January 12, 2015 by The Nation

Newspaper of the Year

DHQ confirms 14 soldiers dead in Baga

Ajimobi: Akala blew N3b in one week

NEWS

Page 4

NEWS

Page 8

•Female bombers kill five in Potiskum

•‘Ladoja refunded N500m to EFCC’

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

VOL. 10, NO. 3093 MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

N150.00

Jonathan’s problem personal, not generational, says Tinubu

No tenure extension for SEC’s DG Oteh From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has rejected a request for the extension of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director-General Ms Arunma Oteh’s tenure, it emerged yesterday. He has approved the appointment of a Commissioner in the Commission, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, as acting DirectorGeneral. The President rejected a memo from the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Continued on page 4

•www.thenationonlineng.net

•Ms Oteh

LL Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan should consider his deficiencies as his personal failure and that of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said it amounted to an error for the President to gen-

From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

eralise the shortcomings as generational failure. Dr. Jonathan at the opening

Fashola’s takeaway Views & Comments P64 of his campaign last Thursday said his generation had failed Nigeria and that he would address the youth.

Tinubu said the APC would sweep out the “recklessness and filth” of the PDP next month at the general elections. He called on “Nigerians to rise to the challenge of voting the ruling PDP out of office.” Tinubu spoke at the camContinued on page 4

•INSIDE: AMBODE: I’M IN THIS RACE TO SERVE P7 EKITI AWAITS JONATHAN, BUHARI P8

•ST ANDING FOR FREE SPEECH •STANDING SPEECH:: Some world leaders, led by French President Francois Hollande (third left); Germany’s Angela Markel (fourth left) and others at a unity march in Paris after 19 PHOTO: REUTERS people were killed during three days of deadly attacks. STORY ON PAGE 58

Alleged N750m bribe: Two PDP leaders on the run

WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15 EVER RETURN?

Abuja billionaire in custody Aspirants to testify against officials

HO got the N750 million nomination bribe that has caused a huge scandal in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? Two key officials of the ruling party’s National Working Committee (NWC) fingered in the deal are said to be on the run. A manhunt has begun for them as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cast its net wide

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

to recover the cash. House of Representatives member Ndudi Elumelu was said to have given the cash to win the party’s Delta State governorship ticket. An Abuja billionaire, who collected the money from Elumelu, is in police custody. He is said to be a friend of a PDP National Vice Chairman and son-in-

law of a former Minister of Aviation. The suspect was arrested last Friday and some exotic cars were taken away from his Abuja home. While EFCC is looking into Elumelu’s petition, more aspirants have volunteered to testify on the huge cash-for- nomination deals during PDP’s primaries. Elumelu petitioned EFCC when he could not get the party’s governor-

ship ticket. A source in EFCC said: “So far, we have been able to get clues that two members of the NWC of PDP had direct link with the collection and disbursement of the N750 million. “We have their names and we may invite them for interrogation any moment from now. The suspect said he was just helping a friend and the Continued on page 4

•‘GOVT CAN’T ACCOUNT FOR OIL MONEY’ P5 JONATHAN: WE’LL GET TO PROMISED LAND P4

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS

Knocks for I

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (second right), signing the approved budget estimate into law at the State House, Marina, Lagos. With him are Deputy Governor Joke Orelope-Adefulire (right), Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ben. Akabueze (second left) and a member, Lagos State House of Assembly Apropriation Committee, Mr. Suuru Avosel. PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Barely a month to the February 14 general elections, many of the more than 70 million Nigerians captured as eligible voters are still grappling with a major hurdle - to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) – without which they cannot vote. Managing Editor, Northern Operation, YUSUF ALLI, x-rays the politics of the PVC, challenges facing INEC and implications for the polls.

T •From left: Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Bishop of the Diocese of Asaba, Rt. Revd. Justus Mogekwu and the Chairman of the Nigeria Legion, Delta State chapter, Lt. Col. Daniel Amereh, at an inter-denominational thanksgiving service marking the Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Anglican Cathedral Church of St. Peter's, Asaba... yesterday PHOTO: HENRY UNINI

HE furore over the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) reached its peak on January 5, when President Goodluck Jonathan read the riot act to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega to ensure that all Nigerians have their voter cards on or before the 2015 poll begins on February 14. “To the chairman of INEC, luckily you are here, all Nigerians must get their voter cards, we cannot conduct an election where some people will not have the rights to vote…and INEC must do everything possible to make sure that all Nigerians have their voters’ cards because we cannot have a situation where some Nigerians will not vote that day,” Jonathan told the INEC chief. The President’s order was the climax of the nationwide protests against alleged irregularities in the distribution of the PVCs by INEC. Barely 36 days to the 2015 poll, many eligible voters, including former Heads of State, governors, and the downtrodden are still struggling to get the all-important PVCs.

How electoral body opted for PVC

•From left: Speaker, Jigawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu, Deputy Governor Ahmed Mahmoud and Governor Sule Lamido, at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in Buji...yesterday

•A member of the Victims Support Fund, Dr. Bulama Maligubio, presenting relief materials to a widow at the inauguratation of distribution of relief materials to insurgency victims in Maiduguri... yesterday

The road to the introduction PVCs began after the filtration of the Voters Register. According to INEC, at the end of the general registration of voters in 2011, 73. 5 million eligible voters were captured, including the records of multiple registrants. But after the de-duplication with the Automated Fingerprint Identification Software (AFIS), the actual figure stood at 70,383,427 voters. The result of the 2011 presidential election showed valid votes of 39,469,484 96.81 with valid votes turnout of 53.7 per cent. The invalid votes were 1,259,506 3.19. Thereafter, INEC came up with a 10year PVC system to eliminate multiple registrations, check rigging through ghost voters and feed the card with biometrics that would prevent impersonation at the polls. In the beginning, Jega, who addressed an INEC/civil society dialogue, said: “With the design of the card and specification, it will serve for an average of 10 years, as it could also be used for the 2019 elections. The electronic voters’ card would check people buying voters card, eliminate multiple voting, electoral fraud and ensure credible and transparent polls.”

•Jonathan

INEC must do everything possible to make sure that all Nigerians have their voters’ cards because we cannot have a situation where some Nigerians will not vote that day,” Troubled timeline of PVC Based on INEC’s proposal, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), had in April 2012, awarded the contract for the printing of 40 million PVCs. The INEC’s ICT Director, Mr. Chidi Nwafor, had disclosed that the printing of the 40 million PVCs would cost N2.6 billion and the production was expected to be handled by Art Technology Limited, with the technical partner “Obature” in France, at the cost of N65 per card. He also said INEC was working toward achieving the 40 million voter cards before the end of 2012 in the first phase of the distribution of the cards. Similarly in 2013, the contract for additional 33.5 million cards was awarded by the FEC. Speaking on the timeline, Jega said INEC would commence “the issuance of permanent voters’ card early in 2013, as the contract for the production of 40 million voters registered card out of the 73.5 million registered had been awarded. He said by the middle of last year, all the eligible voters who had registered would have been given their PVC’s. He said: “There are 73.5 million eligible voters but for the first phase we will print 40 million and another part of it for completion is in the budget for 2012.”

Why Nigerians have to wait to get voter cards Several factors accounted for the delay in the distributing of the PVCs. They included: slow production of the cards which affected INEC distribution timelines; logistical challenges in delivery of the cards; disappearance of data in some polling units; high-level insecurity in some states; poor handling by some ad-hoc staff; apathy by some voters who had change residences among others. The immediate past Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Lagos, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola said: “The reason you could not find INEC officials at some polling units was that the data for those units no longer exist. We will be taking our machines to those polling units to re-register the residents, and two machines have been allocated for those units.” A top INEC director , who spoke in confidence with our correspondent on Thursday also said: “The truth is that we have been receiving the PVCs in batches. What we did was that instead of waiting for the whole cards, we de-

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS

INEC as Nigerians can’t get voter cards

•Jega

The electronic voters’ card would check people buying voters card, eliminate multiple voting, electoral fraud and ensure credible and transparent polls.” cided to be distributing the cards piecemeal too. This was what accounted for the complaints by some eligible voters in some states.”

Protests galore over shoddy distribution of cards If there is any issue that has stained the image of INEC, it is PVC distribution. From Lagos to Niger, Sokoto to Delta, there were complaints and fears of likely disenfranchisement of voters. The Chairman of Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) and Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu said: “As I speak to you, myself, former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, have not collected our PVCs.” He asked the nation to stop the use of PVCs in the coming polls. Also, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola said: “Honestly, as I said earlier, I have the Temporary Voter Card (TVC). On one hand, you say we should go and register again, but I have already registered, so why should I register again? It does not make any sense, because anyone can then say the governor registered twice. “I think INEC should stop hiding behind a finger and tell us truly what their reasons are. They have failed without any logical explanation for it. The system can’t crash in part. If you store data in one place, it’s either you lose it or recover it. Where is the integrity of INEC if it is telling us that it does not have a data recovery system? “This is an exercise INEC told us they are going to be ready in August, then they moved it to September, then November and they still didn’t get it right. If people are feeling that this is a rigging plan, then we need to be careful and know if INEC is nurturing or threatening this democracy. INEC is giving Nigerians the impression that it is a referee with an interest. From the foundation of the election, the participants are saying this is already wrong and we may be heading for trouble.” On his part, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun said: “This exercise has not started. It will hold on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Anything short of that is not acceptable to us in Ogun State. This is a mess as you can see yourself that people are complaining, it is everywhere.” The National Leader of the All Progressives Party (APC) and former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, also described the distribution

•Aliyu

As I speak to you, myself, former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, have not collected our PVCs.” process as shoddy. He said: “Just as we (APC) merged to form a formidable opposition party, they (INEC) have merged with Jonathan to form a formidable rigging machine. This exercise is a colossal failure. “INEC has the responsibility to give us a date when the exercise which they did. They were the ones that picked the date. On the eve of the exercise, they announced they could only carry out the exercise in 11 local government areas out of the 20 recognised by the Federal Government. “Rather than outright boycott, we endured the frustration and appealed to the public to participate. Our field report and personal experience indicated that the exercise in those 11 LGAs failed and it is unacceptable. In some instances, you didn’t find INEC and then in some they did not start on time. ...to me, this exercise has failed, it is not acceptable, and we consider it as a rigging exercise. INEC has colluded with the presidency and the opposing party to rig the election from the data to the end.” Some protesters, under the aegis of Activists for Good Governance (AGG), The Nucleus Group, and TNG added their voice too. Speaking on behalf of the AGG, Comrade Declan Ihekaire said: “2015 is here already and any attempt to disenfranchise Nigerians will mark the beginning of action. What we see is that INEC is short of staff and you are already being nicknamed as trying to rig the election next year. INEC must ensure the PVCs get to the people and they should not attempt to rig the election. Those in power know that there will be protest votes in 2015 and that is why they are trying to rig the election.”

INEC chair disputes failure But Jega does not believe that the commission was lagging behind in the distribution of the PVCs. At a meeting with the Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) SecretaryGeneral for West and Central Africa, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the INEC chairman said the challenges experienced during the third phase of PVCs’ distribution and Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in some states were transient and do not threaten the Commission’s readiness to deliver superlative elections in 2015. He gave insights into what INEC had been doing. He said: “Since the 2011 elections,

•Fashola

“I think INEC should stop hiding behind a finger and tell us truly what their reasons are. They have failed without any logical explanation for it. The system can’t crash in part. the Commission has devoted a lot of time and energy to keep on improving the processes and setting up policies and mechanisms that can help us have remarkably better elections in 2015. We’ve done quite a lot…Of course, there are challenges; and we have to acknowledge these challenges. “One of the key things we have done is that we have updated the register, we have cleaned it up and we have been working very hard to produce and distribute what the law says we should – Permanent Voter Cards. We have gone very far with this. “So far, we have produced PVCs and distributed them in 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and we have also done an update of the register in those states. “The last phase of the distribution of PVCs and updating the register was to cover the remaining 12 states. I must say with regret that we experienced some challenges in the production of those cards within our defined time schedules, and this has necessitated adjustment of the timeline for distribution of the cards. “Whereas we had wanted to distribute the cards within the same period in all the remaining 12 states, we now have to stagger it in order to ensure that we have all the cards before they are distributed. And, of course, people have been very anxious and many have been disappointed – not just by the change in the timetable for distribution of the cards but also by the logistical challenges and operational delays experienced in the field. “But these are minor challenges as far as we are concerned. We are absolutely sure that before the February elections, every validly registered Nigerian will have his / her PVC to be able to exercise their voting right. And we are doing everything possible to ensure that happens.”

The PVC situation as at last week Records obtained from INEC on Thursday confirmed that the electoral body had issued 54,341,610 so far; distributed 38,774,391.00 in all the 36 states, representing (71.3 per cent) and had a balance of 15,567,219 to issue to eligible voters. The list is as follows: Kano(2,771,185); Kaduna (2,643,517); Lagos (2,159,091); Katsina (1,965,840); Bauchi ( 1,509,255); Jigawa (1,460,620); Rivers (1,253,606); Sokoto (1,211,717); Delta (1,260,728); Akwa Ibom (1,177,910); Oyo (1,141,405); Benue

•Amosun

Anything short of that is not acceptable to us in Ogun State. This is a mess as you can see yourself that people are complaining, it is everywhere.” (1,132,187); Niger (1,089,002) Plateau (1,072,352); Kebbi (1,035,780) and Abia (1,020,601) Other states are Ekiti (481,198); Osun (992,310); Bayelsa ( 370,062); Enugu (662,445); Gombe (802,959); Kogi (755,775); Taraba (921,637); Zamfara (925,302); Anambra (862,747); Cross River (763,436); Ebonyi (687,402); and FCT (411,935). The remaining distribution rates in other states are: Kwara (670,694); Ondo (824,715); Yobe (740,336); Adamawa (912,312); Edo (930,276); Ogun (672,017); Nasarawa (799,991); and Imo (682,046).

What next for INEC? Despite the misgivings, INEC has continued to demonstrate the optimistic that it could distribute PVCs to a large number of voters before the elections. The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chair, said: “We are working round the clock to ensure that all those who were registered collect their PVCs. We are hopeful that most of them will have their PVCs. “Eligible voters have up to January 31 to collect their PVCs. In fact, we are thinking of adding more days in February to enable Nigerians get these cards. “The Electoral Act only stipulates when INEC can display register of voters. There is no time-limit in law for the distribution of the PVCs.” Without much ado, it is obvious that INEC may not be able to distribute PVCs to all voters in line with Section 16 of the Electoral Act. The section says: “The commission shall design or cause to be printed and control the issuance of voters’ cards to voters whose names appear in the register. The commission may, whenever it considers it necessary, replace all or any voters’ cards for the time being held by voters.” There are four options before the electoral commission: to go ahead with the innovation of PVCs irrespective of those who might be disenfranchised or suspend the use of PVCs by allowing eligible voters to exercise their rights with the TVCs issued for the 2011 poll; and by allowing the acceptance of PVCs and TVCs during the February polls. The fourth alternative is to shift the poll until the PVCs are sorted out in order not to disenfranchise some Nigerians. Section 26 of the Electoral Act gives INEC liberty to exercise discretion in such emergencies.

•Tinubu

“Just as we (APC) merged to form a formidable opposition party, they (INEC) have merged with Jonathan to form a formidable rigging machine. This exercise is a colossal failure. The Section reads: “Where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct elections as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies, the commission may postpone the election and shall in respect of the postponed election, provided that such reason for the postponement is cogent and verifiable.” An INEC within the electoral body said the commission will go ahead with the use of PVCs because the disenfranchisement might not substantially affect the outcome of elections at all levels. “We will not change our plans to use PVCs for the polls, we have gone far on this project to change our position,” the source added.

Can legal action on pvc invalidate 2015 poll? Though INEC is adamant on the use of PVCs, it might face legal action from some smart politicians who might not be favoured by the outcome of the polls. Findings however revealed that those likely to be disenfranchised might not win such a matter because once the denial of voting right has no substantial effect on polls’ results, those affected may have no case. It was learnt that the Supreme Court had made a pronouncement on this type of electoral challenge in Bola Ige vs Victor Olunloyo, 1984 1 SC. An Abuja-based lawyer, Yoonus Abdulsalam, said: “The disenfranchisement of an eligible voter is an irregularity but to invalidate any election, the irregularity has to be substantial to warrant annulment.”

