinx in 1999 with the election of Donald Duke as governor. One man who played a pivotal role to ensure that this revolution of some sort took place is Senator Imoke. By 2003, it was looking almost impossible for Duke to get a second term in office. The other ethnic groups had banded together under the auspices of the Atam Peoples Congress with the sole aim of wresting power. It was the same Imoke who is now being painted as one who hates Efik, that confronted his own people and neutralized them so that his friend, an Efik, could get a second term in office. When Imoke, who is from the Central Senatorial District of the state won the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) governorship primaries for the 2007 elections, he settled for none other than Barrister Efiok Cobham as his running mate. Cobham is Efik. Unlike his predecessor and even some of his current colleague governors, who change their deputies like one changes garments, Imoke has kept his deputy. And everyone in the state knows that unlike other deputy governors, Cobham is actively involved in the running of the state. The story of the no-love lost relationship between the state governor and his first deputy in 1999 is well documented and needs no rehashing here. Cross River State is divided into three senatorial districts; Southern, Central and Northern. While Imoke is from the Central, his deputy is from the

try. But just as crude oil was beginning to emerge as a main contributor to our economy, our cash crops were transferred to federal control. The federal government, hugely overwhelmed by the growing oil bonanza, focused its attention on the oil alone and, through inattention, allowed the cash crops to perish. Discouraged and lacking governmental support, our farmers turned away from producing the cash crops. Nobody noticed this disaster as it developed – but it was a process of submitting the lives of our people to poverty. By the 1960s we were the largest exporter of groundnuts in the world; but by the 1980s, we had disappeared as a serious exporter of groundnuts. The same disasters befell our cocoa and palm produce exports. We became the poor country that we are now – the country in which 70% of us live in “absolute poverty”, where true enterprise has become unpopular, where all state governments and local governments subsist only on monthly federal dolls from the oil revenues, and where most prominent citizens live on hand-outs or outright robberies from the oil revenues. It is a country also in which the federal government has seized control and destroyed education at all levels, and wrecked the universities that we proudly owned at independence. Worldwide, we became notorious as a viciously corrupt country – a country to be avoided. In the process, we have destroyed all love among our various nationalities. Read the letters posted by Nigerians on the world-wideweb daily, and you will be horrified at the perpetual drivel of hate and venom that Nigerians spit against one another’s nationalities. In the past few years, some leading Nigerians have been importing and storing weapons – so as to be prepared to arm their own particular nationals to kill masses of other nationals when the time comes. We are ready for the Rwandan kind of genocidal insanity – only, when it comes, it will be thousands of times larger and more horrific than in Rwanda. What respectable reason do we still have left for regarding ourselves as countrymen? We have destroyed this country. All that needs to happen is its actual dissolution. And that now ap-

Imoke, Efiks and the coming elections By Bassey Okon Southern Senatorial District. Despite occupying the office of deputy governor, Imoke nominated another Efik man, Edem Duke for ministerial appointment. That office was originally meant for the North. Under the present dispensation, three Efiks are ýcurrently serving as Nigerian ambassadors. These appointments are made by the President with recommendations from governors. In the Cross River State Executive Council appointed by Imoke, Efik sons and daughters occupy very strategic ministries. They include Etim Caifas, Commissioner for Finance, Prof Ndem Ayara, the State Economic Adviser, Prof Offiong E. Offiong, Commissioner for Education and Prof Angela Oyo-Ita, Commissioner for Health. It must also not be forgotten that the chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Ewa Henshaw is Efik. This is not to forget Senator Florence Ita Giwa, an Efik daughter, who is on the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). The senator representing the Southern Senatorial District, Prince Bassey Otu is an Efik man. The district is made up of seven local government areas. Two of these local government areas, Biase and Akamkpa are non-Efik speaking. Today, the phrase ‘Five Alive’, mischievously and selfishly coined to draw a distinction between the five Efik speaking local councils and the rest two, Biase and Akamkpa is proof that the latter two are ‘dead’ and serfs of the Efiks. Besides appointments and elective offices, Imoke has also favoured the Efiks more than any other ethnic group in the state when it comes to location of capital projects. Tellingly, the location of key capital projects in Efik land by Imoke started long before he became governor. As Minister of Power and Steel, Imoke got the Federal Government to site one of its Independent Power Plants (IPP)ý in Odukpani, an Efik land. His administration in the state has uplifted Calabar South more than any other administration has ever done with the construction of over 44 roads. There is also the Margaret Ekpo International Airport

Bypass with an interchange flyover, the first of its kind in the state. The civil servants housing estate constructed by the Imoke-led administration is located in Akpabuyo, an Efik land. Other major capital projects being built in Calabar by the administration include the impressive Calabar International Convention Centre, the over 200-bed Specialist Hospital, 18-hole international golf course, monorail, a new upscale housing estate, ultra-modern indoor sports hall and many more. One of the new General Hospitals built by the Imoke administration is located in Ukem, Odukpani Local Government Area, an Efik land. In their haste to tar Imoke with a hate brush, these faceless ethnic jingoists exposed themselves for who they truly are; political hirelings paid to do a hatchet job for a fee. In effect, this group cannot be said to be representing the Efiks, but a narrow political interest masquerading as the voices of the Efiks. Else, why did the group find it rather difficult to unveil the so-called Concerned Citizens of Calabar by revealing signatories of the advertorial as published by The Nation of Monday January 6 and Tuesday January 7? Obviously, the content reveals clearly that the so-called Concerned Citizens of Calabar are agents working for a particular politician. It is also worrisome to find that the term Calabar is now loosely used to designate a people or tribe rather than a geographical location. Are these hirelings speaking for all the people, including those from the North and Central residing in Calabar or the Efiks as a people? In particular reference to the Peregrino meeting where Imoke was said to have voiced his concern about his alleged hatred for Calabar people, was the gathering a party affair or one for the Calabar people? When has a PDP or a party affair become that of the entire people of the state? Is every Calabar resident or Efik man a PDP member? In an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the faceless group claimed that Imoke hates Efik people ýwhich is why he is opposed to the idea of incumbent Senator Otu

Gbogun gboro pears to be near at hand. In all essence, Nigeria’s problems have risen to heights at which they cannot possibly be solved by any election. Some days ago, the respected academic and statesman, Bolaji Akinyemi, came forth with the suggestion that the two candidates in the presidential election should meet and sign an agreement to prevent their supporters from unleashing violence on society before, during and after the election. Although such an agreement would be a good gesture, there is serious doubt that it can prevent the trouble that Nigeria has already prepared for itself. During the past week, another highly respected leader, Pastor Tunde Bakare, stood up in the shrine of his faith and made much more far-reaching proposals towards solution and change. He urges that the presidential election scheduled for February 15 should be postponed for six months - so as to allow us to sort out our country’s tangled problems (especially the restructuring of our federation). We would therefore be able to hold the election under the new constitutional structure. Again, this is a wonderful suggestion. The existing constitution allows such a postponement, since, in fact, a substantial part of our country is under invasion by hostile forces. Moreover, we do have the report of a National Conference with some valuable proposals to which we all will be able to add some more. But there is no likelihood that this proposal too will be adopted. We have sown the wind; we are only motivated to reap the whirlwind. returning to the Senate. According to them, the governor favours Gershom Bassey who is unacceptable to them. Let us, for the purpose of argument, concede that Gershom Bassey enjoys the support of the governor. But is Gershom Bassey not an Efik man like Prince Otu? Does support for one Efik man over the other amount to hate for a tribe? Another claim that flies in the face of truth is the purported neglect of the Obong of Calabar by the Imoke-led administration. If anything, Imoke has tried to restore the dignity ýof that highly revered stool that was needlessly desecrated by the previous administration led by an Efik son. The Mercedes Limousine the current Obong of Calabar cruises in was bought for him by the Imoke-led administration. Besides the monthly stipend that is paid to every member of the state Traditional Rulers Council which the Obong is a member, he gets an additional one million naira every month from the Imoke government. Let these purveyors of falsehood tell the world what car the Obong was driving when their son was the governor? We will also like to know what he was getting from the government on a monthly basis prior to the emergence of Imoke-led administration. In what clearly signposts a ‘clear and present danger’ to an incoming administration, this faceless group has revealed the imminent danger and threat it constitutes to its existence and survival in office. In an act of desperation and coupled with bare-face scheming for relevance, the Concerned Citizens of Calabar is already inciting the undiscerning among them against an administration that has yet to contest an election, much else secure a victory to form a government. In its febrile attempt, the group listed positions already shared out in the incoming regime that purportedly seek to exclude Calabar people! • Okon writes from Calabar.

‘In their haste to tar Imoke with a hate brush, these faceless ethnic jingoists exposed themselves for who they truly are; political hirelings paid to do a hatchet job for a fee’

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS Outrage over shooting of APC supporters in Rivers

Ex-militants back Okowa

iger Delta’s former militants have backed Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in next month’s general elections. Emerging from deliberations on the path for Delta State in the next political dispensation, the former agitators resolved to work for Okowa, whose victory at the primaries they said showed the choice of the people. Addressing reporters after the deliberations in Ughelli, the Delta State Chairman of Phase 2 of the Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Muturu, noted that it was imperative for the former militants to support Okowa. Muturu said Okoye was a tested political leader with the people’s interest at heart. He said the group’s resolution to support Okowa’s candidacy was borne out of his apparent readiness to lead the state to a higher level. According to him, the former agitators and their followers were working hard to ensure Okowa’s victory at the polls. Muturu urged eligible Delta voters to vote for him. Also, the National Executive of the former militants, who spoke through H. M. Ebirie, Collins Arigo (National Vice President) and Solomon Adu (Provost), said Delta State was too dear to them. They said it was imperative for them to support a politician with the vision to develop the state, carry the youth along and unite the people for peace and economic prosperity.

•APC: PDP behind attack

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Greater Together Campaign Organisation, the campaign organisation of the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, have condemned the shooting of APC members on Tuesday. The APC accused the PDP of engaging in violence ahead of next month’s general elections, while heading to the inaugural campaign of our presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in Rivers State on Tuesday. In a statement in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it is not surprised that the attack was led by an ex-militant who is a member of the PDP from the Gokana Local Government, because the PDP, realising it is fast losing ground in Rivers, has become so desperate as to resort to violence against supporters of the ruling party in the state. It said the attacks, reportedly by thugs working for the PDP along the Bori-Saakpenwa Road in Bori, Khana LGA, followed the same pattern of previous acts of violence directed at the APC, the party’s elected and appointed officials, including Governor Rotimi Amaechi, as well as its supporters by PDP thugs in the state. APC said the acts of violence perpetrated against its supporters, some of whom are lying critical ill in hospital, on Tuesday occurred despite assurances by President Goodluck Jonathan as well as PDP Chairman Adamu Muazu that next month’s general elections and be free, fair and peaceful. The party said PDP officials have apparently been deceiving Nigerians that they intend to run an issues-based campaign, when their party’s stock in trade is bare-faced violence and gangsterism. ‘’The assurances by the leadership of the PDP ring hollow when thugs affiliated with the party are ambushing peaceful and harmless supporters heading to a campaign rally. It is either the leadership is not sincere in its assurances or it has lost control of the party, which will both be dangerous for the

•VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE: Two of the APC members shot by suspected PDP thugs From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

country. ‘’If the PDP has launched a campaign of violence against the APC this early, only God knows how far the ruling party will go to physically decimate the opposition before, during and after February’s elections. We are therefore calling on all Nigerians and indeed the international community to closely monitor the events during the ongoing electioneering campaign and the elections themselves. ‘’On our part, we will document every act of violence against our members and supporters, just so that we can show the world, with verifiable proof, which party is indeed the violent one,’’ it said. APC said the police must act fast to investigate Tuesday’s attack and bring the perpetrators to justice, in order to prevent acts of violence from marring the forthcoming polls. Despite the violence perpetrated against its supporters, APC appealed to them not to engage in retaliatory attacks, saying its commitment to a non-violent election remain unshaken. ‘’We appeal to our members and supporters to remain calm but vigilant, because the forces of darkness will never allow peace to reign. Our stated commitment to a peaceful election is sacrosanct, irrespective of the acts of provocation by the

PDP,’’ the party said. The Greater Together Campaign Organisation, in a statement, slammed the PDP for resorting to bloodshed and terror against Rivers people, the same people its governorship candidate had been telling he would give “new” life. “If PDP’s “new” means killing and maiming Rivers people; if PDP’s “new” is unleashing dare-devil gunmen on innocent, free Rivers people, then, our people are in jeopardy”, the statement lamented in part. Mrs. Semenitari cautioned PDP against shedding the blood of Rivers people. “Was it not their leader, President Goodluck Jonathan, who said that no blood of any Nigerian was worth his ambition? Or, are Rivers people animals which blood should be shed? Why this resort to barbarism and politics of hate”? Mrs. Semenitari asked. Semenitari challenged the PDP that rather than resort to violence and bestial acts, it should honourably pull out of the 2015 General elections, or, re-build its culture to what is sane and democratically acceptable. Mrs. Semenitari, who is also the Rivers state Commissioner of Information and Communications, said: “The PDP should know that Rivers State and her people have been handed over to God. Nothing, not PDP’s gun-toting style of politics will return Rivers State and her people to the dark

Fashola, Sultan to inaugurate projects in Edo •Another victim of the attack

days when gunmen and criminal lords held sway.” The statement added: “Those shot and in critical condition include Aadum Pya-Alu(male), who was shot on the leg; Deemua Beatrice, shot on the back-arm; Sorbari Npebee, shot in the head and neck; Barbe Jack, stomach; and Victory Vinam, shot in the leg. They were from Ward 6 in Khana while the other victim was the driver of the second bus. Another victim,

Wisdom Akpogbara, also from Ward 6 Khana, and shot in the head, had by yesterday been moved to a Rivers State-owned hospital where he is receiving medical attention. The 6th person shot in the stomach had also been admitted for better treatment. The 3 whose conditions were worse as they had relapsed into unconsciousness had improved and stabillised after medical doctors had extracted bullets from their bodies.

Peterside visits victims of gun attacks

HE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside yesterday visited victims of Tuesday’s shooting at the Kesley Harrison Hospital, Port Harcourt. The APC supporters were shot at three different locations on their way to the Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Complex, Port Harcourt for the APC Presidential rally. Peterside pledged the continued support of APC in providing them worldclass care and treatment. “We have visited to sympathise with them and to assure them that we are

with them all the way”, Peterside said. While expressing gratitude to God that no life was lost, Peterside described the attack as an “unfortunate trend” that should not be allowed to continue. Peterside, who tasked President Goodluck Jonathan to exercise proper check on his followers and supporters, expressed confidence that the 2015 general elections would be violent-free. “I don’t want to believe that violence will characterise the 2015 elections because that is not what any of us desires”. Peterside, who toured the Intensive Care Unit, to

have a bird’s eye account of the various degrees of injuries, offered words of comfort to the victims. “For me, this is an unfortunate trend. I don’t want to believe that violence will characterise the 2015 elections because that is not what any of us desires because the President has said severally - whether he means it or not is a different matter – that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian and we agree with him to that extent. But you see, it’s one thing to share your philosophy. It’s another thing to see your people going clearly against it and you do nothing about it. I am

optimistic that the President and his team and members of his party, the PDP, will come out strongly and condemn this act of violence visited on members of the APC in Rivers State.” He promised that APC would stand with the victims to the end. “But as a party, we have visited to sympathise with them and to assure them that we are with them all to way. As a party, we don’t believe in violence. We believe that we can use peaceful means to achieve anything you want to achieve including the quest for justice, including the fact that you canvass for votes with-

out perpetuating violence on the same people you seek to govern. If you kill all the people, then who are you going to govern? We have been very consistent in our believe that you must not force the people to follow your path or to share your vision. Rivers people, as God would have it, have keyed into our vision and we are sending the message from town to town; from cranny to cranny asking people to support the change that we all desire; the change that we all seek. Change that will bring them employment. Change that will ensure that they enjoy security of life and property. “

HE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, will be the guest of the Edo State government tomorrow to inaugurate the six-lane Auchi-Jattu dual carriage way with walk-ways and street lights in Etsako West Local Government Area. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) will inaugurate the Amedokhian-Ugboha road, which traverses two local government areas in Edo Central Senatorial District on January 9 at 10am Also, the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate, Prof Yemi Osibajo (SAN) and other national leaders of the party will hold an interactive session with the party’s leaders, members and well wishers from the state and beyond tomorrow at the Imaguero College Hall, Benin, the state capital.

•Fashola

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

THE NATION

EDUCATION

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

The Federal Government has introduced 50 per cent tariff on printed materials to, in its words, “encourage local production”. But in the face of the dwindling naira value and lack of capacity for local production, stakeholders argue, imported books will be priced beyond buyers’ reach. This, they say, may spell doom for education, reports KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.

Will book tariff work? • Tariff may affect libraries adversely

HE Federal Government’s introduction of 50 per cent tariff on printed materials jolted the industry. Since the Ministry of Finance’s announcement, publishers, booksellers and others have been jittery. The tarrif is broken down into 20 per cent duty and 30 per cent levy on books. But, to stakeholders the move will be counter-productive, driving the prices of books beyond buyer’s reach and stifling the local industry.

Last month, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said discussions were on with the Nigeria Publishers Association (NPA) and the Manufacturers Association of

Nigeria (MAN) to resolve the issue. "Pending the resolution of the issues, several options to address genuine concerns are being explored," she noted, on the social media. While seeking ways to resolve the

It is going to affect the entire populace because the prices of books will go up by 50 per cent. Secondly, don't forget that naira has already fallen against the dollar. That is another added cost. It will affect prices of books by up to 30-40 per cent

CAMPUS LIFE

INSIDE A STUDY conducted by the Urban Action Group of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG), has lauded media coverage of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria for playing a role in checking its -Page 27 spread...

Ebola: Study lauds, faults media role

problems, stakeholders identified many factors that would make the policy impracticable. They also suggested what the Federal Government must do to make the local publishing industry vibrant.

Crescent varsity graduates dazzle from Lagos to Scotland

Students shun sport at UNN -Page 37

-Page 29

Likely scenario introduction of tariff

after

If the 50 per cent tariff is introduced, Ogbeni Lanre Adesuyi, Managing Director of Havilah Procurement and Library Services Ltd (a leading company in books and publishing), said prices of books would rise by about 50 per cent, which would further reduce the number of books bought for libraries and read by Nigerians, especially at •Continued on page 26

•A 10-page section on campus news, people etc

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

EDUCATION

FUNAAB, WAAPP donate poultry to school

O help youths see agriculture as a viable venture, the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) Nigeria, in collaboration with the Agricultural Media Resource and Extension Centre (AMREC), of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), have donated a mini-poultry unit to the Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School (SACHS) Osiele, Abeokuta. Coordinator the Project and Director of AMREC, Prof Carolyn Afolami, said while handing over the poultry that the donation was an initiative under the Poultry Technology Dissemination Project of WAAPP, aimed at developing the interest of youths in poultry production and promoting animal protein supply for the nation.

"The project took-off last March with a capacity-building programme, followed by the establishment of a mini-moveable poultry unit, which was stocked with 50-day-old layer chicks in May 2014, as well as practical demonstrations of the different phases and activities of layer production involving students and Agricultural Science teachers in the day-to-day running of the unit," she said. The Director said that the poultry now has 36 laying hens of about 32 weeks old that have laid over1,300 eggs. She said the school would now be fully responsible for the feeding and management of the birds, and charged them to sustain the project. Prof Afolami lamented that despite its potential to provide food and employment agriculture has been

relegated to the background and called on the government to accord the sector its pride of place. She praised WAAPP for bringing back active agriculture to schools in its hope to return to the good old days when agriculture was a moneyspinner and major contributor to the country's economy. Speaking on the focus of WAAPP, the WAAPP-FUNAAB Coordinator and Director of the Institute of Food Security, Environment Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR), Professor Akin Omotayo, said the programme was aimed at improving agricultural practices across West Africa by ensuring that agricultural technologies remained easily exchangeable, documented and passed on to farmers. Omotayo pointed out that aside the

poultry project, WAAPP was also involved in Aquaculture, cassava production and distribution of its cuttings to farmers. He implored the beneficiary school to share the knowledge gained in the course of operating the project with neighbouring schools. Reviewing the project activities, Dr. Titilayo Irekhore and Dr. Kazeem Bello, stated that the project was initiated at SACHS and Akintobi Village with the primary aim of introducing modern agricultural technologies to secondary school pupils; providing healthy fresh food for schools' canteen; stimulating young people towards agriculture as a viable career, and encouraging selfsufficiency and entrepreneurship among the youths in order to cut down unemployment.

Will book tariff work? •Continued from page 25 the tertiary level, and encourage piracy and smuggling. He said the devaluation of the naira further compounds the problem as the cost of purchasing the books from source would automatically rise as well. "It is going to affect the entire populace because the prices of books will go up by 50 per cent. Secondly, don't forget that naira has already fallen against the dollar. That is another added cost. It will affect prices of books by up to 30-40 per cent. It means people won't afford books. There will be piracy, which means authors will not reap the benefit of intellectual property; and government would lose revenue because pirates do not pay tax," he said. Chairman of Safari Books Ltd Chief Joop Bekhout foresees misfortune for the Nigerian education sector if the policy should scale through. He said: "It means that libraries will be without books because nobody can afford them. It is even against UNESCO Convention which Nigeria is a signatory. Under the agreement, you cannot task educational materials. The ECOWAS agreement was just passed two days ago. Theirs is zero. But Nigeria said no - that it is 50 per cent. It takes effect from the 1st of January. So, instead of making progress, we will go down. Everybody must appeal to the government to cancel it. Whose idea it is, we don't know. It is a very bad situation. It means the people who implement it, they don't care about our country; they don't care about education." Otunba Olayinka Lawal-Solarin, Chairman of Literamed Publications, publishers of Lantern Books, noted that books may be scares because local industry lack the the capacity to meet the demands of the Nigerian populace for books. "Yes, we should produce locally, but have we got the capacity? How many books can printers in Nigeria print? The number of books we need in Nigeria today is huge - for basic and secondary education, not to talk of tertiary," he said.

Why book imports are huge Apart from lacking the local capacity to produce books needed in Nigeria, Otunba Lawal-Solarin says some categories of books are not published locally. He said most local publishers concentrate on publishing books for the basic and secondary education, while tertiary books are imported. He largely attributed the importation of most tertiary books to

•Students in the library.

Don, parents condemn 50% tariff

ONSUMERS of books have condemned plans to introduce a 50 per cent tariff on books. Prof Oyewole Tomori, former Vice Chancellor, Redeemers University (RUN), described the plan as suicidal. "For a country that has a poor education record, over 10 million children out of school, it is suicidal to put any tariff on books, medical/research equipment and materials that are required for free access to educational materials. Only a government that is not interested in the development of her human resources puts tariff on books," he said. He however also said the policy should challenge Nigerian academics to write books. "Perhaps may be its time our educated retired professors begin writing the books we need, instead of circulating and rotating among the universities poor quality books," he said. A parent, Mr Mudathir Ganiyu, said books should not be taxed when less important things enjoy waivers. "It is dumb to do that. They give waivers to importers to bring in useless things like bulletproof cars, and impose the fact that there are few authors of tertiary books in Nigeria. Since the authors are mostly foreign, he said Nigerian publishers need to purchase rights before they can publish such books, which may not be readily released. "Do printers in Nigeria print tertiary books? Most of the tertiary books in Nigeria come from India, Europe and America. They are mostly authored by foreign writers. Unless publishers buy the rights, they cannot print the books else it would amount to piracy. The authors must also be willing to sell the rights to Nigerian publishers," he said. For Adesuyi, those in the

By Medinat Kanabe

a whopping 50% tariff on books? This government does not want our children to read," he said. Mrs Ruth Obemeata, another parent said the tariff would make parents struggle to buy books. "It is a pity that government is increasing tariff at this moment when they should be encouraging us to read. I can only say that they should be considerate and make a change in their decisions because parents are already finding it hard to cope with the prices of books," she said. Mr Donald Igbokwe, a parent laments that the policy would only worsen the poor reading culture among Nigerians. He said: "The increase in tariff on books is not proper. Rather than increase, there should have been a reduction. Part of the reason Nigeria has not progressed is because most Nigerians do not read. There is a saying that if you want to hide anything from a Nigerian, put it in a book. In these days of Facebook, twitter and other social networks, the government should encourage Nigerians to read more by reducing the tariff on books."

manufacturing industry supporting the tariff policy are doing so with the hope of winning huge government contracts for publication of basic and secondary books without considering that they lack the capacity for tertiary books. "What they are targeting are the big government contracts because our printers don't have the capacity to produce locally in large quantity. Nigerian printers don't produce tertiary books. They (tertiary books) are not usually produced in large quantity (even by foreign publishers). Publishers even print them only on demand," he said. Bekhout added that publishing tertiary books in Nigeria is currently

a disincentive because of the low patronage. This may not be unconnected to the cost. Some tertiary books sell N3,000- N5,000 or more, which many tertiary students cannot afford. "If you have an academic book that you only sell 500 copies in a year, you can't produce it locally; it doesn't make any sense," Bekhout said.

Cheaper to produce abroad With the country's paper mills moribund and the paralyzing effect of epileptic power supply, the local publishing industry cannot compete with foreign book imports in terms of cost. Publishers say it is cheaper

You know that in this country, we do not make any paper. Every sheet of paper is imported. Local production of books is only manpower. Even electricity is provided by generators. There is no local component of bookmaking in this country. Raw material and every other component of local production are imported

•Prof Afolami

to print good quality books abroad than locally. "Printing is cheaper abroad," said Lawal-Solarin, "which is not good for us local publishers." Without paper and power, it would always be so. "We don't have paper. All the paper mills are moribund. We should go back to the basics and provide paper." Adesuyi said many publishers in Nigeria print abroad where power is available, labour is cheaper and quality is assured. "It is cheaper to produce abroad because there is no power in Nigeria. When there is no power, what does one fall back on, diesel. How much does it cost? The publisher has to provide his own power. Again, he has to provide skilled labour. Labour is expensive here compared to Dubai, China and India where it is cheap," he said. As far as Behkout is concerned, the only local resource used in book production in Nigeria is labour. With other components being imported, he said it is unrealistic to end importation of books. He said: "You know that in this country, we do not make any paper. Every sheet of paper is imported. Local production of books is only manpower. Even electricity is provided by generators. There is no local component of bookmaking in this country. Raw material and every other component of local production are imported."

Book trade is international

Stifling book imports poses the danger of limiting the knowledge of Nigerians, warns Bekhout, who noted that the book trade is in the purview of international because knowledge is universal. "We do local production. But there are limits to local production. And knowledge is not local; knowledge is universal; it is international. Why do we call it university, because should be universal. If you are in London, my son is a professor in london, there are over 46,000 students and staff from different nationalities in the country. Education is a global idea; education is international," he said.