Will electoral umpire survive poitics of PVC There may be no legal inhibitions against INEC for disenfranchising some eligible voters but the electoral commission may not be able to survive the attendant politics which such a shoddy exercise might attract. If the PVC problem overwhelms INEC at the last minutes, it can erode the confidence of Nigerians in the electoral umpire, affects its credibility, and it may make the outcome of the poll questionable. The ball is in Jega’s hands to guide INEC to ensure the success of the PVCs and deliver credible polls. Will INEC slump into the booby trap of “failureseeking” politicians because of PVCs? Only time will tell.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS Alleged N750m bribe: Two PDP leaders on the run Continued from page 1

money was handed over to some NWC members. “It is too early to prejudge the affected NWC members. But when we invite them, we will let you know. “But the suspect is still with us giving vital information on how he tried to help Elumelu as a friend.” As of press time, the affected NWC members were trying to wield influence to resolve the matter amicably. A party source said: “There is tension everywhere, the NWC members are calling for amicable resolution of the issue at stake. “They do not want anything that can affect the image of the party. I think they

want to refund the cash quietly to avoid any backlash on the party and their political career. “I think the luck with Ndudi Elumelu is that he is from a well-connected family which will make cheating him difficult”. Findings also revealed that a chartered jet was also on standby for some of those behind the deal in order to get the governorship ticket for Elumelu. Another source added: “They embarked on many shuttles with a chartered jet during the transaction. “The N750million deal was one of the reasons why Tony Obuh, the hitherto anointed candidate of the Governor of

Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan lost out. “To some extent, those who collected the cash assisted in scheming out Obuh from the race. But they could not rout out the party’s eventual governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, whom they did not know had been a friend of the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, for many years. “They really cheated Uduaghan without knowing that they were digging their graves.” Other aggrieved aspirants are also seeking their pounds of flesh. They are said to be ready to squeal on how some PDP leaders negotiated nomination deals with them.

A third source said: “Since this incident became public knowledge, more aspirants have volunteered to go to EFCC with more information about the activities of the Screening, Electoral Committees and Appeal Committees. “You could see that during the primaries, some aspirants were disqualified but miraculously they were cleared again. “Some said they parted with huge sums without getting the party’s tickets for offices aspired to. “They said they have records of how the monies were paid or wired. I think there will be more revelations in the days ahead.”

DHQ confirms 14 soldiers dead

EEKEND’s clashes between Boko Haram insurgents and troops in Baga, Borno State, claimed the lives of 14 soldiers, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) confirmed yesterday. It said 30 others sustained injuries. The DHQ however said that the fighting was still ongoing in Baga and that many insurgents had been mauled down. A statement and a tweet by the Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade gave insight into the battle to reclaim Baga since Boko Haram invaded the fish town on January 3. There had been claims and counter-claims on the actual

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

situation in the troubled community. While the Amnesty International alleged that more than 2,000 civilians might have died in the deadliest raid on Baga by Boko Haram, the DHQ said the actual figure of civilian casualties has not been creditably determined. The tweet said: “We are fighting in Baga. We are taking terrorists down; we are losing our soldiers too...” But the statement was more specific on the situation of the war in Baga. Olukolade said: “A total of 14 soldiers were killed in action during the attack, while

over 30 who were wounded are now receiving medical attention. Most of those declared missing in action have also rejoined their unit in the ongoing reorganisation for further operations. “Although several of the terrorists died in the course of the attack and efforts at repelling the assailants, the actual figure of civilian casualties is yet to be creditably determined as is being propagated in certain quarters. “The Nigerian military has not given up on Baga and other localities where terrorists’ activities are now prevalent. Appropriate plans, men and resources are presently being mobilised to address the situ-

President to Nigerians: we’ll get to Promised Land

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday reassured Nigerians that the nation will get to the Promised Land despite the obstacles and challenges. He spoke at the thanksgiving service for his daughter, Inebharapu, at the Anglican Church the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja. The President noted that the whole world is currently being challenged and that with the prayer of Nigerians, the country will overcome its challenges. He said: “I’m not here to make a political statement but only to thank you my brothers and sisters and to continue to pray for our great country. This is a period in which the whole world is being challenged, just like some of the passages we read. Whenever I think about all these happenings in Nigeria I remember the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. “When God promised they were going to be given a land full of milk and honey, ordinarily one would have expected them to walk in and get the milk and honey. But they had

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

to cross the Red Sea; that was a challenge; they had to meet people like Annas and others; that was a big challenge but because God wanted them to be there they were able to get there. “Surely, we’ll get to where we want to go as a nation. We may have the road bumps, we may have the obstacles but we will crush them and pass them. All what we request is your continued support and your prayers, and we promise we’ll continue to do our best.” Speaking on the thanksgiving, he said: “We were here before, and today we are here again because my son and my daughter were joined in holy matrimony yesterday by His Grace, who was the presiding priest and assisted by other men of God. It was a joyful occasion because marriage in Christendom takes a long journey. “We started this journey in the village where we had to fulfill the traditional obligation to show that a girl was properly given out to the man. Then yesterday we had the real marContinued on page 60

No tenure extension for Oteh •Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh

ation. “The Nigerian component of the Multinational Joint Task Force which retreated from its Continued on page 60

•Tinubu (right), Wamakko (middle) and Tambuwal...yesterday

Continued from page 1

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, seeking a second term for Oteh. The memo was said to be based on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim’s recommendation. Ms. Oteh’s controversial tenure ended on January 6. Although she lobbied to return, the President was said to have thought otherwise. It was learnt an evaluation showed that her performance was “neither sterling nor spectacular.” The government found that the stock market has not recovered from the 2008 financial crisis. The President, findings showed, rejected her return to resolve the lingering “Executive-National Assembly faceoff” over her tenure. A source said: “Despite intense lobbying by some government officials and business players, the President stood his ground that Ms. Oteh should not come back. “Jonathan rejected a memo from the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala seek-

ing the retention of Ms. Oteh. The Minister based the case for Oteh on a strong recommendation by the SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim. “To some extent, the SGF misled the Minister because the indices did not add up for Oteh as to earn a renewal of tenure. There was no convincing statistics to prove that Oteh has led the stock market to a leap recovery. “No one could explain why the Office of the SGF which suspended her while in office will be the one championing her retention. I think there was a tribal connotation to it. “The evaluation of her tenure indicated an average performance because she was rated as ‘neither sterling nor spectacular. The President chose to look beyond ethnic sentiments and stood on the side of truth and the public yearning for a change in SEC. “Stakeholders in the Stock Exchange Market, workers and others alike wanted a fresh breath of air in SEC. You will recall that at the peak of SEC crisis in 2012, Ms. Oteh’s comContinued on page 60

Jonathan’s problem personal, not generational, says Tinubu Continued from page 1

paign inauguration of the party’s governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambawal, who is the House of Representatives Speaker. He said: “If the president doesn’t know the history and responsibilities of his office, he should quit the office and go back home.” Two serving governors and three of their former colleagues were in Sokoto, the seat of the Caliphate to add glamour to the campaign of Tambawal and his running mate, Ahmed Aliyu. According to Tinubu, “the APC is the cure to the disease affecting the country,” noting that the party was fast growing in the Northwest and other parts of the country. The former governor went

on: “Our great party (APC) is growing larger and larger by the day throughout Nigeria and especially in the North West.” Describing Tambuwal as a great politician, Tinubu maintained that APC and Nigerians were proud of his sense of resilience and commitment to the progress of the nation’s democracy. His words: “This is a great day for a great campaign of a great man. We are launching the spirit of change and development in Sokoto for all APC candidates in the state.” He described the APC as a baby of yesterday which has grown to political maturity. “We will not let it die prematurely but to nurture it to the benefit of Nigerians who are clamouring for change. APC is the cure for the headache we are having right now”, he

pointed out. Asiwaju, urged Nigerians to appreciate Tambuwal as a loyal and very committed individual to the mission and progress of the country. He urged the people of Sokoto to overwhelmingly support the course for change for continued transformation. Presenting the Speaker before a crowd of party faithful, who thronged the Sokoto Trade Fair venue of the event on behalf of the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, former interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, described Nigeria as a great country with great people of great time. Akande said: “Wamakko is a great man who is to be succeeded by a greatman (Tambuwal). On behalf of the National Chairman of the party, I

have the privilege and honour to present to you Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as APC gubernatorial candidate at this campaign flag off ceremony.” In his remarks, Tambuwal promised to consolidate the works of his predecessor if given the mandate. He explained that he would run a transparent government based on the leadership principles of the founding fathers of the Sokoto Caliphate. He condemned the calls for an interim government, describing such as unconstitutional. The Speaker said: “We and the generality of Nigerians are not disposed to the unconstitutional option. We are ready for free, fair and credible elections that will provide an enabling environment for the benefit of our people and dear nation.

“APC shall emerge under free and fair contest for the national leadership which will In sha Allah be headed by a fearless, committed, credible and disciplined leader in Buhari.” Earlier, APC Northwest zonal Vice Chairman, Inuwa Abdulkadir, said the era of backwardness would soon be history, urging Nigerians to use their votes as necessary weapons to install a progressive government. He disclosed that the APC has in the last few weeks been experiencing the influx of new members from the PDP. “This development is apt and will help our mission and vision for the country in fighting insurgency, insecurity among other grey areas of challenges when we get the mandate to form government at the centre”, he said.

Also speaking, Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, noted that APC was admiring good governance in line with its principles of giving Nigeria and Nigerians the desirable leadership. “We are confident that Tambuwal will embrace the qualities of Wamakko and ensure result-oriented drive for the people of the state”, he said. Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State had earlier described Tambuwal as a committed agent of change, who stood his grounds against the antics of the ruling PDP to shortchange Nigerians. Oshiohmole said: “Edo people are proud of your strength Continued on page 60

ADVERT HOTLINES 08023006969, 08052592524

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS

Fed Govt can’t account for oil money, says Fashola

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola has decried the Federal Government’s inability to properly account for the nation’s oil revenue. He spoke at the weekend at the inauguration of the 8.5-kilometre Amedokhian-Ugboha road, as part of activities marking the sixth year anniversary of Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration. Fashola said: “We have a national government that is unable to account for money for crude oil that they did not extract; it is the white people that are extracting it for them. The price is fixed internationally, the quantity is known, just to add up and tally. They say it is $20 billion that is missing, some say $10 bil-

•Oshiomhole: PDP has failed Nigerians lion. Should one dollar have been missing in any responsible government? So that is why corruption and accountability is an issue in the next election.” On the 8.5km AmedokhianUgboha road built by the Oshiomhole administration, Fashola said: “If a government at the state level that collects one over 96 per cent - because what the state gets is that the 36 states and Abuja share nine per cent of the total revenue. And they can do this kind of road and all the red roofs that I have seen. Imagine what will happen, if you have a President and vice president that care. “The story of this road is the celebration of a community that has put its votes in sup-

port of a party that used to be the party in opposition. A community that has renewed its social contract to depart from a party that has deceived them and embrace change; a community that has seen what change is if people vote right. “This road will benefit the pedestrian; it will benefit the car owner; it will benefit the motorcyclist; and it will benefit the farmer and produce buyer and the market women. This is the economy of development. This road facilitates transport; it facilitates trade; it facilitates health care delivery and this really is the heart of democracy. “Government that builds roads does not build roads sim-

ply because they want to build roads. They are governments that understand that a community or society cannot be bigger than its infrastructure and the wider the roads the bigger the prosperity that comes to that community.” To Oshiomhole, Nigerians must vote out the PDP for failing to provide electricity after 16 years in power. He stressed the need for the people to vote for the APC at all levels as the PDP has failed to provide the basic facilities needed by the people. Oshiomhole said: “I need you to connect with this election. There are no miracles in development. It is about planning, commitment, honesty

and judicious application of resources. PDP’s only resolve is to steal. “Sixteen years of PDP, Nigerians have no water and no light; they are still using generators. In the name of privatisation, they handed over electricity in Edo to their friends; they are collecting money from you without light.” Oshiomhole said the elections were around the corner, urging the people to elect the House of Assembly that would support the appropriation of funds for projects. “That is why this coming election is very important,” he said. “The import of electing responsible people to the House of Assembly should not be lost on you. There are people who

are there only for money. They will ask the governor to bring the money to share rather than build roads - our people need to understand that. Understand that membership of the House of Assembly is not a small job. “The other party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the years, found that election rigging is easier in communities that are not accessible. So, they benefit from their own criminal neglect of providing infrastructure, particularly access roads to rural communities. I am a believer of even development. “Central to rural development and to consign poverty to history, it is important we invest in rural infrastructure, particularly road network.”

Don’t sell your PVCs, rights’ group tells voters From Shola O’Neil and Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

•Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN (third right); the celebrant, Justice Samson Uwaifo JSC rtd (second right), his wife, Rosemary (right); former Edo State Governor Chief Lucky Igbinedion (left); the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Sir Gabriel Igbinedion (second left); and former Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki (third left), at a book launch in honour of Justice Uwaifo, titled: “On Judicial Integrity: Legal Essays and Materials,” at the Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre, Airport road, Benin City, Edo State.

‘Private universities should benefit from TETfund’

HE Federal Government has been urged to review the Act establishing the Tertiary Education Fund (TETfund) to enable the country’s private universities benefit. Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Musbau Akanji, made the plea in an interview with reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Prof. Akanji, who was the pioneer vice chancellor of AlHikmah University, said the review would develop the

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

country’s educational system. He called on universities to imbibe the calendar culture of October to July, adding that it had been disrupted by strikes. The vice chancellor said some universities found it difficult to cope with the calendar. He said: “With the type of injection of funds that the Federal Government made available to public universi-

ties, if sustained, it is likely that the advancement of education will be assured. “I am of the opinion that privately-owned universities should benefit from TETfund, because it is contributed by companies operating in Nigeria and private universities are training Nigerian children for the Nigerian economy. “I think government should have another look at the Act enabling of TETfund, so that private universities will benefit from it.”

Prof. Akanji emphasised that massive injection of funds to science and technology would bail Nigeria out of dependence on oil. His words: “At various fora, we have canvassed massive fund injection to science and technology; there is no alternative to that. I was in France in 2010 and they showed a car that will be using water to drive. By the time that car is produced in commercial quantity, even if there is oil, nobody will buy it. “There is no alternative to

massive funding of science and technology. So that there will be discoveries and innovations, and so that we will not rely on oil alone. “Nigeria used to live on agriculture before the 1960s. Where is that today? Nigeria should fund science and technology. I think the present trend by the National Universities Commission (NUC) that private universities must have 60/40 applied sciences to humanities is a step in the right direction.”

Why Jonathan may not win, by PDP chief

CHIEFTAIN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Hassan Jalo, said yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan could not win the presidential election slated for February 14, as long he relied on the promises of Abuja-based politicians. The ruling party, he said, would be digging its own grave by underrating the strength and the challenge of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Jalo, who spoke in a chat with reporters in Kaduna, said the ruling party could come out victorious by returning to the drawing board and to the grassroots to mobilise for supports. He said: “PDP will fail if it relies on Abuja politicians because they cannot decide who wins the presidential elections. The party must go back to the

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

drawing board and grassroots for it to come out victorious in the 2015 elections. People are defecting in mass from PDP at the grassroots. “APC is a big threat to PDP because it is a formidable opposition. People close to Jonathan don’t tell him the truth. The PDP is in a serious problem - if it does not go back to the drawing board and it keeps relying on the Abuja politicians. “If the PDP does not do that I’m afraid anything can happen in the 2015 general elections. PDP is in danger. You see the plain truth is PDP should not take APC lightly. “APC is a very strong and formidable opposition party. And it is a threat to PDP. 2015 election will not be like any other elections. Mind you, PDP has lost five formidable state

governors. For PDP to lose Kano and Lagos, which are highly populated areas, forget it. Kano and Lagos bring the highest votes in Nigeria. “Any political party that can win the Northwest and Southwest and get additional votes from Northeast, Northcentral, Southeast and Southsouth will win the Presidency. “Majority of the votes comes from the Northwest and Southwest. And look at it that the PDP has lost Kano, Northwest and Lagos, Southwest. PDP has messed up by losing Kwara, Adamawa and Sokoto. “When you take the Sokoto Caliphate, which comprises of Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi, they vote in mass. And even in this 2015 election, they will vote in one direction from the way I’m looking at things. And all this forms part of the Northwest. In Nigerian politics, ones you win in the Southwest and

Northwest, you have won the Presidency because that is where the bulk of the votes come from. The Southsouth and Southeast don’t bring votes while the Northeast and Northcentral are divided. So, the bulk of the votes come from the Northwest and Southwest. Nobody can win the presidency with the votes of the Southsouth and Southeast. “So, if you look at the calculations, you will know that PDP is in a clear danger. If they don’t go back to the drawing board, stop relying on Abuja politicians and go back to the grassroots, where the votes come from, PDP is finished. “You cannot be in Abuja and go to tell Mr. President and the national chairman of PDP lies that I call win my state. And maybe for a year or six months they’ve not been to their villages.

ELLIGIBLE voters have been urged not to sell their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to politicians or votes along ethnic lines. Executive Director of Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged (CENTREP), Oghenejabor Ikimi, gave the warning in a statement. Ikimi allayed fears of a possible breakdown of law and order during the electioneering process, saying Nigerians were now better informed on national issues. The rights’ group appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to be “neutral in carrying out their duties prior to, during and after the elections”. It called on politicians and political parties to resist the lure of electoral malpractices. On threats of violence, in case of loss by candidates of certain political parties, the group described the threats as empty. It noted that “Nigeria is bigger than individual candidates and their parties”.

Annan speaks on poll tomorrow From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

•Dr Jonathan

“Those are the Abuja politicians, who only stay in Abuja and go and tell Mr. President they will deliver their state for him only just to get contracts and leave. And those are the people the PDP is relying on. “Abuja politicians are the problem of PDP. Mr. President should know that he is being deceived. He should tell the PDP national chairman, ‘let everybody go back to their villages and mobilise for the party.’”

FORMER Secretary of the United Nations (UN) Kofi Annan will join other eminent personalities tomorrow to advise Nigerian political actors on how to ensure a transparent and rancour-free election next month. The forum, which will hold in Abuja, is being organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation (Situation Room). It will afford Annan the platform to share his insights on the role of civil society in ensuring electoral integrity.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS 25-year-old held for ‘raping’ 85-year-old From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

25-YEAR-OLD man, Familola Ayodeji, has been arrested for allegedly raping an 85-year-old woman in Ido-Ekiti, headquarters of Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State. In another incident in IkoleEkiti, headquarters of Ikole Local Government Area, an 80-year-old man, Pa Olajide Ojo, allegedly defiled a 12year-old girl on Christmas Eve. Ayodeji has been arrested by operatives of the Department of Criminal Investigation of the State Police Command. A statement by police spokesman Victor Babayemi said Ayodeji reportedly sneaked into the room of his victim and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her on December 25, last year. The suspect was said to have gone into hiding after committing the crime but he was arrested, following a manhunt by police detectives. Pa Ojo, on December 24, reportedly lured his victim into his room under the pretence that he wanted to buy pounded yam from her. As soon as the victim entered, the suspect locked the door and forcefully defiled her. Neighbours were attracted by the girl’s cry. The police were later alerted. The octogenarian was promptly arrested by detectives attached to Ikole Divisional Headquarters. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the strike by judiciary workers is called off.

I’m in this race to serve, says Ambode

HE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, has said he is in the race to serve humanity. The APC candidate, at the weekend, reassured supporters and stakeholders that he was in the race to serve and lead by example. In a statement by his Director of Media and Communications, Steve Ayorinde, Ambode said Lagos had a record of “excellent service” in the past 15 years and the more than 17 million people living and working in Africa’s largest city-state “deserved a tested hand who would continue in that tradition of excellence”. The APC candidate said: “The governor that Lagos State deserves at this period of our continued growth and development is a man with a track record of performance and excellence; a man who is tested, who understands governance and is an experienced administrator who will not experiment with the resources and growth template of this state. I, Akinwunmi, Ambode, is that man.”

By Joseph Jibueze

Speaking at the third Annual Lecture of the January 9 Collective (J9C), where he spoke on the topic of the lecture, 2015 General Polls: Beyond the Rhetoric of Credible Elections, which was delivered by Prof. Anthony Kila. According to Ambode, who is a Fulbright scholar, selfless service and leadership by example should be the hallmark of an elected official, who is desirous of making a meaningful change and lasting impression in the lives of the electorate. “Selfless service becomes non-negotiable if the process that brought elected leaders into office is free, fair and credible. But often, we see leaders who derail and abandon their promises to the electorate because the process that brought them to office is flawed. They feel they do not owe the voters. “This is why we in APC have been very vocal about the need to have a credible election; to have a process that is fair and transparent and to have an election that does not seek to systematically disenfranchise the electorate.”

He added that APC would continue to urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that all the eligible six million registered voters in Lagos State get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). “This is the only way to ensure that INEC’s preparedness is beyond rhetorics so that next month’s elections can produce leaders that the people want.” Ambode met with the Zonal Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Lagos Zone, Comrade Tokunbo Korodo; the National Coordinator of the Civil Society Club of Nigeria (CISOCON), Comrade Babatunde Ashafa; the chairman of the Council of Arewa Chiefs, Alhaji Sani Kabiru and a group of senior citizens representing retired civil servants at his Gbagada campaign office. The APC candidate also reiterated his plans for sports development when he spoke at a charity football match in Ikorodu yesterday, organised to drum up support for his ambition. He used the occasion to explain his T.H.E.S.E plan which,

as part of his campaign manifesto, emphasises the harnessing of Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Sports and Excellence to get the youth of Lagos State engaged in those areas. “Our vision is clear about the direction that Lagos State should face after 15 years of solid foundation and progress. And this is what our campaign is all about. We must consolidate and build on the achievements of the past administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the incumbent actualiser, Babatunde Fashola. “Lagos deserves excellence through a combination of requisite experience and selfless service. Lagos does not depend on sharing of oil revenue any longer. “The state is creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and for citizens and corporate sector to pay their taxes. Sports, entertainment and tourism are goldmines waiting to be tapped. This is no time to experiment with the future of our state and we are convinced that the majority of Lagosians appreciate that fact.”

From Leke Akeredolu, Akure

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State at the weekend condemned police’s attack on its members in Akure during the “Work for Change” rally last Friday. The party described the attack on its members as unjustifiable, barbaric, unacceptable, unfortunate and a threat to fair and credible elections in Ondo State. In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, the party said the brutal attack on its members by police officers reportedly on the orders of Governor Olusegun Mimiko was a threat to fair and credible elections in Ondo State. The statement reads: “It is now clearer than ever that Governor Olusegun Mimiko is jittery and rattled by the growing popularity of APC in Ondo State, hence the need to use the security apparatus to bully, harass, intimidate and silence progressive voices in our dear state. “We can assure Mimiko that he will fail resoundingly in his renewed attempt to manipulate and rig election in favour of the non-performing and out-of-favour President Goodluck Jonathan in Ondo State. “Is this how Mimiko will give Jonathan one million votes by sending the police to disrupt our peaceful gathering? “It is now clear that he is planning to intimidate the opposition with security agencies, but we are battleready for him and his PDP.”

Support for Buhari

‘Agbaje’ll sack civil servants like Fayose’

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has warned Lagosians not to vote for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) next month as a large majority of civil servants can “kiss their jobs good bye”. In a statement in Lagos by the State Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, the party said: “Jimi Agbaje would embark on mass sacking just like Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, who sacked over 300 employees of the Ekiti State Traffic Management Authority. “Just as the Fayose administration embarked on the mass sacking of over 800 members of the Peace Corps and other employees, Agbaje would go after employees of all state parastatals. “Employees of the Kick Against Indiscipline Task Force, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, the Lagos State Waste Water Management Agency and over 60 other agencies would be sent into the labour market, if the PDP takes over.” The party said a month after Fayose became governor, he slashed the salaries of Ekiti street sweepers from N10, 000 to N5, 000. “At a time when the rate of unemployment in the country is high, Lagos workers cannot risk losing their means of livelihood by voting for a party that is on a revenge mission having been rejected by the people in four elections.”

Ondo APC condemns attack on members

•Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi (second left) inspecting the the Araromi Iron Rod Market, which was gutted by fire. With him are the market’s president, Chief Gade Orogade (middle) and others.

APC elders fault Jonathan‘s campaign outbursts

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders’ Forum in Ekiti State has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to pull out of the presidential race for admitting failure in governance during the launch of his campaign in Lagos. The body, which described the outburst of the President at the Lagos rally as “unpresidential, clearly offensive, aggressive, combative and appalling”, said Jonathan had shown that he lacked solutions to the myriads of problems facing the country. The group’s Publicity Secretary, Dr. Bayo Orire, said Jonathan failed to use his campaign to convince Nigerians of his readiness to stop the slide of the country into deeper socio-economic ills. Orire said Nigerians should not expect a purposeful leadership from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration by the tone of the President’s speech, which he said dwelt much on attacks on personalities rather than issues. He urged the electorate to

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

vote for the APC’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who he believed has the integrity, maturity and experience needed to turn around the nation’s fortunes. The medical doctor-turned politician said if successive administrations built on the anti-corruption stance of the military administration led by Buhari, corruption would have ended in the polity. Orire explained that corruption would grow under the PDP administration, urging Nigerians to use their votes to send the umbrella party out of power. He regretted that Jonathan failed to convince Nigerians on how he would solve insurgency, low level of industrialisation, unemployment, non-existent mechanised farming and general decay in infrastructure. “The President disappointed many Nigerians with his outing in Lagos on Thursday and this has shown that he lacks the capacity to take the

‘But we in the APC believe in maturity borne out of experience. We believe in team work where we can pool the sharpness of the young brain and the experience of the old’ country out of the woods. “Jonathan extrapolated wrongly putting something that happened 30 years ago on top of what should be done today. “How would the solution that was appropriate for the low level of corruption that was experienced in the past be appropriate for today’s rooftop malady that we call corruption? “He forgot that as in the 80s, there was little known about ICT to pay salaries. He forgot

that you could pick people who were corrupt, they were visible unlike today. “He forgot that when Buhari was in office, the people were queuing for buses. Nobody could throw rubbish on the streets. If the pace had been kept up, there would not have been corruption today in Nigeria. “Judging from the campaign speech of the President, we should expect a purposeless leadership worse than what we are seeing now. The PDP had ruled us for 16 years and we are worse for it. “We advise him to pull out of the race because he has told us that he would need a younger and more cerebral generation to rule this country. “But we in the APC believe in maturity borne out of experience. We believe in team work where we can pool the sharpness of the young brains and the experience of the old. “The President was talking of people not having brains in the APC. If nobody has brains in the APC, nobody has a skull in the PDP.”

A SOCIO-POLITICAL group, Grassroots Mobilisation for Muhammadu Buhari (GMMB), has called for support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari. The National Coordinator, Remi Oyebamiji, said yesterday that there was need for the wind of change to blow in the country. “We know Buhari is the only one who can end corruption in Nigeria. The only one who can promise and keep it. He has no oil well. This is the right time. With APC, It’s a party with political structure. ”This is the time we need Buhari the most. If Buhari can come back this time around, I can assure you that all that all the youth will be busy. “It is because the youth are not busy, that’s why you are having Boko Haram, that’s why there are militants and area boys. “He has done it before. You can see the rate of corruption in the system now. And the corruption has caused Boko Haram, unemployment, indiscipline. “This is a fellow who when he was head of state there was nothing like corruption. He’s the only one who can give us zero corruption. Don’t let us deceive ourselves. It is so glaring now, if Buhari comes in now, corruption will be zero, and development will be there.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS

Aregbesola: elections crucial to our future

SUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said next month’s elections are crucial to the nation’s future. The governor urged Nigerians to consider the necessary and important link between the elections and the desire for change in the country. Speaking yesterday at a special thanksgiving service organised for him at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo by the Nasrul-Lahi-il Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT)ý, he hoped that the presidential election will bring Gen Muhammadu Buhari into power to turn around the nation’s fortunes. The governor said even though the nation was going through a lot of vicissitudes, after the February elections with Buhari/Osinbajo things would begin to change for the better. Aregbesola, who decried the dastardly acts of people who hide under the banner of Islam to perpetrate atrocities, said “these people” do not preach or represent Islam in

From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

whatever form. He argued that Prophet Muhammad suffered the worse forms of humiliation during his time and he never contemplated revenge. He said: “Nigeria is today in its trying moments. Everything has stood still. But I want to assure you that this is just a passing phase. By February, the general election will usher in the much-needed and much-expected change. “We need to pray and work diligently for the peace and progress of the country. And this is why we must seriously condemn the activities of some individuals who hide under Islam to perpetrate evil. “There is no written law or directive either from Qur’an or Hadith that directs Muslims to unleash terror on fellow humans. No one can fight God’s battle for Him. And I don’t see where Islam orders anyone to kill, maim or unleash violence on people because of their faith.”

‘Leave my posters alone’

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate in Ogun Central, Dr. Bisola SodipoClark, has called on her opponents to desist from flushing, defacing or tampering with her campaign posters. She said it might be due to her growing popularity and acceptance among the electorate that had forced her main challenger to commission thugs to deface or tear down her posters. In a statement in Abeokuta, the Director of her campaign organisation, Segun Sowunmi, said: “Political thugs have been sighted at many locations tearing off our posters. This is unbecoming of persons I hitherto thought were above board. This is in bad taste, cal-

lous and reprehensible. Politics should not be a do-or-die affair. “Politics should be for sharing of ideas on how to improve the lives of our people. If these people put any value on anything at all, they should realise that the posters were printed with money, therefore has value. “Ours is a ‘live and let live’ environment. We understand that our opponents are from the party governing the state, but they must allow all Ogun residents the right to free and fair electioneering including the liberty to campaign with publicity materials. If they are jittery over posters what will they do when we flag off our mass rallies?”

Ondo PDP faction rejects list

HE Ogunye- led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has rejected the list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The candidates are believed to be members of the Clement Faboyede-led faction favoured by Governor Olusegun Mimiko. The Ogunye-led faction’s Publicity Secretary, Gani Mohammed, said the INEC ‘purported list’ was a contempt of court. He described the pasting of the list as a “deliberate action to hoodwink” the electorate against the Ogunye faction.

Fakeye dies at 78

HE National President of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), Prophet Gabriel Fakeye, is dead. He died yesterday morning of age-related causes, according to sources. He was 78. Fakeye, who was also the general leader of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement (Ayo Ni O) Surulere Movement, was highly respected in the Christian community for his fiery sermons and boldness to confront those in authorities. His radio broadcast, Orin Iyin, delivered in Yoruba every Sunday, on Radio Lagos 107.5FM, was a hit among listeners. The deceased, who sources said has been battling illness for years, was appointed OAIC President last June in Abuja. A lover of youths and spiritual songs, Fakeye rose to become the most popular cleric in the C&S Movement despite not being the leader of the church.

By Sunday Oguntola

Fondly referred to as Baba Fakeye, many church leaders submitted to his wisdom and advice. The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Southwest region, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, described the deceased as a man of peace. Atilade, in his tribute, said: “Baba Fakeye was a blessing to humanity. He was a man of peace and a perfect example of the unity that Jesus prayed for. “He was very accommodating and worked vigorously for the unification of the church. He will be sorely missed and may his soul rest in peace.” Lagos State Secretary of CAN, Elder Israel Akinadewo, said: “Baba was a true man of God. He brought fame to the Aladura movement and was a stabilising force. “Though we are pained by his death, we take solace in the fact that he served God all through his lifetime.”

•From left: Aregbesola; Hon. Muhammed Ibraheem, representing the Speaker of the House of Assembly; National Chairman, Board of Trustees of NASFAT, Alh. Lateef Oladosu; President, NASFAT Worldwide, Kamil Abayomi; Chief Missioner, Alh. Abdulahi Akinbode and guest lecturer, Prof. Abdul Hafis Oladosu...yesterday.

Ajimobi: howAlao-Akala blew N3b in one week

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has explained how his predecessor, Adebayo AlaoAkala, blew N3 billion government fund within the last week of his administration in May 2011. Ajimobi, who spoke in an interview with reporters in Ibadan, the state capital, also said Alao-Akala’s predecessor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, refunded N500 million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to get a plea bargain. The governor said AlaoAkala realised the N3billion from the sale of government quarters during his tenure, pointing out that he set aside the fund for payment of pensions before he squandered it

•Ladoja refunded N500m loot to EFCC, says governor From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

in the last week of his administration. Alao- Akala is the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and Ladoja the governorship candidate of Accord. Ajimobi wondered how the two former governors considered it right for them to contest for the same position again, despite the moral burden on them. He said the N500 million recovered from Ladoja is being used to build model schools across the state’s three senatorial districts. “My predecessor sold several government quarters

from which he realised about N3 billion. He first set it aside to pay pensioners but later blew it one week before we came in.” The governor explained that rather than follow the same path, his administration partnered UACN Properties, which has redeveloped 89 apartments to be sold at the value of over N5 billion. He explained that the government owns 45 per cent of the investment. According to him, the same landed property used for the apartments had been valued at only N120 million the sale of which he turned down because of the potential for huge profit, if better utilised. “This,

to me, is good governance,” he said. The governor was answering a question on how he would cope with dwindling federal allocations and huge and increasing expenditure, if he returned as governor. He said his administration would survive by building on the foundation it laid down in attracting investors to the city. Eight big industries have opened for business in the state in the last two years as marks of his efforts to attract investors. Ajimobi emphasised that the state’s economy was improving daily, which will ultimately put government in a position to earn more revenue internally.