Way forward While publishers say the 50 per cent tariff on book import is harsh, they however said they were not against local production. They recommended that the Federal Government should enhance capacity of local players before introducing other measures. Lawal-Solarin called for the resuscitation of paper mills in the country. He also advocated a phase tariff plan on areas of strengths of the local industry. "We should do this gradually. The Federal Government should revive the paper mills. Printers in Nigeria must get paper. Again, instead of a blanket levy on all book imports, the government could decide that the levy be on books in the basic education sector, where publishers are thriving but leave out tertiary books," he said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

EDUCATION

Ebola: Study lauds, faults media role

STUDY conducted by the Urban Action Group of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos (UNILAG), has lauded media coverage of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria for playing a role in checking its spread. Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Nigeria Ebola-free on October 20, last year, the study recommended that the media should continue reporting the disease to serve aa a tool for effective prevention and control of the virus in the country. The study also revealed that the frequency and prominence of the reports by the media played a great role in curbing the spread of the virus in Nigeria. The group, which gathered and analysed data on the reportage of the outbreak in four national dailies, isolated a total of 719 published reports within the six-month period under study. The analysis also revealed that an

•Urges more reports on EVD By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

average of four news items was published per day. It concluded that the national dailies fulfilled their social responsibility functions of informing the public about the outbreak of EVD and revealing precautionary measures to curtail the spread. However, the study discovered that interpretative reports on the EVD was low as only 26 per cent of articles was devoted to the interpretation and analysis of the disease, rating it significantly low considering the high mortality rate (90 per

By October, prior to the World Health Organisation declaration of Nigeria as Ebola-free, news reportage dropped to 17.9 per cent, which should not have been so, because Nigeria was still at a critical point since the vaccine/cure for the virus had not been found

• Prof Aina with the document.

HE Document containing the strategic plan for development at Ekiti State University (EKSU) for the next five years was unveiled on Tuesday during prayers to usherin the New Year at the university. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Patrick Oladipo Aina said the 267-page publication would serve as the university's main roadmap towards meeting its goal of achieving worldclass status. Aina who presented the book before the congregation for blessing noted that the strategic plan would enhance the university's growth in all spheres.

cent) of the disease. Besides, only 11 per cent of the newspaper reports were on the front and back pages, which the group implied that "Nigerian newspapers did not attach much prominence to the coverage of the EVD, probably because of other news items contending for attention, such as insecurity and politics." Prior to the outbreak of EVD in Nigeria, only 0.1 per cent was devoted to the reportage of the disease. The implication, the study reasoned, might be responsible for the haphazard response of approach the govern-

ment and entire populace reacted to it. The study stated: "It also reflects the lack of proactiveness by Nigerian newspapers because EVD was already prevalent in West African countries close to Nigerian borders." In the month that the index case was recorded (July, 2014), only two per cent of reports were on the EVD, while 50 per cent of the total news coverage of the six-month period studied was published in August after the Federal Government addressed a press conference on the outbreak. The reportage dropped to 30 per cent in September after the index case had died, and 17.9 per cent

in October in which month the WHO declared the country Ebola-free. "By October, prior to the World Health Organisation declaration of Nigeria as Ebola-free, news reportage dropped to 17.9 per cent, which should not have been so, because Nigeria was still at a critical point since the vaccine/cure for the virus had not been found. Our land borders also remained porous, making the country still susceptible to a re-emergence of the EVD," the statement noted. Based on the findings, the study recommended that Nigerian newspapers should step up their role in interpretative and investigative reportage on disease outbreaks. Other issues highlighted included the need for proper training of journalists, with continuous capacity building on social development issues; encouraging communities to establish local print media with upto-date functional libraries for information access and dissemination; government should also take keen interest in health management by providing appropriate policies that can ensure easy access to medical aid at subsidised rate.

• EKSU workers praying.

EKSU VC unveils strategic plan document •Gives deadline for fees Prof. J. O. Oloyede, who is a Pastor, led the congregation in prayers to bless the document. In the past year, the Vice-Chancellor said God was his strength and a pillar for the university community as well. In 2014, he promised that there would be more buildings projects, one of which would be a Senate building. He appreciated the support of

members of Staff for the positive development recorded in the university. During the prayer session, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Prof. Victor Adeoluwa, gave the exhortation with the theme: “God is our hope and righteousness.” Quoting relevant Bible passages, he

counseled members of staff to obey God's words always and uphold the truth. Prayers were said for the nation, the state, the university, management, members of staff and students. The occasion attracted all the principal officers, deans, directors and others. Meanwhile the university management has given January 16 and 23 as deadline for payment of fees and registration for both fresh and

Industrialist laments graduate unemployment

• Children at a party organised by the Road Safety Officers' Wives Association (ROSOWA) at the Ogun State Sector Command office, Abeokuta.

returning students. While returning students have up to January 16 to pay up, fresh students have been given until 23 as deadline. Aina said after the deadline, students would get a late registration window of one-week and be charged N5,000 as penalty. After the expiration of the late registration period, the vice chancellor said any student who fails to meet all registration requirements, risks forfeiture of his or her studentship and would not be allowed to participate in any academic activity, including the continuous assessment tests scheduled for January 19.

N industrialist and Jagunmolu of Igbominaland, Chief Abdulraheem Oladimeji has lamented the growing graduate unemployment in the country. Oladimeji, who is also the proprietor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin urged the Federal Government to sanitize and boost the business sector to facilitate employment for graduates in the country. He said this at a press conference in Ilorin as part of activities to mark the 10th anniversary of the university. He lamented the absence of enabling environment that could aid the establishment of industries in the country, noting that with favourable policies by the government at all levels, the business sector would grow and expand and create job opportunities for graduates. He said that the business sector is dying because the sector is fraught with dishonesty as emphasis is no more on quality but profit. The proprietor however noted that the government can save the situation by coming up with a policy that will

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

sanitize the sector. He said that it also largely requires government's intervention to resuscitate public and private industries that have gone moribund. Appreciating that education is the best legacy one can give future generations, Oladimeji said he was inspired to establish Al-Hikma University for posterity despite the high cost. "Though the establishment of the university cost me some of my property I am satisfied because I believes it is the lasting legacy I can leave behind," he said. The proprietor thanked friends and others who has helped sustain the institution, which he said does not enjoy any foreign grant. To encourage less privileged students, Oladimeji said he launched a scholarship for indigent students of the university. He also said that apart from the law programme, that has just been accredited, the school plans to run Engineering and Agricultural courses.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

EDUCATION UNILORIN FILE 15,000 Glo lines soon THE University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Globacom Limited to establish seamless telecommunication services on the campus and its environs. The services to be covered by the MoU, which was signed last Tuesday, are Closed Users Group (CUG), additional internet bandwidth and periodic training for members of staff on new and emerging telecommunication technologies. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, signed the MoU on behalf of the university while Globacom’s Chief Commercial Director, Mr. Prabhat Aggarwal, signed on behalf of the company. The telecommunication solutions to be provided will enable the students, members of staff, their families and residents of the campus and its environs to call free. The MoU states that the “CUG is a platform on which a group of lines activated and placed on the same platform can call one another free of cost upon the payment of certain amount as the monthly CUG access fee by such lines.”

More training in 2015 THE UNILORIN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has restated the university’s commitment to the continuous training of workers to enhance their efficiency. Ambali also assured the university community of the completion of most of the on-going projects on the campus this year. In his New Year message, the ViceChancellor said: “In the New Year, the University management hopes to continue upgrading the standard of the academic staff by supporting them with international conference attendance. We also hope that over the next one year, we should be able to send more of our academic staff for post-graduate training in various parts of the world and we have gotten some money to do that. “Over the next one year, we should be able to complete the ongoing projects on the campus so that by the next academic session they should be ready for use by our students.” The Vice-Chancellor thanked the workers for their contribution to the university’s success last year and urged them to do more this year. “Let me seize this opportunity to acknowledge the commitment of all of you to the achievements of this University over the years, especially in the Year 2014. Let us continue with the zeal, hard work and remain focussed so that we can continue to sustain our name’Better by Far”.

Freshers to get internet access THE UNILORIN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has said the university would bring its 12,650 fresh students on its internet platform before April. Ambali said the massive internet coverage would afford workers and students the uninterrupted use of the facility at any point in time to communicate with all parts of the world regardless of the time zone. Responding to a proposal on international linkage with the renowned Indian Institute of Science and Technology by the Chief Commercial Director of Globacom, Mr. Prabhat Aggrawal, Ambali said that the university is always eager to exchange ideas and adopt best practices from around the world. He disclosed that the University already has a number of international partnership agreements with several foreign institutions in addition to having many foreign staff and students on its roll.

Etisalat rewards 70 students

TISALAT Nigeria recently awarded 70 students studying from seven Southwest universities scholarships worth N100,000 each at the Etisalat Merit Award for 2014. The universities (University of Lagos [UNILAG], Obafemi Awolowo University [OAU], Ladoke Akintola University of Technology [LAUTECH], Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko [AAUA], University of Benin [UNIBEN], Lagos State University [LASU], and Olabisi Onabanjo University [OOU]) also got N100,000 each to maintain their facilities at the event held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island. The Manager, Corporate and Social Responsibility, Oyetola Oduyemi said the number brings to 1,200 students that have benefitted from the scholarship since its inception six years ago. She said: "The Etisalat merit award scheme is in its sixth year of implementation, and so, over the years we partnered with different universities, in total we have awarded scholarship to 1200 students, 200 every year and this year we partnered with 20 universities, and we have awarded 10 scholars per university, so it is about 200 every year. "The school is responsible for selecting these students because they are the ones that keep the academic records. We write to them and they say send us a list of the 10 best performing students in these selected areas: Computer science, Electrical/ Electronics Engineering and Business Administration." At the event, the students had a chance to present innovative inventions they made. This enabled them to win instant prizes.

• From left: Commissioner for Education, Science & Technology, Ogun State, John Odubela; Eigbe Eghonghon, Onohaebi Samuel (400 level Elect/Elect, UNIBEN); and CEO, Etisalat Nigeria, Willsher; at the event. By Sampson Unamka

Okafor Emmanuel, a 400-Level, Electrical/Electronics Engineering student of UNIBEN came first and won a laptop. Thompson-Ajayi Stephen, of OAU won a Techno Phantom Tab as second prize, while Eigbe Eghonghon, a 300-Level Electrical Electronic Engineering student of UNILAG who came third won a Techno Phantom Mini Tab. First-placed Emmanuel, who also won the scholarship in 2013, urged students to work hard so they could

excel. “I am surprised that I can do great things that can bring me to events like this. I will advise students to keep on studying. I have come across different kind of students, and most times, it is no news that students that are not so good academically will want to attach themselves to you. So for those students that feel they are not so good academically, they should still stick to it, they should stay with it, but at the same time they should discover the talent they have,” he said.

The Etisalat merit award scheme is in its sixth year of implementation, and so, over the years we partnered with different universities, in total we have awarded scholarship to 1200 students, 200 every year and this year we partnered with 20 universities, and we have awarded 10 scholars per university, so it is about 200 every year

Thanking Etisalat, he said “I will tell Etisalat to keep up the good work. It is motivating seeing a company doing this, because most companies n Nigeria, they seem to act like their interested in the academic life of students but really they are not. It is really good seeing that Etisalat has something like this," Emmanuel said. Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr Matthew Willsher said in his address that the importance of education is one of the reasons why Etisalat has decided to support education in Nigeria. "I congratulate all of you for winning this awards, I know they do make a difference and we all need support during our education, whether it is moral from families, whether it is financial support, and whether it's a support from each other because education is not an individual thing; it is something that you do with other people and so, you all jointly engage in this program and winning this award," he said.

Mimiko inaugurates Senate Building

NDO State governor and Visitor to Adekunle Ajasin University, AkungbaAkoko (AAUA), Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, last week inaugurated the new four-wing and five-storey Senate Building of the institution. Mimiko, who also inaugurated a 500-capacity Nelson Mandela Hall and a three-storey Library Resource Centre the same day, vowed to continually invest and support the educational sector in the state to meet up with global best practices. The Senate Building is a 16,000 square metres office space on a 12acre land. Its four wings surround a central courtyard, which also serves as a waiting space. The edifice hosts the university's central administration, including the Vice Chancellor, the Registry and the Bursary, and 148 other offices, 165 toilets, and 10 Conference/Board rooms. It also has the senate chamber, council chamber, a large hall, cocktail and entertainment lounge, five stair halls, and three lifts. The building is serviced by two 500 KVA generators.Its parking lot can take 104 cars, while the landscaped sur• rounding is beautified with two fountains, and an open Piazza that can sit about 2,500 people. Governor Mimiko expressed his pleasure about the structure, saying that his administration was making a deliberate effort to provide affordable and qualitative education. "I am not in doubt, that one of the major challenges that AAUA and

• The new senate building.

our other public institutions faced was that of acute deficit of infrastructure. This informed our decision to do all that is within our powers to engender an infrastructural turn around at these institutions. Our Administration will not relent in moving Ondo State to the next level of sustainable development in all sectors," he said. He noted that the recent rating of AAUA as the best state-owned university in Nigeria; and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, as the best state polytechnic in Nigeria by the United States Transparency International Standards (USTIS), was not unconnected to the deliberate and undaunted commitment of his administration to education sector. He thanked the workers and students for their support, appreciating the immediate past Governing Council of the university chaired by Chief Dan Nwayanwu, for its ser-

vices to the university. He also thanked the contractors, consultants, architects and project managers - Charvet Nig. Ltd, Akin Olusola & Associates and Interstate Architects Ltd, for a job well done. The governor praised his brother and former Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Femi Mimiko, whose tenure ended on Monday, January 4, for demonstrating purposeful leadership and setting a goal for the university to rank with the best. "On behalf of the people and government of Ondo State, I thank Professor Femi Mimiko and the Management Team for their services to the University and, by extension, the good people of Ondo State," he said. On his part, Prof. Mimiko said the construction of the building, which was funded by the state government, commenced on March 7, 2012 and was formally handed over to the university by the contractors on June

13, last year. The VC thanked the Governor Mimiko-led administration for generously funding the university. "It is no doubt a standing testimonial to the commitment of the Governor Olusegun Mimiko Government to education, for which the AAUA community is so grateful," he said. In his speech, the Chairman of the Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor of the University, His Excellency, Ambassador Oladele Akadiri, thanked the government and the university management for giving necessary support to the council and ensuring its functionality. Governor Mimiko was accompanied by his wife, Olukemi, and many top government functionaries in the state, including the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, to the inauguration.

‘Effective communication key to diplomacy’

Row over seminar

*NEWS *PEOPLE *KUDOS& KNOCKS *GRANTS

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*CAMPUSES

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CAMPUS LIFE 0805-450-3104 email: campusbeat@yahoo.com THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

Website:- http://www.thenationonlineng.net

email:- campuslife@thenationonlineng.net

Students shun sport at UNN Many University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) students are gradually shunning sport. This may not be unconnected with their tight academic schedule, which makes them to spend most time in the library than on extra-curricular activities. INNOCENT EMMANUEL (300-Level Mass Communication) writes.

•Students participating various sporting activities

HE popular saying, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is losing its meaning at the University of Nigeria (UNN). Many students are gradually shunning sport to pay attention to their studies. To them, “just a little play can fetch Jack bad grades”. The students still remember the advice they got during their matriculations: “In UNN, what you give is what you get. So, you must read, read and read or you fail.” With this at the back of their minds, students have chosen to be friend their books. They give little or no time to physical exercise and other extra-

curricular activities. At night, students lock themselves up in lecture halls and theatres, reading. This is commonly called “night class”. After day time lectures, it is the same routine: students return to classrooms and the library to read. What time do they have for sport? The academic schedule of the school, they complain, does not allow them to engage in sport. Physical exercise, it is said, increases mental alertness apart from making one fit. But, for the bookworms, how mentally alert can they get when they do not engage in aerobics? Are there imminent health challenges awaiting them?

PHOTO: INNOCENT EMMANUEL

UNN Director of Sports Godwin Ogbobe speaks on the dangers of not taking part in sport, saying there is need for students to create time for physical exercise, since it is part of academics. He said: “The motto of UNN, which is not just in the reading of voluminous books, also encourages students to take part in all-round activities that will aid their physical and mental development.” It was learnt that there is a national education policy, declaring every Wednesday lecture-free day for students to participate in sport. The policy is not implemented in many schools, while others do not have sport facilities.

Ogbobe said the fear of failure and injuries also discouraged students from participating in sports. He said the UNN always declared lecturefree period between noon and 6pm on Wednesdays. Rather than go to the field to burn calories, Ogbobe said students go to the library to read. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that some lecturers do not care about the free period; they fix lectures for the period and make attendance compulsory. Jessy Egeonu, a 300-Level Biochemistry student, said: “I am not aware of the Wednesday’s lecturefree period. The school’s academic schedule is stressful. Lecture peri-

ods run from 6am to 6pm, we have no time to engage in something else and by the time you return from lectures, you are already tired.” Michael Obaji, a 300-Level Sociology student, said his academic engagement gave him no time for sport or physical activities. He said he had lost interest in sports. “There is no way I can leave my lectures for extra-curricular activities,” he said. UNN’s Deputy Director of Sport Mr O.G. Onwusoro said the situation was making it difficult for the management to select sportsmen among the students to represent the school in major competitions. •Continued on page 30

•Students protest fee hike •NANS honours Fuji artiste P32

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014

CAMPUS LIFE Quest for the knowledge worker Pushing

N 1959, Peter Drucker, an Austrian-born American management consultant, educator, and author wrote that “the most valuable asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business, will be its knowledge workers and their productivity.” It is therefore not surprising that today’s world has so changed that catching up with change is proving a daunting challenge for nations, organizations and even individuals. We are thus living in an era that makes mockery of previous eras. Making progress in an era like this requires skills that take time to acquire. Following the crash of oil price in the global market, there have been calls from many quarters for the diversification of the economy and the need to move away from our mono culture economic strategy. I am pleased with this development which is now forcing us to look inward and come up with strategies – immediate, short and long term – on how to survive in a terrain that is totally alien to us. The oil price crash opened up our flanks and showed how vulnerable we are. It has also brought into sharp focus the years of neglect of our varsities and polytechnics which are the incubators in which knowledge workers are produced. This crisis further shows that we already have our work cut out for us. How do we produce these knowledge workers with our dilapidated infrastructure? What do we do with the hundreds of thousands of half-baked graduates already churned out by our ill equipped institutions? We must grapple these and other tough and critical questions in 2015 and beyond. Knowledge workers are workers whose main capital is knowledge. They include scientists, engineers, academics, software engineers, doctors, architects, public accountants and lawyers. They are so referred because they “think” to earn their living. What differentiates knowledge work from other forms of work is its primary task of problem solving that requires a combination of convergent, divergent, and creative thinking. In the last two centuries, we’ve had two major industrial revolutions – the first and second industrial revolutions. The first Industrial Revolution was characterized by machines that extended, multiplied, and leveraged man’s physical capabilities. With these new machines, humans could manipulate objects for which muscles alone were inadequate and carry out

Out

physical tasks at previously unachievable speeds. On the other hand, the second industrial revolution is based on machines that with extend, multiply, and leverage our mental abilities. A remarkable aspect of this new technology is that it uses almost no 08116759750 natural resources – a disadvantage to a (SMS only) raw material producing continent like Africa. •aagboa@gmail.com Developed nations have already perfected Silicon chips which use small amounts of sand and other readily available to outnumber all other workers by at least a four materials. Indeed, software uses virtually no re- to one margin, this statistics is still growing. sources at all. The value of such technology lies It is becoming clear that knowledge workers primarily in the knowledge governing the design bring benefits to organizations in a variety of of the hardware, software, and databases that important ways. These include: analysing data constitute our intelligent machines, and in the to establish relationships, assessing input in orability to continue advancing these designs. der to evaluate complex or conflicting priorities, It is therefore not surprising that today a sec- identifying, understanding and interpreting tor like manufacturing is dominated by its knowl- trends, making connections and understanding edge content, not by natural resources or labour. cause and effect. Modern factories now have delicately proIf the knowledge can be retained, knowledge grammed robotic assemblers and material han- worker contributions will serve to expand the dlers to recognise the increasing dominance of knowledge assets of nations, organizations and knowledge as a cornerstone of wealth. individuals. While it may be difficult to measure, This decreasing importance of material re- this increases the overall value of its intellectual sources has allowed countries like Japan, South capital. In cases where the knowledge assets have Korea and Singapore which lack natural re- commercial or monetary value, companies have sources but rich in knowledge and expertise, to been known to create patents around their asprosper. While the first Industrial Revolution in- sets, at which point the material becomes recreased the demand for and the value of natural stricted intellectual property. In these knowledgeresources the second industrial revolution is do- intensive situations, knowledge workers play a ing the opposite. direct, vital role in increasing the financial value In my article last week, I made reference to of the company. McKinsey and Company forecast on the potenIt is a fact that the comprehensive nature of tials of African economies – including Nigeria – knowledge work in today’s connected workplace and how they will grow by 2020. But the sad requires virtually all workers to obtain special skills part is that the forecast has already started ema- at some level; these comes with obtaining degrees nating, however, it is foreigners that are reaping and proceeding on professional courses thereafthe benefits. A classic example is the e-commerce ter. platforms in the country which are dominated To achieve this and lay a solid foundation, by Asians. I had a discussion with an Asian e- there’s the need to overhaul our education curcommerce entrepreneur and he told me they ricula to enable us to focus on lifelong learning made a whopping N1 billion in sales during the to ensure students receive skills necessary to be “Black Friday” shopping spree last month! productive knowledge workers in this 21st cenThis was made possible because of the rapid tury. global expansion of information-based transacIt is interesting to note some trends: raw matetions and interactions conducted via the Internet. rials now comprise about 20 percent of the value As a result, there has been an ever-increasing of musical instruments (down from about 60 demand for a workforce that is capable of per- percent a few years ago). This figure is rapidly forming these activities. In North America for declining as acoustic musical instrument techexample, knowledge workers are now estimated nology is being replaced with digital electronic

Agbo Agbo

technology. Inventors are now transforming musical instruments from the 19th-century acoustic technology to the digital electronics of the late 20th century. This means that more than half of musical instrument industry revenues are now from electronic products. If we look at the typical electronic musical instrument (a digital home keyboard, for example), it is basically a computer with at least 90 percent of its value based on its knowledge content. By the end of this decade, it is estimated that more than 90 percent of all musical instrument industry revenues are expected to be based on this type of technology. It is also estimated that the cost of raw materials for automobiles is now down to 40 percent of total costs. Again, this figure will continue to decline with the increasing use of computers and electronics as well as the replacement of expensive and relatively simple body materials such as steel with inexpensive, yet relatively complex alternative materials such as new high-tech plastics. Other routine products as tables and chairs have a rapidly increasing knowledge content through the use of new materials and automated manufacturing methods that use little or no labour. Increasingly, the value of a manufactured product is its design and the software controlling its automated manufacturing process, all are driven by knowledge. As population grows, man is beginning to master the ability to grow crops without soil. This will offer the opportunity to build factories that can create in large volume anything that grows. Since it will be possible to easily control pests in such an environment, insecticides and other chemicals will not be needed. Bioengineering has been creating genetically modified foods for years now. The same techniques will create varieties that provide optimal nutrition, taste, and other desirable properties. The process of cultivation and harvesting will be, of course, fully automated. This bioengineering ‘landless revolution’ in agriculture has taken firm roots in the west. Man is now beginning to feel the impact of bioengineering, a technology of momentous potential both promising and perilous. By tinkering with the fundamental structure of life, man has the ability to create new materials and new life forms that can cure (or cause) disease, enhance (or spoil) our environment, and otherwise transform our lives. This technology is clearly knowledge based and knowledge driven. The big question to ask is where are we in all these?

Journalism has never been interesting as it is at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in IleIfe, Osun State. Neonatar, a media outfit founded less than six months ago by Joshua Igba, a final year Chemical Engineering student, has grown from a press board to a campus-wide publication. Joshua shares his success story with CALEB ADEBAYO (500-Level Law).

‘Journalism is my passion’ •Students reading in a lecture room at night

Students shun sport •Continued from page 29

He said he believed talents could be discovered if students participate in sport. According to Onwusoro, little attention is being paid to sport because of students’ low participation. Apart from enforcing the lecture-free policy, Onwusoro urged management to give incentives to students, who come out to engage in sport. The incentives, he said, should include special hostels, fee waiver and availability of materials, such as jersey and boots. However, some still engage in sport. Chimezie Anajama, a 400Level Sociology student, who believes students must explore their environment, said: “For me, keeping fit after extensive reading is important. It is not just about reading; you need to explore the environment you live in.” Olivia Obi, a 400-Level Biochemistry student, who used to be part

of UNN’s hockey team, urged students to see sport as a course. She said there was need for students to keep fit and burn calories by regular physical exercise. A former Director of Socials of the Faculty of Arts, Chijioke Uduonu, said: “For me, sport is not something I joke with. It coordinates my body system and regulates my temperament. It is good for body and mind fitness.” Henry Ihuoma, the outgoing president of Mass Communication Students’ Association (MACSA), believes students have no excuse not to participate in sports. Onwusoro urged students to remember the likes of Obinna Metu and Bunmi Merrit the who were UNN students but are known for their sporting achievements. Merrit won 28 medals in National Universities Games (NUGA) two years ago and got a scholarship for her feat.

HAT inspired you to start Neonatar Press Agency? I felt there was need to engage students in intellectual discussion on events on the campus. I wanted to increase the tempo of community media and journalism. And we have been doing just that. Our aim is to make the campus an informed community by making information available to all. We also educate and entertain students with refreshing reading experience. But, you are not a journalism student… Well, that is not a requisite in today’s world. But then, my practising journalism today is accidental. As a pupil in high school, I was the best in my class all through. I was chosen as a senior prefect and even won a bronze medal in International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO). Then, I felt I could only do medicine or engineering. Along the line, my passion for media surfaced. Do you have passion for what you do now? I am already into media. I will make it a full-time thing after I complete my first degree, which is just four months away. The first degree is enough for me to make a debut into the world of journalism. I have passion for the

profession. I just want to be a university graduate of Chemical Engineering, but journalism will be my practice. What are your plans for Neonatar after school? We are planning to introduce the publication to other tertiary institutions. We want to have our radio station, which is why we have been looking for investors. We are shifting our offline experience to the online market place. We also want to start an online television. We want to establish an award to celebrate young Africans making changes in fashion, entertainment and entrepreneurship. Why the name ‘Neonatar’ and not the commonly-used media name? The name ‘Neonatar’ is unique. To me, it means appealing vision because I saw the name in a vision when I was 17 years old and it was appealing to me. Do you think the name also appealed to your reader? Yes. Neonatar boards are ubiquitous at the most strategic spots on campus. We get thousands of people reading our materials every week. We have won a number of awards, including the Best Media Outfit, Media Outfit of the Year, Best Startup, Largest Coverage, Most Popular Campus Media, Most Enterprising Media and Best Press Team, among others.

•Joshua

What has been your motivation? In the beginning, it was faith in God, because the idea was new and strange but a huge capital had gone into it. After two months, success came our way from every direction. Success is basically our motivation. You will leave the school in the next four months, do you have a handing over plan? We are battling with putting structures in place for transition and continuity. We have contacted a project management outfit within the campus to assist us with this. What role is Neonatar playing towards the coming general elections? We have been sensitising students and other members of the university about their rights in the election and how they should conduct themselves. We would love to go round during political campaign to educate people about their roles in the election. •Continued on page 36

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE There is controversy over a seminar organised by graduating students of Pharmacy Department of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Students’ Union Government (SUG) to educate youths on the consequences of drug abuse, reports EZEKIEL EFEOBHOKHAN (400-Level Pharmacy).