Fashola signs N489.69b budget into law

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday signed the 2015 budget of N489.69billion into law. Fashola, who signed the budget at the State House, Marina, said it was earlier scheduled for today but that he had to call it forward to enable him attend a national meeting tomorrow in Abuja by the All Progressives Congress (APC) so that Ministries, Departments and Agencies could continue with work while he is in Abuja. “We are a government that is open to planning; part of the planning is for government to set the budget for the beginning of the year. Lagos is the second state to sign the document after Ogun State, which is also an APC state. “When we presented the

By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

budget, there were financial challenges but as you know, our revenue has been based largely on our common contribution; that is how we build our common wealth here. “We need to be innovative, inventive and hard-working and that is what we have given in the last eight years and we won’t give anything less with the support of the people of Lagos. They are owners of this government and all of its service delivery programmes and I think as difficult and challenging as the revenue issue may be, we will consolidate and finish as many possible project as we can.” Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget Ben Akabueze said the oil

price fall in the international market had been factored into the budget and hoped that the price would rise as the year progressed. He, however, noted that over 70 per cent of the state’s budget was sourced through the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The budget size is the same as that of last year, but with a slight difference in the Capital to Recurrent ratio. Last year, the Capital to Recurrent ratio stood at 52:48. This year’s budget proposal has a Capital to Recurrent ratio of 51:49. The budget is made up of Capital Expenditure of N249.7419 billion and a Recurrent Expenditure of N239.948 billion. The budget is maintaining a zero deficit to ensure that the next administration does

not inherit a deficit. According to the governor, this would give the incoming administration room to start off quickly when their programmes began to crystallise and might need to raise funds to start off. A breakdown of the budget showed that Economic Affairs has the highest allocation of N146.305 billion, followed by General Service N107.69 billion; Education N82.14 billion; Housing and Community Amenities N49.033 billion; Health N44.619 billion and Environmental Protection N34.953 billion. Others are: Public Safety and Order N15.547billion; Recreation, Culture and Religion N3.118 billion; Social Protection N1.589 billion; Planning Reserve N2.26 billion and Contingency N2.448 billion.

Police tighten security for Buhari’s, Jonathan’s visit to Ekiti •APC alleges plot to disrupt visit

OVEMENT will be restricted tomorrow and Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as the two major political parties hold their presidential campaign rallies. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan and his campaign team are due in the state tomorrow. The All Progressives Congress (APC) awill hold its rally on Wednesday. Consequent upon this, the state police command has put in place what it called “comprehensive security” in partnership with sister security agencies to ensure a hitchfree campaign by the two parties. According to a statement yesterday by the police spokesman, Victor Babayemi, there will be diversion of traffic in some strategic

•PDP: allegation ridiculous

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

areas in Ado-Ekiti for 12 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, when the rallies are expected to hold. The statement revealed that traffic will be restricted in some major streets between 6am and 6pm on the two days. The areas to be affected in Ado-Ekiti are Little-By-Little Junction, Ijigbo Round, Ijigbo Roundabout, Atikankan Area, Oke-Ese/Okesa/Ereguru Roundabout, Okeyinmi/First Bank Roundabout, Post Office Roundabout and Dallimore Junction. The APC has raised the alarm on the alleged plot by PDP to disrupt its rally. The party, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, alleged that the PDP had concluded plans to re-enact the violence unleashed in Rivers State.

The APC claimed that the ruling party planned to use “fake soldiers” from neighbouring countries to be mixed with local miscreants to cause mayhem on the day of the rally. The APC also expressed concerns about the utterances of Governor Ayo Fayose at the PDP presidential campaign in Lagos last Thursday in which he (Fayose) boasted that the February polls would go the way of the June 21, last year, governorship election in the state. But the PDP denied the allegation. In a statement by its state Secretary, Tope Aluko, the party said the APC’s allegation was ridiculous and a facesaving gimmick. “The APC is only trying to give excuses but the people won’t be deceived.”

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS APC Southeast hails Buhari

Commissioner urges electorate to reject PDP

From Chris Oji, Enugu

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast has hailed the promise made to Ndigbo by its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhamadu Buhari, to revamp the abandoned coal deposits in Enugu. Buhari, when launching his presidential campaign in Enugu at the weekend, promised to revamp the abandoned coal deposits and use it for electricity generation in the Southeast. In a statement yesterday, the Southeast spokesman for APC, Osita Okechukwu, said Gen. Buhari had rekindled the hope of the Southeast people that the coal deposits abandoned after the civil war would be revamped. He recalled that in the 1970s and even up to the 1980s, abundant deposits of coal in Enugu were used to power the Oji River Power Station, which generated electricity for the East and beyond. Okechukwu said: “In those days, electricity from Oji River Power Station served industries in the East, such as Premier Cashew Industry in Oghe, Avop Vegetable Oil in Nachi, Sunrise Flour Mills, Aluminum Industry, Ohebe Dim, Niger Gas and Niger Steel. “Today, coal has been abandoned, while Oji River Power Station has gone moribund, throwing our region into darkness like other parts of the country. These industries that formed the industrial base of the Southeast have become moribund, hence there is massive unemployment. “We have confidence in Gen. Buhari to redeem his promise; unlike the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government that for the last 16 years has reneged on the promise to revamp the coal industry, which it made on the eve of every election. I recall that in 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan promised to revamp coal and to date the 3D Seismic Study is yet to begin. “But, with the promise Gen. Buhari made last Saturday to revamp coal for electricity generation, we can see light at the end of the tunnel. His promise is a bond and commitment. “No doubt, our industries will come alive again and boost the economy of our region. Our youths will minimise their migration, as many will be employed. The economy of the Southeast will blossom once again and our region will reclaim its lost glory as the industrial and commercial hub of Nigeria.” He said with Buhari’s commitment, Ndigbo should be reassured, for he is a man of integrity, who, as the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) chairman, started the greater Enugu Water Scheme aborted by the PDP. Okechukwu added: “My brothers and sisters, kindly listen to the advice of our elder statesman, former Vice President and founding Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, to Ndigbo not to put all our eggs in one basket, especially when the PDP has lost the vision of its founding fathers.” He praised Buhari for his promise to give soft loans to farmers in the Southeast, unlike his opponent, President Jonathan, who came to Enugu to throw stones.”

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

•Abia State Governor Theodore Orji being received by Most Rev. Ikechi Nwosu, Archbishop of Abia Ecclesiastical Province and Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, at a service to mark the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, at St. Mary's Anglican Church, Ohokobe, Ndume, Umuahia.

APGA candidate alleges plot to rig poll

HE Ebonyi State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Anthony Agbo, yesterday alleged that a major party was plotting to rig the election. He said no amount of conspiracy and intimidation would change the divine plan for the state. Agbo, addressing reporters at his country home, Ngbo, in Ohaukwu Local Government, condemned the omission of his name from the list of governorship candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said there was a malicious rumour by the top echelon of a party that he would

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

not run for the governorship poll. His words: “There is plot to rig the election. No amount of conspiracy and intimidation will change the divine purpose. They also spread rumour that I would not vie for the election, as my name was missing from the initial list of governorship candidates sent to the INEC office in Abakaliki.” Agbo said he resisted the move to remove his name from INEC’s list, which led to it being published later. “Besides removing my file from INEC, these agents of destabilisation attacked and destroyed our party’s office in Mgbo.

“They burnt documents at our party’s office and destroyed items, such as furniture and posters.” He warned those involved to desist, as he knew their identities. Agbo noted: “It is clear that the forces of good and evil are competing for the soul of Ebonyi, but I assure the indigenes that no amount of conspiracy and intimidation will change the divine plan for the state.” He urged the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to tighten loose ends and ensure the conduct of credible elections, as the top echelon of a particular party boasted that it would influence INEC, the police and military.

According to him, the APGA state chairman was in Abuja following the attack on the party. “We will officially report the matter to the police when he returns. “Those, whose houses were attacked, have reported to the police. I assure the people that we will not be intimidated. We will go about our campaign according to the law.” The governorship candidate enjoined the people to resist intimidation and financial inducement and vote for him and other APGA candidates, arguing that no other governorship candidates had the kind of positive records and vision he had for Ebonyi State.

Anglican bishops hail Okorocha for retaining deputy

NGLICAN bishops in Imo State have hailed Governor Rochas Okorocha for retaining his deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, as his running mate. They described the duo as a formidable team “that holds greater prospects for the state.” The clerics, who met the governor to discuss the issues affecting the state, said: “Madumere has worked hard and conducted himself well to deserve to be retained as the

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

deputy governor.” The bishops, led by Archbishop Caleb Maduoma, also praised the governor’s landmark achievements and pleaded that the mission schools be released to their owners. Speaking on behalf of the League of Bishops, Rt. Rev. Bennett Okoro referred to the governor’s free education, massive infrastructural development, rural development, health sector reforms and se-

curity of life and property, adding that the achievements had deepened democratic culture. The issue of who would be Okorocha’s running mate was a subject of debate until after the display of candidates’ list by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). When the debate was on, the governor did not hide his preference for Madumere, whom he described as trustworthy. The religious leaders at the

meeting were Archbishop Caleb Maduoma; Bishop of Orlu Diocese, Rt. Rev. Bennett Okoro; Bishop of Owerri Diocese, Rt. Rev. Cyril Okorocha; Bishop of Diocese on the Lake, Bishop C.B.N. Oti; Bishop of Diocese of Ohaji-Egbema, Rt. Rev. Chidi Oparajiaku and Bishop of Diocese of Oru, Rt. Rev. Godfrey Chukwunenye. Okorocha thanked the clergymen for their support, which he said encouraged his administration to achieve a lot in less than four years.

HE Imo State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Chief Chidi Ibeh, has advised the electorate to reject the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and vote out its candidates. He said a return to the PDP era would impede the Rescue Mission Agenda and halt transformation. The commissioner, in a chat with reporters, warned that a PDP-led administration would stop the free education programme of Governor Rochas Okorocha, which he said “has made education possible for the children of the rich and the poor.” Ibeh noted that the monumental achievements of the All Progressives Congress (APC)led administration “have become a torn in the flesh of the PDP members, who are determined to return to power.” He recalled that the 12 years administration of the PDP in Imo “not only stagnated development, but also brought pains, misery and penury”, noting that a vote for the PDP would amount to a return to the ugly past. The commissioner, who hails from Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government with the PDP governorship candidate, advised people to shun sentiments in voting, saying those seeking their votes to succeed Okorocha had nothing to show for the years they had been in office, but only chose to cast aspersions on the governor to cover up their misrule. He said Okorocha, through judicious use of the lean resources accruing to Imo, provided democracy dividends in all nooks and crannies of the state, “with the families of his critics benefiting from his free education.” Decrying the campaign of calumny against the governor by indigenes of Mbaise in positions of authority, to manipulate their ways to power, Ibeh hoped that his achievements would earn him another victory. He said: “The time for a governor of Mbaise extraction is not now, because there is no vacancy in the Government House, Owerri. It is only in 2019 that Mbaise people will come together, discuss and present somebody for the governorship, who will be accepted by all. “For now, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, who I understand is running for the governorship, is on his own.”

Christian elders decry Mbaka’s comment on Jonathan From Chris Oji, Enugu

•Dr. Jonathan

HE Southern Nigeria Christian Elders’ Forum (SOCEF) yesterday faulted the “prophetic message” of Enugu Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, on President Goodluck

Jonathan., Addressing reporters after their meeting in Enugu, it said Mbaka’s message was his opinion and not from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit., The meeting was attended by archbishops, bishops and other Christian leaders from the Southwest, Southsouth and Southeast, including Most Rev. A.N.C. Anikwenwa, Bishop Peter Ogunmuyiwa, Most Rev. Caleb Maduoma, Rev. Felix Ekiye, among others., No Catholic bishop was in attendance. The Chairman of the forum, Bishop David Eberechukwu, who spoke, said it was not the first time Rev. Fr. Mbaka

would make such claims., He went on: “In 2003, Mbaka said that then Governor Chimaroke Nnamani would not get re-election and that if that happened, he would remove his cassock. Indeed, Chimaroke was re-elected and up till today, he has not removed his cassock., “So, his message is just a personal opinion; it didn’t come from the impulse of the Holy Spirit.”, * In a 10-point communiqué by the group, read by Bishop Eberechukwu, it said for the sake of equity and fairness, President Jonathan should be allowed to complete a second tenure on behalf of the Southsouth., “We note that the Southwest

occupied the seat of the presidency for eight years, from 1999-2007. It was on the basis of the principle of rotation that the next President came from the Northwest. If the cold hands of death had not taken him away, that occupant would have been re-elected., “In the light of the above, it is our considered view and advice as Christians and citizens of this country that the Southsouth be given the same opportunity of a second term. Therein lies political equity, accommodation and stability.”, Speaking on the need for stronger ties among the states in the zone, the forum urged the governors of the states in Southern Nigeria “to revital-

ise the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum for the sake of political co-operation and development.”, SOCEF expressed concern about the plight of Christians in the North as well as “the challenges the nation faces, following the Boko Haram insurgency and political tension., “We note with dismay and deep sorrow, the plight of our Christian brethren in the North, the siege and persecution against them as a result of their faith, and urge all forces, federal, state and local governments, well-meaning leaders- local and international, to come to the aid of our Christian brethren in the North., “

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Rights groups allege foul-play in Synagogue building probe

Why I deal in human head, by suspect

HE Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC) has urged the Federal Government to release the report of its investigation into the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) guest house last September 12. Also, the Pan-Yoruba group, Oodua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC), a coalition of 35 Yoruba self-determination groups, has urged the United Nations (UN) to join in the investigation of the causes of the tragedy. The NHRC, a coalition of 135 civil right groups, failure to release the report, suggests a cover which strengthens the growing public perception that the collapse was as a result of a bomb attack. In a statement signed by Mallam Yaya Abdulkadir, NHRC urged the Federal Government and the police to determine the cause of the collapse of the since many Nigerians believe that it might have been caused by a bomb. “The Federal Government and the police owe Nigerians and the

38-YEAR-OLD man, Rasheed Alabi, has run into trouble for dealing in human head. Alabi was said to have exhumed a body and cut off the head. He told the police that he went into selling human heads in order to raise money to buy a motorcycle for commercial purpose. The suspect, who hails from Igbogila in Ogun State, is being held in the custody of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS). A police source said he was caught last December 14 while trying to sell the head of a dead man at about 10pm in his home town. Following a tip-off SARS operatives laid ambush and arrested him with the late man’s head. The suspect said: “I had wanted to take the man’s head to a native doctor for ritual purposes, but my friend, Muyi, told me that I could get someone to buy it for N15,000, adding that if I could get at least 10 heads, I would solve my financial problem and feed my family well. “I knew the man before he died. There was a small boy who bought the farm where he was

•Alabi By Ebele Boniface

buried. I was told that he became rich through selling human heads and I became interested. Unfortunately I was arrested.” The command’s spokesperson, Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.

‘

We are left with no room but to conclude that the attack was planned. There have been a series of evidence by experts, showing that the collapse of that building was an extra-ordinary affair. There is the need for international investigator to show interest in this case

’

world the urgent need to get to the root of this matter. Many Nigerians now think that the building may have been brought down through a bomb attack. It is imperative to allay the fears of the public,” the statement claims. According to the statement, despite the presence of the strange plane around the building, there has not been any statement by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) or the

Water Corporation allays public

HE Managing Director, Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC), Shayo Holloway, has assured residents that there is no cancercausing substance in the water they take.

By Sampson Unamka

He said the claim that the corporation is supplying water containing higher level of iron and lead, particularly to residents of Ijora-Badia, is false.

Women support family planning

HE Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) has sensitised women in five local government areas in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on the benefits of various family planning techniques to delay pregnancies, enjoy social life and good health

•The Executive Secretary of Coker Aguda Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, Hon. Ismail Bello (right), handing over the induction certificate to a member of the council’s Transition Committee, Deacon Abraham Aina in the presence of (from right) Council Manager Onala Ige; Legal Officer, Mrs. Omotilewa Deola and the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area, Comrade Wasiu Salmon.

care. According to Mrs Abimbola Adedigba, a matron with one of the primary healthcare centres at Oniyanrin in Ibadan, said over 200 women register monthly for family planning. She said:” There are a lot of misconceptions about it, but the

military authority, to clarify the mission. Rising from its National Working Committee (NWC) meeting ONAC condemned the investigation into the collapse, alleging: “There is a grand conspiracy to malign the Pastor of SCOAN, Temitope Joshua. “We are left with no room but to conclude that the attack was planned. There have been a series of evidence by experts, showing that the collapse of that building was an extra-ordinary affair. There is the need for international investigators to show interest in this case.” In a statement signed by its Director of Publicity, Popoola Ajayi, ONAC said: “In the intelligence world, there are all sorts of intrigues and games of treachery. We have seen 20,000 people killed in the drive to assassinate only one person. The international investigators from the UN will have to determine whether the attack was part of a global campaign against Christianity, a lone plot targeting an individual or a combination of both.”

steady public awareness has made it recognised. Some women believe it will lead to having a swollen stomach, change in menstrual cycle while others think they won’t be able to get pregnant again. Family planning is not only for married women. Single ladies are also

encouraged to adopt it because it is safer than abortion.” A 33-year-old mother of three, Idowu Animashaun, said the injection method of family planning has been effective and has no side effect since she started three years ago. She urged women to adopt the technique.

Holloway told reporters that some professionals from the corporation and the Water Regulatory Commission visited Ijora Badia and took samples of water from different locations for investigations. He said: “Following thorough investigation and laboratory test, none of the samples contained either iron or lead. We are, therefore, confident that the consumers of the Corporation’s water at Ijora-Badia and indeed other parts of the state are not in any way exposed to lead or any other cancer-causing chemical. “Among the operational activities of Lagos Water Corporation, the treatment of water supply is of paramount importance. For this reason, our Quality Assurance Department carries out routine tests on water served to the public. It also monitors and tests the source of water from which our treatment plants produce water.” The provision of wholesome water, he added, means that chemicals used for treatment do not allow obnoxious substance to get into the water. Holloway highlighted the activities of illegal vendors, stating how they adversely affect the corporation’s operations. He said most vendors engage in unprofessional laying of service lines, adding that they indiscriminately connect pumping machines to the Corporation’s main pipes. Where the pipes are broken, this may adversely affect the quality of water in that area, Holloway said. “On our part, though we have been monitoring the activities of water vendors; presently all hands are on deck to strengthen our monitoring activities, not only in Ijora-Badia but throughout our service areas across the state. Lagos Water Corporation will further enforce good sanitary standards in the immediate environment around tertiary pipes and public water in the state,” he added.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

CITYBEATS Indian hemp lands ‘robber’ in police net “ WHY did I take too much Indian hemp and Ogogoro (local gin) before going for that operation”? This is the lamentation of a member of a four-man armed robbery gang, Chukwuemeka Obikachi (25), who is being detained by the police. Reeking of Ogogoro, he was caught at Ologolo in Lekki, Lagos, last month, while his three accomplices escaped. Last December 8, a police source said, Obikachi and the others allegedly stopped a man, simply identified as Ismaila, while trying to drive his Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) into a compound at Ologolo. They took the car key, stripped the mand naked, dumped him in the back seat and zoomed off. The man’s screams attracted the residents, which who rushed to his aid. “When the robbers saw a crowd coming, they took to

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Two die, 18 injured in boat mishap •As inferno roasts man, 32

By Ebele Boniface

their heels, but Obikachi could not follow them immediately due to the foolish courage the Indian hemp and drink he consumed gave him. They caught him and gave him the beating of his life. They later took him to a police station in the area before transferring him to SARS,” the source said. The SARS operatives, it was learnt, later took him to the scene and recovered one berretta pistol and three live cartridges. Obikachi said: “I live in the Pako area of Ijora. I was in the market when one Henry invited me for an armed robbery work. He first took us to Small Kuramo where we entered one liquor joint. He gave us drinks, smoke and pepper soup. “On the day of the operation, Tunde, Chinedu and Henry came with two guns. When we surrounded the

•Obikachi

man, Chinedu took over the steering, Henry pointed the gun, and Tunde searched the motor and stripped the man naked. My role was to watch out for intruders. I oversmoked Indian hemp and hot drinks; that was why I

could not escape when my colleagues did. “If I am released, I will stop smoking Indian hemp, go back to school and after graduation, I will join the police to become a gallant police officer. I will fight criminals with passion.”

WO persons were at the weekend confirmed dead, while 18 others sustained injuries following a boat mishap along Lagos waters. The incident which occurred on Friday morning along the Ojo-Tin Can on the Lagos Island waterway was said to have been prompted by an accident involving a passenger boat and a dredging boat. It was learnt that the operator of the passenger boat was reckless and could not see oncoming boats because instead of standing, he sat down. “They could not see the other boat from his sitting position, and before they could point out the other boat, they were already on it” he added. The Nation gathered that deceased were the dredger boat’s operator and his assistant, just as it was learnt that the injured victims are currently being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Ojo. The passenger boat was said to have ran into a stationary sand dredging boat around Coconut. When the accident occurred, The Nation learnt that local divers immediately, made to rescue the deceased after which they were rushed to a hospital in Coconut where they were confirmed dead. The divers also swiftly moved to rescue the other 18 passengers. According to a source, some of those who could swim made their way to a

They could ‘not see the other boat from his sitting position, and before they could point out the other boat, they were already on it

’

By Precious Igbonwelundu

nearby island, while the local divers and fishermen who were around, helped in rescuing others. In another development, a 32 year old man, was on Saturday consumed by an inferno that razed a residential building in the Lagos suburb. The victim, whose name was not given, was said to be at 15, Arabic Crescent, Ojokoro in Ijaiye, a Lagos suburb. Confirming the developments, Southwest spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said the deceased had been deposited in the morgue. He stated that the fire service responded to seven other fire calls on Saturday, adding that about four others have been attended to at the time of filing this story.

Council chief seeks support

•From left: Omiwenu, Adams and Oba Farotimi ... yesterday

Foundation kicks off festival for cultural revival

HE yearly Oodua festival held by the Olokun Festival Foundation (OFF) to foster cultural rebirth kicked off yesterday in Lagos. Culture aficionados including the Head, Centre for School and Community Science and Technology Studies (SACOST), University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, Prof. Kolawole Raheem; the Owa Eredumi of Ife, High Chief Olaoluwa Omiwenu and Osadio of Ife, Oba Olajide Farotimi, who represented the Ooni of Ife, gathered at a media interaction for the project. OFF Chief Promoter Otunba Gani Adams said the festival was organised to “revive and develop our cultural heritage in the interest of the polity and our

By Dada Aladelokun

future.” “We will continue to strive and develop the festival to international acceptance and recognition. The role of tourism in any part of the world can never be over-estimated. It can conveniently serve as any country’s source of foreign revenue. Those who have travelled to Dubai and other places, including Kenya, can testify to the importance of tourism in national economic development. Tourism will not only help in building any nation’s economy but will also help in the transformation of the cultural development of such a nation. “It is our utmost desire to improve the standard of

all our festivals in this New Year and we genuinely hope that our activities will contribute to the gross income of the country. The Oodua Festival is not just an important event to a particular section of the Yoruba race but a common heritage to all descendants of Oduduwa who are spread across all the continents of the world. It will at some point in time serve as the rallying point for all the festivals in any part of the world, where Yoruba language is spoken,” Adams said. The festival, he added, is expected to be a platform through which the Yoruba cultural heritage will be developed and a forum for Oodua descendants and tourists from all parts of the world to learn the his-

tory of Oduduwa. The heroes and legends of the race will also be celebrated through the festival, he said. Describing the oil price slump as a blessing for Nigeria, Adams regretted that the country had in the past lost billions of naira to its untapped tourism potential. While urging the federal and state governments to invest more in tourism development and create avenues through which cultural heritage can be sold to the world, he charged traditional rulers to be part of efforts to “projecting our cultural heritage to world tourism standard.” Adams canvassed for the studying of Yoruba and History as compulsory subjects from nursery to tertiary institutions.

XECUTIVE Secretary of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government of Lagos State Mr Olurotimi Adeleye has urged residents to work with his administration for rapid development at the grassroots. Speaking at the swearingin of the council’s fourmember transition committee at the Area Office Events Centre, Adeleye urged party chieftains to bury their differences and work together for the party. “Let us all come together. This is not a time to say I am for Paul or I am for Silas, we are all members of the APC and must come together to promote the cause of our great party and give concrete evidence of performance to the people at the grassroots,” Adeleye said. He continued: “Each time we want to remember our differences, let us remember the broom, our party’s symbol. No single unit of the broom can ensure cleanliness, but there’s no dirt that cannot be taken care of when it comes as a bunch. This is the time to team up against those on the other side who have no other mission than to kill, steal and destroy the good works of our party in the state and in this council.”

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

The council chief called on all eligible voters to ensure that they collect their permanent voter’s card (PVC), which according to him, is the only instrument through which they can exercise their civil duty. The council, he said, would ensure that all those who are eligible to vote, but do not have the cards are adequately captured in the ongoing registration. “My tenure in this local government may be short, but let us all team up to ensure its success. One of the ways to do that is to mobilise all residents to get their voters’ cards so that we all can have a voting right in the election coming up next month,” he said. Adeleye spoke of his determination to run an open-door administration, adding that he is open to advice and criticisms geared towards promoting the people’s cause. The Council’s Legal Officer, Mrs Olayinka Gbosanya, administered the oath on the members. Mr Samuel Asa, Mr Lukman Adeleye, Mrs Bisi Adepetun and Wahab Kareem.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS

Thugs bomb APC’s secretariat in Okrika •Three on danger list in Obio/Akpor •Investigations on, say Rivers police

HE secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State was yesterday bombed by suspected thugs. The Okrika explosion, which occurred at 3:14 a.m., destroyed the party’s secretariat, according to APC’s Chairman in the area, Christian Asifamaka, who described the damage as extensive. Scores of supporters of an ally of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, the leader of the APC in Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State, were also attacked by thugs yesterday in Port Harcourt, with three of them on danger list. The attack on the supporters of Okocha, who is aspiring to represent Obio/ Akpor constituency in the House of Representatives, took place in Ward 10, Rumueme-Port Harcourt in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. One of the victims of yesterday’s Port Harcourt attack, Ogbonda Amadi, with machete cuts on his back speaking from his hospital bed in Rivers State capital, said the APC members were holding a meeting, when thugs invaded the venue with machetes, bottles and other dangerous weapons. Amadi said: “The Rumueme attack was masterminded by a loyalist of Nyesom Wike, who earlier vowed not to allow APC members hold their programmes or campaigns in Rumueme. Some of the APC leaders are still missing after the attack, as search party has been launched to know their whereabouts.” While also speaking from the hospital bed, another victim of the attack, Samson Amadi, whose head was battered, said the leaders and members of the APC were being targeted by PDP thugs for attacks.

•Peterside inspecting the bomb site ... yesterday

Peterside condemns bombing of Okrika APC secretariat

IVERS State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has condemned the multiple bomb attacks on the party’s secretariat in Okrika. The APC candidate was accompanied to the scene of the explosion by the party’s senatorial candidate Andrew Uchendu, House of Representatives candidate Maureen Tamuno, party leaders in the local government and other APC supporters. He expressed shock at the attack, which he said signalled danger, ahead of next month’s elections, if not checked. Peterside said: “It is very sad and unfortunate that some persons have chosen this path. If you notice, there has been a pattern of violence. On January 6, when we had our presidential rally at Adokiye Amasiemaka Stadium, you would have noted that some of our party members from Abonnema, Degema and Asari-Toru were attacked around Sama Junction. Those coming from Khana and Gokana were also attacked around Sakpenwa Junction. Some other groups coming for the same rally were atFrom Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

The APC chairman in Okrika said: “The APC in Okrika views this latest

tacked around Elele. “Fingers point to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We have raised these issues with the police commissioner and the security agencies, but not much action has been seen. “Aside from this, you would have also observed a trend even among them. A few days ago, they were in Abonnema to campaign and a faction of the PDP fought with another faction of the PDP. Two persons have been confirmed dead. They have also exhibited several other acts of violence at many other instances. That portends serious danger for our democracy. “I don’t want to believe that this signposts what to expect on February 14 and 28 because Rivers people are peace-loving; we reject violence. “I am optimistic that the police will do something about this pattern of violence we are witnessing. If they don’t, they will force ordinary people to resort to self-help, and self-help does not do anyone any good.”

attack as a deliberate provocation by our opponents, the members of the PDP, to draw the APC members into a battle that

will destabilise our beloved Okrika. This is unfortunate and the APC members in Okrika LGA will not allow Okrika to become a hotbed of

crises, as the PDP members would wish. “We are Okrika people and we know what political crises had cost our people in the past. Our LGA had always been the worse hit in times of politics. Our young children are the ones they use as canon fodder. We know this and as a party, we have resolved to toe only the path of peace, in the interest of our land and our children. “We beg our daughter, the First Lady (Dame Patience Jonathan), to remember that the land of Okrika has never spared any Okrika person who brings trouble to the land or destroys it. We beg her (President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife) to please call her people in the PDP to order, because Okrika is bigger than anyone of us and we should not destroy it.” The Rivers Chairman of the APC, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, while also speaking yesterday in Port Harcourt, called for the arrest of Wike and his supporters “now.” Ikanya, who spoke through the Rivers Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Finebone, also called on the security agencies to investigate the introduction of violence into the politics of Rivers by Wike. Rivers APC chairman said: “Barely two days after prominent Kalabari chiefs, led by Chief Broadfield Michael-Jack, rejected Wike’s candidature as PDP’s governorship standard bearer for Rivers State and openly endorsed APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, supporters of Wike unleashed terror on his (Peterside’s) party members and innocent people of Abonnema (headquarters of Akuku-Toru LGA of Rivers State), where he visited to campaign yesterday (on Saturday).”

Tension in Calabar over imminent cult clash

HERE is tension in some part of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, following a cult clash. It was learnt that there was a misunderstanding between the Vikings Confraternity (aka Baggers) and its junior wing, the Skylos. A misunderstanding between them was said to have

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

led to the killing of a member of the senior wing in Bayside, Calabar, last week. Since then, rumours of a reprisal have created tension in the capital city. At 8pm on Saturday, some suspected cultists demonstrated in some streets, espe-

cially the Bedwell/Goldie Streets, near a police station. They shot sporadically. Residents and passersby ran away. A resident in the area, who spoke in confidence, said: “When all this was happening, the police just closed their gate. There was not a single policeman to check the

situation.” Besides, the city has been living in apprehension because of the emergence of a set of hoodlums, called “Skolombo Boys”. The dreaded group, which has female members, moves around in large numbers with heavy weapons. Its members are reputed to

collect phones, cash and other valuables from their victims, usually on the streets. There have also been reports of robberies by the group, with teenagers as members. They consist mainly of homeless children roaming the streets, our reporter was told.

We’re tired of Jonathan, says Ijaw group

N Ijaw group, President Goodluck Jonathan’s kinsmen, has said nothing has changed for the better under his administration. The Ijaw group is clamouring for change, which it said the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, would provide. The group, under the aegis of the Southsouth/Ijaw People United forum, spoke at a forum in Lagos through its Chairman, Isaac Emiyede, ahead of its preparation for the Lagos State governorship election on February 28 and

By Paul Oluwakoya

other polls. Emiyede noted that change was inevitable in life, adding that it would eventually happen in Nigeria. He said: “It will not be business as usual in the 2015 polls. Nigerians are not ready to be deceived again.” Speakers at the forum regretted the economic woes bedevilling the nation, with insecurity and corruption escalating. The said poor governance had become the norm under the Jonathan administration. Emiyede said: “...Gen.

Buhari has shown leadership by example. We don’t need a microscope to see through him. He has shown integrity and discipline. This is a man who retired as Head of State and has no building in Abuja or Lagos. He has only a storey-building in Kaduna. He does not give out money to people. “So, already, you know he is not corrupt. He has given a sign of where he is going. He is incorruptible. When the head is good, the body will be good. But when the head is rotten, the body cannot be good. So, if they say Gen. Buhari’s followers are not good, let us wait and

give him a chance. It is the head that will drive the rest of the body. He is the one that will be in charge of appointments. “In 2007, Jonathan and former President Umaru Yar’Adua met 3,000 megawatts (MW) on the ground. In

2014, we are producing only 3,450 MW after spending more than $50 billion. That is trillions of naira. So, Jonathan and Yar’Adua combined could only produce 450 megawatts of electricity. Can we continue with this system?”

Cross River lawmaker dumps PDP for APC From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

HE Cross River State House of Assembly member representing Boki Constituency 1, Ernest Eki, has defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Eki, who chairs the House Committee on Rural Development and Public Utilities, is the second APC man in the 25-member Assembly. The first is Alex Irek, representing Obubra 1. The lawmaker told reporters in Calabar that he defected because the PDP administration had not been faithful to Cross River people. He said: “The present administration has not done so well to Cross River residents. We live on deceit. I left the party for good to obtain my mandate in the field.”

Edo students apologise for burnt govt buses

COALITION of tertiary students in Edo State has apologised to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the burning of a luxury bus belonging to the state government by some University of Benin (UNIBEN) students during a protest last week. The UNIBEN students were angry that the government demolished parts of the buildings some of their lecturers and former lecturers were staying. A High Court had ruled in favour of the state government in a suit between the government and UNIBEN authorities.

Fire razes Uromi main market From Osagie Otabor, Benin

SECTION of the main market at Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State has been razed. The fire was said to have started at 10:30pm on Saturday. Many traders rushed to the market but could not salvage anything from their stores. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report. A trader, who gave his name simply as Samuel, said: “I was called at 11pm that the market was on fire. I came here and saw that the fire had consumed everything.” The local government chairman, Sam Oboh, promised that the matter would be investigated to uncover the cause of the fire.

Akwa Ibom PDP chair: Emmanuel has united us

HE presentation of the governorship flag to Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr Udom Emmanuel, by the party’s leadership in Lagos has been described as the unifying factor for the party.