Row over seminar

HE symposium whose objective was to promote a drug addiction-free generation and to sensitise undergraduates on the adverse effects of drug abuse may have been organised in good faith. But, the seminar, organised by graduating students of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Students’ Union Government (SUG), started and ended in controversy. Some of the graduating students alleged a scam in the organisation of the event. The immediate past president of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), Samuel Ugwumba, petitioned the security department to investigate why the programme should be held during the Yuletide. The security officers stopped the event, which was to hold in the university’s Banquet Hall, with the theme: The youth cankerworm 2014. Samuel alleged that PANS’ name was being dropped by the organisers, saying there was no time the association was contacted for the event. He accused his predecessor, Henry Makinde, conniving with the Students’Union members, alleging foul play in the appropriation of funds for the event. He said: “Henry connived with some Students’ Union parliament members to organise the event, which I was rightly informed was purportedly being held by the Substance Abuse Committee of the parliament to enlighten students on the negativities of drug abuse. But, how can an event, which is meant

• The UNIBEN Faculty of Pharmacy.

for students, be organised in a period when 90 per cent of the wouldbe participants have already gone home for Christmas holiday? “I have decided to expose the organisers. After contacting most of the dignitaries at the event, most of them denied knowledge of it. I also met with the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Prof John Akerele, who should be the chief host at the event. To my greatest surprise, the dean denied knowledge of the event and wondered why his name was being used for the event without being informed.” Reacting, one of the organisers,

Unachukwu Odera, described Samuel’s conduct as unprofessional. Unachukwu said: “I was surprised to hear somebody describing the event as a scam. Samuel has been devising means to drag the name of his predecessor, Henry, into the mud. The event was expressly put together with the approval of the management. The venue was given to us free of charge. “However, Samuel made several attempts to stop the programme from holding and he mobilised hoodlums to destroy the publicity banners, misinformed the security

officers and also made a Facebook post that the event was a scam. He contacted all the invitees to disregard the invitation to the venue, while impersonating the incumbent president.” Unachukwu said the targeted audience was final year students, who were still on campus because of their projects’ submission. He added that the event was organised by PANS but by the graduating class in collaboration with the SUG. Responding, Henry, who spoke to our correspondent on telephone, said: “Don’t mind Samuel; he has been targeting me to destroy my

image and personality. Do your own investigation and find out if the event was a scam.” Efforts to reach the dean of the faculty for comments proved abortive as he was said to be on an official assignment. After the security officers investigated the alleged scam, the event was allowed to hold. The current PANS president, Darry Emazor, stayed away from the event, saying the association was not part of it. He described the controversy that trailed the event as unfortunate, urging PANS executive to stay away from it. A 400-Level Pharmacy student, who pleaded anonymity, urged the parties to sheathe their swords and promote unity within the union. He said: “I know that one of the major objectives of PANS is to foster unity among pharmacy students. We must not sacrifice this objective on the altar of selfishness and personal differences.” Guests at the event, included Mr Tunde Akamu, Mr Isidore Ayojei, Mr Kayode Dada and Mr Ayo Olusanya, who are all pharmacists. Speaking on the topic: Navigating the corporate world, Olusanya said everyone, at some point, would need direction and someone must show them the path to take. His words: “Work is an integral part of human existence, even the richest man in the world would still want to work in order to earn more money. That is the same reason why we sell ourselves to the world. As young pharmacists, we have to be branded and espouse professionalism.” Advising the participants, Dada said: “The service you will render in life is beyond your certificate; it is in you. You do not have an excuse to fail; you just have to increase in standard.” The guests were presented awards. Henry, the chairman of the organising committee, thanked the guests and participants who graced the event.

The leadership summit organised by the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, ended in protest, with the students demanding the payment of their bursary. AFIS ODEYEMI (300-Level Education History, University of Ilorin) reports.

FTER enduring what they called hardship for five years, Ogun State students studying in higher institutions in Kwara State have protested alleged non-payment of their bursary and scholarship. The students appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to facilitate the payment of their bursary, which they said, had not been paid for five academic sessions. They said they had been neglected by the government, adding that they were being denied their rights as indigenes of the state. The students, who converged under the banner of National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS), embarked on the protest after a leadership summit held in Ilorin on Saturday. The event was held at the Science Lecture Theatre of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN). The summit, which was graced by past NAOSS leaders, was aimed at bringing together past members of the association for its progress and to promote effective unionism. In his speech, a former NAOSS member and ex-president of the UNILORIN Students’ Union Government (SUG), Mr. Oluwafemi Aremu, hailed the association’s

leadership for its forthrightness, saying the summit would make the association vibrant and engender constant exchange of ideas between past and present members. Aremu advised the students to be good ambassadors of the state, while tasking them to remain dutiful, selfless and agitate for their rights in a manner that must portray them as peace-loving and development partners. This exhortation did not go down well with the protesters, who claimed to have been sidelined and shortchanged for too long. They bemoaned the government’s “breach the agreement” entered with the national leadership of the association. The angry students said they refused to pay their dues because of government’s maltreatment. One of the protesters, who did not want his name in print, described the non-payment of bursary as frustrating and unwarranted, saying: “While other state governments pay bursary regularly to their students as when due, Ogun State students in this part of the country are being denied their entitlement even when their colleagues at home are well catered for. It is a deliberate at-

A summit gone awry •Students protesting after the summit

tempt by the state government to deny us our rights.” The Senate President of NAOSS, Abdulazeez Adeosun, pleaded for calmness and patience, saying the association’s leadership would take up their plight and discuss with the representatives of the government. He assured the students of his support, saying: “NAOSS national body in collaboration with the state chapters is working tirelessly to retrieve your dues. The

governor is a man of the people; we assure you that your bursary will be paid in due course.” Abdulazeez urged Governor Amosun to see the protesters’ discontent as an opportunity to extend his policies to students and youths in the state. In his speech, NAOSS president in UNILORIN, Nurudeen Olaleye, thanked the association’s past executive members for gracing the occasion. He described the past members as “well of experience”,

saying they made an indelible mark that would their efforts to be remembered by generation students after them. The summit brought guests from different parts of the country to the university. At the event were two former UNILORIN union presidents and past presidents of NAOSS. Others include national executive leaders of the association, academic staff of UNILORIN, patrons and students from various higher institutions in Kwara State.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014

CAMPUS LIFE

Students protest fee hike

HERE seems to be no let up in the protest against fee hike at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Last Thursday, graduate students marched round the campus in a peaceful protest. The protesters, which comprised Post-graduate Diploma, Master’s and Doctoral students, had a demonstration penultimate week to condemn what they described as “over 100 per cent” increment. This prompted the management to reduce the fee to N125,900 from N145,900. But the students rejected the reduction, the management to revert to the old N68,000 fee. The demonstration started at 9:18am at the Odili Post-graduate Hostel. The protesters display placards with inscriptions, such as; “Is this the welcome package presented to the post-graduate students by the new VC?”, “The fee hike is over 112 per cent. How do they want us to pay in the period of austerity?” Before the protest, the ViceChancellor, Prof Benjamin Ozumba, met with the aggrieved students penultimate Friday at the Odili Hall lounge. CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the VC left without answering questions from the students. On Wednesday, it was gathered that N20,000 was deducted from the fee, but this did not go down well with students, which described it as unacceptable. The protesters prepared letters detailing post-graduate fees charged in other institutions. They dropped copies of the documents Deans of faculties. When they tried to access the VC’s office, they were stopped by the security officers. They chanted solidarity songs. Their other demands include

•The graduate students leading a protest to the Administrative Block

From Oladele Oge UNN

the stopping of unlawful visit to their hall by undergraduates. Such visits, they said, resulted in the damage of five cars belonging to some of them.

‘Is this the welcome package presented to the post-graduate students by the new VC?”, “The fee hike is over 112 per cent. How do they want us to pay in the period of austerity?’ •The protesters at leaving the Post-graduate Hall of Residence

Nollywood actor urges freshers to work hard

HE University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) chapter of the Anambra State Students’ Association (ASSA) has welcome new members. The ceremony, which featured orientation, took place at Faculty of Social Science Quadrangle and witnessed a large turnout of students. Guests at the event included a Nollywood actor and Senior Special Adviser on Entertainment to Anambra State Governor, Mr Bob Manuel Udokwu, a senior lecturer in the school, Prof D.O. Obikwelu, and the association’s Staff Adviser, Dr S.C. Ejiofor. Bob Manuel advised the students to be determined and work hard to achieve success in their courses of study. He said: “As students, there are two important things you need to note and practice always. You must study hard and pass examination. You must embrace the art of thinking independently and do things yourself. If you write your papers yourself, you will

FUJI musician popularly known as Saheed Osupa has been honoured by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) for promoting culture and local language. The artiste was conferred with an Icon of Excellence award. Osupa received the award from

From Mbegbu Chikezie UNN build integrity and personal morale to tackle any challenge.” The actor told the freshers to develop passion for whatever courses they study, admonishing that they should start practising what they are studying as it will help them build the confidence and take them to greater height. He added: “I started acting as an undergraduate, during which I travelled from Port Harcourt to Lagos for Checkmate. That was why it was so easy for me to make it into the movie industry.” Prof Obikwelu advised the students shun vices that could jeopardise their academic pursuits. He warned them against malpractice, saying anyone caught would be expelled. ASSA president, Nnuta Nnamdi, assured the freshers of association’s help in tackling their challenges. He

•Freshers at the event

said the executive would set up a committee they could relate their challenges on campus. Highpoint of the event was the presentation of award to Bob

Manuel to recognise his outstanding feat and for being a role model for the youth. The students also cut of new yam to mark the beginning of their ca-

NANS honours Fuji artiste From Temitope Yakubu ADO POLY the NANS National Deputy Senate President, Comrade Oluwasegun Famuyibo, in his Magodo, Lagos home. Olusegun

said the association recognised the musician for his contribution to the growth of culture and youth development. Osupa said he was happy that his efforts were recognised by

NANS, advising students not to be used by politicians as thugs. He promised to give scholarship to brilliant students in some selected universities across. He also advised students to attach

reer. A fresher, Ebere Obidozo, said: “The orientation is an eye-opener for me and I have learnt tips that can make me to achieve my aim. I am proud to come from Anambra State.” importance to their academic pursuits and shun cultism. Other members of NANS executive present at the presentation included Comrade Jide Lawal, Comrade Temitayo Adewoye, Comrade Sola Ninalowo and Comrade Pelumi Ogunbekun.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014

CAMPUS LIFE From Torikpa Hembe FUTO

Parliament holds inaugural sitting

EMBERS of the Student Representatives’ Council (SRC) of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) have held their inaugural sitting. The parliament, which comprises 44 members representing each department, began its sitting with a prayer. The Speaker, Matthew Obinna, a student of Architecture, urged members to be courteous in making their views known on the floor of the house. Members introduced themselves starting from the principal officers to the Hon members. The principal officers include Rt Hon. Matthew Royal Obinna(Speaker). Rt Hon Ibeawuchi Chidiebere(Deputy Speaker). Hon Noble Enwerem Chukwuka(Chief Whip), and Obetta Rowland Chiemezie(Ag. Clerk). The parliament moved into a plenary session, after which members made resolutions and constituted house committees, which included ethics and finance. Members also named the parliament as “House of Credibility”.

Obi, Nwobodo for UNN lecture

•Adeniji (left) handing over the rein of office to his succesor, Aina

Leaders for Oodua students

ORUBA students have been urged to continue to promote peaceful coexistence and love wherever they are. By so doing, they would be promoting the age-long values for which the Yoruba are known. This was the advice given when Oodua Sandwich Students’ Association (ODUSSA) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) installed its Oba (king). The event was held at the Faculty of Education Building. Members converged on the building at 2pm for the installation, tagged: Be identified with the struggle of elevation of Yoruba culture.

From Oladele Oge UNN Declaring the event open, Adetunji Olorunyomi, said the association was created to promote mutual understanding and cultural exchange among the Sandwich students. He said ODUSSA had been the megaphone of Yoruba students since it was established. During the inauguration, members resolve aspiration to reach out to new students and prominent Yoruba people in Enugu to strengthen the group. The outgoing Oba, Adeniji Obu,

implored members to show good example during their stay in the university. He, thanked the authorities of the university for providing security for members of the group. The new Oba, Aina Olu, sought cooperation from members, promising them programmes that would improve their lot. Aina pledged that his administration would run an “open-door policy” to ensure that every student benefited from the association. Highlights of event included distribution of the association’s constitution to members and presentation of certificates to the outgoing leaders.

HE Faculty of Arts of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) will, on Monday, hold an African Leadership Forum on crisis resolution. The event will be held at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium. According to the Dean of the Faculty, Prof Patrick Okpoko, the lecture is designed to discuss the causes and dynamics of leadership crises in Africa, using Nigeria as a case study. He said the event was timely, taking into cognisance the fact that the nation is entering an election period. Prof Okpoko said the forum was the faculty’s way of contributing to national development and restoring dignity to governance. He added that the lecture would provoke thoughts on leadership questions and related matters.

From Oladele Oge UNN The lecture with the theme: Leadership issues in Nigeria, will be delivered by the former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, while Dr Jim Nwobodo, the first executive governor of old Anambra State and former Minister of Youth and Sports, will chair the occasion. The Dean said diverse thoughts on leadership travails in Africa would be brought to the fore at the forum, hoping that contributions from participants would help to chart a better future for the black continent. He said: “It is my vision to create an enabling environment for teaching and research that will not only be knowledge-based, but also technologically-driven. To accomplish this task, we need to engage our students in effective mentoring and workshops to develop their potentials in leadership and knowledge by creating a platform for them to meet experienced scholars. I believe this can help repositioning the faculty.”

FUTO partners with Israeli school on Master’s programme

O sustain its newly-introduced Global Human Resources Management programme, the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), has signed a partnership agreement with Galilee International Management Institute Israel. Both institutions vowed to ensure students admitted into the programmes get quality training to develop manpower in human resoiurces management. FUTO has called for application from qualified candidates for consideration for admission into Master’s degree programme. The partnership would generate ideas that will promote understanding of management science and bring about innovation, ethical standard in the profession.

•The freshers taking the oath during the ceremony

Institute welcomes 662 freshers

HE Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) in Lagos has matriculated freshers admitted into the School of Technical Education. The programme is being run in affiliation with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). About 663 fresh students took the oath at the college’s Multipurpose Hall. They were presented by the Dean of the School, Mrs Hannah Akanbi. In his address, the UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof Benjamin Ozumba, represented by Dr Joshua Umeifekwe, coordinator of Affiliation Programmes, urged the freshers to pursue academic excellence and good values. He told the students that they were privileged to be offered admission, noting that over 40,000 candidates applied for the programme. He said: “You should make best use of this golden opportunity of your admission. To do this, you all must remain conscious of the expectation of your parents, as well as the enormous

From Mark Orgu YABATECH sacrifice they will make to see you through your programme.” Prof Ozumba told the students that they had double allegiance to keep, saying they must adhere strictly to the rules and regulation of YABATECH and UNN. He added: “You must attend 75 per cent of lectures. This is why you have to spend your time judiciously and avoid crime, such as stealing, cheating, forgery and examination malpractice. The university has stringent rules against vices.” The YABATECH Rector, Dr Margaret Ladipo, represented by the Deputy Rector (Academic), Mr Innocent Akhuemonkan, urged the students to take their studies seriously. The Rector reiterated the college’s commitment to train the students in skills that would empower them to contribute their quota to the development the country, urging for coopera-

tion of the students to enable the School of Technical Education accomplish its aims. While the ceremony was going on, Akhuemonkan ordered security officers not to allow some freshers, who came late for the event into the venue. The Deputy Rector said the school would not condone indiscipline. The affected students were not happy about the development, describing the action of the Deputy Rector as unfair. “It is unfortunate and sad that we are locked out of the venue if the matriculation. They didn’t know the reason for our lateness but they concluded we are not disciplined,” said a student, who simply identified himself as Rufus. But a lecturer, Jinadu Oyediran, defended the Deputy Rector’s directive, reprimanding the affected students. He said: “Why did they come late to an event billed to start by 10am? The students came one hour behind schedule and they wanted us to welcome them.”

From Torikpa Hembe FUTO Management of FUTO said the programme would go beyond basic teachings and theory to examine global case studies and focus on industries both in Africa and Middle East. The structure of the programme is made up of five phases. The first phase comprises 14-week semester during which seven courses would be taught. The second phase will be held in Israel and instruction will focus on high-tech industries. It will last for six weeks and four courses will be taught. Four courses will be taught in phase three, which lasts for eight weeks. Students will use the fourth phase to prepare their thesis and the final phase will witness project presentation and defence.

Deputy VC completes four-year term

EPUTY Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the Adekunle Ajasin University, AkungbaAkoko (AAUA), Ondo State, Prof Rotimi Ajayi, was not in doubt. He bowed out amid accolades from colleagues and members of the university community. At a party in his honour, the institution’s principal officers and lecturers took turns to praise him for his remarkable feats while in office. They described him as a good leader whose loyalty has completed his tenure of four years. In his remark, the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof Femi Mimiko, said Prof Ajayi “brilliantly” discharged his duty. “Ajayi could read my lips, even when I have not spoken words. I consider him qualified to be my Director of Operations,” he said. Responding, Prof Ajayi thanked God for sustaining him throughout the

•Prof Ajayi

From Richard Adura-Ilesanmi AAUA four-year tenure. He praised his principal for the confidence reposed in him. Prof Ajayi described the VC as an exemplary leader, who made positive impact in him. Ajayi, a professor of Radiation and Health Physics, was appointed DCV in October 2010. He has since been succeeded by Prof Oluyemisi Adebowale.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

‘Effective communication key to diplomacy’ The Department of Mass Communication of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka the Anambra State capital, has held its maiden lecture on how to promote diplomacy using communication as tool. FRANKLIN ONWUBIKO (400-Level Mass Communication) reports.

OMMUNICATION has been described as an indispensable tool in promoting diplomacy and conflict resolution. This was the thrust of arguments at the maiden lecture of the Department of Mass Communication of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Akwa, the Anambra State capital. The lecture, held at the Stella Okunna Mass Communication Auditorium, was the first in the series, which would afford staff and students to discuss trendy issues in the practice of communication. The guest lecturer and the Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Oseloka Obaze, delivered a paper titled: Grasping the essence of international communication and diplomacy. The essence of diplomacy, Obaze said, is to foster mutual understanding among countries and to protect national interests and avert needless conflicts. He said the success of diplomacy depended on the forthrightness and clarity of communication with which it was carried out. According to Obaze, who has been to 63 countries, communication could make or mar countries’ relations. “How you communicate, what you say, write, dress, your eye contacts, sitting posture, body language, attitude and the personalities involved count a lot in international diplomacy,” he said. Since communication and diplomacy go hand-in-hand, Obaze said it

was important that countries select their diplomats meticulously. He proposed what he called “KISS Model” as the best form of communication, which he analysed as “Keeping It Straight and Simple”. Obaze said when communication messages were kept straight and simple, it would reduce chances of ambiguity on the part of the receiver of the intended message. He frowned at students’ attitude of abbreviating text messages in communicating, especially on the social media. He said such communication could make messages to be meaningless because social media users commit syntax and grammatical blunders, which could alter the message being conveyed. Earlier, the Head of the Department of Mass Communication and coordinator of the lecture, Prof Stella Okunna, described the series as meeting of the towns and gowns, where undergraduates and postgraduate students meet with experienced communicators to learn latest techniques and practice. Prof Okunna said it was a privilege for the participants to listen to the guest speaker, who she described as experienced government official. In her remark, Deputy Director of UNIZIK 94.1FM, Dr Ifeoma Dunu, described the lecture as enriching and a mind-opener for effective communication. According to her, the lecture was geared towards making students to be exposed and enlightened on trendy issues in communication practice.

•Students listening at the lecture

‘How you communicate, what you say, write, dress, your eye contacts, sitting posture, body language, attitude and the personalities involved count a lot in international diplomacy’ In an interview, president of the Association of Mass Communication Students (ASOMACS), McDonald

Ifeme, who spoke on behalf of the students, described the lecture as apt and incisive, adding that the guest

lecturer analysed the intricacies of international communication and diplomacy. He praised the head of the department and orgnisers of the lecture, which he said would impart knowledge on students. He urged continuation and sustenance of the series. Present at the event included Prof Umaru Pate of Department of Mass Communication of the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), the ASOMACS Staff Adviser, Dr Chinwe Uzochukwu, staff and students of the department.

The students’ Affairs Division of the University of Ibadan (UI) has held a seminar for students’ leaders to engender mutual understanding between the management and students. HAMMED HAMZAT (400-Level Education Management) reports.

•Prof Adewole speaking at the event. Clapping are Prof Alada and SUG president, Olufemi Adesola

ANAGEMENT of the University of Ibadan (UI) and the students may have found a way to smooth relations through periodic meetings. Since the restoration of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) four years ago by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Isaac Adewole, these meetings become sounding boards before decisions are taken. More than 100 students’ leaders from Halls of Residence, departments, faculties, Student Representatives’ Council (SRC) and Students’ Union Government (SUG) executive attended a twoday leadership seminar organised by the Students’ Affairs Division, with the theme: Operating Students’ Union as a formidable

•Students’ leaders at the seminar

All for peace on campus

partner in university administration. The objective of the workshop, which was held penultimate week, was to equip the students’ leaders with necessary skills on how to deliver on their promises and how they can engage the management on the welfare of students without rancour and protest. Declaring the event open, Prof Adewole was optimistic that the union, which his administration brought back in 2010, would continue to be responsible. He said he had no regrets resuscitating the union, considering the way stu-

dents had conducted themselves in leadership position since then. The VC restated that the management would not hesitate to address the students’ need and prioritise programmes that would enable students to achieve excellence. Prof Adewole urged the SRC members to review dues paid by students so as to have independent unions. On the first day, participants listened to the UI chapter chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof

Olusegun Ajiboye, who spoke on: Understanding partnership as a corporate responsibility. The professor of Social and Environmental Education identified students as partners in progress and development for any university, noting that management’s decision must consider students’ interest to achieve its vision. Prof Ajiboye said alliance and cooperation were required for university management and students’ leaders to co-exist, adding that none of the parties could progress without the input of the

other. Prof Clement Kolawole, another speaker, harped on the need for effective communication between students’ leaders and management to forestall unnecessary crisis. A professor of Conflict Resolution, Olawale Albert, spoke on Peaceful negotiation and peace building in sustainable leadership. He tutored the students on how to use negotiation to achieve peace and build sustainable leadership for the union. Dr Ayo Hammed of the Department of Guidance and Counselling spoke on Understanding the concept of win-win partnership. •Continued on page 36

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

Jonathan, Buhari and the rest of us N

IGERIANS and people around the world have been anxiously waiting for February 14 – a day many people mark Saint Valentine’s selflessness towards the less privilege and the downtrodden. But, the day is not for celebration in Nigeria; rather, it is a day for plebiscite. A new dispensation will be ushered in by the power of ballot. However, there have been eagerness and expectations among the people, because of the predicted apocalypse, which some political pundits say could mar the election. People around the world are interested in the February election because Nigeria is the most populous black nation and if the election is bungled, the crisis that may result from it could cause humanitarian problem for a world still battling with a burgeoning population of displaced people. In recent weeks, some key players in the election have heated up the system, threatening brimstone and violence should the process rigged against them. There have been insults, name-calling and misuse of key agencies that should naturally be neutral. This has led to serious concern among the people and friends of Nigeria. The fallout of political parties’

By Segun Odunayo primaries has led to cross-carpeting among politicians, with many changing allegiance after they fail to clinch their parties’ tickets. The most-celebrated defection in recent time is that of the loquacious former Minister of Information Labaran Maku, who jumped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to Labour Party (LP) and then landed to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Maku, despite his seemingly undiluted loyalty for President Goodluck Jonathan, under whom he served as minister, he could not get the PDP’s governorship ticket in his home state of Nasarawa. Swiftly, he jumped the boat and moved to a relatively unpopular party in his domain. He told the people not to vote the PDP in the state. For this, Maku drew flak from people, with some mocking his action as political journey to the wilderness. Femi Fani-Kayode needs no introduction. He was a former Minister of Aviation and one of the most acerbic spokesmen for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s civilian regime. After his former boss left office in 2007, Fani-Kayode became

a regular visitor in court for sleaze. For this, he abandoned the party that abandoned him and pitched his tent with All Progressives Congress (APC). In 2014, Fani-Kayode launched most lethal epistolary attack on President Jonathan and urged people to vote him out this year. Perhaps, after he or the president made lucrative overture, FaniKayode left the APC in the cold and began to sing another tune – Jonathan is the messiah. As I write this, the former minister is in charge of publicity for Jonathan’s re-election bid. As the elections draw close, all political actors are using all they have in their kitty to ensure the polls get in their favour. The president and his party are campaigning for continuity. The President’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, has steadily informed people that his boss is doing the right thing and should be supported to continue for another four years. The ongoing rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, establishment of new federal universities, building of Al-majiri schools in the North are being sold as part of Jonathan’s achieve-

ments. To the APC and its candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, there must be change in the way the country is run. The party, which was formed barely two years ago, is giving the seemingly invincible PDP a match for its popularity and the ruling party is not at rest. APC wants an issue-based campaign and the choice of Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as vice presidential candidate to run with Buhari, known for his unblemished integrity, has boosted the chances of the party. The APC has made its presence felt on social media to get attention of the youth, knowing that young people form the chunk of the voters. Prof Osinbajo has been campaigning on the street, meeting people in corners where politicians don’t go. This is a good trend for our democratic experience. The APC has continued to expose the deficiencies in the present administration and woo Nigerians over to its side. The current security challenge, unabated corruption, epileptic power supply and crude oil theft are shaping the campaign and these form major reason why the opposition want

the president out. While political parties prepare for the polls and bring up propaganda against one another, Nigerians need to be watchful before giving their votes to either of the parties. The destinies of millions of us are at stake and we need to exercise our intellect before we ‘dash’ our votes out. As a people, we need to drop all sentiments, including religion and ethnicity. We need to ask ourselves questions: Can we continue with Jonathan? Is Buhari the messiah we have been expecting? Can the APC bring about the desired change we want? Should PDP continue in the face of failed promises? For the sake of our collective future, we need to go to the polls with less respect for the parties but for the personalities in the fray. Using the expression of former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “it is time for common sense revolution”. This is the time to go to the polls, cast our vote and guide it. We must not allow our will to be rigged against us. Enough of the bribes or mobilization fee and remuneration package for the boys. Let us vote for the right person and the time for action is now. Segun, 200-Level Political Science, AAUA

A word for students in New Year

By Ahmad Muhammad Auwal

HE New Year is celebrated worldwide. The day comes with hopes and renewed promises. It gives us new confidence and courage for a fresh start. As we start the journey into the 2015, with

new milestones and aspirations, we need to take into consideration, the assertion of Abraham Lincoln, who said: “In the end, it is not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years.” The piece is to advise students on how to make the year eventful and successful for themselves and the country. As students, we must remember that we owe the society some responsibilities. As patriotic citizens and leaders of tomorrow, we must learn to live in peace and tolerance with one another, despite our diversity in language and religion. We must engage in peacebuilding and task our leaders to work for peace and progress. At this critical moment of our history, Nigerian students must exhibit progressive knowledge and experiences that can help solve myriad of problem facing our nation.