Akwa Ibom PDP Chairman Obong Paul Ekpo spoke at the weekend in Uyo, the state capital, when he addressed party supporters at the Akwa Ibom International Airport to welcome Emmanuel and his entourage from Lagos. Ekpo said: “The presentation of the governorship flag to

Emmanuel has finally laid to rest the speculations and misinformation that had pervaded the political sphere. I am impressed with this turnout of our people to welcome us. This is a demonstration of the fact that Emmanuel is the best for Akwa Ibom. He is the face of the new Akwa Ibom…”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

Many senators and House of Representatives members will not return to the National Assembly when a new session is inuaugurated in June because they failed in their renomination bids. Others are running for governor. A few of them have also decided to step down honourably. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE reports

Senators, Reps: Season of dashed hopes N

O condition is permanent. Many members of the National Assembly will not return to the chambers when a new legislative session is inaugurated in June. Some of them failed to secure their parties’ nomination after the primaries. The lawmakers fall into various categories. There are those who sought for governorship tickets in their states and lost out. A few of them were enjoined not to contest to pave way for others who have similar ambition. There are also those who failed to secure tickets because they were swept off by intrigues. Some could not meet the expectation of their constituencies. These lawmakers may not play a prominent role in shaping the destiny of the country this year and beyond.

senting Ikorodu Federal Constituency, said having served 12 years as a lawmaker, it was necessary to give others the opportunity to contribute their quota to their fatherland. The APC lawmaker said she would devout her time to the success of the party in the elections and thereafter. The House will miss her robust contribution to lawmaking in the National Assembly.

Victor Lar

Odion Ugbesia

Ugbesia is the Senate Vice Chairman, Committee on Commerce. He will not return to the House in 2015. The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain represents Edo Central Senatorial District. He lost the PDP ticket to Mr. Clifford Ordia who polled 141 votes, while he got 62 votes. The political science graduate of the University of Illinois, United States of America and former lecturer at the University of Benin is one of the prominent faces that will be missing in the 8th Assembly. The incumbency factor failed to work in his favour for his third term bid. Similarly, Patrick Ikhariale and Friday Itulah of the PDP and members of the House of Representatives failed to pick their party nomination at the primaries. The lawmakers would be absent at the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly when a fresh session commences.

• Ugbesia

• Chukwumerije

• Mrs Esuene

• Mrs Anyanwu

Nkechi Nwaogu

Nwaogu who represents Abia Central is not recontesting. Her position had been taken over by the Abia State Governor Theodore Orji. She was elected to the National Assembly in 2003. The card-carrying member of the PDP was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institution. She was at the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 and is just completing her second term at the Senate. She was one of the contestants for the Abia State PDP governorship primary that produced Dr. Victor Ikpeazu.

Kabiru Gaya

Uche Chukwumerije

Senator Chukwumerije’s fourth term ambition in Abia North District failed to scale through at the party primary. He was defeated by Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa, his kinsmen, who accused him of poor representation. The former Minister of Information in the last lap of the General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration was elected to the Senate in 2003. The PDP chieftain would be remembered for his strong opposition to the third term agenda of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. This pitched him against the PDP leadership and he defected to the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in 2006 to secure his seat. He later returned to the PDP.

Victor Ndoma-Egba

Ndoma-Egba was elected to the Senate in the 5th National Assembly to represent the Cross River Central District. The Majority Leader of the House will not feature in the 8th Assembly because he was defeated at the primary by Hon. John Enoh. Ndoma-Egba had rejected the December 7 shadow polls, saying it fell short of expectation. He said the exercise was fundamentally poor and fatally flawed. He noted that the poll did not conform to the rules and regulations of the party guiding the exercise. He said the violence witnessed during the conduct of the primary supported his claim that it should be voided. He said militants were imported from outside the state to disrupt the process. Another Cross River State law-

He was elected into the National Assembly to represent Plateau South District. The senator, a Tarok from Langtang, was a former member of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999. He later switched allegiance to the PDP. He would be remembered for his opposition to the third term agenda of Chief Obasanjo. He had escaped assassination when four gun men attempted to kill him.

• Obende

• Lar

maker, Senator Bassey Otu failed to pick the PDP ticket for Cross River North. He lost to Chief Gershom Bassey, who shelved his governorship ambition due to the zoning of the ticket to the Cross River North. A House of Representatives member, Dr. Rose Oko would be replacing Senator Ben Ayade, who is the PDP governorship.

Ita Enang

Enang, Chairman Senate Committee on Rule and Business, will not be at the National Assembly next year. He represents the Uyo Senatorial District. The Senator lost the PDP ticket to Obong Albert at the primary in Akwa Ibom State. Enang got only five votes, while Albert won the ticket with 346 votes. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and later contested for the Senate 2011.

Ayogu Eze

Eze represents Enugu North Senatorial District. He was elected to the Senate on the PDP platform in 2007. He had served as commissioner and special adviser in the state before moving to the National Assembly.

• Mrs Nwaogu

He refused to seek for a ticket to return to the house, but opted for the governorship position. But, the PDP ticket went to Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who is the preferred candidate of the Governor Sullivan Chime. Eze’s camp had a parallel primary, but the chime camp is likely to carry the day. As part of the deal to bring peace to the crisis-ridden chapter, Chime had to shelve his ambition to go to the Senate to pave way for incumbent Senator Ike Ekweremadu to retain his seat. The fallout of all this is that Eze will not be returning to the House.

Domingo Obende

Obende of the All Progressives Congress (APC) represents Edo North Senatorial District. He lost the ticket to Francis Alimekhena who polled 831 at the primary. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere came very close to the winner with 815 votes, while Obende trailed far behind with 198 votes. The public administration graduate of the University of Benin is reputed for his anti-gay stance at the National Assembly. He sponsored the same sex prohibition bill which attracted interest both in Nigeria and at the interna-

• Ojodu

tional community. He was elected to the House in 2011.

Ganiyu Solomon

The APC lawmaker opted for the Lagos State governorship position which was won by Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, former Lagos State Accountant General. Therefore, the Senate Minority Whip has no chances of returning to the 8th assembly, as the slot has been taken by Hon. Olamilekan Adeola of the House of Representatives, who won the APC primary. Solomon took over the Lagos West District from Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi in 2007. He was Chairman of Committees on Work, Sports, Rule and Business, Integration and Cooperation and Capital Market. The University of Lagos political science graduate has pledged to work for his party’s success across the board in the forthcoming election.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa

The chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity House of Representatives, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa is in the category of the lawmakers who stepped aside to give others a chance. Dabiri-Erewa, who is repre-

‘There are also those who failed to secure tickets because they were swept off by intrigues. Some could not meet the expectation of their constituencies. These lawmakers may not play a prominent role in shaping the destiny of the country this year and beyond’

Senator Kabiru Kaya, who represents Kano South District on the platform of the APC, is equally not among those seeking to return to the incoming National Assembly. He opted out of the race to seek the APC governorship ticket for his state. But, he lost the ticket to Deputy Governor Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who triumphed at the primary. Gaya was governor of Kano between 1992 and 1993. He will be rounding off his second term at the National Assembly. He has served in the committee on Gas, Local and Foreign Debts States and Local Government. He had also served at the Upstream Resources and Works. He sponsored several bills.

Saidu Alkali

Senator Saidu Alkali does not also stand a chance of returning to the House. He represents Gombe North Senatorial District on the platform of the APC. He was a member of the PDP until recently, when he defected to the opposition party. He stepped down for former Speaker House of Representatives Hon. Usman Nafada who picked the APC ticket for the constituency.

Aminu Tambuwal

The Speaker of the House of Representatives has secured the APC ticket to contest the governorship of Sokoto State. Another lawmaker from the state, Senator Umar Dahiru Tambuwal, representing Sokoto South will not be in the House when fresh mandate begins after the election. Umar Tambuwal was one of those who contested against Aminu Tambuwal for the APC ticket. •Continued on page 18

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2015

‘

Any attempt to rig the election in favour of any politician, a group of politicians or a political party will be vehemently resisted

‘

South Africa APC warns against rigging

• Tambuwal

• Okowa

• Mrs Dabiri-Erewa

Futile ambitions for senators, Reps •Continued from page 17

Paulinus Nwagu

The Senator represents the Ebonyi Central Senatorial District at the House. He contested the PDP governorship primary of the state, but lost. He was in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011 before moving to the Senate. The political science graduate served in various committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate. He was the Chairman Committee of Police Affairs of the Senate.

Alloysius Etuk, Helen Esuene Senators Etuk and Esuene, both of the PDP, are not like to be seen at the National Assembly after the forthcoming election. They lost their tickets to Governor Godswill Akpabio and Effiong Nelson respectively in Akwa Ibom State. The two serving senators in the state will be missing at the National Assembly. Senator Esuene contested the PDP governorship ticket. She was Minister of State for Health between 2005 and 2006. Later, she became Minister of Environment. She was elected into the Senate in 2011.

Ifeanyi Okowa

Senator Okowa has secured the PDP governorship ticket for Delta State. Therefore, he will not be at the House when the new assembly commences. He was chairman of the Ika North Local Government Area and coordinator of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) before joining the PDP in 1998.

He became senator in 2011 representing Delta North when he took over from Senator Patrick Osakwe. The onetime Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Delta State had equally served as Commissioner for Water Resources Development in the state.

Chris Anyanwu

Senator Anyanwu will not be at the National Assembly to represent Imo East Senatorial District. She contested for the PDP governorship ticket in the state, but lost. She was the only female contestant at the PDP primary; she vied for the ticket with 21 other contestants. The journalist/publisher was elected to the senate in 2007. She served on the committees on Women, Youth, States and Local Government, Millennium Development Goals, Health, Environment, Defence and Army. She contested for the same seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2011.

Babafemi Ojodu

Senator Ojodu from Ekiti Central opted out of the race. His position has been taken by Ambassador Gbenga Olofin, who will contest the election. He was voted to office in 2011. His impact at the National Assembly underscored the contribution the journalist had made to lawmaking in the country.

Ibrahim Musa

Senator Musa represents Niger North on the platform of the APC. He has no chances of returning to the National Assembly; he voluntarily opted out of the race to contest for the gov-

ernorship position against Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello. But, he lost the governorship ticket. Senator Shem Nuhu Zagbayi, also of the PDP, is not among those aspiring to go back to the senate. He voluntarily gave up his slot to allow Governor Babangida Aliyu to contest for the seat. In Kebbi State, the three PDP senators, Isa Galaudi (Kebbi North), Mohammad Magoro(Kebbi South) and Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi Central) are also not in the parliamentary race. They opted for the governorship ticket. Bagudu defected to the APC where he got the party ticket.

Hussein Mudashiru

Mudashiru lost the APC ticket of the Osun West to Senator Isiaka Adeleke. The former was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 to represent Oshodi-Isolo, in Lagos State, on the platform of the Alliance For Democracy. In 2011, he moved to the upper chamber where he succeeded Adeleke to represent Osun West. He will not be around when the 8th assembly takes off.

Ahmed Barata

Senator Barata and Bello Tukur are also not in contention to return to the senate, because they failed to secure the tickets of their party, the PDP, to contest the senatorial election. The duo, who hail from Adamawa, lost at the party primary, which took place at Abuja, as directed by the party National Working Committee (NWC). The senators will bow out after serving their current term. Meanwhile, Senator Abubakar Sadiq Yar’Adua, who represents Katsina Central on the platform of the PDP, opted for the governorship seat, which he could not secure.

Lawyers drum up support for Buhari/Osinbajo ticket By Adebisi Onanuga

• Prof. Osinbajo

HE A GROUP, ‘Lawyers for Change’has urged Nigerians to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), at the general elections. The group promised to mobilise the people to endorse the ticket at the

poll. Speaking at the inauguration of the group in Lagos, the National Coordinator, Adesina Ogunlana, said the ticket “represents the best option now for the salvation of our country from the misrule of incompetent and selfish leaders. He added: “That is why we identify and support credible participants in the political process, irrespective of ethnic, religious or party affiliation, who can lift our country out of her myriad of socio-economic and political problems and move her forward”. Ogunlana, a former first Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, said when Osinbajo emerged as the vice presidential running mate to Buhari, Nigerians discovered the alternative route to power. He said the election will be very challeng-

ing, urging menof goodwill to rise to the occasion. Ogunlana stressed: “That is why we have come together to let the people know that Yemi Osinbajo is not just any other presidential candidate. “We want Nigerians to know that the distinguished professor of Law and learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) whom the APC has paired with Buhari for 2015 presidential elections is an exceptionally gifted, surpassingly decent and a very progressive-minded individual”. “Our group is highly interested in and committed to the betterment of the country which we believe is bedevilled by many self-inflicted injuries as a result of which her prosperity, development and stability are badly compromised”, he said adding that what Nigeria needs now is urgent rescue from her myriad of economic and political problems.

HE All Progressives Congress (APC), South Africa Chapter, has warned against rigging in the general elections. It said any bid to alter the people’s mandate will be resisted. The chapter said: “We appeal to the entire role players in the 2015 General election at all levels to allow the will of the people to be done. “Any attempt to rig the election in favour of any politician, a group of politicians or a political party will be vehemently resisted. “Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of justice. A peaceful atmosphere of electioneering will include a free and fair election in which all the candidate will freely allow the will of the people and accept the outcome of the election. “The power of incumbency, political thuggery, insensitivity, and all manners of behaviour that may thwart the peaceful conduct of 2015 election must be shelved in the interest of our nation,” it said. Its Protem Chairman, Bola Babarinde, and Protem Secretary, Fasina Oludayo, sais in a statement that the South Africa APC is unhappy about the decision to disallow Diaspora voting. Babarinde said: “As of 2006, a total of 91 countries worldwide allowed voting by emigrants including 21 African nations, 13 North and South American countries, 15 Asian countries, six Pacific countries and 36 European countries. “By 2013, the list has lengthened to include at least 113 countries and territories but Nigeria kept lagging further and drag behind in the list of these progressive countries.” He added that some countries such as France, Portugal and Italy allow their citizens abroad not only to exercise their franchise, but reserve parliamentary seats for them. “The question can therefore, be rightly asked: Given the immense contributions of the diasporan Nigerians, is it not justified that they should be allowed to vote and be voted for? “Who is afraid of the vote of the diasporan Nigerians? Is it the politicians who want to continue to play on the ignorance of the local voters and who see the diasporan voters as a potent voting constituency that cannot be bought over by the languid and spineless campaign tactics that currently operate or the government in power who want to maintain power at the centre through the disenfranchisement of foreign-based votes?” the members asked. APC South Africa said Nigeria will need to fashion out how voting will be permitted for its citizens that live outside the country. “For example, certain countries allowed voting by registered voters through the use of valid passport of the country; others allow only diplomatic and military personnel on foreign mission to vote at the embassies and high commissions; certain countries placed age restrictions while others allowed one to vote only by having attained a certain status in the country of domiciliary. “Allowing Nigerians abroad to vote and be voted for in the national, state and local election may bring an interesting bend of diversities to the Nigerian polity and introduce a new dimension and fresh ideas to our political system.

By Joseph Jibueze

“E-voting may be a good alternative to cut the cost associated with voting abroad and it is easily auditable and verifiable. It will also allow the national and regional government test the popularity of its policies with the enlightened and socially active communities abroad. “The diasporan voters does not constitute a threat to national democracy and these election can be organised much cheaply compared to the home based election as our embassies and foreign mission can easily host these elections,” the APC members added. On the need for Nigerians abroad to vote, the communique added: “This can also become a potent means of getting a near accurate register of Nigerians living abroad, a project that has constantly failed to date. “The authorities will need to come up with a system that will allow them to register voters from abroad while preventing fraud, and decide on the logistics that will support how these individuals must vote and be voted for. “As a matter of reminder, the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan promised to work towards the implementation of the diasporan election come 2015. Here we are on the path to that same election and the large Nigerian population are still disenfranchise. “A Nigerian leader that will facilitate the voting by Nigerians living abroad will have won the hearts of many Nigerians living overseas. The line between Democracy and Xenocracy remains thin.” On insurgency, Babarinde said the level of insecurities has currently reached an all time high. “While security is an issue that needs the contribution of all and sundry, it needs to be driven by the leadership. We use this medium to appeal to the leadership of Nigeria at all levels to take the issue of security seriously and frontally tackle insurgencies and provide an enabling environment for the citizens of Nigeria. “In recent times, the killing of many Nigerians living abroad who visited home on holidays have taken a centre stage among others. We condemn such attack and appeal to the leadership to ensure that both our airport and the roads in Nigeria are safe. The security forces should be empowered to respond promptly to threats to lives and properties,” the communique added.