In many parts of the world, elections generate social excitement, but in Nigeria, the reverse is the case as it increases the tempo of violence and ethno-religious strife. Lack of tolerance among the youth has been attributed to cause of violence in our society. As the general elections draw close, Nigeria continues to dance on the brinks of insecurity and political crises. We must resist the move to be used as thugs; we must work for the unity of the country. We must remember Holy Qur’an and Bible enjoin us to be at peace with one another and to payback evil deeds with good ones. All the prophets of God were champions of peace and societal progress. Romans 12:17-21 reads: “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you,

live peaceable with all men. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” In similar admonition, Qur’an 41:34 says: “The good deed and evil the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly), then verily! He, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.” At this juncture, I will like to draw our attentions to the assertion of Martin Luther King Jnr., who said: “If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class and our nation: and this means we must develop a world perspective… Now the judgment of

God is upon us and we must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools.” As students, we must study to learn and not to earn. What you learn today will be useful to you tomorrow and will determine who you become tomorrow. A student’s life is all about focusing on goals and achieving them with determination, discipline and hard work. Every problem might not have a solution but every solution was once a problem. Focus on your goals and study hard; it is like preparing yourself for a marathon which will begin after your school days. May this New Year bring good fortunes and prosperity to our dear country and may God grant all students courage to promote peace and progress. Amen. Ahmad, 400-Level Mass Comm., NSUK

General elections: What role for the youth?

E are getting closer to that time again. The time we need to use our hands to change our destiny. The judgment day is near when we will have to make a decision for another four years. Political actors are going about, telling us why we must vote for them. The social media is already agog with campaign and programmes of candidates. There have also been rumours, allegations and counter-allegation. The streets are already littered with several posters. Politicians have returned with their usual statement and cliché: “the youth are the future of the country”. Well, the truth about that statement is still in the court of public opinion. But to say the fact, the youth have been let down many times by the leaders, who have continued to tell us we are the leaders of tomorrow. Yet they don’t want to commit anything into our hands. They want to hold on to power till eternity. The painful reality is that, the youth have not leveraged on the power they have to make a progressive change. We have failed to explore our population and strength. Majority of the voting

populace is made up of youths; we have the social media to our advantage, yet we have failed to live up to the billing. Another election is around the corner and we must ensure that it is not business as usual. As youths, we must be ready to hold our leaders responsible by making the right choice and by refusing to be used and dump for selfish reasons. The strength of any nation lies in the hands of the youths. In developed world, the youth play significant roles in the development of their country. But in Nigeria, the youth have been relegated to the background when it comes to decision making. Who are the youth? We are talking about adults from ages 18 to 45. Going by this age bracket, a larger percentage of the electorate are youths. The mobilisers for politicians are youths. Based on these facts, the role of the youths before, during and after elections cannot be underestimated. In previous elections, the youth played roles that pulled the country to the brink; they were ready tools in the hands of vote robbers and agents of violence, who subverted the will of the people. It is worthy to note that a very few

youths stood on the path of progress, those who could not be bought by moneybags. Although a larger percentage of us mortgaged our future for filthy lucre and joined criminals to perpetrate electoral violence. Going back to what happened after the 2011 general elections, which culminated into the declaration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as the winner of the flawed contest, nine Corps members serving in Bauchi were killed. Who killed them? Our fellow youths did, all in the name of protest against manipulation. Now, do we travel the same road again? Another election is around the corner. We have a duty to make it a success or bungle it with our inordinate sentiment. While I urge that nobody should be killed because of election, the youth must be ready to accept to be responsible in the coming weeks. Among the flocking seeking our votes are selfish politicians whose children are in safe place abroad but want us to foment trouble should their interest be threatened by election results. We must reject politicians asking us to cause violence. If we are willing to make our stand known, then it will send a

signal to proponents of violence that we have changed and we want change in the way electioneering is conducted. 2015 must not be business as usual. We must ask any candidate seeking election or re-election his plans and what they intend to do differently. Let us not be blinded by ethnicity, religion or social background. The only thing we need now is change, progress, development, and any candidate that cannot promise to move us forward should be shown the exit through our votes. And that brings us to the point of asking how many youths have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)? Elections are not won on the social media, or using a particular candidate on your display picture will not make such candidate win election. Rather, the process starts from registering and collecting the PVCs and coming out to cast our votes on the election day. It is a pity that we are in the internet age, but Nigeria is not ready to toe the path of technology. So, while we are agitating on the social media, we should be ready to cast our vote for our preferred candidates.

We cannot afford to miss it again this time, for any mistake we make this time will haunt us for another four years. If any politician that gives you rice or money, it won’t even last for fur day but we may have sold our four years if we are induced to vote. Generation yet unborn will not be happy with us if we make the wrong choice this time. Dayo, just finished his National Youth Service, NYSC Lafia

By Dayo Ojerinde

CAMPUS LIFE Accreditation team hails UNILORIN

CCREDITATION team of the National Universities Commission (NUC) has hailed the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) for what it called “excellent achievements”. Prof M.T. Egri-Okwaji and Prof M.O. Edoga, who led the team, praised the efforts of the institution’s principal officers after a re-accreditation. The team said the institution is living up to expectation as a citadel of learning and character. The re-accreditation was a national exercise through which the commission assessed academic programmes being run by universities and rated them against the national education standard. The programmes can only be accredited

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

From Aminat Afolabi UNILORIN after an acceptable aggregate level of standard is achieved. The team moved round departments, inspecting the facilities used for instruction and practice. They also obtained information about capability and efficiency of each department. Some of the faculties visited included Physical Science, Agriculture and Law, among others. Students were interviewed randomly by the team during the process. CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the team got good responses from most students, who expressing satisfaction with the method of teaching in the university. However, a student, who pleaded for anonymity, said most universities prepare ahead for the NUC team by providing almost sufficient facilities before the accreditation. The NUC team, however, warned universities not to cut corners in obtaining license.

On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600

•Odelusi presenting gift to Mrs Hamefuli

First Lady, club welcome first babies

EMBERS of the Junior Chambers International (JCI) in Akure have welcomed babies born in the early hours of 2015 with the wife of the Ondo State governor, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko. The JCI members were among the first callers at the State Specialist Hospital to welcome the first baby. Gifts were presented to the first and second babies of the year as well as the last baby in ý2014 by Mrs Mimiko and club members. Presenting the babies to the

From Dayo Ojerinde AKURE governor’s wife and the JCI officials, ýthe Ondo State Commissioner of Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, said the first baby was delivered at exactly 12:05am on January 1 to Hamefuli family. ýWhile the 2nd baby was delivered to Ajayi family at exactly 12:45am. The last baby of 2014 was delivered by Mrs Olushile at 8:36pm on December 31. The JCI president, Kunle Odelusi, presented the gifts to the babies

alongside Mrs Mimiko. Thanking the donors, ýthe mother of the first baby, Mrs Tayo Hamefuli,ý described her baby as a bundle of joy, saying he was lucky. She hailed the state government for providing qualitative and affordable healthcare for the people. Odelusi said: “It is our tradition to go out every New Year to present gifts to the first babies of the year. This is part of our resolve to make life meaningful to the average man on the street.”

31 bag First Class as varsity graduates 581

HE Vice-Chancellor of Achievers University in Owo, Ondo State, Prof Tunji Ibiyemi, has called on the Federal Government to extend the tertiary education fund to private universities to enable them contribute their quota to research and development. Prof Ibiyemi spoke at the third convocation ceremony of the university during which 581 graduatesreceived degrees in various disciplines. The event was held in the university’s Trinity Auditorium, which was filled to the brim by the graduating students and their guests. The breakdown of the number showed that the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences had the highest number of 453 students. It was followed by the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences. Of the graduating students, 31 had First Class, 295 took Second Class (Upper Division), 239, Second Class •Continued from page 30

How do you balance your activities with your studies? I had to go on leave of absence in my final year to sustain the success we have achieved with Neonatar. I didn’t regret my action, but combing my studies with the publication is not something that comes easy for. •Continued from page 34

The second day of the seminar started with a lecture by the Dean of Postgraduate School, Prof Adeyinka Aderinto, who urged the students’ leaders to always accept responsibility and be accountable to their colleagues. He advised them not to implement policies that would not benefit majority of students. The Dean of Faculty of Arts, Prof Remi Raji-Oyelade, canvassed for change of perspective among lecturers in the way they deal with Students’ Union leaders. He said some lecturers would look down on

From Richard Adura-Ilesanmi ACHIEVERS (Lower Division) and 19, Third Class. Prof Ibiyemi said that if the nation was serious about achieving its vision 20:20:20, research and development must be accorded top priority. He said: “Our national challenges are surmountable through research and development. All Nigerians are stakeholders. The present restriction put in place against easy access to TETFund research and development grant for tertiary institutions is not acceptable.” The VC said private and public universities should be allowed access to TETFund. He tasked the graduands to bring their knowledge to bear on their services to their fatherland. The Visitor to the university, Senator Titus Olupitan, said the citadel of learning had grown in leaps and

bounds since establishment, pleading with federal and Ondo State government to help in the construction of three kilometre road leading to the institution. In their separate addresses, the Chancellor, Senator Bode Olajumoke, and Pro-chancellor, Dr Bode Ayorinde, enjoined the graduands to be good ambassadors of the school. The ceremony featured the conferment of honorary degrees on the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Gabriel Amuchi. Also, prizes were given to best graduating students as Doris Onyeocha stole the show, going home with six awards. She was the best graduating student. Some of the graduands, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, thanked God for seeing them through their academic years.

‘Journalism is my passion’ What is your word for students who may want to do what you are doing? They must do their feasibility study properly before plunging into the media world. They must get capital

sufficient to actualise their dreams. They must also expand their capacity to accommodate stress that could come along with combining academics and entrepreneurship. Lastly, they must keep improving their products and service delivery.

All for peace on campus members of Students’ Union as unserious and irresponsible. He said: “We must understand that the people here are leaders of thousands of students whose academic pursuits we are managing. Any injustice to the people here would mean injustice to all students. This is why we must change our manners with which we relate with them and accord some respect.” The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Akinola Alada, advised the

participants to apply the knowledge learnt from the seminar. He said the speakers had experience in unionism being students’ leaders during their undergraduate days. Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, Sylvester Adesemoye, President of Nigerian Association of Food Science and Technology (NAFST), who attended the seminar, said what he learnt would be put into practice. He praised VC for carrying students along in the administration of the university.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

EDUCATION FUNAAB FILE

Centre welcomes students

• From left: Dr Yahaya Mohammed, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Mubi Adamawa State; Prof Nduka Ethelbert, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT); Mr Aminu Ayodele, Deputy Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic; Mr Ajiboye, Deputy Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic; Prof G. Evangellos, American University of Dubai; Dr Jen, Rector Federal Polytechnic, Bali, Taraba State; Prof A. Williams, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka; Mr Aliezi, Bursar, UNIPORT; Prof Patrick Ogbuhvu, DELSU; and Dr Ayo Ogunsan, Chairman Executive Trainers at the just concluded Higher Education Conference on Quality and Accountability in Dubai UAE.

AUN trains journalists on terrorism reporting

IFTY-SEVEN journalists, editors and producers covering the insurgency in the Northeast region returned to the classroom to learn how to cover emerging issues better. They were trained by the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola as part of a peace conference for activists from five northeastern states under the AUN-Adamawa Peace Initiative. The 57 participants were drawn from print, broadcast and online media organisations in Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Bauchi and Adamawa States. The theme of the workshop, '”Redefining the role of Journalists in peacebuilding”, addressed how journalists could cover conflict stories professionally in a nation

in search of order, stability and development. One of the facilitators, Dr. Jacob, said beyond reporting the conflict, journalists must be peace builders. "With the Boko Haram insurgency becoming more violent and intractable, workshop organisers felt it was a propitious time to launch a comprehensive, practical training for local journalists on peace reporting, so they can see themselves not only as journalists, but also as peacemakers," he said. The acting chair of AUN's Communications and Multimedia (CMD) programme, Udo-Udo Jacob, who said Peace Journalism has crystalised in the last 10 years, however noted that it is yet to be well developed in practice,

particularly in Nigeria. He said it was the first Peace Journalism workshop in Nigeria. The other facilitator, Don North, is a veteran journalist with rich experience in reporting conflicts from Vietnam, to Latin America and Iraq. In a keynote address AUN's President, Prof Margee Ensign, articulated the role of the media in a pluralistic democracy. She spoke on "The Press & Democratic Reform in a Changing World: Building Alliances for Good Governance and Accountability", highlighting political instability and weak institutions as some of the critical challenges facing Nigeria. She also called for a more assertive role for the media in

holding governments and political leaders accountable. The workshop had three sessions and an interactive panel discussion led by resource persons with strong industry experience. Participating journalists made their own invaluable contributions to factors militating against objective, accurate and factual reporting from the war front. It also provided them the opportunity to join the Peace Journalism Network, whose objective include providing an online forum for journalists to share experiences, exchange notes and develop best practices in peace reporting. The next workshop is scheduled for this month.

• Ms Gawat

• Oyewole

post-graduate education even in very cold and blustery Scotland," she said. Despite the inclement weather, Ms Gawat said she recorded 100 per cent attendance, completed all assignments, and was commended for good character and exemplary behaviour. Reacting to the news, the University’s Proprietor, Prince Bola Ajibola said he was happy and grateful to Almighty Allah for allowing his vision of academic and moral excellence to yield fruits within the first decade of establishing the university.

He said his intention from the inception was to establish a university unique for placing the fear of God side by side with quality academic programmes. "We aim to train high quality, morally upright professionals' not brilliant beasts and brigands,” he said. Dr Adesina, who was in Aberdeen for the convocation, said a quiet revolution in the mass communication instruction and assessment has begun at the university. Adesina, who was a senior lecturer of Media Studies and an Assistant examiner with Oxford and Cambridge RSA Examinations Board, United Kingdom (UK) said: "We are happy with the performance of our alumni in employment and further education at home and abroad, with us, newsrooms in town are in constant touch with our lecture rooms while we are fulfilling the most basic function of a university, which is to produce world-class graduates."

Crescent varsity graduates dazzle from Lagos to Scotland

HE Mass Communication Department of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State has continued with its trailblazing feat as two of its products were exceptional in their careers in Lagos and Scotland. At the Masters Degree entrance examinations in the Mass Communication Department of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), one of them, Nurudeen Oyewole, came first, while another graduate of the university, Rafiat Gawat, finished with distinction to obtain M.Sc. in Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 2013, it was Adeola Yusuf, a Mass Communication graduate of the same school who topped the Masters Degree entrance examinations at the UNILAG, while Oyewole equalled Yusuf’s record last year, emerging as the best in the entrance examination. To come tops, Oyewole scored 71 per cent to beat other candidates from public and private universities across the country and beyond. An elated Oyewole attributed his success to the rigorous and highly challenging curriculum at the Crescent University backed by a team of experienced and qualified lecturers in the Mass Communication department. Prior to this, Oyewole was adjudged the most outstanding graduating student of his department in the 2013/2014 academic session. Oyewole, a staff of Daily Trust Newspaper, was also the first runner up (Health Category) of the 2014 Wole Soyinka Award for

By Olalekan Okusan

Investigative Reporting. Head of Mass Communication Department, the Crescent University, Dr. Kola Adesina, was happy that the university's graduates have excelled at the UNILAG Postgraduate examinations. According to him, five products of his department were admitted on merit last session. The university was the best private university in the examination and the fourth on the merit list. In Scotland, Ms Gawat, a pioneer Mass Communication graduate of the Crescent University, obtained an MSc degree in Corporate Communication and Public Affairs from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen with a score of 74 per cent in her final dissertation and an overall aggregate of 70 per cent. Ms Gawat, who graduated with a first class from the Crescent, said she owed her success to God and the world-class curriculum of the Crescent University, which she said prepared her for post-graduate study at international level. "The programme was tough, but my courses and mode of instruction at the Crescent University had prepared me for the challenges of

The programme was tough, but my courses and mode of instruction at the Crescent University had prepared me for the challenges of post-graduate education even in very cold and blustery Scotland

THE World Bank-sponsored Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, has held maiden orientation programme for its postgraduate students. The centre was established under the African Centre of Excellence initiative of the World Bank and the Association of African Universities (AAU) to strengthen post-graduate education. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole, represented by the Registrar, Mr. Mathew Ayoola, enjoined the new students to study hard. He told the 90 students, who were pruned down from 150 applications in line with the World Bank standard that: "You are enjoined to devote quality time to your studies and put in your very best to come out in flying colours." The Director of CEADESE, Prof Okanlawon Onagbesan, said the orientation programme was designed to formally welcome students to the university and answer their questions.

Student wins award A 500-level student of Animal Nutrition (ANN), Miss Adejumoke Adeniran, has won the Nigerian Women Association of Georgia (NWAG) award. Miss Adeniran said she applied online and was shortlisted to write two essays titled: "The Effects of Frequent Nigerian Teachers' Strikes on Student Academic Performance and Learning" and "Reasons Why I should receive the Scholarship Award". The event was held in Abuja and had over 100 applications drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The criteria for scoring were based on the content, style and organisation of the essay. Miss Adeniran said after graduation she intends to pursue agricultural research in partnership with blue-chip organisations. NWAG is a non-governmental organisation based in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States (US). It was founded in 2000 to serve Nigeria's local community through empowerment, enrichment and education of women, youths and children by fostering togetherness and excellence in their collective pursuits.

Alumni convenes THE FUNAAB Alumni Association would hold its 18th Annual Convention and 17th Annual Lecture series on Saturday, January 10, at the Postgraduate School Auditorium. The theme of the convention is "Improving Rural Livelihood for National Food Security". The Guest Lecturer is the Director of Agriculture, Ibarapa East Local Government, Oyo State, Prince Tokunbo Ogundipe, while the host is the National President of the Association, Prof Lateef Sanni and the Chief Host will be the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Olusola Oyewole. The Chairman of the occasion, according to a release by the association will be the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie, who would be honoured during the programme together with Princess 'Bisi Soboyejo, the university's pioneer Registrar.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE FEDPOFFA FILE

SCHOLARSHIPS APPROACHING DEADLINE

SBMS fetes retiree THE School of Business and Management Studies (SBMS), Federal Polytechnic, Offa (FEDPOFFA), Kwara State, bade farewell to one of its senior lecturers, Mr Johnson Olugbemi Ilori, who retired recently. At the event, which held at the SBMS Internet Room on the main campus of the institution, Ilori was described as a ‘teacher per excellence’ in the Department of Business Administration. He joined the polytechnic in 1997 as Lecturer II and was made the Part-time Co-ordinator due to his diligence. He was also the school’s Examination Officer and Students’ Adviser for several years. Congratulating Ilori for a service-life well spent, the Dean, SBMS, Mr Peter Akinjobi, prayed God to increase him in wisdom for the rest of his life. Akinjobi urged members of staff, especially the new ones, to emulate Ilori’s good character for them to be celebrated at the end of their service. He described Ilori as a ‘very humble man, whose humility God has used to help. Former Deputy Rector (Academics), Mr. John Ayeni, praised God on Ilori’s behalf and the polytechnic management for employing vibrant lecturers, whom he said, would help improve the school’s productivity. Responding, Ilori thanked God for helping him discharge his duties diligently while at the polytechnic. He also thanked workers and students of the SBMS for honouring him.

Dept organises seminar on sweet potato THE advantages of consuming the orange flesh variant of sweet potato was the focus of a seminar organised by the Food Technology Department of FEDPOFFA in collaboration with the International Potato Center, Abuja. Participants, who were sweet potato farmers, market women, students and academics, learnt that the orange flesh sweet potato is rich in Vitamin A, which is needed to supress malnutrition in infants and growing children. Facilitators included Prof. Stella Williams; Dr. Busola Olapeju of the International Potato Centre Abuja; Dean, School of Applied Science, Dr. Moshood Fowomola and Head of Department of Food Technology, Mr. Abraham Idowu. Prof Williams advised nursing mothers to incorporate sweet potato into their children’s diet, saying that if the protein in the orange flesh potato is extracted and added to baby foods, it will give the baby all the nutrients required for him to grow well. Rather than give babies sugarladen food, she advised mothers to make sweet potato ice-cream for them. Sweet potato, Prof Williams said, is safe for diabetic patients because it digest easily. Also speaking, Dr. Fowomola said orange flesh potato improves eyesight and boost infants’ immunity against diseases. He however urged the market women to promote the potato variant to their customers. Similarly, Dr Olapeju said potato can be used to produce foods such as chips, porridge, ice cream, juice and pap. It can also be processed into flour for making snacks such as buns, chinchin, bread ande mixed with yam flour to make Amala.

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When Obafunwa rocked the dance floor

HE atmosphere was carnival-like. It was evident that students of Lagos State University (LASU) had been yearning for such a social reunion, which used to be the norm in the good old days. "Now the good days are back and will henceforth be an annual ritual," said LASU Vice-Chancellor Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa. It was the maiden end-of-the-year party the university organised for the students on the New Year eve. Despite the pressure from the second semester examination, the students could not wait to move to the university's Sports Centre, venue of the event. Obafunwa, accompanied by some of his lieutenants including the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Kabir Akinyemi; Director, External System, Prof Tajudeen Abanikanda; Head of Department of Theatre Arts, Dr Bola Ademeso; Registrar, Akin Lewis and others, treated themselves to blaring sound of 'shoki' music. For the students, it was a way to rejoice with one another as they bade farewell to 2014; to the management, however, it was a way of reintroducing social life back into the campus and engendering unity among students in a peaceful atmosphere. Obafunwa, who spoke at the get together, said a lot of progress

•From left: Mr Lewis, Dr Ademeso (in green native) Ms Abass Arinola from LASU Radiation Unit, Obafunwa and Akinyemi on the dance floor. By Adegunle Olugbamila

should be expected in LASU this year. He said: "Management is committed to ensuring a stable academic calendar. I am happy that some of you are graduating while others are still in the system. By January 3 (Last Saturday) Senate will start approving results so that those who are supposed to be cleared can be mobilised for their NYSC. I want to assure you that come September we will say bye to 2014/2015 academic session. “By October, we will start the 2015/2016 session. By God's grace, this will be possible because this administration is bent on ensuring that we put an end to those years where our students used to spend many years before they graduate. Under this administration, our stu-

dents will graduate as and at when due." He urged the students to be good ambassadors of the university. "LASU is not as bad as some people seem to portray us. We are even the best nationwide in certain disciplines. So we should all be proud as LASU students. I enjoin you all to continue to exhibit those traits that will completely change outsiders' perception about us. "It's been a long while we have had this kind of social gathering and I can see you all are excited. Let me assure you that this gathering will henceforth hold every last day of the year with lots of food and drinks. Let no one gives you the impression that LASU is at war, we are at peace here," he said. The Students' Union President, Nurudeen Yusuf, expressed his happiness about the event.

"I am happy that this kind of event is being brought back to LASU. Today is not a day for long talk. I only wish to appeal to you all to be calm and peaceful especially as we return to our various homes to celebrate the New Year," he said. Akinyemi, who gave the vote of thanks, assured that the school’s management operates an open door policy and is ready to accommodate ideas and suggestions from across board. With an increase in social activities in LASU, Akinyemi hopes it will minimise violence and other atrocities among students to the barest minimum. The occasion started with 'gyration' from the university's Kegite club, and was further spiced with performances by various up and coming artistes and comedians .

20 scholarships for teachers at CIAPS

HE Centre for International, Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), Lagos has announced a scholarship scheme for school owners wishing to obtain a postgraduate qualification in school management in 2015. A statement by the Registrar of the Centre, Annette LeSage, noted that 20 students can benefit from the N5million CIAPS Commonwealth Scholarships scheme, which is part of the new CIAPS Scholarship programmes. "There are a total of 20 scholar-

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

ships available, worth a total of N5, 000, 000. Every successful applicant can receive up to N300,000 towards his or her tuition fees at CIAPS for the duration of the recipient's oneyear postgraduate study," she said. The Centre Director, Anthony Kila said CIAPS seeks to equip school managers with skills to serve society better. "We are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, learning and understanding in the service of the

society. We are looking for teachers and school managers, who are pursuing higher learning, so that they can play a part in making their school and society a better place," he said. Beneficiaries will be selected based on a Personal Statement of about 1,000 words (in which the applicant states why he should get the scholarship and how they would serve society better afterwards) submitted online; and an oral interview. To be considered, applicants must

be degree holders with a minimum of second class lower; have been admitted into CIAPS for 2015; be a Commonwealth citizens or resident in a developing Commonwealth country or be refugees or people working with organisations linked with developing Commonwealth countries are also considered. Other professional courses offered at CIAPS in 2015 include Project Management; Journalism; Business Administration; Banking and Finance; Senior PA and Executive Assistant.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

EDUCATION

Unaudited accounts: WAEC denies malpractice

HE West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has denied reports that it has a case to answer for unaudited accounts running into billions. A statement by the council’s Public Affairs Officer, Ojijeogu Demianus, in Lagos, said the claims of fraud, lack of records and misappropriation published in some national dailies (not The Nation) were all false. “The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), wishes to draw the attention of the general public to the reports on page 14 of the Monday, November 3, 2014 edition of the Vanguard newspaper titled “MISAPPLICATION OF FUNDS: Reps say WAEC has case to answer” as well as on the front page and on page 5 of the Monday, November 3, 2014 edition of the National Mirror newspaper titled “CBN, WAEC, others for probe over N168 billion unaudited accounts. “The allegations of ‘misapplication of several billions of naira’, ‘monumental fraud,’ ‘lack of records’ and ‘financial improprieties’ in the newspaper reports are baseless and unfounded,”the statement read in part. Contrary to the reports, WAEC noted that the council has audited its account up to December 2013. It continued: “The Council wishes to state that the convention, which guides its activities and operations in the five-member countries contains adequate provision for the audit of the Council’s ac-

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

counts and the appointment of external auditors. In line with the Council’s convention the Council’s accounts of the Nigeria National Office have been audited up to December 2013 as required by the Law. “At the 200th meeting of the Nigeria Administrative and Finance Committee of the Council held in Minna, Niger State, on November 25, 2014, the Committee, while considering the external auditors’ report on the accounts of the Nigeria National Office for the year 2013, noted the report on the false and damaging publications in the Vanguard and National Mirror newspapers. “After listening to the Head of National Office’s presentation and studying the extracts showing the adoption of the Council’s audited accounts for 2011 and 2012, and considering the professional comments of the external auditors on the damaging publications in the newspapers, the Council, passed a vote of confidence on the Head of National Office and the Management of the Nigeria National Office. “Subsequent to presentation of its up-to-date audited accounts and explanations by the Council, the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives, where the damaging allegations supposedly originated, has since dismissed them as unfounded.”

• Pupils of Doregos Private Academy, Ipaja, presenting the Swange cultural dance at the school’s cultural programme.

School owners pray for 2015

OME private school owners spent last Saturday praying for the progress of the education sector at a prayer summit organised by the Standard Mandate International (SMI) in Lagos. The seventh edition of the summit, which held at the Chapel of Christ the Light Alausa, Ikeja, featured prayer sessions for the country, parents, school proprietors, teachers and pupils as well as words of exhortation. The prayers were led by the Proprietress of MD School, Mrs Juliet

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

Adedugbe and the proprietress of Dansol Schools, Mrs Adun Akinyemiju, who also delivered the sermon. In her exhortation, Mrs Akinyemiju urged school owners to regard their vocation as a ministry to prepare young people to be God’s heritage. She said if ISIS could indoctrinate children as young as four to kill, young pupils can be influenced positively for God. "These children are not too young. If ISIS can train four-year olds, then we can also train our own children to do good and serve God. This is a ministry. Pastors are not full-time ministers;

‘If ISIS could indoctrinate children as young as four to kill, young pupils can be influenced positively for God’ • The orphans with their mentors during the camp.

Have money before children, orphan says

O Obehi Tosin, an orphan and an SS1 pupil of ElChristal College, Olowonla, Alimosho, a Lagos suburb, the Citadel of Grace Orphanage, also in Olowonla, Alimosho, is more comfortable than his former home, but he would have preferred to live with his parents. The 14 year-old, whose real name was Olateju David before it was changed by the orphanage, participated in a camp for orphans organised by Infinity Foundation - a Non-government organisation that supports orphanage homes. He told The Nation that he lived with his grandmother until last year when he was brought to the orphanage by his mother, Miss Modupe Adeleke. Though an only child, he said his mother struggled to cater for him and pay his school fees. "I am from Osun State. I was living with my grandmother at

By Medinat Kanabe

Oshogbo. My mum came and took me to Lagos last year to the orphanage because she could not continue to care for me. Mum tried all her best to take care of me. She was struggling to pay my fees and take care of me from the small kiosk she has, but she could not meet up," he said. Tosin, who said he did not know his father, advised couples to give birth to those children they can cater for and save enough money before starting a family so that their children do not suffer. "Although they are treating me well at the orphanage and I have never regretted going there, I would have loved to be in a home with my parents. I feel really bad when I see other children with their parents. Another thing I don't like is the fact that we all have to change our names even as we know our birth names and our parents cannot

do anything about it as long as they are taking care of us," he said. Speaking at the camp, Mr Stephen Akintayo urged people, who cannot take care of their children to bring them to the orphanage homes where they will be properly taken care of instead of dumping them by the roadside or treating them badly. "People feel they must have many children for one reason or the other even if they do not have the capacity to take care of them," he said. He called on the wealthy to assist orphanage homes or adopt children. During the three-day camp, the orphans were paired with influential people in the society, who mentored them. They also met successful orphans, who shared their stories. They also visited exciting places with the adults.

HE Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide has inaugurated the Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) International School (JIS). The school, which is located on the JABU campus in Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun Sate, was inaugurated by the Chairman, JABU Board of Trustees and President of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide, Pastor Abraham Akinosun. Pastor Akinosun congratulated the JABU Management for the successful completion of the school despite all the challenges and discouragement encountered in the course of construction. He also praised them for their determination to invest in the lives of future generations. The JABU Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Prof Anthony Imevbore; Deputy Chairman of the Governing Council, Pastor C.S. Fasuyi; General Secretary, C.A.C. Worldwide Pastor Emmanuel Mapur and other important dignitaries were in attendance. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sola Fajana and Registrar, Wale Aderibigbe, a lawyer, were full of

we are the ones that are full-time ministers because we spend a lot of time with these children. We need to take this as a calling,” she said. Senior Boarding House Mistress of The Apostolic Secondary School, Anthony, Mrs Veronica Akhaine, said she it was the third time she was attending the summit, which she described as useful in providing participants with new ideas on how to run their schools. “When we come here, we learn a lot. They even invited officials from the Ministry of Education to discuss with us. It shows we are all working together to fulfil a purpose,” she said. Another participant, Mrs Jane Olaolu, a first-time attendee, said she was glad to have been part of the prayer summit. On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SMI, Pastor Nelson Ayodele said the aim of the summit was to provide a prayer cover for the New Year for school owners to operate in a favourable environment. He said private school owners deserve government support because they are rendering a social service. “There are some private schools set up in some communities that government cannot reach and they are there to provide education for the children, but because there is no government aid or fund for such projects they keep struggling with the little school fees that they collect,” he said.

CAC inaugurates school The successful completion of the school despite all the challenges and discouragement encountered in the course of construction appreciation to the C.A.C. Authorities, whose support has been tremendous to the University. The JABU International School officially commenced academic activities on November 10, last year with admission into JSS1 - JSS 2 and SS1 - SS2 Classes.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

EDUCATION EDUTALK

Don’t use corps members for polls, INEC urged

HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been advised not to engage National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members as ad hoc staff for general elections next month. This advice was given by Dr Ayo Yussuf of the Department of Linguistics African and Asian Studies, University of Lagos. Yussuf, who recommended that locals, who know their localities well, be recruited instead, spoke against the backdrop of violence that erupted in some parts of the north shortly after the 2011 presidential elections when some corps members used by INEC were killed. He said: “You know we have a government that talks from both sides of the mouth. They (government) will always tell you there is no cause for violence (during elections) or they may want to lure the youth corps with a fat pay. But we know there will always be violence at the end of the day. So my take is that rather than incorporate youth corps as ad hoc staff, INEC should recruit individuals that understand their terrain. “For instance, I have a daughter who is serving in Edo State. No one prays for violence, but let us assume it breaks out, she doesn’t understand either their terrain or language, and

Faulty book policy

• Dr Yusuf By Adegunle Olugbamila

that could be dangerous for her. But insiders know the terrain and people especially those who perpetrate atrocities around them which make the incidence of attacks less likely.” Dr Yussuf said recent events of attacks in schools by Boko Haram and the April, last year’s abduction of over 200 girls in Chibok are evidences that the Federal Government is no longer in control of the country’s security. Yusuf’s view was corroborated by the former National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)’s President, Comrade Dauda Muhammed, who said if INEC must recruit corps members, they should work in low-risk regions. He urged his contemporaries not to allow themselves to be used as easy tools for violence by unscrupulous politicians in the forthcoming elections, saying that unlike in 2011 elections, fears of likely violence are heightened. He urged the government to beef up security nationwide. “The violence that claimed innocent lives of corps members in some parts of the north during the general

• Dauda Muhammed

election is still fresh in our memories. Every life is as important as the other. Therefore, I do not support that corps members be redeployed to any violence-prone area if at all INEC wants to recruit them,” he said. Speaking on the failure of the Federal Government to pay the second tranche of the N220 billion it agreed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) last year, Yussuf lamented that the government did not keep its promises. He faulted some universities for not involving ASUU members in implementing the needs assessment projects. He said: “It is also obvious that government makes promises and reneges at will. They always pretend to comply by signing an agreement in order to call off the strike. We knew what ASUU went through before that agreement was signed. But in contrast with the spirit of that agreement, it is unfortunate that today some of these universities are not involving ASUU members in the committee that will oversee how this money is undertaken on projects. Our case today is now like the hunter that suffered in the jungle before he killed the game only for someone else to hijack it from him.”

•A cross-section of graduands of the Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind (FNSB), Oshodi, Lagos at their graduation.

Group proffers solution to education’s woes

ORRIED by the poor quality of education in the country, the Executive Director of Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI), a nongovernmental organisation, Dr Nasir Ariyibi, has called for concerted effort to see to the improvement of the sector. Ariyibi spoke at the group's annual seminar for secondary school leavers, tagged: Youth Orientation Programme (YOP). Ariyibi said last yera’s November/December West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result where only 29 per cent made the benchmark of five credits including Mathematics and English, further heightened the group’s concern. On its part, he said AEI would help bridge the knowledge gap of students so they can perform better academically.

with

By Amidu Arije

"AEI is a stop-gap between the academic ambition of students and all forms of obstacles that may hinder them. The body will hence mobilise personnel, materials, support and fund on behalf of students and judiciously manage same to develop students of unparallel educational achievement and moral rectitude," he said. He explained that the YOP seminar, among others, was conceived to guide pupils towards achieving lofty goals in their academic pursuit and having a focus after school. "Youth Orientation Programme is aimed at giving the secondary school graduates a sense of direction on what to embark upon after their secondary education," he said. Speaking on the topic: 'Treading

the uncharted path' the guest speaker, Dr Musa Dambele, told the participants they would face challenges, but overcome if they plan their programmes effectively. "Manage your time wisely, plan your day, week and months ahead; decide up front how much time you want to give to yourself, friends and spiritual; stick to your schedule to avoid unneeded stress; form good study habit and be responsible regarding your academic work," he said. One of the participants, QudusAkande said the seminar has afforded him opportunity to know how to channel his energy towards achieving his goals in life. "The programme has afforded me the opportunity to develop my skill further towards my academic performance; set my goals correctly and work hard to achieve it, I am really grateful to have attended this programme," he said.

VERY year, I attend the Nigerian International Book Fair (NIBF) to buy good quality books and instructional materials for a bargain. It holds in May at the Multipurpose Halls of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). I look forward to this yearly ritual because I know reputable local and foreign publishers, booksellers and others would sell their books for lower than the market price. I buy both local and foreign books and usually leave there wishing that I had more money to buy more books.

Kofoworola

Belo-Osagie Kofosagie@yahoo.com 08054503077 (SMS only)

With the plans to increase tariff on book imports by 50 per cent, I fear the consequences on my purchasing power. It would mean that fewer participants would exhibit and many of the books would be unaffordable. I hope the policy does not go through. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has promised to consider all issues before reaching a resolution of the tariff. As a book lover, I pray the resolution benefits both the country and the countrymen. I am all for enhancing local production of books and so many other products so that we can reverse our import dependency. However, increasing tariff of books by 50 per cent to achieve that is not practicable. Entrepreneurs in practically all sectors of Nigeria's economy complain that the operating environment is harsh. How can the Federal Government introduce such high tariff on books when stable electric power supply is like wishful thinking? If we get power supply of up to five hours a day - at least to sleep at night - we count ourselves fortunate, not to talk of enjoying 10-12 hours. That is simply paradise. Businesses cannot depend on public power supply because it destroys their equipment. In media houses, printing machines are run on generator because interrupting supply while printing is in progress adversely affects the machines. It means that when it is time to print, they switch to generators. With power supply so unreliable, it is sad that our local capacity to produce is greatly inhibited. Publishers in countries like Dubai, China and the United States do not face such problems before printing. They save time and money. They do not have high overhead cost as a result of having to buy tons of diesel every day. They also do not have to import paper. Their countries have paper mills - unlike Nigeria where all the paper mills have become extinct. Despite having a lot of wood, we cannot convert them to paper - just as despite having crude oil, we cannot refine our own petrol. That is the reason why it is far cheaper to print abroad than in Nigeria. If the Federal Government is really serious about building local capacity to publish books to meet the needs of 170 million Nigerians, then it must address the power issue, fix our paper mills, provide good roads and other means of transportation to move raw materials to factories and finished products to the market. We must simply reduce cost and make the business environment friendlier. That is the only way our local publishing industry can compete. Again, we need to increase the capacity of local players to meet demand. Our publishers cannot supply millions of copies at once because they do not have the funding, equipment and skilled labour to do the work. This issue should also be addressed. The government should provide loans and other incentives for publishers to expand their capacity. The other alternative is to make the business environment friendly in order to woo investors. Another point to be addressed is local content. While this is not lacking at the basic and senior secondary education levels, there is a lacuna at the tertiary level. We do not have many good textbooks authored by Nigerians at the tertiary level. Most of them are foreign and they are very expensive. That is why the handout culture thrives in our tertiary institutions. Lecturers copy sections of these textbooks and sell to students as reading materials. Students on their part do not bother to read outside these lecture notes, further limiting their knowledge. Foreign texts are very expensive. How many students can afford to spend N3,000N5,000 on a textbook? Multiplied by seven courses that would cost between N21,000 and N35,000 for books alone. How many people can afford that? Presently, lecturers just publish inferior textbooks that cannot sell outside their institutions. We need to encourage our academics to do more intellectual work. Nigeria needs to contribute to global knowledge because no other country can have our own perspective.

‘Publishers in countries like Dubai, China and the United States do not face such problems before printing. They save time and money. They do not have high overhead cost as a result of having to buy tons of diesel every day. They also do not have to import paper. Their countries have paper mills - unlike Nigeria where all the paper mills have become extinct’

From my Inbox Re: Great 2015! Are you in doubt? (published 01-08-2015) Ma, your column on New Year day was spot on. I really enjoyed reading it. I presume you are an academic and as an aspiring one I cannot but say ride on. Joshua Ogbonna, Abia.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

THE NATION

NATURAL HEALTH E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

‘Oranges, pineapple, watermelon can boost fertility’

ANY couples are grappling with infertility without knowing what to do. A naturopath, Dr Solomon Abutoh, says there is no cause for alarm because the condition can be treated. According to him, regular consumption of juicy fruits, such as oranges, pineapples and water melon can help to correct the condition. He suggested that apples, pawpaw, bananas and strawberry should be part of daily diet to help detoxify the system. According to him, vegetables, such as waterleaf, pumpkin leaves (ugu), ewedu, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, Brussels sprout and carrots are also useful. He said: “When couples clear or detoxify their systems, especially digestive, hormonal and reproductive pathways, they would be fertile enough to produce their young.” The alternative medicine practitioner recommended whole meal, bread and oats for men challenged by infertility. “Similarly, seeds, such as ogbolo, melon (egusi in Yoruba) and sunflower oil as well as wheat germ oil and peanuts are good in boosting fertility. They should reduce alcohol consumption; nicotine from tobacco should be minimised or done away with, as these deplete male’s semen production capabilities,” Abutoh said. Honey, he said, should replace white sugar during breakfast. For women, he approved plants, such as hormonal adjusters like jokoje in Yoruba, milk thistle and ewedu. Pounded yam, Abutoh said, should be consumed moderately three times a week, adding that eggs and oily fish are ideal for male and female. “Beef is not too good at this period, though it contains iron and protein, which could be sourced from fish, eggs, vegetables. Where there are infections, a physician must be consulted to determine type of infection and appropriate treatment thereof,” he said. The alternative medicine practitioner identified age, erectile dysfunction (ED) and blocked tube, among others as problems affecting fertility. Age, he said, is the major problem because couples above 30 years are more likely to experience the condition since their reproductive organs are losing their natural abilities to perform optimally. Describing infertility, he said, it is a health condition that is generating problems in family and social circles. “Infertility is a biological situation whereby couples are unable to have children of their own after 12 months of having intimacy,” he said. He said infertility can be primary and secondary. “Primary infertility means a couple

ASAL congestion in simple terms is known as a ‘blocked nose’ or ‘stuffy nose’. This happens when there is swelling in the nasal cavity, leading to a buildup of mucus. As a result, it becomes difficult to breathe normally. This is a symptom often associated with colds, flus and allergic reactions.Nasal congestion can be more than merely annoying. It is important to treat it immediately or it can cause other problems, such as ear infections, restless sleep and so on. There are many ways to clear congestion. This very common problem can be easily treated by using ingredients already in your kitchen. Use any of these remedies as needed to relieve discomfort until you are well again. Garlic Garlic is on of the best home remedies for reducing nasal congestion. Its antiviral and antifungal properties help fight the respiratory infection causing congestion. •Boil two to three garlic cloves in one cup of water. You may also mix in one-half teaspoon of turmeric powder. Drink it daily until the congestion clears. •Eating fresh garlic cloves can also help

•Banana

•Abutoh

•Watermelon

•Pineapple By Wale Adepoju

has never produced any child while secondary portends they have produced, but stopped midway, especially before menopause,” he said. Abutoh said women are not the only cause of infertility as men also have something to do with it. “It is wrong to ascribe infertility to women alone The fact, however, remains that it takes the male and the female to bring forth a child. It is absolutely wrong therefore to point accusing fingers at the woman alive, as has frequently been the case,” he said. He said women who still see their menses should ovulate every 28 days to be able to have babies of their own.

“The follicle stimulating and the Leutenizing Hormones must be functioning at optimum to make for quality production of eggs in the ovaries. The fallopian tubes which connect the ovaries with the uterus (womb) must be free of any blockade or rupture, however slight, as the corpus leutus are meant to glide through without any form of inhibition,” he said. Abutoh said further: “There must not have been any form of mechanical damage to the tubes or the uterus in the process of previous dilatation and curettage (D and C) on the part of the women, especially during previous illegal, termination of pregnan-

Natural cure for nasal congestion relieve stuffiness and discomfort. Apple cider vinegar Apple cider vinegar can quickly clear a stuffy nose as it helps thin the mucus. Plus, being rich in several nutrients, it is also good for your overall health and immunity. •Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey in a cup of warm water. •Drink this two or three times a day at least for a few days. Steam inhalation Inhalation therapy is another popular home remedy for instant relief from nasal congestion. It works as a natural expectorant to clear the congestion and also lubricates the irritated respiratory tract. You can do this two to four times a day. •Add one tablespoon of crushed carom seeds (ajwain) to boiling water and inhale the steam (keep your head about an arm’s length away from the bowl from which you are inhaling the steam).

•You can also add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to boiling water and inhale the steam. Note: Steam inhalation is generally not recommended for young children because of the risk of scalding. Also, it may not be suitable for pregnant women, and those suffering from high blood pressure, heart condition or central nervous system disorders. Nasal irrigation Nasal irrigation with saline solution can also be used to treat nasal congestion. It helps wash away the mucus and irritants from the nasal passages. •Mix one teaspoon of salt in two cups of distilled warm water. •Use this solution for nasal irrigation using a neti pot or some other irrigation device. •Repeat once or twice daily for a few days. Note: Make sure to use distilled or previously boiled water for nasal irrigation and wash the irrigation device after each use. Eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus oil is highly beneficial for

cies by the female concerned. “The female blood and entire reproductive system including the vagina, urethra and even the urinary bladder must be free of infections, especially bacterial and fungal whether sexually transmitted or not. The woman having challenges, he said, must be emotionally balanced as it could interfere with the relevant reproduction hormones. Besides, the women must not be exposed to prolonged use of contraceptives, as they are capable of depleting the chances of ovulation, and indeed conception. He identified erectile dysfunction, a situation where a man is unable to sustain an erection, stressing that the process of reproduction in males revolves around the question of erection. The alternative medicine practitioner said the man’s reproduction system, such as testes, prostate gland and bladder as well as urethra, must be free of infections like bacterial, fungi and viral, whether or not sexually transmitted. He said the male sperm bank must not be below 400 million per ejaculation, adding that it must have the needed motility. Moreover, it is another fact, which determines the liveliness of the male sperm and ability to swim through the female organ to the cervix, to fertilise the female eggs within the fallopian tubes, before implementation in the uterus. He said excessive consumption of alcohol is capable of undermining the male’s ability to effect conception, even when the female situation are intact, especially in secondary infertility as the man ages. He advised men to be in the right frame of mind, before and during intimacy for the whole process of erection and proper ejaculation. Traces of diabetes mellitus, he said, in the male could affect erection as even sustenance thereof. Abutoh said orthodox tests remain the best way to determine an infertile woman. “We ask them to test for infection (Urine/ Blood, Swabs), Then genotype, hormone fests (LH, FSH) and Prolactin. Progesterone/ oestrogen and hysterosalpinogram, laparoscopy and fertiloscopy,” Abutoh said. Men, he said, are also told to test for infection (Urine/Blood), genotype and diabetes (fasting blood sugar). Others are semen analysis/count and motility test for per cent of fully active, slightly active or dead semen. This test, he said, determines the capability of the male semen to penetrate right through the cervix, to fertilise the eggs released by the ovaries. those suffering from nasal congestion, thanks to its decongestant and anti-inflammatory properties. •Simply put one or two drops of eucalyptus essential oil in a fresh handkerchief and inhale the aroma. Do this a few times a day. •You can also use eucalyptus essential oil on your pillow so you can get the benefits of this oil even when you are in deep sleep. Warm water When suffering from nasal congestion, it is important to aid a steady flow of mucus through your nasal passages. Warm water can be of great help in this regard. It will also keep the nasal passages moist and prevent them from drying out. •Using a humidifier can help open up clogged nasal passages. •You can also run a hot shower for several minutes so that steam builds up in the bathroom. Breathe in the soothing vapours. Repeat twice daily until you recover completely. •Another option is to wet a washcloth in warm water and place it over your face. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat several times a day. •Source: www.top10homeremedies.com

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NATURAL HEALTH

A 2015 resolution: heavy metal parasites detox

ELCOME, still, to the opening page or chapter of year 2015, a fertile time for New Year Resolutions. A resolution is desire backed with will and ways and means, otherwise, lacking in nurture, it soon becomes nebulous or amorphous, withers and dies. It is easy to measure with a tape rule how far one wishes to advance one’s material fortunes in one calendar year, and to even calibrate or periodise it for stop-clock checks. But what always collapse many resolutions are largely lack of will and insufficient resources, not to mention the attitude of being miserly unto one’s health. By being miserly to oneself, I mean the act of longing for something good incapacitated by the reluctance to spend some money to obtain it, even when the purse is buoyant. In the opening months of years gone by, I always reported in this column what I’d like to polish up about my health that year, as a way of encouraging other people to think about their health and ease off any discomfitures. Indeed, there can be many health abnormalities on the table to tackle at this time of the year than space, energy and time can permit. Only last week, I was informed by Mr. Hyacinth Uzor, a regular reader of this column, of breaking news about pipe water quality in Badiya area of Lagos. I am yet to obtain the details. But the gist is that the residents of this sardine pack high density population of Lagos have been advised not to drink pipe borne water. I guess the warning may include drinking water sources such as surface wells and bore holes. The reason? It was found that the piped water was contaminated with heavy metals. I do not as yet know the type(s) of heavy metals that may be involved or their levels in the drinking water of Badiya. But I guess the level would have been so high and frightening to warrant a health warning. Mr. Uzor’s hint took me back memory lane to the 1980s when I was Editor of the Guardian newspaper. Mr. Seun Ogunseitan (now Oluseitan), an intelligent and dynamic science reporter who, if you remember discovered the koko radioactive waste dump, came up with a report about the poisoning of underground water in Ijesha area Lagos. From documents water officials were hiding from the public, perhaps to prevent public alarm, he informed us that Ijesha underground water contained heavy metals which were more than 3,000 times above the World Health Organisation (WHO) permissible safety levels. Such poisoned water cause degenerative diseases of the various organs and cancer. Mr. oluseitan’s reports were published over and over, with a view to arousing public interest, but no one in government, not even the residents of ijesha, appeared to be concerned. Not even when those reports tried to suggest a correlation between poisoned water and the growing wave of cancer in Lagos hospitals, and the fact that the water works at that time did not appear to have equipment for eliminating heavy metals from drinking water. The trouble with Ijesha underground water, which I suspect may be the trouble with Badiya water, and underground water in many parts of Lagos, was that a refuse dump was sited close to human habitation. By WHO standards then, a refuse dump should be sited no fewer than three kilometers from human dwelling. A refuse dump habours many waste items, including all sorts of metal and tin. As rain falls upon then, oxygen reacts with these waters to cause rusting, and the debris of rusted materials percolate or leach down to soil to underground water sources. If the dump sites are near the road-side lead from automobile exhaust may settle on it and leach to underground water. That is why it is not advisable to eat vegetables grown by the road-side. On Iba Road, which bounds Lagos State University (LASU) on the east, and on Ojo Road on the south, large tracts of road-side vegetables farms about which are well patronised by people ignorant of possible heavy metal pollution especially of cabbage.

Heavy metals ELL known heavy metals are mercury, lead and cadmium. They are all denser than iron. But for some time, the term heavy metal has been extended to other similarly toxic metals or metalloids which may include arsenic, irrespective of their density. Thus, in the heavy metal bandwagon are such metals as chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, selenium, silver, cadmium, antimony, thallium, a rat poison ingredient present in many lipsticks. The heavy metal classification or definition is based on either atomic, weight, density, atomic number and the position of the metal on the periodical table. The list may be frightening, but it should not. Although Zinc is so classified, we know we require a minimum of 15 mg of it daily, or more in times of stress, for more than 200 biological reasons, including prostate gland health, immunity, good vision, skin-hair-nail health, fertility and wound healing among other needs. We know, too, that we need about 200mcg of chromium everyday to maintain healthy blood sugar balance. Even selenium is required to partner with Vitamin E in heart health and fight HIV disease. And copper? A deficiency will cause anaemia. Too much zinc will cause a deficiency of copper and too much copper will create a need for more zinc. Some authorities believe zinc and copper balance in a 4:1 ratio. Copper insufficiency can produce arthritis. So, it is an overload of these heavy metals in water or in food that can cause a problem as was highlighted in Ijesha underground water, and now in Badiya drinking water boiling water does not remove heavy metals. It would kill germs alright. Boiling will cause vapourisation of some of the water and end up concentrating the heavy metals. Thus, boiling water polluted with heavy metals is double jeopardy.

Pure water In Nigeria, “pure water” is sachet water. Often the consumer does not know the source of the “pure water” he or she drinks,

and cannot tell if it contains heavy metals, as these metals, in ionic forms, are not visible to the eye. Nor can I vouch for any brands of bottle water which many people trust more than sachet water. For, as often stated in this column, Nigeria’s bottle water companies are not members of International Bottle Water Association (IBWA) which compels its members to indicate nutritional facts of their products on the label. No Nigerian bottle water display these details! Heavy metal consumption Naturally, heavy metals are present in the soil along with light metals in harmless concentrations. We need them all in minute dosages as earlier stated. Mining activities and use of fertiliser in agricultural processes disturb this delicate, natural balance. The human body is polluted with heavy metals through the consumption of plants which have fed on polluted underground water, and the consumption of animals which fed on these plants. From the air, motor vehicle emissions release pollutants which are inhaled. The pollutants from factory and automobile exhaust include cadmium, arsenic, cobalt nickel, lead, antimony, vanadium zinc, plantinum, vanadium and rhodium. These are some of the poisons inhaled by road-side and highway traders who continue to mushroom in number despite the law which prohibit these forms of trading. From the water, man can also be exposed to heavy metals. Underground water, lakes, streams and rivers can be polluted by leachates from industrial and other wastes while acid rain can worsen the case through the release of heavy metals trapped in the soil. Eating polluted fish and polluted plants and animal can bring heavy metals into human tissue and organs. Effects of heavy metals

EAVY metals may attach themselves to structural proteins, enzymes and nucleic acids. This attachment will affect the function of the cell and produce symptoms which will depend on the nature of the heavy metal or its compounds. Long-term exposure may cause cancer or damage the central nervous system, the peripheral nerves or the circulatory system.