• Jega

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL

The fuel price slash debate •This is unnecessary; FG should get more refineries on board

N the heat of the clamour by a broad ture. Indeed, the issue of fuel price re- rency movements, particularly the section of Nigerians for the reduc- duction merely underlies a profound United States dollar. In the same way, tion of fuel prices last December, pathology – the astounding myopia it stands to reason that a country that finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo- that has afflicted government’s poli- imports nearly the whole of its fuel Iweala, had reportedly told those be- cies in the downstream sector. It starts cannot devalue its currency by some hind the agitation to wait until oil with the regime under which the Fed- 20 percent without expecting to sufprices plunged below the $60 mark to eral Government has long abdicated fer cost backlash. At nearly N180 to have their wish. According to her: its responsibility to some dark invis- the United States dollar, for example, “preliminary estimates show that the ible market forces. It extends to the as against N160 a few months back, break-even crude oil price at which rent-laden PPPRA template under what it means is that the country the landed cost of PMS will equal our which the nation is fleeced of billions would need more naira to import the current price of N97 per litre so that annually. The pathology explains same quantity of refined products. there will no longer be subsidy is why OPEC’s sixth largest producer The pressure thus generated on the about $60 per barrel … It is only when cannot refine sufficient crude for its foreign exchange market translates to the crude oil price (Bonny Light) falls domestic requirements; it explains the higher possibility of more losses in below this level that the pump price presence of hordes of speculators and value for the national currency – a viof PMS (which includes N15.49 per rent-seekers in the fuel distribution cious cycle – a potentially loss-loss litre distribution and Petroleum chain. It explains why the government situation for the country and the Equalisation Fund people whether in the cost) can begin to come short or long run. At this down”. time, the debate ought to On Monday last be how to get out of this week, that moment vicious cycle. came to fulfillment: the Lest we forget; the obglobal benchmark verse side is that the govBrent crude closed at ernment actually ben$57.94 per barrel–more efits from the devaluathan two dollars ($2) tion – the direct result of below the threshold more naira from crude announced by the sales; the same governminister. The same oil ment that now seeks to sold for $115 a barrel deny citizens the benefit (a reduction by more of cost reduction in oil. than 50 percent) in We continue to make June last year – a little the point that the greatmore than six months est tragedy in all of this ago. Today, many oil is the government’s paproducing countries thetic response to the oil have since reflected price slump. That the the new reality in their emerging fallouts from domestic fuel prices. the oil price slump could These factors, includnot have been foreseen ing the fact that fuel obviously beats imagiprice is known to be nation. And while much higher in Nigeria than has been said about the all other OPEC memcurrent situation as probers except Angola obviding the government a viously makes the case great opportunity to take for price reduction • Diezani Alison-Madueke, petroleum minister another look at its policompelling at this time. cies in the sector, what N o w , w h a t i s t h e F e d e r a l would retain N458.68 billion in the we have seen thus far is the governGovernment’s case for retaining the 2015 budget to fund subsidy claims. ment limping on as if the problems present pump price? The most obvi- The pathology – unfortunately - is at would by themselves disappear withous explanation is that the govern- the heart of the current discourse – out proactive steps taken by government believes that the current prices the question of whether Nigerians can ment to take them on. would be temporary. The other expla- ever benefit in any event of falling The solution, in our view, cannot be nation stems from what the Petroleum crude price, either now or in the fuclearer today than it was 10 or 15 years Products Prices Regulatory Agency, ture. ago: the nation needs new refineries (PPPRA)’s figures indicate. We refer Clearly, we find the debate misdito meet its domestic fuel requireto the PPPRA’s Expected Open Mar- rected. The reason is simple: with the ments. That way, fuel pricing would ket Price (EOMP) template for Pre- current wholesale reliance on fuel imnot only be less subject to the vagarmium Motor Spirit (petrol) of last ports, it should not be hard to appreies of international currency fluctuaweek which read N97.90 – meaning ciate why the landing cost of fuel tions; it would also afford the nation that the government still believes that would remain high to the extent that immense opportunities to optimise there is a N0.90 kobo subsidy on costs would depend on foreign curearnings on the wasting asset. petrol price. These apparently appear to inform the government’s strategy of treading cautiously on the matter ‘The solution, in our view, cannot be clearer today of the current pricing template. There than it was 10 or 15 years ago: the nation needs new is a possible third factor – the possibility of shoring up government revrefineries to meet its domestic fuel requirements. enues from the differentials. That way, fuel pricing would not only be less subBut should these suffice to deny Niject to the vagaries of international currency flucgerians of the benefit of a price reductuations; it would also afford the nation immense tion? We do not think so. However, it would appear that the isopportunities to optimise earnings on the wasting sues are far more fundamental than asset’ the current fixation with fuel price reduction would ever sufficiently cap-

LETTER

Mbaka’s sermon and Jonathan’s warriors

IR: Following the prophetic warning by Rev. Fr. Ejike Camillus Mbaka forewarning Nigerians that continuity in governance by Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will bring hardship to Nigerians, an army of Jonathan’s critics of Mbaka has sprouted out fearlessly attacking him. Fr. Mbaka’s prophecy in sermon which warned Nigerians that Jonathan cannot lead Nigeria as things stand right now, is a welcome development. Dr. Jonathan and his army of Mbaka’s critics appeared to have been plagued by Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness as they have refused to take a lesson from King David’s open admission of his misdeeds and request for forgiveness following his lust for another man’s wife. According to the Bible, King David, the anointed king in course of his reign as king of Israel looked through his palace and saw a beautiful woman taking her bath, and desired to have her. On inquiry, he discovered that the woman was Uriah’s wife. Rather than control his emotion, he decided to have Uriah killed in the battle ground for it was forbidden to take another’s wife. Following King David’s evil deed, God sent his prophet, called Nathan who went to David and cursed him that sword would never depart from his house and that he would raise up evil against him. When Nathan told King David the message from God, rather than behave like Jonathan and his army of Mbaka critics, he admitted his evil, repented and asked for forgiveness. Nathan there and then reversed some of the curses and left some others and they came to pass. Jonathan and his army are taking lessons from inglorious conduct of Ahab and Jezebel who sought to kill Prophet Elijah and Prophet Micaiah for forewarning them of the pending doom. Jonathan should also note that when Ahab’s wife, Jezebel sought to kill Elijah, he, Elijah ran to Beer-Sheba and rested under a broom tree; which in Nigeria today, symbolizes APC. If questions may be asked, which evil have Nigerians not suffered under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan? Is it ceaseless slaughtering of men, women and innocent children in the North with Jonathan not caring; the abduction and bombing of Nigerians with Jonathan having no remedy? Is it countless loss of lives and goods of hardworking people of South-east on federal roads, the loss of lives of 19 job-seeking Nigerians with nobody punished? What of the extortion of N1,000 from about 700,000 Nigerian jobless youths with no job in sight and no refund made? Is it increase in fuel price from N65 pegged by late Yar’Adua to N97 under the promise of Eldorado which turned out to be deceit? Is it lack of electricity at home, office and everywhere? Is it the lack of care to victims of abducted girls in Chibok when the same man postponed his campaign when he lost his sister? Which one will I mention and leave the other? What is it that Rev. Father Mbaka said that the likes of Buruji Kashamu and one self-acclaimed national president of Ohaneze Youth Council should berate Father Mbaka in The Nation of January 5 and January 8 that is not the truth and known to Nigerians? I know that Father Mbaka talked about Pastors selling their prophetic gifts because of porridge; however, I think, there are Nigerians who may want to turn to Jonathan’s porridge in so far as they continue to eat the crumbs from the masters table. • Victor C. Nwaugo, Aba, Abia State

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

• Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

•Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina

• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •General Manager (Abuja Press) Kehinde Olowu •AGM (PH Press) Tunde Olasogba

•IT Manager Bolarinwa Meekness •Deputy Editor (Nation’s Capital) •Press Manager Yomi Odunuga Udensi Chikaodi •Group Political Editor Emmanuel Oladesu •Legal Counsel John Unachukwu •Group Business Editor Simeon Ebulu • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye •Group Sports Editor Ade Ojeikere •Acting Manager (sales) •Editorial Page Editor Olaribigbe Bello Sanya Oni

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: As Nigeria goes to the polls next month to elect a new government, a new era seems to have begun in the nation’s electoral process, driven by demographic changes and the emergence of a politically-aware middle-class. The upcoming election could create fresh opportunities for Nigeria, and reshape the rules for access to a vibrant market and a better society for all. Since 1999, when Nigeria started its liberalization process, the Nigerian economy has grown at approximately 6.5% annually, overtaking most Asia countries to become among the world’s most promising economy by purchasing power parity in 2006. Since then, however, Nigeria has slowed significantly. The 2012-14 financial years saw the GDP growth rate fall below 3.8% – the lowest in a decade; the fiscal deficit widened and the naira plummeted for much of the second half of 2014. Foreign investments were down to a trickle, inflation had spiraled and major infrastructure projects had been put on hold. Companies, like Shell, scaled down their Nigeria investments, while others like Total and Julius Berger are also having a second thought about the Nigerian economy; everything seems pretty bad for now. The only remedy to our sinking economy is a block vote for change, which the opposition represents. During this period, there were also various reports of corporate scams in the oil and gas sector. All this exacerbated the general sense of disenchantment among Nigerians, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lead government, in its fourth term at the helm, faced mass protests against corruption. The entire country is now looking forward to the February elections to usher in a new government that would boost economic revival, create new jobs, improve the healthcare and education sectors and address the large infrastructural gaps. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there are approximately

EDITOR’S MAIL BAG SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 800 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.net

A vote for change five million ‘first-time voters. That’s 12 per cent of the total electorate! These voters are young people in urban and rural Nigeria born in the post-liberalized era. They are educated; relatively more exposed to global trends, and have their own set ideas on what they want from the political system. This group is expected to play a large role in influencing this year’s election results. Social media engagement is expected to have a direct influence on up to 30 per cent of the seats in the

legislature. These seats are mostly in urban areas where constituents are a mix of youth and professionals. All major parties have set up dedicated social media teams, and are using Facebook and Twitter as key channels of influence. The past year has seen the emergence of a new brand of politics. Unlike traditional parties, which formed largely out of regional sentiment, religion and language, the All Progressive Congress (APC) grew out of the desire for a better Nigeria, the coming together of the

opposition for the first time in the history of Nigeria was also symbolic, as everybody seems tired of a government that harbor and promote corruption. Within a year of its formation, the All Progressive Congress (APC) rose to power in 14 states. The APC also parade a presidential hopeful in person of General Muhammadu Buhari, who on its own has the capacity of winning a free and fair election even as an independent candidate. The 2015 election will be a vote for change. Irrespective of the alli-

ances formed to build the next government, jump starting economic growth will be top priority. In this environment, corporations need to keep an ear to the ground and closely monitor the developments and their implications on businessrelated policy. The new progressive entrants into Nigerian politics should be observed closely, to evaluate how this will contribute to the new agenda. As a new government takes charge, communication and engagement strategies might need to be re-evaluated, and there will be a clear need for organizations to have a greater focus on fundamentals and longer term commitment, while being sensitive to the country’s demands. • Comrade Ahmed Omeiza Lukman, Kiev, Ukraine.

A president Nigeria needs

IR: The opinion recently expressed by the national secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Wale Oladipo that president GEJ, a PhD holder, will be contesting against a semi-illiterate presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, has brought to the fore the germane issue of whether Nigeria really needs a PhD holder to lead her or it needs a capable person whose eyes are focused on fixing the country even with a minimum level of education - as required by the constitution. Professor Ladipo, like every other citizen of this country, has a right to his opinion. However, one would expect a person who answers to the highest level of academic title to come up with a sound opinion that reflects that level of educational attainment whenever he speaks in the public. But when the reverse is the case then something must be wrong. No doubt one of the problems we

have in this country is the too much emphasis we lay on paper qualification rather than skill or what a person is capable of doing. And this has grossly affected our growth both at individual and organisational level and even in some cases up to governmental level. We seem to be obsessed with academic title instead of individual gift and ability. And any country that promotes this world-view will stay longer than necessary in the wilderness. At organisational level rather than for the management to employ you based on your capacity; what you can offer the company they are more interested in your level of education. So some people who by virtue of their talents would have turned the fortune of a particular company around have been refused employment because they couldn’t tender a load of certificates. In this country today we have reached a stage that we must avoid the mistake of laying emphasis on a load of certificates as a prerequisite for leadership position. The

minimum level of education anyone needs to lead this country is secondary school certificate. That’s what the constitution says and it isn’t compulsory to have loads of degrees. As a matter of fact no one needs a load of degrees to perform in office. Examples abound in history of leaders who were never academic geniuses but who performed to, or even beyond the expectations of their people. We have heard of the former British Prime minister, Winston Churchill who was not all that good academically but did well in office. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was not a PhD holder when he showed exemplary leadership as the Premier of old Western region. Neither was he a SAN then. For me I think the most important thing for a leader to have is compassion. With the minimum education as constitutionally required all that Nigeria needs is a compassionate leader who will have the interest of the people at heart.

Former petroleum Minister, Tam David West in one of the interviews he granted a prominent Nigerian news magazine, had once said it that a leader doesn’t need to have a PhD to know that he has to provide potable water, shelter, good roads, good education and other amenities for his people. Truly like the revered Professor of virology said, a leader doesn’t need to be a Professor or a PhD holder to be able to provide security and welfare for his people. I personally think that Professor Oladipo goofed substantially by referring to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as semi-illiterate. Such a statement is least expected from a person of his academic calibre. Nigeria doesn’t need a person with a basket load of academic qualifications to get it out of the woods. We only need a compassionate leader; a leader that is disciplined and patriotic. • Kola Odepeju, Lagos

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

COMMENTS

HEN is the voice of man equal to the voice of God? This must be the central question in the controversy over the priestly intervention by the Enugubased Catholic Rev Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka. His intrusion was unanticipated because the country had grown accustomed to the silence of those who claim to represent the divine when faced with the influence of political power. So, it was food for thought when Mbaka’s New Year message to the congregation targeted President Goodluck Jonathan. Mbaka said: “I’m not saying that Goodluck is a bad man. He is a good man. But he cannot lead Nigeria. As things stand right now, from the oracle of the Holy Spirit, Jonathan should honourably resign quietly and let Nigeria be.” He also said: ”The way Nigeria is going right now, the office of Goodluck Jonathan let another take…We need change. May the Holy Spirit help me to vocalise what he has shown to me while I was waiting on him to give me a message for my people.” Indeed, Mbaka’s appeal to authority, more specifically, to the believed infallibility of divinity, may appear mystifying, but that is understandably the nature and character of priesthood. Priests are expected to be peculiarly connected to the metaphysical realm, but it is difficult to prove when a priest is metaphysically correct. It is the fundamental uncertainty of spiritual integrity that complicates a priest’s claim to oracular capacity. However, when a priest, by his pronouncement, is on the same page with the people, it may suggest a definitive divine influence; and this is Mbaka’s appeal. In the sphere of public opinion, there is little doubt about Jonathan’s abysmal governmental performance, and his pursuit of a second term in office has all the ingredients of a defiant and unrealistic venture. The context gives credence to Mbaka’s words and to his claim to being a messenger of God. It was striking that in reaction to Mbaka’s remarks, the Catholic Bishop of Abuja Metropolitan See, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, was quoted as saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if most people are not happy with the statement he made. From my reactions, you should see that I do not agree with

‘However, when a priest, by his pronouncement, is on the same page with the people, it may suggest a definitive divine influence; and this is Mbaka’s appeal. In the sphere of public opinion, there is little doubt about Jonathan’s abysmal governmental performance, and his pursuit of a second term in office has all the ingredients of a defiant and unrealistic venture’

OR Lagos State, the last 15 years of civil administration had been an epic. Lagos has been able to live up to its alias as the “Centre of Excellence” as the successive administration continue to build on the foundation laid by the enigmatic pathfinder, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who became governor when the democratic ship berthed on our shores way back in 1999. With a professional background steeped in private sector audit, Tinubu was quick to realize the need to depend less on federal allocation by shoring up the revenue base of the state. This feat was achieved through a systematic re-engineering of the internally generated revenue regimes by plugging loop holes and leakages, keeping within existing financial guidelines in a way that does not impose additional burden on the people. In addition, he initiated far reaching policies in all sectors of the socio-economic spectrum such as transportation, education, judiciary, health, environment, commerce and industry as symbolized by the Lekki Free Trade Zone and other initiatives. The Enron initiative still remained unbeaten in the power sector in terms of constancy and quantity. Many a times in the history of our power supply, it has remained the only source of supply. His reforms in the judicial sector was quite legendary as governments, state and federal and some other African nations were falling on themselves to adopt the Lagos model in a bid to enhance their justice system. To ensure that these policies endure beyond the lifetime of his administration, he created institutions that will not only sustain the initial gains but to ensure that the policies and programmes continue to evolve to meet up with time dynamics. An astute statesman and strategist that he was and still is, Tinubu played safe with his choice of Babatunde Raji Fashola as successor, a capable hand he styled as the “The Best Man for The Job” to steer the ship of the state after him. Ever since, Lagos State and its people have been the better for it as the state continues to move from one level of advancement to the next. Tinubu has become the powerhouse of grooming successful leaders in Nigeria, a feat, yet unequalled in the history of the country. The Fashola administration has redefined the art of governance in the country through its numerous innovative and creative programmes and projects. He strongly demonstrated that with a focused, visionary leadership, and hard work, the Nigerian of our dream is not unattainable. From the outset, Fashola set out to do government business in an unusual fashion; completely different from what we are used to. That is why he always affirms an Albert Einstein’s maxim that: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Hence, Fashola set out to place Lagos among the prime investment hubs, not only in Africa, but in the whole world. His vision is to build a Lagos that is similar to reputable cities like London, Mumbai, Istanbul, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Delhi, Dubai, Bangkok, and Cairo among others. With the relative success of the State Security Trust Fund in taming crimes in the state, Lagos has become the preferred point for investors as the busi-

Voice of God or man him. I don’t believe a priest should be doing that.” He added: “If he was in my archdioceses, I will have sanctioned him long ago for the kind of things and utterances that he makes.” Interestingly, the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, also said: “There are more than 30 million Catholics in Nigeria; Fr Mbaka is just one Catholic; if he makes a statement, it cannot be the voices of more than 30 million Nigerian Catholics speaking.” For the avoidance of doubt, Mbaka never claimed to be speaking for anyone but God. It is noteworthy that he said: “It is so unfortunate that pastors are becoming vultures around the president. Pastors are becoming hawks around him, eating the porridge of Jacob and selling their prophetic rights.” He continued: “Listen, this is the voice on the pulpit: all these men of God, who are telling Jonathan to continue because they are benefiting one thing or the other, you should question your apostolic, prophetic anointing.” It may be relevant to highlight the fact that when Jonathan went on a pilgrimage to Israel last year, the second time in his four-year term, he had with him the Chaplain of the Presidential Villa, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba; Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide; Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh; and President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor. It is not difficult to guess that Jonathan’s repeat pilgrimage was probably inspired by his pursuit of reelection this year. Mbaka’s difference speaks eloquently when considered against the background of a “Primatial Award of Excellence in Christian Stewardship” given to Jonathan last year by the

Anglican Communion. From the testimony of Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh who led a delegation to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Anglican Church is proud of Jonathan. Listen to Okoh’s words in justification of the unprecedented award: “By this award, we affirm that you as the leader and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has shared, allocated, distributed the resources of Nigeria fairly, equitably, and judiciously to the East, West, North and South of Nigeria to all, including the traditional religionists, Muslims and Christians alike, to men and women, to the youth and children, including the Almajiri. This is the essence of this award. Congratulations. May God honour you.” In a revelatory moment, Jonathan said on the occasion: “I grew up as a member of the Anglican Church…I have been a part of the church from the beginning. I attended the Anglican Primary School as a pupil. So I have to be very grateful to the Anglican Church that brought me up. I am what I am today because of the Anglican Church.” If Jonathan sounded like a proud product of Anglicanism, then the questions should arise as to what he was taught in that framework, if he was taught anything, and whether he is practising what he learnt, if he learnt anything. Just imagine how colourful and reinforcing it would be for Jonathan to be given awards by the representatives of the categories defined by Primate Okoh: “the East, West, North and South of Nigeria…including the traditional religionists, Muslims and Christians alike…men and women…the youth and children, including the Almajiri.” It would be a carnival of highly favourable publicity and praise, which Jonathan would, no doubt, enjoy. Seriously, isn’t it confusing? Who is speaking on God’s behalf? It may be clarifying to quote Jesus on the Mount of Olives. In Mathew 25, he spoke to his disciples about the judgement of the sheep and the goats. Jesus said: “Then he will say to those at this left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me…Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.” If Jonathan’s record in governance should be judged by the words of Jesus, he would probably be qualified to be where Jesus referred to as “at this left hand”. In other words, his performance in office, which has observably deepened the country’s harrowing socio-economic conditions, places him among “the goats.” This must be the point of Mbaka’s sermon. It was an impressive and commendable instance of speaking truth to power, and deserves to be emulated by genuine priests in the interest of the country.

Tinubu, Fashola, Ambode and baton of excellence By Lateef Raji ness atmosphere has become predictable and stabilized. Lagos is safer today by any standard of the world. The state government’s intervention in the work environment in the areas of training, equipment, logistics and motivation and other crime management measures continue to yield results. Many have been trying to analyze the Fashola phenomenon in Lagos. Some analysts are of the view that the governor succeeded because he has a passionate commitment to connecting with the people, particularly the ordinary man on the street, and building their trust in the sincerity and noble intentions of his government. Others, however, ascribe Fashola’s success to his rugged determination to leave an indelible footprint in the sands of time. This, according to pundits, has really made him to focus totally on governance. Quite a few also attribute the success of the administration to the assemblage of a crack team of committed individuals, an intricate blend of professionals, administrators, scholars and politicians. It’s only a few months to the end of the Fashola administration, yet there are indications that the progressive train of governance in Lagos is not, in any way, ready to berth. The emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode as the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling party in the state, the All Progressive Congress, APC, is another indication that the party is not in short supply of capable hands to keep the state on the path of growth and progress. With the intimidating credentials of this candidate, it is indicative that the tradition of excellence in the state is about to soar to a higher heights. It is difficult to fault this line of reasoning for many reasons. For one, everything about Ambode sparks of brilliance and excellence. At 21, he graduated in style in Accounting from the University of Lagos, Akoka. At the age of 24, when many of his contemporaries were yet to find their bearings in life, Ambode had earned a Master’s degree in Accounting and had also became a Chartered Accountant. It is, however, the selfless and committed stance of Ambode to the service of the government and people of Lagos that actually marks him out as a diligent and conscientious public administrator. An astute public servant, Ambode has had a highly illustrious and consummate career as a public sector accountant and administrator in Lagos State. In a most distinguished public service career spanning almost three decades, Ambode rose to become the Auditor General for Local Governments in the state, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Accountant General of Lagos State, a position he held till his voluntary resignation from the public service in 2012. A resourceful and ingenious administrator, part of Ambode’s

enduring legacies as Accountant General of the state was the establishment of the State Treasury Office (STO), which transformed public sector financial budgeting, management, planning and expenditure in Lagos State. In his six years as Accountant-General, the financial position of the state recorded a great boost while budget performance averaged 85% per annum. A prudent and shrewd manager of public resources, Ambode strongly holds the view that public funds should be judiciously expended for the good of the people, whom it is primarily meant for. Indeed, Ambode’s meticulous process of re-engineering the state’s financial status was partly responsible for the development and sustenance of the Lagos mega city. The ingenuity of the Tinubu administration in overcoming difficulties and frustrations occasioned by the seized allocation of local government councils in the state by the Obasanjo administration has been traced to the amazing financial wizardry of Ambode. How the administration was able to stay afloat in those trying era remains a major talking point till date. Of course, there is no way that the political-economy of Lagos state of the period would be discussed without giving him a prime of place. With Ambode poised to take over from the incumbent, Fashola, as the state governor, Lagos would, indeed, be the better for it. The direction of things to come in the next few years became clearer recently when Fashola publicly presented the Lagos State Development Plan 2012-2025. The governor who publicly presented the document at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos House, Ikeja, with Ambode in attendance, added that infrastructure is being built to redress the infrastructure deficit that the state has suffered. He added that the Development Plan document is about the vision for the future and how it would affect the Lagos Mega City. The import of this development is that Ambode, when he eventually takes over from Fashola, already has a master plan with which he could realise his dream to take the state to a new level. The lesson to be learnt in the current development in Lagos is that continuity in governance, especially from one visionary leadership to the other is quite critical, for the social, economic and political stability of the polity. However, continuity must just not be embraced just for the sake of it. It must be laced with the attendant tradition of exemplary performance. Not the type of crude cluelessness we have been witnessing at the centre in recent times. Nigeria might have been a better place if the rudder of the ship is being steered by a person who has defined passion for the country and not a conscripted and unwilling individual. This is where Lagos differs. This is why Lagos continues to excel. • Raji is Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Information & Strategy.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

COMMENTS

HOSE familiar with events surrounding the last ward congresses and primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be amazed at the recent assessment of that party by its national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu. Not that the issues he raised are not correct. But coming from such a key leader, people are bound to wonder what he is now up to. Hear him, “A lot of people who left our party did so because of injustice in our party. Our party is full of injustice. The membership of the APC, LP APGA is increasing because of this. All these members are from our party. We must find out what is wrong and correct it” Mu’azu’s comments at the event which had President Jonathan in attendance reportedly attracted heavy ovation from party members. Apparently sensing danger, Jonathan was quick to admit he was aware of issues arising from the last PDP primaries. But he called on members of the party to unite and resolve them so as to ensure success at the coming elections. The issues raised by Mu’azu on the conduct of their party are not entirely new. What is perhaps new is that this is the first time a sitting PDP national chairman who just presided over very flawed primaries would so soon after, come public to speak of his party in such a deprecating manner. From the way he spoke, he appears to have given the impression that he is not part of the charade that went in the name of ward congresses and primaries of the party. That is why he would want the president to speak with the governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and other elected officials. Its corollary is that much of the blame for the said injustice should be heaped at the doorsteps of the president or somewhere else. That is why he is being asked to speak to all categories of elected officers. The other logical deduction is that much of those in the category of the aggrieved, fall within elected people who apparently could not secure a return ticket or whose plans to install their anointed candidates hit the rocks. Admittedly, there exist clear instances of this. Enugu State, where the incumbent governor had to trade off his senatorial ambition for imposing an anointed governorship candidate is a case in point. There is also that of Ebonyi State where the incumbent governor not only had his preferred candidate

Emeka OMEIHE 08112662675 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

Mu’azu’s crocodile tears shortchanged but has been so frustrated that he now pursues his senatorial ambition through another party. These and many more instances could be cited. But they represent an infinitesimal fraction of those genuinely embittered by the outcome of the last PDP primaries. They only represent the most vocal and most visible of those who have left the party because of the malfeasance the PDP national chairman felt strongly about that he had to come out public. There are many more of such aggrieved people and Mu’azu cannot claim ignorant of this fact. He inadvertently fell into the same trap he is complaining about in assuming that those who need to be reconciled are all about elected members. That is not exactly the case. If it were so, he would have had no cause to lament the heavy exodus of his party members to other parties. In the category of aggrieved people are ordinary members who were lured out to participate during its ward congresses which never held in many places even as lists of purportedly elected delegates were produced by powerful members. Complaints were made to the national headquarters where Mu’azu holds sway but nothing came out of some of them. It was against this foreboding background that the primaries were held with lists doctored by highest bidders. Their outcome was very predictable as those who suffused the lists with their cronies’ names succeeded in determining who eventually emerged as candidates. They succeeded in throwing up people who at once, were electoral liabilities. The party’s further reaction was to embark on the very panicky measure of even substi-

INALLY 2014 delivered a fine baby despite all the prenatal problems and apprehensions. We should congratulate citizens for being patient witness to the turbulent pregnancy and birth and pray God for our collective good and prosperity. There were genuine grounds for much apprehension in 2014 about the fate of the country in 2015 especially because of the general elections and the predicted end time for the country. The year was difficult and testy in many respects but with useful lessons that helped to define right way forward. What about the ceaseless insecurity worsened by sectarian revolts in the North and kidnapping in the South? What about the extremely rough political tackles, the highly provocative words and actions that threatened to tear us apart even before the arrival of 2015-the predicted end time for the country? There were so many discontents that deepened fear about survival. Our greatest worry was that the elites were not working hard to prevent or cure the ills that could lead to the predicted doom. Generally our collective memory ran short. Sinking primordial values were revived: Tribalism, ethnicity and religion were wrongly mobilized and deployed to selfish end to deepen hatred and division. A President who shattered the myth of tribalism with a pan –Nigerian mandate in 2011 was hijacked by a few who declared him as their own- regionalizing him in the process to the consternation and alienation of many Nigerians who voted for him earlier. Such supporters forgot three critical points namely; that no region can produce a President without due support of other regions; that a Nigerian president becomes automatically the ‘father of all’ the moment he wins an election; and that the pan-Nigerian Mandate of 2011 was a reaction to perceived sense of oppression and injustice and thus a reminder that Nigeria belongs to all and a strong message of hope by the electorate that any Nigerian no matter the circumstances of birth and belief can be President in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. With 2015 general election in mind such dream and aspiration was almost shattered in 2014 by wrong support of one cause or the other to our collective detriment. The lesson for progress is simple: let’s learn to support a cause for the right reason and allow our President be the FATHER of all. The year 2014 was a solidifier of evil and bad habits. Insecurity remained deadly with many people becoming more vulnerable. Children were seized and are not found, many youths were wasted – some of them executed in their colleges and through road accidents and hostile flags flown in some parts of our land. Courage rose from within in form of youth vigilante including hunters to check insecurity to point the correct way: empower the youths and community mem-

tuting names of such people with those they thought will give them victory at the polls. This further exacerbated the situation. Many of the popular candidates who could not withstand the glaring injustice had to seek accommodation in other parties as the PDP national chairman rightly observed. They have left and may not be available for any reconciliation for now. They have left and are going to fight the PDP at the elections. So, it is not just the issue of bad losers. You cannot have bad losers or losers at all in a game that has no rules or worst still where the rules were observed in their breach. That is the burden the party has to bear for now and the consequences might be very dire. Mu’azu was being less than honest when he asked the party to find out what went wrong and correct it. In a way, it could amount to self-indictment for him to feign ignorance of the monumental corruption at the party headquarters that made its leadership incapable of decisively handling genuine complaints of members. He cannot claim ignorance that a lot of money changed hands before delegates’ lists that bore no semblance with the wishes of the people were imposed on them. He cannot claim he was unaware the current predicament of the party in Imo State was a logical concomitant of the delegates’ lists’ imposition. So why does he require another inquisition for what is obvious? The issues that aggravate defection are not new. Not even after the implosion of the party leading to mass exodus of some of its governors and foundation members. For someone in Mu’azu’s shoes, the minimum expectation was that

he should have seized the momentum of that event to put the party on the right frame. But he did practically nothing as it remained business as usual. For a party that is faced with the kind of challenge this country is passing through, he would have steered the ship of his party to the part of sanity, order and good example in internal democracy. He allowed the matter to degenerate such that he now wants to give the impression he could be exculpated from the vices he complained about. It would have made more sense if he had let the nation into the actions he initiated to remedy the situation or throw in the towel if his ideas on that were being frustrated by some powerful interests. That would have been the path to credible and visionary leadership rather than this belated resort to shedding crocodile tears when the harm had already been done. Had he done so, he would have saved himself the embarrassment of buck-passing when the buck should stop at his table. Unless there are some extenuating issues, Mu’azu should take much of the blame for the current fate of the party. He must also share in the blame for the injustice he complained about. The issue is not just about the existence of injustice in the party as the steps he took to remedy the situation. Curiously, all these are taking place during an election year with very high stakes. For Jonathan, the party will take these into account when preparing for the 2019 elections. Fine! But the cost could be such that he may not have another opportunity to redress the situation.

Mu’azu was being less than honest when he asked the party to find out what went wrong and correct it. In a way, it could amount to selfindictment for him to feign ignorance of the monumental corruption at the party headquarters that made its leadership incapable of decisively handling genuine complaints of members.

2014 discontents and lessons By John Abhuere bers for security assignments, invest more on relevant technology for intelligence gathering and embark on mass ideological education to win souls for the nation. The armed forces and other security agencies will continue to be useful but they need the active support and collaboration of the community to fight a WAR OF THE MIND and faceless group of no fixed location such as Boko Haram and kidnappers. Incessant reports of corruption dominated the news media –perhaps the most sensational being the N20 billion or N10b reportedly missing from our oil account. The allegation might be false or true but nothing was heard about the outcome of investigation. This is the point 2014 made very evident-the inability to punish evil thereby sending the wrong signal. There were spirited efforts to fight corruption but it simply refused to budge- perhaps because the consequence management process was weak. No nation is corruption free but empirical evidence shows that the ability to detect and punish crime is the greatest deterrence. Most criminals do not like exposure. Perhaps the greatest source of discontent was the economy. It was harsh to majority citizens. But this was not for lack of action but the wrong choice made. The economic policy was not people-friendly but elites’ bias. This explains why otherwise pleasant news about the rebasing exercise which made Nigeria Africa’s biggest economy became suspect and controversial. Critics observed that progress made did not reflect on the quality of life of majority of the citizens. Instead of prosperity and well-being, poverty, corruption unemployment, under-development of infrastructure, neglected rural areas etc remained as acute as ever. The year witnessed unprecedented fall of price of oil to an all time low at the global market, the announcement of planned increase of electricity tariff by the electricity regulatory agency for the new year- an election year, complaints of non-payment of December salaries by Labour Unions, heightened piracy of oil etc. Any lesson? Yes it was time to show patriotism, sensitivity to the plights of the consumers by some agencies and to rethink and redirect our economic policy