Heavy metal testing Heavy metal pollution may very well be a major cause of many of today’s devastating degenerative diseases in Nigeria. Yet this is hardly addressed by many physicians, in orthodox or alternative medicine practice. They give patients drugs and food supplements without detoxifying them of toxins and heavy metals. We do not have heavy metal testing gadgets in Nigeria. Overseas, hair and nail analysis or both provide the physician information about the minerals and metal profiles of the patient, the results of which can then become a springboard for therapeutic actions. There are many people with mercury tooth fillings in their mouths. The mercury vapourises and enters tissue of the oral cavity from where the molecules may migrate to nerves in the eyes or elsewhere and as methyl mercury, which is a killer form of this heavy metal. This heavy metal or any other may be a cause of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease or Charchot disease. This is a disease in which the motor neurons, that is nerve cells in the brain, are killed. ALS exhibits stiff muscles, twitching muscles, weakness due to muscle wastage. The patent may find it difficult to speak, swallow or breathe. In 90 to 95 percent of the cases, the cause is unknown. Genetic inheritance is suspected in a few cases. In orthodox medicine, there is hardly a cure for ALS. Detoxification of heavy metals. This process helps to remove heavy and excess of other metals from the human body. Alternative Medicine doctors employ many techniques which include diet, chelation agents are chemical compounds which convey heavy metals. These inert variants are then excreted from the body. People who use chelated zinc for clearance of heavy metals can now see what work it does. One of the well known chelated agents is EDTA or Ethylenediaminetecraacetate. Many

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years ago, it was sold and administered in injection form. I remember one case study in which it presented a good side effect. A doctor gave a patient EDTA injection to clear his blood vessels of blockages which were thought to be responsible for his elevated blood pressure (hypertension). In a few weeks, the patient discovered that his vision improved. It turned out that his eye vessels, too, may have been blocked, providing the eyes with less blood than they required. This meant less oxygen, less nutrient and accumulated wastes and toxins. EDTA improved all of that in the case. Now, EDTA is available in tablet or capsule form. One disadvantage of chelation of this type is that EDTA and other chemical chelation agents remove not only toxins and heavy metals but also nutrients. Therefore, in chelation therapy, mineralisation should follow EDTA administration a few hour after. One important sign of heavy metal poisoning in the body is metallic taste in the mouth, after which may come other common side effects of each toxic metal. Calcium deficiency may aggravate lead toxicity. Normal calcium levels help against lead toxicity. Low levels of glutathione is associated with heavy metal toxicity. Glutathione is one of the body’s three primary antioxidants which neutralise and inactivate toxins, including heavy metals. Its deficiency has been linked, also, to neurodegerative and auto-immune disease, including Alzhemiers, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, (CFS), autism, epilepsy, cancer, diabetes, and HIV among many others. Another endogenous antoxidant which fights heavy metals is Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD). The body makes it, like glutathione peroxidase, from some minerals which must be present in the diet or taken as food supplements. Nutritionally, there are food supplements which help with the chelation of free radicals and heavy metals. One of these is Alpha Lepoic Acid. It binds metallic and other substances, including arsenic, cadmium, iron, mercury, lead and copper, neutralises and evacuates them for elimination through the stool. The food sources of Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) are dark green and leafy vegetables, and organ meats. Dietary minerals, such as are found in wheatgrass, Alfalfa, Barley grass, Spirulina, chlorella and other green foods, prevent the accumulation of heavy metals. As stated earlier, absorption of lead in the body has been linked to the dietary deficiency of calcium. Ditto low iron levels. Also, it has been found that other minerals which prevent heavy metal accumulation include magnesium, selenium and zinc. In other words, a way to look at the picture is that heavy metals mean low minerals. Among the herbs, the detoxifiers include Burdock, Horsetail, milk thistle, and Alfalfa. For the users of these herbs, a music is playing. The music is that they help with liver detoxification and the liver is crucial for the detoxification of all poisons in the body. Burdock is a great detoxifier. Horsetail is known to help with many conditions, including blood sugar balance and arthritis, because it is one of the richest plant sources of silica, which is known to dissolve even tumours and alkalinize the blood. Incidentally, Diatomaceous, also known as food grade edible earth, is 96 percent silica. According to some authorities, Burdock, Alfalfa, milk thistle and horsetail can detoxify the blood of heavy metals which may cause the following conditions “….mood swings, autism, high blood pressure, vascular occlusion, fibromyalgia, cancer, thyroid disorder, speech disorders, fatigue, aggressive behaviour, poor concentration, irritability, increased allergic reactions, ADD/ADHD, auto-immune disease, triglycerides”. As heavy metals are found in practically all parts of the body, including the brain, eyes, ears, thyroid gland, kidneys, the testes and the prostate gland, the ovaries, the bones, the blood vessels and the lympth, it is important to pay optimal attention to the liver upon which Mother Nature has thrust the responsibility of clearing the body of poisons. The liver carries out this task in four stages known as phases I to IV. Heavy metals are detoxified regularly by the liver, kidneys and bowels. The liver plays multifaced roles in this process. It filters the blood of large toxins, produces bile, a greenishyellow substance in which cholesterol and fate-soluble toxins are wrapped up for export out of the body, and breaks down into simple, weaker forms all chemicals in a process known as PHASE I of liver detoxification. The process continues in PHASE II liver detoxification. In phase I, the liver either neutralises a toxin or modifies it to its intermediate stage which may then be destroyed by any of the PHASE II enzymes systems, that is Glutathione or Super Oxide Dismutase. Many nutrients are participants in PHASEI and PHASE II detoxification. But glutathione is the key player. Glutathione deficiency has been found to inhibit the body’s ability to rid itself of toxins. It is important when detoxifying to add antioxidants to the diet. This is because the detoxification process generates large amounts of free radicals. These are molecules or atoms without paired electrons in their outermost electron shell. These atoms or molecules require an electron to keep the electron shell and themselves stable and, so, steal electrons from cells for this purpose. This process may involve the free radicals punching as many as 3,000 holes in a cell in one day while trying to steal its electrons. The cell struggles to fill up these holes to prevent leakage of cellular matter which may drain it of life. In the process, it may become fatigued, age prematurely and die. Antioxidants donate themselves to free radicals and thereby spare the cells this horror. In anti-aging research, the lives of small animals have been extended about five times or more by infusing their diets with antioxidants. This suggests that antioxidant consumption may help to promote human health and life.

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THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a duty to organise the general elections without compromising ethics and sacrificing the rules of the game on the altar of partisanship. But, stakeholders, especially leading actors, also have a role to play in ensuring a hitch-free exercise. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights the mistakes the electoral agency and other actors must avoid during the contest.

NXIETY has enveloped the polity, ahead of the general elections. Politicians are threatening fire and brimstone. Now, there is almost a lull in governance. Much attention is devoted to preparations for the critical polls. Will the election be free and fair? Will it be peaceful and credible? Will Nigeria survive the electoral fever? On January 1, President Goodluck Jonathan was combative. In his message to the trembling nation, he warned trouble makers against the danger of violence. He said a repeat of the post-2011 electoral violence will not permitted. The President’s speech was anticipatory. Noting that lives and property were lost, following the announcement of the last presidential election results, he said trouble makers will be severely dealt with. The poll may hold in an atmosphere of tension. President Jonathan’s assurance that the poll will be free and fair has provoked ambivalent reaction. Human rights activist Nelson Ekinjimi noted that election has become a war in Nigeria. “When the Vice President said that election will be war in Osun, the President did not caution him,” he recalled.

Policing votes

Recently, Police Inspector-General Sulaiman Abba also assured that police will police the votes to prevent fraud. But, when he said that policemen will make sure that voters move 300 metres away from the polling unit after voting, there was an uproar. “Police should not only protect the ballot boxes and the voters, the electorate should also have the opportunity to police their votes,” said Ekunjimi, who is the Director of the Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI). Many cleric have been appealing to the political class to ponder on the fate of a country in crisis. They have also called for special prayers among the congregation. In their view, politicians who lack the fear of God may violate the sanctity of the ballot box. Recently, former Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi alerted the nation to the inflow of arms and ammunitions. In a country reputed for ethno-religious violence, he expressed worry over what may be the outcome of the presidential poll. If the President, who is from the South is declared winner, will the North accept the result? If the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who is from the North, is the winner, will the Southsouth or the Niger Delta accept the outcome? he asked. Akinyemi suggested that both candidates should sign an undertaking that there will be no post-election violence. The advice has been ignored. Also, a politician and cleric, Prof. Yusuf Obaje, who said that the election will be peaceful, what the nation should prepare for is the challenge of managing the reaction to the exercise. The former university don and Aso Rock Chaplain said he could not predict the reaction that will follow its outcome in a country ravaged by poverty and political ignorance. Obaje warned that, if there is a tie at the presidential election, it could be more challenging. “If there is a third party, this could have resolved the hurdle,” he added. Many stakeholders have warned about the desperation by politicians. For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has been in power for 16 years, the fear of losing out is rife. The issues on the front burner-insecurity, poor economy and poverty-have made the contest to provoke unprecedented passion. As the PDP tries to justify its push for continuity by reeling out Dr. Jonathan’s achievements, more questions are being raised. These include the decayed infrastructure, especially power outage and roads which have become death traps, soaring unemployment, and corruption. The party has now raised n21 billion to fight the electoral battle.

Inflammable remarks

The opposition appears to be coming out stronger than 2011 on a bigger platform. It appears unbothered by the show of bravado by the ruling party. It would appear that the two major partie are of equal strength. Their leaders are also credited with some inflammable remarks. Since the APC was formed, it has survived major obstacles and put its house in order. Therefore, the opposition is louder in its quest for change and power shift more than before. Although the PDP relies on the power of incumbency, the APC National

• Dr Jonathan

• Jega

• Gen. Buhari

Will elections be free and fair? Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that it will crumble on poll day. Warning against electoral malpractices, he threatened that the APC will not hesitate to form a parallel government, if the winner is declared the loser. The PDP National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, has warned the APC against over-confidence. He described Buhari as a man who is unfit to rule. “A 72 years old is facing a 52 years old candidate. he has defeated him before. he will defeat him again,” he said. The former university don, however, drew wild criticisms when he described the General as a semi-literate jackboot. But, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said that the PDP is uncomfortable because the handwriting is bold on the wall. “2015 is a year we have to take our destiny in our hands,” he said, urging Nigerians to gird their loins. Thuggery is also booming, with jobless youths accepting to become willing tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians. The educated thugs now complement the efforts of motor parks in wrecking havoc. Irked by the recruitment of youths for nefarious activities, Oyo State PDP governorship candidate chided the elite for targeting vulnerable youths. He wondered why rich politicians who keep their children in good schools abroad recruit the children of the poor as thugs and sacrificial lambs.

Political intolerance

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has also expressed worry about growing political desperation and lack of tolerance. He said the commission was ready to conduct a transparent poll. But, he warned that the actors may erect roadblocks on the way of peaceful exercise. “The greatest obstacle is the conduct of the political class”, he added. Beyond the apparent hot exchanges between the two divides are unresolved issues germane to credible polls. APC National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Layiwola Mohammed said that, if care is not taken, INEC, despite its assurances, may bungle the exercise. He alluded to the controversy surrounding the distribution of the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs). He said the exercise was not tidy. “We have our fears. The PVC distribution was bungled,” he said, adding that the mistake has not been corrected. Collaborating Mohammed’s view, Ekunjimi pointed out that some state governments have even threatened to take INEC to court over

the shoddy exercise. However, Ekunjimi is worried by other unresolved matters. He complained about lack of concrete arrangement for policing the votes. The rights activist noted the assurance by Jega that policemen who do not appear in their uniform will not be allowed to take part in the electoral duty. But, he said the power that be may overrule him. Besides, he said the police cannot be trusted, judging by their antecedents as biased security agents on poll day. “The police has disdain for the opposition. That was why the security details of the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, was withdrawn in a provocative manner. Can the police be trusted with policing the votes? he asked. Other stakeholders are not comfortable with the INEC’s position on run-off, if there is a tie. The law stipulates that a re-run should take place in seven days. But, Jega doubted the ability of the electoral agency to meet the deadline. He said the seven days are not enough. Any amendment of the electoral law may not be feasible before the polls.

Litmust test for INEC

Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nearly bungled the last Anambra State governorship election last year, it has been under fire. The controversy generated by the Ekiti governorship poll has not also been resolved. To avoid the pitfalls of the past, Ayo Opadokun, the Coordinator of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral reforms (CODER), urged the commission to use card readers for the polls. Almost four years ago, INEC was about restoring public confidence in the ballot box. The 2011 polls were less controversial than the 2007 conducted by his predecessor, Prof, Maurice Iwu, which were trailed by a floodgate of litigations. But, that confidence diminished, following its poor showing in subsequent elections and byelections. Since election, as pointed out by the cleric and politician, Pastor Tunde Bakare, can be free and yet, fraudulent, there are some mistakes INEC must avoid during the general elections. In his view, experience has shown that while the election can be free at the level of voting and counting at the polling booths, it can be fraudulent at the level of collation of results at the collation centers. In fact, in 2011, the poll was

‘Although the PDP relies on the power of incumbency, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that it will crumble on poll day. Warning against electoral malpractices, he threatened that the APC will not hesitate to form a parallel government, if the winner is declared the loser’

hurriedly called off, four hours after it took off nationwide, when it was discovered that polling materials were in short supply. In Anambra, the collation was also flawed. In some polling units, there were no result sheets. Many voters cried foul, pointing out that the INEC was not well prepared for the exercise. INEC had officials reported late for the assignment in many local governments. Where the officials reported for the exercise, they did not show up with polling materials. Voters were disillusioned. Many returned home in protest. Later, the commission shifted the exercise in some units till the next day. The voter’s register is also critical to the exercise. The omission of voters’ name may induce tension as they are disfranchised. Also, the accreditation hurdle is a recurring decimal. Voters usually raise objections to the late accreditation and voting. The late arrival of polling officers and electoral materials is also worrisome. In 2011, many voters returned home without voting because their names were not found in the voters’ register. Some electoral officers gave INEC a bad name. Even, the NIEC Chairman had to hand over a polling officer to the police for interrogation in Anambra.

Do-or-die affair

Elections have become a burden in Nigeria, owing to the do-or-die contest, thuggery and violence, which often make the critical contest a sort of war. During the Ekiti election, Amaechi was allegedly prevented from entering Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during the campaigns in the order of the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro. In Osun, prominent APC chieftains were harassed on the eve of the governorship elections. “Policemen and soldiers invaded my compund around 1 am. There was sporadic shooting. But, I escaped,” recalled former Governor Isiaka Adeleke. It was the same scenario across the 20 local governments. In Anambra, election observers were arrested and briefly detained. They complained about the way their accreditation was handled by the INEC, adding that they were subjected to ridicule while on a national assignment. “The same thing happened in Osun. Policemen harassed reporters and observers. I was prevented from taking the picture of voters on the queue. My camera was even damaged,” said Ekunjimi. Two days ago, Lagos APC Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe raised an alarm. He said that overzealousness on the part of policemen and soldiers could spell doom. Igbokwe alleged that plans were underway by Southwest PDP leaders to use police to harass and intimidate APC members. In his petition to the army and police authorities, he said there would be confusion, if the plot is hatched. He therefore, advised the security agencies to maintain neutrality and offer protection to all stakeholders, irrespective of their political leanings.

THE NATION THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2015

‘

Our house is united for the presidential election as we await the candidates for the various offices to be sorted out. We have taken off to marshall out ourselves, our points, our strategies for the next election and, by the grace of God, we believe GMB will emerge as the next President

‘

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson spoke with reporters in Yenagoa, the state capital, on his activities. He also explained why the people should vote for President Goodluck Jonathan. MIKE ODIEGWU was there.

Why Bayelsa should vote for Jonathan, by Dickson

HE governorship election will not hold in Bayelsa State. But, can you deliver the state to the PDP at the presidential election? Nobody is talking about the governorship election in this state, because it is still far away. Anybody who is doing that has not calculated well. They are dancing too early and you know what happens to early dancers; they get tired early and fizzle out. Let us for now; sink all those ambitious; reasonable, unrealistic, whatever ambitious they may be. When the time comes, you put yourselves up for nominations. Let us gather and support the President’s election and deliver Bayelsa. Let’s join our leaders and friends across the country to work for the emergence of President Jonathan for him to continue with the business of transformation. And for Bayelsans, I look forward to collaborating with you all so that we can deliver a new and prosperous and peaceful Bayelsa State in Jesus name. What are your expectations about the poll? We are full of expectations concerning the presidential elections. For me unlike a number of people who seek power over men to bow down to other things; they do all kinds of funny things but we look up to God only. I believe that the fact that the presidential election is taking place on the anniversary of this government of restoration; it shows a very clear sign of victory. I have no doubt that the Peoples Democratic Party will be victorious. I have no doubt that our brother and leader, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will be victorious and the reasons are clear. We have a strong political party that is like a horse. If the war horse is strong, anyone can ride it to victory. The other party has not been tested yet at the national level. So, you are pitting the PDP tested old warhorse against an infantile contraption. We in the PDP through Mr President’s transformation agenda and the performing governors including myself have a good message of transformation that is powerful. What does the other side have? promises and criticisms and most of it sometimes unfair. So we believe that Nigerians will discern between what is real and on ground. It may not be perfect but they are seeing the honest efforts that the President is making. In every election, after you have talked about the platform and the programmes, you talk about the candidate himself. We have a good product to sell in President Jonathan and with the dexterity that he has shown in managing the affairs of the country at a time that is quite not too friendly; taking this country through this trying period, he has demonstrated that he is a statesman. I believe that our product is good enough to market itself. The Bible says, surely people will gather. It didn’t say people will not gather, but it tells you clearly what happens when the ungodly gather and they will surely scatter because when you do your best, God sees and He is interested in the affairs of the people because we are created in his image. When you do things to advance the cause of the people, then you become of interest to God. I call on you all to go and get your permanent voter’s cards because

• Dickson

that is the power you will show. For us, we at the state are solidly behind the candidature of President Jonathan but we will not be able to join me to support if you don’t have your PVCs. I have told the chairman of councils and political leaders of the various local government areas to mobilize our people in order to get their PVCs so that they can cast their votes. The PDP in the state seems divided some any members of the party are still not happy about the outcome of the last party primaries. What is your take on the cracks in PDP? Let me assure you right away that the PDP in Bayelsa State is not divided; there is no crack. As a matter of fact, I want to use this opportunity to congratulate all the leaders and members of PDP in Bayelsa State and the work of the security agencies. If you have been following the political events and the outcome of the primaries, you will realize that the Bayelsa primaries were the least problematic. The Bayelsa primaries didn’t even give any challenge to the national authorities because members and aspirants conducted themselves peacefully. The processes that we followed were all inclusive and the outcome generally was more acceptable. Like in every contest, there are losers and winners. There are people who didn’t have the opportunity to actualize their ambition. And to such persons I say, today may not be your time, tomorrow may be yours. I keep reminding everybody that power flows from God. Generally, we are doing well as a party. There are very few cases of PDP members being dissatisfied and therefore going to contest against their party candidate’s on other platforms but we have not seen high level defections in this

‘We have a strong political party that is like a horse. If the war horse is strong, anyone can ride it to victory. The other party has not been tested yet at the national level. So, you are pitting the PDP tested old warhorse against an infantile contraption’

party arising from the primaries as we read about them in the newspapers everyday. The kind of leadership we are providing apart from building roads and other infrastructure extends to reforms in the political culture; that is why we subject people to their primaries. And in the local government elections, there was no single scratch or injuries to anybody. We have done what a lot of people thought was going to be very volatile party primaries. It was very peaceful. People should know that this is the hand of God visiting Bayelsa. It is only satanic and cultic characters that thrive in crisis; who always go against what is rationale and normal. This is not the time for such characters to come to Bayelsa because the light of God will repel and expose you. We may have had one or two isolated cases, which you can’t really rule out in the most advanced democratic governments. So it is a negligible phenomenon and by the time our reconciliation committee run its full course, there will be some understanding. Only recently we’ve witnessed an upsurge of criminal activities along the waterways and creeks in Bayelsa particularly the challenge of sea piracy. Also last year, the Maritime Union went on strike twice because of the issue of sea piracy, is your administration bothered about this problem and what is government doing to stem this tide? We are a government of law and order. If there is any government that has put security on the front burner, it is this restoration government. So we are concerned. Do we have an ideal security situation? No human security situation can be ideal and particularly the situation in our waterways has always presented a challenge. This is because of the difficult terrain and the challenge of funding. Security is very expensive. We know what we spent to maintain even the operation Doo Akpor when we came on board because we needed to reduce crime. We know the investments we have made. Security is expensive; you’ve to procure equipment, train men, pay allowances and so on. People don’t know what running a government means. They don’t know the sacrifices that we officials of government and security agents make. Just some days back I heard the news of the killing of law enforcement officers on the waterways but it is a challenge that we are responding to. I don’t think the approach the maritime workers took was the best. The maritime workers themselves have a role to play. They need to collaborate more with security agents because it is their own drivers who know the waterways and the terrain. All of us need to work together, so I call on members of the public to continue to collaborate with security agencies and give information on how sea pirates get their funding and so on. It is a disturbing trend but now in areas like Nembe, the incidence of sea piracy has reduced somewhat except for Brass, Akassa and parts of Southern Ijaw local government, which have always been areas of concern. If it hadn’t been the dwindling finances, we would have provided more support in terms of more platforms to security agencies. We had earlier provided 25 patrol gunboats to support their efforts.

Buhari ‘ll win poll, says co-ordinator From James Azania, Lokoja

HE Kogi State Coordinator of the General Muhammodu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the presidential election. Speaking during the inaugural meeting of its local government coordinators in Lokoja, the state capital, he urged the stakeholders to remain committed to the agenda of change. Ocholi said: “Over 700 people are gathered here from different wards and from different local government areas brainstorming and interacting on the best way to handle the preparation for the election. “Our house is united for the presidential election as we await the candidates for the various offices to be sorted out. We have taken off to marshall out ourselves, our points, our strategies for the next election and, by the grace of God, we believe GMB will emerge as the next President.” The coordinator said members have overcome the crisis in the chapter, adding that they are united by the same focus and purpose. Ocholi said: “Candidates for other positions have not emerged. When that is sorted out, the party would establish conflict and reconciliation committee to look at issues.” Following the crisis, a senatorial aspirant in Kogi West District, Hon. Abidemi Adebola , has defected to the Labour Party (LP). Adebola, who is the Minority Whip in the Kogi State House of Assembly, picked the LP ticket to contest for the seat. Another APC senatorial aspirant from Kogi West, Hon. Bamidele Aro, also defected to the Accord Party (AP). He was unanimously elected as AP’s senatorial candidate for Kogi West. • Gen. Buhari

Ambode: A popularity walk in Alausa By Emmanuel Oladesu

HERE was jubiliation at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, by workers who trooped out to welcome the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Akin Ambode, who was on visit to the seat of government. Workers from various departments and ministries swamed on the flag bearer, who was the Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance. They promised to vote for him at the poll. Ambode was a guest at the swearing in of the Executive Secretaries of the preexixting 20 Local Governments Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas(LCDA)s. He was mobbed by the workers as he passed through the Ministry of Finance, where he worked for six years. Directors, assistant directors, secretaries and messengers hailed the technocrat. Shouts of “Ambo, Ambo, Ambo, the next governor of Lagos” filled the air. Others were singing: “Winner Oh Oh Oh, winner, winner Oh Oh Oh winner, Ambode you don win o winner.” It took the flag one hour and thirty minutes walk from the ministry to Adeyemi Bero Hall, the venue of the ceremony. Ordinarily, it takes five miniutes to get to the hall. Security agents were appealing to the crowd to give way. But, they refused, saying that they wanted to talk to one of their own. Ambode was returning to the secretariat for the first time after his voluntary retirement in 2012. They recalled his passion for worker’s welfare and push for transparency and accountability. Even, when he managed to get to the high table, scores of senior civil servants moved up to discuss with him, thereby diverty his attention from the ceremony. As Ambode took his seat at the high table, the crowd also sang victory song. “Ambo, Ambo the next governor of Lagos, ” they chorused. The singing and dancing continued, until the arrival of Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN). The governor described Ambode as a financial surgeon, adding that his services are required at this critical time. Fashola enjoined Lagosians to vote for experience, instead of an experiment;, and continuity of excellence instead of docility. He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has nothing to offer to the people. He added: “The People Democratic Party(PDP) is incompetent and it has made a disaster of the governance of the nation. Lagosians must not allow the PDP to crash their match towards more glory and excellence. Lagos is too strategic to be entrusted to cluelessness and impunity that the PDP represents.” • Ambode

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

INDUSTRY

NNPC: oil export to Europe, Asia has dropped

IGERIA’s crude oil export to Europe and Asia, two of the country’s key markets, declined by 6.6 million barrels in September, according to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) report. The decline has further reduced the country’s oil revenue at a time the plunge in global oil prices entered its third month. The fall in oil prices, which began in June 2014 when prices peaked at $115 per barrel, led to a decline in the country’s oil earnings. According to the report, export

By Chikodi Okereocha

to Europe, which is Nigeria’s biggest regional market, tumbled to 29.2 million barrels in September from 33.6 million in August. The Asian region, which is the major target market for many oil exporters, reduced its import of Nigeria’s crude oil by 4.4 million barrels in the month to 18.9 million barrels. India, which has replaced the US as Nigeria’s biggest market, reduced its import of Nigerian crude in September by 3.1 million barrels, among others.

Total export from the country in the month declined to 67.1 million barrels from 70 million barrels in August, according to the NNPC data. “Four regions namely, Europe, Asia and Far East, South America and Africa are the major destinations of Nigerian crude and condensate export,” the NNPC said. Not only has the US drastically reduced its import of Nigerian crude oil as a result of its increasing shale oil production, the country is gearing up to export its crude oil, with Asia being a key target destination.

After months of pressure over the ban on exports of most domestic crude in the US, the Obama administration, during the week, took steps that were expected to unleash a wave of ultra-light shale oil known as condensate onto global markets. Estimates show that the entry of the US oil producers in the global markets will further increase global supplies by as much as one million barrels per day by the end of 2015. Nigeria’s flagship grade, Qua Iboe, was pegged close to Dated

Brent plus $0.50 per barrel last Monday. It was assessed at Dated Brent plus $0.51 per barrel on Wednesday, the lowest since April 22, 2009, data showed. The Nigerian market was said to have remained oversupplied with approximately 20 million barrels for January still available along with almost the entire February programme. Traders said that as a result, crude values were expected to fall, especially with such weak buying interest from Asian and European refiners.

LCCI seeks drastic fiscal, measures

•African City

BoI supports cotton production with N100b

HE cotton sub-sector re ceived N100 billion from the Bank of Industry (BoI) through the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme on the Cotton, Textile and Garments (CTG) Fund, the Federal Government has said. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, BoI supported cotton farmers, ginners and textile mills by funding their activities it added adding that about 38 companies fully repositioned through the GES. A statement from the ministry

noted that out of the N100billion, N75billion had been approved and committed to the CTG businesses across the country. It added that four improved varieties of cotton seeds, which included Samcot 8, Samcot 9, Samcot 10 and Samcot 11, were promoted in 2012; while in 2014, six varieties of cotton seeds were developed by the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. It outlined the six varieties as Samcot 8 and 13 for the NorthEast, Samcot 9 and 12 for the

North-West, Samcot 10 for the North Central, Samcot 11 for the South-West. “To further boost production, the government also distributed free cotton seeds to 36,000 farmers, a total of 1,506.39 tonnes in the North-West and North-East, cultivating an estimated 75,000 hectares in 2012,” the statement added. It further stated that in 2014, about 2,385.38 metric tonnes of certified seeds were distributed to 110,370 farmers in the NorthEast, North-West, and North Central under the GES scheme.

AGOS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Director-General, Muda Yusuf, has called for drastic fiscal measures. Speaking with The Nation, Yusuf said the implications of the austerity measures introduced by the Federal Government could lead to a debt related collapse. To him, the continuous rapid drop in oil prices, as the case is now, is symptomatic that Nigeria is approaching a debt-related collapse that may in the long run frustrate sustainable economic development. Said he: “The Federal Government needs drastic fiscal and monetary policy measures to stabilise the macroeconomic conditions and minimise dislocations and also keep the economy on a sustainable path in the face of the current global oil market developments.” He said Nigeria is at a critical juncture and to set the country on a sustainable recovery path, urgent measures to support people and firms are needed. According to him, such measures should be defined in a tripartite setting that would bring together government, employers and workers. Yusuf further stated that underlying the debt-related collapse is the fact that Nigeria seems to be reaching the limit of a finite world where transactions involving items affected by austerity measures would be funded at a higher

business owners to share their experiences with the mentees in order to make their products competitive anywhere in the world. “Today’s event is the graduation of the LCCI mentees and the whole idea behind this initiative is to develop the capacity of young Nigerians to be self employed and promote the culture of entrepreneurship among the young people?” he said. He pointed out that it is one thing to have some technical knowledge about a business and it is another to share the experience of others and this is where the concept of mentoring comes in. In his words: “What we have done is match-make ?these mentees with mentors. We bring them in contact with experienced business men who are members of the chamber to share their experience with the mentees, in areas such as identifying risks in business and how to manage these risks. We have been carrying out this

initiative for the past two years. As you can see many of these mentees are up and running with their businesses.” Bello said the idea of mentoring has brought a lot of value to businesses and the chamber has supported the mentees in areas of marketing during its trade fairs by giving them free spaces to showcase their products as a way of encouraging them to do more. “We are also in partnership with regulatory agencies to ensure that these mentees are in line with the minimum standards of the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) in order to make their products exportable. “We are also helping them in marketing their businesses because we know that marketing is one of the biggest challenges affecting small businesses in Nigeria, so the chamber through its various platforms renders support services to these businesses to encourage them. This is our own way to contrib-

Stories by Toba Agboola

exchange rate through either the interbank foreign exchange market or parallel market to weaken the naira. “And when this happens, a scenario of natural outcome of depreciating exchange rate is inflation, which will play out for an import dependent economy, resulting to a cost push inflation”, he said. This, he added, will be driven by high cost of production and high cost of imported finished goods. He lamented that the biggest platform for corruption in the economy today is the management of fuel subsidy on petroleum products. He said the pressure it exerts on government’s treasury is enormous.

Nigeria-India trade volume hits $17b

NDIA’s Acting High Commis sioner in Nigeria, Kaisar Alam, has said the trade volume between Nigeria and India reached $17 billion between April 2013 and March.

‘Small businesses are veritable tools for economic growth’ HE Lagos Chamber of Com merce and Industry (LCCI) has equipped Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) owners with the skills needed to make their products competitive. Its President, Alhaji Remi Bello, explained that the initiative was coming on the heels of the chamber’s commitment to SMEs’ development, stressing that the sector has been proven by developed economies as a tool to accelerate economic growth and development. Bello, represented by his Director- General, Mr. Muda Yusuf, during the graduation of 25 mentees of the chamber’s mentoring programme Scheme 2, decried the high level of mortality of small businesses. He said small businesses should not be allowed to dies because they are veritable tools for achieving a virile economy. He said the programme was aimed at match-making young business leaders with experienced

• Yusuf

ute our quota to tackle unemployment and making sure that our youths are gainfully employed,” he added. According to him, the Bank of industry (BoI) will also render financial support services after carrying out due diligence by looking at their businesses, business plans and prospects. He said the tendency of these mentees getting bankable loans from BoI is high as a result of the credible platform of the chamber. The Chairman, Ogun State Board for Technical Education, Mrs. Doyin Ogunbiyi, urged mentees to spread their talents all over the country. She commended the Chamber for setting the pace of creating the platform for the future economic drivers. “I want to use this opportunity to urge you fresh business leaders of tomorrow to go into the whole world to spread the gospel and also be employers of labour for the teeming population of the world,” she said.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja, he said India imported $14 billion worth of goods from Nigeria during the year; Nigeria imported $3 billon worth of goods from India in the same period. Alam explained that India was largest importer of Nigeria’s crude oil, importing $12b worth of products in the year under review. “India imported $14b worth of goods from Nigeria from April 2013 to March 2014, including $12b worth of crude oil,’’ he said. He also explained that with the reduction of U.S. import of Nigeria’s crude oil, India was currently Nigeria’s largest trading partner. According to him, a large number of Indian companies and businesses have footprints in Nigeria, which have made substantial investments in Nigeria. The envoy explained that the increasing trade relations between the two countries would boost trade volume in 2014-2015 fiscal year. He said the relations between the two countries had always been friendly, noting that “Nigeria is a very important country to India.’’ He expressed optimism that the bilateral relations between Nigeria and India would improve significantly in the current year.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS e-Business

e-mail: lukajanaku02@gmail.com

From Internet of Things (IoT), the world is graduating to Internet of Everything (IoE). The world has become a global village, with people reaching any part at the click of a button. But these benefits pale into insignificance because of the risk of digital disasters, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

•Communications Technology Minister, Mrs Omobola Johnson

•Juwah

• Ekuwem

• Banjo

The growing fear of digital disasters T

HE world has become a global village courtesy of the internet, which has bridged the gulf that existed in the past. Aside sending electronic mails (e-mails), it is now possible to make video calls on Facebook while Skype is also available for people to make internet calls. To underscore the boom in the industry, there are now the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of Everything (IoE). A free online knowledge platform, Wikipaedia, defines IoT as “the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure. Typically, IoT is expected to offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that go beyond machine-to-machine communications (M2M) and covers a variety of protocols, domains, and applications. The interconnection of these embedded devices (including smart objects), is expected to usher in automation in nearly all fields, while also enabling advanced applications like a Smart Grid. “Things, in the IoT, can refer to a wide variety of devices such as heart monitoring implants, biochip transponders on farm animals, automobiles with built-in sensors, or field operation devices that assist fire-fighters in search and rescue. Current market examples include smart thermostat systems and washer/dryers that utilise WiFi for remote monitoring.” According to Gartner, there will be nearly 26 billion devices on the IoT by 2020 while ABI Research estimates that more than 30 billion devices will be wirelessly connected to the IoT by 2020. A recent survey done by Pew Research Internet Project, a large majority of the technology experts and engaged Internet users who responded—83 per cent—agreed with the notion that the Internet/Cloud of Things, embedded and wearable computing (and the corresponding dynamic systems will have widespread and beneficial effects by 2025. Thus, it is clear that the IoT will consist of a very large number of devices being connected to the internet. Integration with the Internet implies that devices will utilise an internet protocol (IP) address as a unique identifier. However, due to the limited address space of IPv4 (which allows for 4.3 billion unique addresses), objects in the IoT will have to use IPv6 to accommodate the extremely large address space required. According to United States (U.S) technology giant, Cisco Systems Incorporated, the IoE is the “bringing together of people, process, data, and things to make network connections more relevant and valuable than ever before-turning information into actions that create new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented economic opportunity for businesses, individuals, and countries.” Cisco said in nearly all industries, including retail, an accelerating innovation curve is re-

shaping the business landscape. It argued that in this environment, barriers to market entry are falling, customers are demanding new ways of interacting, and margins are compressing. Cisco economic analysis and research indicated that this value would be driven by the IoE — the networked connection of people, process, data, and things. Cisco predicted that $14.4 trillion of value (net profits) would be at stake globally for private-sector companies over the next decade, based on their ability to harness IoE However, what will determine how the country benefits from these enormous benefits IoT and IoE bring to the individuals and corporate bodies is how far the authorities are able to secure the internet. Director, Public Affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Tony Ojobo said the internet remained an unregulated public platform. Chief Executive Officer, Disc Communication Limited, Bayo Banjo said cases of banks’ security being breached are just a tip of the iceberg. According to him, what is happening now that is being termed cyber crimes are not cyber crimes, but “cyber-assisted crimes” because when the real cyber crimes come, the effects will be disastrous to the nation. Banjo, who is the President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), urged the government to take urgent steps to address the situation. He said hackers are not old men, but young boys who are adventurous and willing to explore. Chief Executive Officer, Teledon Group, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, agreed no less with Banjo. According to him, the threats on the cyber space are real. He said banks, telcos, cards are increasingly coming under attacks. He said the air traffic controller at the nation’s airport could also be breached, warning that such a development will unleash colossal damage on the nation. President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Lanre Ajayi, said wherever and whenever there are economic and social activities, threats are bound to be lurking in the corner. He said the cyberspace has opened up a huge vista of business opportunities while social websites such as Facebook, WhatsApp and others have strengthened social bonds among people without borders. He identified cybercrimes to include but not limited to cyber espionage, cyber terrorism, child online abuse and cyber exploitation. This year’s Zurich Cyber Risk Report, created in collaboration with the international thinktank, Atlantic Council, warned that ‘cyber-risk management professionals need to look be-

yond their internal information technology safeguards to interconnected risks, which can build up relating to counterparties, outsourced suppliers, supply chains, disruptive technologies, upstream infrastructure and external shocks. It added that a ‘build-up in these risks could create a failure on a similar scale to the 2008 financial crisis. Such interconnected risks are compounded when a company outsources the management of its servers, information technology and cyber security to focus on its core activities. Little information may be known about the third party’s information security or business continuity safeguards and it may also in turn outsource activities to other companies.’ Group Chief Risk Officer & Regional Chairman Europe, Zurich Insurance Group, Axel Lehmann, wrote: “The internet is the most complex system humanity has ever devised. Although it has been incredibly resilient for the past few decades, the risk is that the complexity, which has made cyberspace relatively riskfree can – and likely will – backfire. “Organisations are unknowingly exposed to risks outside their organisations, having outsourced, interconnected or exposed themselves to an increasingly complex and unknowable web of networks. “Few people truly understand their own computers or the internet, or the cloud to which they connect, just as few truly understood the financial system as a whole or the parts to which they are most directly exposed.”

Interconnectedness, recipe for disaster Zurich noted in its report that the internet is the most complex system humanity has ever devised – “and our track record of successfully managing complex systems is far from perfect. “The internet is highly interconnected and tightly coupled with society, meaning that (as in other such systems) a small failure or series of them in one place can cascade, producing an outsized impact elsewhere,” the report noted. Movement of data into the cloud is now the vogue with data centres springing up everywhere. While some have servers in the country, others have offshore. Should a major cloud service crash or be compromised, the effects of such a failure would cascade to all systems and businesses dependent on it everywhere. Though these threats are mostly targeted at businesses and governments, these days, even the most mundane of tasks get coupled and linked to the internet. Thus, the growing complexity of the networks puts the entire system at greater risk of attack.

Cisco predicted that $14.4 trillion of value (net profits) would be at stake globally for private-sector companies over the next decade, based on their ability to harness IoE

Zurich said: “On the internet, it has been easier to attack than defend for decades. The original architecture of the internet was founded on trust, not security – software is still poorly written and secured, and the system is so complex that it is difficult to defend. Systems in which one set or participants have asymmetric advantages, year after year and decade after decade, must hit a tipping point when there are more predators than prey.” Ajayi identified that phishing (identity theft), spamming, denial of services (DoS) and viral attacks are now real. Huge mails are now sent to people’s servers the weight of which disallows useful mails to get to its destination, leading to DoS. The report noted that in time past, cyber attacks and incidents online have only really broken “things made of silicon” and impacted networks in a digital sense. However, this will not always be the case. “As the internet connects increasingly with real life, in places like the smart grid interconnection with the electrical power infrastructure… cyber incidents will break things made not of silicon, but of concrete and steel.”

Way forward Analysts say the passage into law of the cyber security bills pending in the National Assembly is one way to wriggle out of the quagmire. Former Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Prof Cleopas Angaye, said the quick passage of the cyber security bills pending before the National Assembly into law and training of lawyers and judges about the new crime may help the situation. Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah says the war against cyber crooks cannot be fought on a stand-alone basis since internet is a borderless enabler. He urged global collaboration, especially in the area of cross border harmonisation of laws and regulations. Another general consensus among stakeholders is the need to create awareness about the inherent dangers lurking in the internet. Then registration of all information technology (IT) professionals in the country will assist. Other recommendations included embedding security in the software to reduce the rate of vulnerability; insurance should also be considered. Zurich, however, recommended that risk managers, regulators, and organisations with system-wide responsibility need to focus more on resilience and agility rather than simply prevention. “In an increasingly interconnected world, risks can strike quickly and from any direction – so, too, is it equally critical that those affected are able to respond quickly to ride out the shocks,” the group said.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

e-Business

CBN’s policy ‘ll increase cost, say operators T HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy on funding of imported telecommunation and allied gadgets through the interbank foreign exchange (Forex) market has drawn the ire of the some operators. Accourding to MTN’s Customers Service Executive Akinwale Goodluck, the policy would hurt operators. Goodluck who is also the Vice Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), argued that going through the interbank foreign exchange (forex) market will add between six and seven per cent to costs. He spoke during a public forum organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in L:agos. About 80 per cent of the Global

Stories by Lucas Ajanaku

System of Mobile Telecommunication (GSM) cell sites across the country are being powered by generators as major source of power while power from the national grid is stand by. Generators, IT equipment and telecoms equipment are among the items the CBN prohibited their direct importation except via interbank forex market. In a circular the apex bank issued to all authorised dealers last December, CBN Director, Trade & Exchange Department, O.I. Gbadamosi, informed stakeholders that the policy was to maintain the existing stability in the forex market and strengthen

the various policy measures already initiated by the CBN. “The importation of electronics, finished products, information technology, generators, telecommunication equipment, and invisible transactions importations shall henceforth be limited to the interbank market only,” he said. According to the NCC, there are about 29,000 base transmission stations (BTS) across the country, but the regulator said the nation would require between 70,000 and 80,000 BTS to facilitate seamless telephony in the country. This implies that the telcos would continue to build BTS, which would inevitably run on generators because the privatisation of the power sector has not brought any appreciable succour to the country as most 80 per cent of the BTS are still run on diesel.

Multiple connectivity ‘ll be our priority, says Phase 3 chief

EST Africa’s largest independent fibre optic infrastructure and telecommunications services provider, Phase3 Telecom, has said connectivity of cities in the subregion will be its focus this year. It added that this will allow its customers to enjoys full access to reliable, high-speed and affordable broadband connectivity. Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Stanley Jegede, said having done so well last year, the firm will do more in the new year to satisfy its customers. He said its the firm’s desire to offer strong, trustworthy and seamless communications solutions to clients all over West Africa, adding that it is committed to enabling new, advanced and highly differentiated telecommunications services across Nigeria and throughout the African continent in order to deliver the most innovative solutions. “It is a thing that gives us utmost satisfaction that people and businesses operating in the region can now effectively connect with each

other and the rest of the world riding on our network and strong international partnerships,” he said, adding that connecting the cities also means that businesses located in them get to enjoy network access to over 400 cities globally, especially with recent network expansion projects, upgrades and global partnership with PCCW Global, the Hong Kong-headquartered international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecom service provider. He said: “Phase3 Telecoms’ relentless effort to get more cities connected underscored the company’s central vision to run an infrastructure that is the largest in size and most versatile in connectivity. “Our brand promise is to remain the choice network; that provides high level services to meet the unique needs of our numerous broadband customers and that continuously improves network performance and value creation to satisfy the changing needs of our enterprise customers.

Etisalat, FirstBank partner on mobile money

• From left: Snr. Manager, Business Development, Marketing & Strategy; Mr. Henry Okoede, Chief Marketing Officer; Mr. Bayo Adekanmbi, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Ms. Funmi Onajide, all from MTN Nigeria; CEO, NEO2 Analytics, Mr. Fola Akinmolayan, and Snr. Manager, Segment Management, MTN, Mrs Saidat LawalMohammed, at the launch of the MTN 2015 BetterMe app at Westown Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos .

Agency to build ICT community centres

HE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will build Information Technology (IT) community centres nationwide to increase access to IT, its DirectorGeneral Mr Peter Jack, has said. The agency has concluded arrangement to kick off the project with about 48 community access centres, as pilot projects in the first quarter of this year. Jack spoke on the sideline during the public presentation of the Framework for Building a Knowledge-Based nation through Information Technology with focus on women and youths, developed by the Consultancy Support Services (CS2) Limited, in Abuja. He said the centre when fully in operation would assist in running other services such as voter’s registration, National ID Card registration as well as registration for vari-

From Bukola Amusan, Abuja

ous examinations such as the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in addition to being a training centre on ICT. He said: “If those centres are in a community it can provide e-government services to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Identity Management (NIM), JAMB, WAEC and others. “It can also provide relevant information on health, agriculture, like e-wallet system. It can provide ICT market in the community.” He explained how it would be achieved, saying that he would not rule out the possibility of adopting the existing cyber café

in the community. He reiterated the agency’s commitment to creating a robust package. “We have already had 48 pilot projects in our budget last year (2014), and it will be implemented by the end of the first quarter of this year (2015),” he added. Jack said the agency was exploring ways of taking advantage of the opportunity created by the recent launching of the N200billion Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) fund by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to boost the realisation of the project. Presenting the framework, the NITDA chief called for inter-agency co-operation in an effort to build a knowledgebased nation through Information Technology (IT), adding that several initiatives of the agency had yielded the desired result due to lack of synergy.

Government seeks way out of multiple taxation

HE Federal Government, is contemplating a way out of multiple taxation. In conjunction with Broadband Council (BC), it is promoting a ‘’smart state” initiative geared towards engaging governors and others at the federal and state levels to address the issue of multiple taxation. The government and BC believe that multiple taxation, is impeding the acceleration of the roll out of critical infrastructure across the country. Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, who spoke in Lagos, said the effort is aimed at creating the enabling environment for the deployment of communications infrastructure across the nation, adding that the initiative is already yielding result. “The states considered for the smart state initiative by the Broadband

Council are Bayelsa, Gombe, Katsina, Ondo, Anambra, Lagos. They are responding positively to be part of the league of states in this initiative. The initiative will lead to accelerated roll out of critical ICT infrastructure across the state necessary for development. “The initiative will also lead to a reduction in the cost of network deployment and an increase in the rollout of such networks to commercial centres, underserved and rural areas by communications operators. “With this, an enabling environment will be created that will increase broadband penetration -both fixed and mobile and increase access to such services at affordable prices for customers, creating digitally enabled urban areas called ‘smart cities’. “Those states that provide such an enabling environment, according to the ministry, will be labeled ‘Model States’ and afforded the utmost sup-

port in achieving these objectives. In exchange, participating states can expect to see growth in economic activity and productivity and subsequently the positive development of the state,” he said. The initiative, according to Juwah, will cover areas such as standardised fees for site building and approvals within the state, reduction in fees and possibility of waiver for Right of Way (RoW) in deserving instances, implementation of a Dig-Once Policy, promotion of co-location between operators in the state and connectivity to state institutions within one kilometre of the given RoW. The NCC, he said, has the responsibility of ensuring that there are guidelines and regulations governing all aspects of telecommunications service provision, including the installation of masts / towers and radio frequency exposure limits.

tisalat Nigeria and FirstBank have partnered to provide Firstmonie on the Etisalat Easywallet subscriber identity module (SIM) application solution. The partnership between the telco and leading banking institution will promote the use of Firstmonie on the mobile technology driven easywallet SIM application. Director, Business Segment at Etisalat Nigeria, Lucas Dada, said the partnership between Etisalat Nigeria and FirstBank will provide added value to all customers and stakeholders in the mobile money industry. “Etisalat Easywallet, is one of the most secure and convenient platforms for mobile money services. With the Easywallet, Etisalat subscribers can make financial transactions such as Peer-to-Peer transfers, Bills Payment and Airtime top-up, directly from their mobile

device,” he said. He added that Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa collectively contribute a lot to the nation’s economy and this necessitates the need to support this segment of the economy by making financial transactions easier, safer, more efficient and innovative. He described Easywallet as one of Etisalat’s strategies of facilitating financial integration of the SMEs. Etisalat Easywallet is the first to partner with prominent Nigerian banks and independent Mobile Money Operators including FirstBank, GTBank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Zenith Bank and Pagatech. It is convenient and helps our corporate clients (SMEs) to also enjoy benefits of cost reduction, inventory management, streamlining intermediaries, ensuring price transparency and competitiveness, the telco said.

Ericsson gives smartphone users indoor boost

ECH giant, Ericsson, has introduced long-term evolution (LTE) to unlicensed spectrum on small cells to deliver dataspeed boost to smartphones. The firm in a statement said the innovation helps to improve app coverage for all smartphone users, increasing speeds on License Assisted Access (LAA)-enabled devices, reducing wireless network congestion and ensuring fair sharing between LTE and Wi-Fi. The firm said it efficiently combines licensed and unlicensed spectrum, addressing a key milestone on the road to 5G. “We spend more than 85 per cent of our time indoors, but a recent Ericsson ConsumerLab study conducted with more than 47,000 respondents across 23 countries, reveals that only 41 percent are highly satisfied with their indoor experience when browsing or accessing social networks. This drops to 36 per cent for more data-heavy apps: watching video, TV or movies online. Addressing this app coverage challenge, Ericsson is first to give smartphone users the benefit of concurrent access to both licensed and unlicensed spectrum, by delivering the first LAA small cells. “LAA is an LTE-Advanced technology that can improve mobile data speeds and reduce congestion, benefiting all wireless network users. Ericsson LAA, available in our small cell portfolio starting in fourth quarter of this year, enables carrier aggregation of licensed with unlicensed bands to effectively address

growth in indoor data traffic,” the statement read in part,” the statement said. Commenting on the development, Chief Technical Officer, T-Mobile US, Inc., Neville Ray, said: “With our LTE footprint now covering 264 million Americans, we look to innovations like License Assisted Access to help us drive an even better, more differentiated wireless experience. “There’s approximately 550 MHz of underutilised spectrum in the 5 GHz Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII) band and LAA are some of the technologies we plan to develop and use in our continuing efforts to provide our customers with superior network performance. We are excited to be working with major infrastructure partners, like Ericsson, to bring this technology to our customers in the near-future.” Vice President, Consumer & Infrastructure Services, Current Analysis, Peter Jarich, said: “In our discussions of future 5G networks, a number of themes are front and center: network function virtualisation, small cell architectures, use of higher frequency bands, and licensed-unlicensed band aggregation. The LAA that Ericsson is integrating into its small cell portfolio clearly foreshadows this 5G future. Ultimately, it’s all about optimising the network to support diverse consumer applications, diverse user locations (indoors and outdoors), and diverse device types – including future Internet of Things (IoT) demands.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS LABOUR

TUC urges reduction of fuel pump price T

HE Trade Union Con gress (TUC) has called on the Federal Government to directs its appropriate agencies in the oil and gas sector to immediately lower the prices of petroleum products as it will ameliorate the sufferings of the masses. In a statement jointly signed by its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-General, Comrade Musa Lawal, the group called for immediate reversal of the pump

Stories by Toba Agboola

prices of petroleum products, stressing that the devaluation of the naira has weakened the purchasing power of Nigerians. He said: “Congress expresses concern that government has refused to reduce the prices of petroleum products even though the price of crude oil has collapsed in the international market, which was the reason given when it wanted to

increase the price of fuel in 2012. We urge government to direct the appropriate agencies to immediately adjust the prices of petroleum products as it will ameliorate the sufferings of the masses.” He said TUC has put government on notice that following naira devaluation, the Congress is going to ask for wage increase to cushion its effect on workers. He drew government’s attention to a number of issues plaguing employers/employees relation-

ship to ensure a friendly working environment this year. TUC said: “Worried about the impunity of politicians and mismanagement of the fortunes of the oil and gas sector, the Congress laments the way and manner our politicians go about their politicking. “Our major concern is that what is predominant today is use of state’s coercive power, especially the police and resort to use of touts and idle youths to molest political opposition and jour-

nalists.” On local content policy, he said: “it has been observed that since the policy came into place in 2010, there has been no yardstick to measure progress made as we have also observed that the entrepreneurs that are being empowered are compromising employment standards and flagrantly breaching workplace rights and decent work principles with intimidation and myriads of victimisation.”

NUFBTE calls for sensitive leadership

•Managing Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr Gabriel Amuchi (1st left), during the Inspection of FERMA workers on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

PENGASSAN sets agenda for govt

HE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has urged the Federal Government to demonstrate commitment to stimulating local refining of crude oil this year. Its General Secretary, Mr. Bayo Olowoshile, who spoke in Lagos said only domestic refining would end the crises in the oil and gas sector. ”The key focus of the government in 2015 should be to stimulate local refining of petroleum and petrochemical products. Domestic gas production for energy, industry, agricultural and automotive purposes should be given ultimate

attention this year,’’ Olowoshile said. The PENGASSAN scribe said the government should cut the rate of importation of products by 50 per cent. “Job creation and manpower utilisation should also be a priority of the government at such time like this when crime rate has increased. Many of our present challenges are tied to unemployment and government’s inability to channel the youthful strength of our young people into productive activities,’’ he said. Olowoshile said a slice in importation of products would not only stabilise the economy, but also cre-

ate millions of jobs for unemployed youths in the country. He said importation of finished products into the country was a ‘canker worm’ that had left many Nigerians jobless. According to him, government should boost local capacity development and curb idleness in the country. Olowoshile urged government to halt capital flight in the New Year to save enough money for infrastructure and socio-economic development of the nation. The oil workers’ scribe urged the government to do everything possible to ensure the restoration of national peace and tranquility.

Coal shortage looms as Indian workers strike

N one of the biggest direct in dustrial protests in recent times, over 500 000 coal workers across India went on a five-day strike as negotiations failed. Trade union representative said talks between the unions and government lasted for several hours yesterday, with discussions taking place until midnight, but unions said that the government officials had nothing to offer to reverse the “denationalisation of the coal sector”. The government, in turn, said that the trade unions were “adamant” on their stand. “Negotiations at the secretary level have failed. But we are open for discussions at the political level either with the Prime Minister or the Coal Minister,” Indian National Mineworkers’ Federation secretary general S Q Zama said after the failed talks.

“We did our best to arrive at a solution but the coal secretary has its own limitations and around 350 000 workers of Coal India Limited (CIL) commenced their strike today,” CIL chairperson Sutirtha Bhattacharya said. Significantly, yesterday was the second day at the office for Bhattacharya after he took charge as chairperson of CIL. Government estimated about 75 per cent of the country’s daily coal production of around 1.5-million tonnes was affected by the strike. The direct industrial actions, the biggest in the country since railway workers’ went on strike in 1977, was to protest the proposed restructuring of CIL, divestment of government equity holding in the largest mining company and trade unions’ apprehensions of “denationalisation of the Indian coal sector” through the

government’s recent liberalisation of coal mining with the proposed permitting of private investors into the sector. The strike impacted production at major government-owned and managed coal mining companies like Singareni Collieries Company Limited, Neyveli Liginte Company Limited, as well as CIL, with the latter accounting for over 80 per cent of domestic coal supplies. The strike was being supported by all major trade unions representing coal mine workers in the country including, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Centre for Indian Trade Unions, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), All India Trade Union Congress and Hind Mazdoor Sangh. Ironically, BMS was the labour arm of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which headed the current Indian federal government in New Delhi.

ITH barely a month to the general election, workers in the food sector of the economy have charged politicians aspiring to lead the country to be people focused in their programmes. Speaking at the Delegate Conference of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) in Lagos, the National President of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), Comrade Lateef Oyelekan, said workers would only cast their votes for candidates who would make life better for them. “I want to say here that we are not partisan and have no allegiance to any party, but we would only support any party that distinguishes itself as government of workers and anyone who will support workers to have food on their table,” he said. Oyelekan, who noted that the union with its business ventures in hotel, water factory, event centre and others, has supported the government in its employment generation by providing work for almost 100 Nigerians, lamented that government however, has not been supportive. He stated the union with its lean resources spends between N3million and N4millon every month to keep its businesses running. He said: “It is government that should solve the electricity problem; we have played our part and if we in our small capacity can be spending so much, I wonder how much the bigger players are spending.” He said there is no doubt that electricity holds the key to economic

advancement of many Nigerians and the country as an entity. According to him, many who learned one trade or the other that relies on electricity and who should be doing well as entrepreneurs have all turned to motorcycle riders, popularly called Okada. He advised those in government to pursue either one or two agenda and ensure success in them rather than proliferation of projects without any success. He lamented that the present economic state of the country has further worsened the economic condition of workers whom he stated has become more impoverished and have always been at the receiving end. While calling on the management of NBC to reciprocate the good gesture of the union, having ensured that there was industrial harmony in the company, Oyelekan said it was expedient upon the management to help beef up the workers pay in the New Year. He said there was cordial relationship between the workers and the management. NBC’s Director, Human Resources, Mrs Grace Omolamayi, however commended the workers for their trust in the management, noting that the two see each other as partners and always believed in dialogue rather than other means of settlement. She said: “It’s good to have the trust of the workers and at NBC we always encourage our workers to come to the table to discuss and at the end we would iron out issues with both parties leaving satisfied.” She charged the workers to contribute positively to the advancement of the union and Nigeria as a nation.

‘Prioritise investment in youth devt’

HE Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani has urged the three tiers of government, the federal, state and local government, to target investment in skills development for the youths. He said it is the best option to enhance productivity in the labour market. Speaking on how the government could improve the lives of the most vulnerable in the country as a result of the slump in oil price in the international market, he said: “With the recent United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) acceleration framework focusing on decent work and reducing maternal mortality, we urge the three tiers of government to target investments in skills development of the youth population as the best option to enhance their productivity in the labour market. This is necessary because investment in skills development of the youth population will enhance their productivity in the labour

market.” The CISLAC’s boss said considering the post-2015 development agenda, and the broad consensus that the current MDGs must not be sidelined, issues on poverty eradication should remain in focus by government. “For decent jobs to be created in both short and long run, it is more important for government to target improvements in secondary and tertiary education whilst incorporating practical and vocational skills,” he said. He noted that smart social policies such as programmes that help the unemployed find jobs or systems that provide social security to vulnerable members of the society cannot just be considered a cost. He said: “We must not be lulled into the notion that the crisis is over, and that no further action is required because the job queue is getting longer, and because on the surface, the Nigerian economy may appear to have regained some stability, but the real economy is still in troubled waters.”

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

NEWS Buhari: insecurity, economy will be our main focus

Jonathan attacks Obasanjo Continued from page 4

thing. In fact, my Principal Secretary has been my friend since I was the deputy governor. I never knew I was going to come here as Vice President not to talk of President. “But I have known him since I was the deputy governor of Bayelsa State. My Chief Detail, Yusuf from Borno State has been with me since I was a deputy governor in Yenagoa and I see him as a good person and I have carried him along with me. So I had to ask, how can somebody wake up and say I hate the North?” He went on: “I used to tell Nigerians I come from the down trodden, what you call the Talakawas; I come from that level ..... And I said the only thing that can liberate an individual or a group of individuals is education. If I did not go to school, I wouldn’t have been here to talk to big people like this. “If you didn’t go to school, you wouldn’t have spoken the way you spoke; you would have looked for somebody to interpret. This is what I believe; I don’t play politics with it. It has been my policy that I don’t play politics with education.” “When I came on board I said even though as a country we have the policy on paper, every state must get a Federal Government university. Out of the 12 federal universities created, nine were in the North while three were in southern Nigeria. The only three states that had no feder-

al university were Bayelsa, Ebonyi and Ekiti.” “Those who were in charge of the university establishment were not fair. For us to liberate ourselves we must go to school. If I hate the north would I have done that?” Jonathan added: “We talk about Almajiri’s education; we felt we must change. Luckily, I initiated it but now state governments are keying into it because I know that it was education that liberated me I would have been a local canoe builder like my father and grandfather.” “But I’m here because of education and I feel if we must liberate Nigerian children whether they are from Zamafara, Bayelsa, Kebbi and Delta they must be educated. I feel we must enter the north by aggression through education,” he said The President said that he was always sad hearing of school dropouts in the North. He said: “Today I saw a publication in Daily Trust showing projects that have been awarded by the Federal Government, the ones for the Northeast very small, Southsouth very many. I had to make photocopies and distributed to all the ministers and I asked, is it true this is how projects are skewed by this government because somebody wants to play politics?” “Because I am a president from the South I have taken all the projects to the South? And I said all the ministers must come up and tell me how the

Continued from page 4

•Gen. Obasanjo

projects are being distributed across the country and if it is skewed, you must tell me why it is so. One of the ministers, the North and she is in charge of water resources, said that publication cannot be true because the Kasambila Dam alone, the value is more than the amount quoted in that paper.” “This is to show you how mischievous Nigerians are because you want to paint Jonathan bad. All lies that have been told about this government, I promise you that I am working with your son and I will not cheat any part of this country. ” “For the people who want to paint us in all kinds of color, we will explain to Nigerians. There are a lot of documentation we will show Nigerians.” he said The President promised that his administration would not exploit or cheat any part of the country. NEC Chairman Tanko Yakasai, who led the delegation, said that the Council believes in the peaceful co-existence of the country.

Fed Govt: we didn’t squander external reserve Continued from page 4

“Similarly, savings in the ECA were also used to pay for fuel subsidies for the entire nation and that sharing continued after the crisis ended. Starting in 2012, such payments have been published each time they are made.

“The savings in the ECA would now have been higher but for the fact that a number of Governors, against strong professional advice, actively kicked against continuous building up of the ECA and, indeed, pushed for its sharing. It is on record that states even took the Federal Government

to court on this matter, and the case is still pending at the Supreme Court.” The ministry noted that the Jonathan administration built the first ever Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) for the nation in which savings are being made for future generations of Nigerians.

appropriate and misapply government resources is discouraged. Our main objective is to make sure that agriculture and other minerals exploitation and development are given priority. This will give immediate relief to the large number of able bodied unemployed - whether they had the opportunity to be educated or not. “The biggest asset you can give a people is education. When you allow schools to be dilapidated and equipment are not available and there is paucity of qualified teachers, then you are digging a grave for the failure of the nation. “I promise we will secure this country. We will provide employment through agriculture. We will build infrastructure to make sure industries are resuscitated. Our industries are dying and will continue dying, unless we get supply of power correct. Because without power, they cannot break even. They cannot be competitive for foreign cheap products to be flooded into Nigeria. Whether the naira is high or low, foreign goods will still come, unless we resuscitate our industries, give our people jobs, then we provide goods and services and then the economy will move again.” Gen. Buhari urged his audience to vote on February 14. “My advice is that you get your permanent voters card and on the election day, come rain, come sunshine, try and put up with any problem put before you. Go and vote and make sure your vote counts. If we collectively make the mistake of allowing the PDP to continue I think in four years’ time, we won’t be able to recognise each other again. This is extremely serious.” Amaechi urged the people not to based on sentiments

that President Jonathan is their brother. He said, “Our President is from this our zone. The fact that he is from the Southsouth does not mean we should vote for him. The first term of the president was on the basis that he was our brother. This second term is based on merit and achievement and he has not achieved. “If he has achieved, he should fix the road from Calabar to Uyo. And from Calabar to Ogoja. Calabar to Bakassi also. So tell me why you need to vote for the president, when there is a Buhari who says when he becomes president, he will reconstruct those roads. Deceit would not work this time. You cannot tell me you are my brother. “So I am here to tell people from Cross River not to listen to that story of ‘he is Our Brother’. Our brother who has refused to do roads for us or send us to school is not our brother. My brother is the man who makes things happen for me.” The highpoint of the occasion was the handing over of the party flag to the governorship candidate, Odey Ochicha, by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. In Warri, Gen. Buhari advised Nigerians not to make mistake of allowing the PDP continue running their nation as indications have shown that should the current misrule continue, there may be nothing left of the nation. The chairman reeled out some of the party’s programmes, aimed at bringing a better Nigeria, especially the programme for the youth and the elderly. The rally, which took off late; starting off with the arrival of the leaders at about 6:15pm, started with a brief speech from Amaechi. Gen. Buhari described the main problems facing the

country as insecurity and the destruction of the economy. He said the APC government would work tirelessly to turn the tide in all areas where the wheel of progress had been impeded, adding that the best hands would be employed to manage ministries and parastatals. Gen. Buhari said: “The issue facing this country, we all know, is mainly security and the destruction of the Nigerian economy, but our objective is absolutely clear, we intend to secure this country as soon as we can and efficiently manage it. We do not like the unemployment, the suffering, the low standard of education, the lack of healthcare and the destruction of infrastructure, I assure you, what the chairman has told you about our manifesto, we will apply ourselves to it and make sure we succeed within the shortest possible time. “The APC government will look for competent, committed Nigerians to lead ministries and parastatals so we can make rapid development. The cooperation we’ll need from you is to make sure you get your permanent voters cards and on the election day you come out enmass and make sure you vote for APC and its candidates. You’ll also make sure that your votes count.”

PUBLIC NOTICE SULE I, formerly known and addressed as Miss Sule Musili Deborah, wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Felix-Adewumi Odunayo Deborah. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

CITYBEATS Fire destroys N300m goods in Lagos market ‘ G OODS worth over N300 million were destroyed yesterday in an early-morning fire that swept through Owotunde Ifelodun Plank Market at Iyana Isasi along Lagos-Badagry Expressway. Amid wailing, traders watched helplessly as their belongings were razed. The incident resulted in heavy traffic on the everbusy expressway. Commuters were held up for hours; those heading to work disembarked and walked to the nearest bus stops to board other buses. Till 4pm yesterday, officials of Lagos State Fire Service from Badagry, Isolo and Alimoso units were still battling to contain the fire. But, only some goods could be salvaged. The cause of the fire, which started around 4am, could not be asertained. The market’s secretary, Isaac Afolabi, said if fire fighters in Ojo local government area hail responded in time, the damage would have been minimised. He added: “Some of us live around this market and so, we were alerted immediately the fire started. Initially, we thought a few of us could put out the fire, but when we realised it was getting out of hand, we promptly alerted the fire service in the Ojo area. But to our surprise, we were told they had no water. Then we contacted the Badagry, Isolo and Alimoso units, but before they arrived, the fire had

I am one of the biggest shop owners here. My wife and I control 10 shops, but this fire incident totally consumed seven of the shops which are worth about N10 million

’

By Adegunle Olugbamila

consumed almost everything.” Afolabi, who said they lost “over N300 million,” worth of goods to the fire, said there had been no such incident in the 25-year history of the market. He called on government to come to the traders’ aid. A trader, Alhaji Rasaq Ayinde (57), lamented that seven of his 10 shops were razed. “I am one of the biggest shop owners here. My wife and I control 10 shops, but this fire incident totally consumed seven of the shops which are worth about N10 million,” Ayinde said. He continued: “I was on my way to the mosque around 5.30 am when they informed me of the incident. Unfortunately, I still kept N100,000 and my new car’s documents in one of the shops, hoping to put it in one of my bank accounts today (yesterday); but here I

am now.” Another trader, Alhaji Rafiu Tijani, could not hold back tears as his four shops were razed. Sympathisers had a hectic time, consoling him. When asked the value of his goods, he said: “The value of my goods? Okay...okay... you mean the value of my goods?” Then, he burst into tears again. Mr Adeoye Olatunji (47), put his loss at over N16 million; Waheed (39), put his at N7 million. They sought government’s assistance to start all over again. “Government should come to our aid,” they pleaded, adding: “This is the beginning of the year and most of us have just restocked for fresh sales. Usually, it is a practice that at the beginning of the year, most of us put our entire resources into restocking. We are only appealing to government to assist us financially so that the effect of this loss won’t be too heavy on us.”

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

•Scene of a collapsed building on Olawode Street, Masha in Surulere, Lagos... yesterday. PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID

Dismissed soldier caught with weapons

DISMISSED soldier, Matthew Olu (43) has been caught with arms. He claimed that he was hired as escort for a vehicle, which he did not know was carrying four AK 47

‘Remove your vehicles, motorcycles’

HE Ogun State Police Command has given a two-week ultimatum to owners of vehicles/ motorcycles which got lost to report at Owode-Egba Division for identification and claims. Vehicles/motorcycles not claimed within the period would be auctioned, according to the command. The vehicles are: Volkswagen Passat car marked Plateau

AG 720 JJN; Toyota 4-Runner SUV marked GGE 893 AH; Ford bus marked KRD 467 XA; Honda CRV SUV marked KSF 538 AA; Toyota Yaris Car, BW 346 AKD; Mitsubishi Diamante unregistered; Peugeot 406, ET 898 SMK; Land Rover SUV unregistered; Nissan Primera, FKJ 067 AV; Honda Civic car, CQ 353 ABC; Mitsubishi Lancer, XE 989 AAB and 15 motorcycles.

By Ebele Boniface

rifles. The suspect is now in the custody of the Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). His accomplice, Tunde Jimoh (28), drove the vehicle A source said Olu was dismissed from the army because of his criminal activities, including participation in car-snatching, armed robbery and escorting of snatched cars and robbers’ weapons. Olu, who hails from Isalu in Yagaba East Local Government Area of Kogi State, said he was dismissed from the military in 2012 because he missed

screening at the Nigeria Army School of Education in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. The suspect said he attended a polytechnic where he graduated following which someone promised to help him back into the army. He said he thought they were genuine helpers until he realised that he was dealing with car snatchers. He said he was arrested last November while escorting a car snatched by the man from Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. Tunde said he was arrested in Osogbo when he went to collect “stolen” car for his friend for onward movement to Lokoja.

FOREIGN NEWS

A dark day in Paris •12 massacred, including two policemen •10 journalists •Three gunmen on the loose

ORROR struck yesterday at the beautiful city of Paris, in France as three gunmen allegedly attacked a collegiate Editor-In-Chief of a prominent news magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Back in the pre-colonial days, the city which shipped the Statute of Liberty as a Centennial gift to America is proudly called see Paris and die. Lately, France had played active roles in Mali and Libya and the outlawed outfit which carried out this dastardly act had actually carried out terror acts against newspaper outfits in recent pasts especially against this same newsmagazine. According to CNN, gunmen shot dead 12 people at the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in an apparent militant Islamist attack. Four of the magazine’s well-known cartoonists, including its editor, were among those killed, as well as two police officers. A major police operation is under way to find three gunmen who fled by car.

President Francois Hollande said there was no doubt it had been a terrorist attack “of exceptional barbarity”. It is believed to be the deadliest attack in France since 1961, when rightwingers who wanted to keep Algeria French bombed a train, killing 28 people. The masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles in the office and exchanged shots with police in the street outside before escaping by car. They later abandoned the car in Rue de Meaux, northern Paris, where they hijacked a second car. Witnesses said they heard the gunmen shouting “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad” and “God is Great” in Arabic (“Allahu Akbar”). The number of attackers was initially reported to be two, but French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve later said security services were hunting three “criminals”. He said that Paris had been placed on the highest alert.

•The attackers switched cars after fleeing the scene...yesterday PHOTO: AP

Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, 47, had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection. French media have named the three other cartoonists killed in the attack as Cabu, Tignous and Wolinski, as well as Charlie Hebdo contributor and French economist Bernard Maris. The attack took place during the magazine’s daily editorial meeting. At least four people were critically wounded in the attack. The satirical weekly has courted controversy in the

past with its irreverent take on news and current affairs. It was firebombed in November 2011 a day after it carried a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. The latest tweet on Charlie Hebdo’s account was a cartoon of the Islamic State militant group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Charlie Hebdo’s website, which went offline during the attack, is showing the single image of “Je suis Charlie” (“I am Charlie) on a black banner, referring to a hashtag that is trending on Twitter in solidarity with

the victims. People had been “murdered in a cowardly manner”, President Hollande told reporters at the scene. “We are threatened because we are a country of liberty,” he added, appealing for national unity. French government officials are holding an emergency meeting, and President Hollande is due to give a televised address later. US President Barack Obama has condemned the “horrific shooting”, offering to provide any assistance needed “to help bring these terrorists to justice”. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “It was a horrendous, unjustifiable and cold-blooded crime. It was also a direct assault on a cornerstone of democracy, on the media and on freedom of expression.” UK Prime Minister David Cameron said in a tweet: “The murders in Paris are sickening. We stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press.” The Arab League and AlAzhar mosque, Egypt’s top Islamic institution, have also condemned the attack. Charlie Hebdo is part of

•Hollande

a venerable tradition in French journalism going back to the scandal sheets that denounced Marie-Antoinette in the run-up to the French Revolution. The tradition combines left-wing radicalism with a provocative scurrility that often borders on the obscene. Its decision to mock the Prophet Muhammad in 2011 was entirely consistent with its historic raison d’etre. The paper has never sold in enormous numbers - and for 10 years from 1981, it ceased publication for lack of resources. But with its garish frontpage cartoons and incendiary headlines, it is an unmissable staple of newspaper kiosks and railway station booksellers.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

‘Alampasu not in Spain’ • Keeper training with Portuguese club

IGERIA'S Flying Eagles’ goaltender, Dele Alampasu is in Portugal with a top division side, contrary to speculation in a section of the Nigerian media that the goalkeeper is on the verge of signing for a third tier Real Oviedo Spain. In a telephone chat with his agent, Olusola Orelaja, he said the young goalkeeper who turned 18 December 24 last year, was with him in Portugal undergoing training with a top Division side. “At this stage I will not like to disclose the club,” he added. The club has been in search of the player after his outstanding performance in the Under 17 World Cup. He said recently he received a call from the sporting director of the club who was able to reach him in London where Orelaja is based. "I don't know where the story came from, all I know is that as I speak with you, I am in Portugal with Dele, and hopefully in the next few days a deal for him will be concluded," Orelaja who is based in London, confirmed on the Phone. Due to the club interest, I spoke with the U-20 coach to release Alampasu to travel to the club which could reach an agreement with him in a couple of days. Alampasu who emerged the best goalkeeper at the last Under-17 FIFA World Cup 2013 in UAE could not sign a professional contract before

now despite interest from clubs across Europe because he is yet to attain the mandatory age of 18 until late December, hence the squabble over his signature. Orelaja noted that what is

important to him is the career of the player, hence the reason why they are not rushing into signing a contract, which at the end of the day might affect the development of the young goaltender.

THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

TODAY IN THE NATION

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2015

HE sermon was hot. It was no pedagogical exertion to keep the congregation on the path of righteousness. Neither was it totally a rain of blessings from the altar. It was more than that; a blistering attack on the Jonathan presidency and an exhortation for change. The congregation, a sea of heads, was screaming: "Amen!". Abuja was shaken by it all. It became a subject of acrimonious arguments all over town, with many asking: where is Doyin Okupe, the rambunctious one who in a fit of blasphemous arrogance compared his boss to Jesus Christ? I guess you already know what we are talking about. Enugu Catholic priest Rev. Camillus Ejike Mbaka's New Year Day message delivered at the Adoration Prayer Ground was like a thousand bombs set off at the same time. It was a typical example of the scriptures as a vehicle for political communication. The controversial priest lashed the government for failing to tackle the infrastructure challenge and embracing corruption. He was angry that the government could not fight "ordinary" insurgency, the Boko Haram menace, which in his view is a corollary of unemployment, just like kidnapping. Rev. Father Mbaka also had harsh words for some pastors who he said had become "hawks" around the President, "eating the porridge of Jacob and selling their prophetic rights". He revealed that what seems like a desperation to hang on to power may have begun a long time ago, with some details of First Lady Patience Jonathan's peregrinations. She had come on consultation to the church. Rev. Mbaka spoke of a spiritual drama in which four birds "were lifted to fly up". "The main one that should fly up refused to go. I did everything possible and that one is the healthiest of them all but refused to fly and the spirit of God said, 'don't disturb him'." The priest did not expatiate on what many have taken to mean that Dr Jonathan's bid for another term may have collapsed in the extraterrestrial realm, with its physical manifestation expected on February 14. But the man of God called for change and alluded to the biblical rejection of Saul and how David took over. Now Rev Mbaka says his life is being threatened. When are we going to learn to take the message and let go of the messenger? The man has said nothing new; he has only amplified from his vantage position the thinking of many Nigerians who have no such voice. But will Abuja listen? What is the moral justification for the government to stay on when it seems to have no answer to the bloodshed that has overwhelmed the land? Will the Chibok girls ever return? Didn't the government tell us it knew where they were being held? Nigerians will go to the polls on February 14 to deliver their verdict on the Jonathan presidency. They seem to have made up their minds. Nobody will tell the blind that the

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL. 10, NO. 3,089

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

GBENGA OMOTOSO

EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK

gbenga.omotoso@thenationonlineng.net

•Editor of the Year (DAME)

From Mbaka’s Adoration to other grounds

•Rev. Mbaka

market has closed. When he ceases to hear the noise, he will pack and go home, said the late Chief Moshood Abiola, the winner of the June 12, 1993 election who was not allowed to take the office. Just a few days after the sermon from Adoration Ground came another - a strange one - from a Lagos preacher and activist. Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly joined the call for a transition government, which its advocates swear will pull Nigeria back from the brink. Jonathan, they say, should head the government, which will run for two years and organise an election in which he will not participate. Now, many are asking: "Is Pastor Bakare not a lawyer?" Who will explain what is obviously an attempt to torpedo the Constitution and set it on its head for anarchy to take over? What do we call this; a mawkish ode to peace? Prophetic naivety? Why shift the goal post in the middle of

the match? Wouldn't that amount to taking too far what is seen as a growing culture of impunity and arbitrariness? Is this how to build a good society? Those analysts who have predicted that 2015 will be action-packed seem to be damn right. Things are moving so fast - at a pace that keeps us all panting as we attempt to catch up. Just when you sit down to analyse a big event, another of gargantuan stature hits you right in the face. And so it has been in the first week of this year of momentous decisions. The political parties are getting set for the elections. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised some N21b, mostly from anonymous donors, to fight its battle. After a public outcry, it has said the cash is not all for its campaign; part of it will go to its building of a secretariat. Even a simple matter of raising money has turned into a scandal for the PDP, a party that has lost many of its leading lights to crass impunity and injustice - going by the admission of its Chairman, Dr Adamu Muazu. Now, there are attempts to correct all that. Consider the composition of the party's campaign organisation. Among its ranks is Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Aviation minister, who will be the spokesman. Many have hailed his appointment as a master stroke, but some are asking: "Will this not distract him from the legal battle in which he is joined with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which levelled an allegation of money laundering against him?" In case you have been wondering what fate befell former Information Minister Labaran Maku, who resigned to pursue his ambition to govern Nasarawa State, there is an answer for you. Maku has joined - wait for this - the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). His bid for the PDP ticket collapsed and he, apparently in desperation, headed for APGA. He swears that he remains loyal to President

RIPPLES JONATHAN ‘LL WIN BECAUSE OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS, SAYS ANENIH

Yes, lots of Achievements like BLACKOUT, NAIRA DEVALUATION and SUFFERING OF THE MASSES?

Jonathan. Isn't this strange? In Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, former President Olusegun Obasanjo unleashed another tirade against the Jonathan administration. He told a group of women leaders how the economy had been brought to its knees by the government that was expected to protect it. He spoke of the depletion of the Excess Crude Account and accused the government of blowing $67b excess oil cash. Obasanjo spoke also of his relationship with Jonathan, saying he had no problem with the president. "I have no grudges against Jonathan and I think Jonathan equally has no grudges against me. I am not quarrelling with Jonathan but all I know is that whatever is good for Nigeria, I am ready to die for." He then advised the women not to throw away their votes. Besides, he said, they should check out the records of the candidates before voting. Do we still need a psychologist to tell us the depth of Baba's anger? I see Obasanjo summoning a meeting of artisans and drivers' union chiefs who he will advise to vote wisely. But Jonathan has refused to turn the other cheek. Only yesterday in Abuja, he lashed out at "some people who call themselves statesmen". They are not statesmen, he said, but "ordinary politicians.” In fact, His Excellency attempted to describe a statesman. He said: "For you to be a statesman is not because you have occupied a big office before, but the question is, what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country? Or are you part of people who tell lies to destroy this country?" Dr Jonathan, who was hosting the Northern Elders Council (NEC) at the Villa, did not name anybody. In what seemed like a moment of presidential anger, he said: "Making provocative statements…statements that will set this country ablaze and you tell me you are a senior citizen. You are not a senior citizen. You can never be; you're an ordinary motor park tout." Ah! But then, free speech is a right that even the President deserves to enjoy, even as he can do with some finesse. Despite the hard times, Nigerians have refused to surrender their sense of humour. On the Internet, there are various pictures of some prominent people, such as United States President Barack Obama, holding a placard with the inscription, "Vote for change. Vote Buhari". President Jonathan is pictured sitting on a motorcycle, which the maverick entertainer, Charly Boy, is riding. The inscription: "Going back to Bayelsa." As we rounded off production on December 31, this one hit my mobile: "Before people begin to circulate pirated, cheap and unauthorised Happy New Year greetings, I wish you and your entire family the original Happy New Year in advance with NAFDAC registration number 01-01-2015." So, dear reader, here's to you the original Happy New Year. Best. •For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above

BSURDITY has reached new heights in Ekiti State under Governor Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is beyond belief that seven PDP members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, in a move that turned the Constitution on its head, ostensibly passed the state's 2015 Appropriation Bill into law despite the clear lawlessness of the act. That the lawmakers conducted themselves in a dishonourable manner cannot be in doubt because they did not form a legal quorum in the 26-member legislature. It is unsurprising, and indeed appropriate, that the embattled Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, described the empty show as "one in the series of comic tales by farcical politicians holding the reins of governance in Ekiti State." Omirin and 18 other APC members of the House of Assembly are currently fighting to re-establish sanity in the legislature after their dramatically undemocratic marginalisation and the emergence of a dubiously dominant group of lawless lawmakers. It is interesting that the power-backed seven reportedly approved N80.94 billion as budget, which was about N160 million higher than the

Seven is a number figures presented to them by Fayose. The governor's proposal was N80.77 billion. The group leader, Dele Olugbemi, was quoted as saying: "We decided to increase the budget estimate not for any reason but to prove that we are independent." The difference in the figures was said to be for fixing the leaking roof of the Assembly complex. Even allowing for the benefit of the doubt, considering the ugly history of large-scale official corruption in power circles across the country, it might not be out of place to smell a rat in the narrative. Also, there was something fishy about comments credited to Fayose who spoke to journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his return from a foreign trip. Speaking about the 19 legislators who are in his administration's bad books, Fayose was quoted as saying: "The Speaker just called me recently and asking

for their Christmas gifts. I told him they should collect from Lagos and Osun state governments or the Speakers of those states." Isn't it food for thought that Fayose referred to Omirin as Speaker, suggesting that Olugbemi is merely being used for the spoiler's role? Again, even allowing for the benefit of the doubt, considering the mud-slinging that has marked Fayose's approach to governance, his remarks are more likely to be a continuation of the smear campaign against the opposition. It sounds far-fetched that the lawmakers on the other side would approach him for Yuletide presents, knowing full well that he is the kind of character who would readily use such a move to score political points. Fayose further said: "But in my state, you were elected by some people and the people had read the riot act to them that they will not come and destabilise the state. If you attempt it, the power of the people will rise against you because their power is higher than those of us who are in power." No one is fooled by Fayose's democratic posturing. The 19 beleaguered legislators are themselves representatives of the people, and their exclusion through undemocratic means is a reflection of megalomaniacal politics.

Published and printed by Vintage Press Limited. Corporate Office: 27B Fatai Atere Way, Matori, Lagos. P.M.B. 1025,Oshodi, Lagos. Telephone: Switch Board: 08034505516. Editor Daily:08099365644, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790. WEBSITE: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net ISSN: 115-5302 Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO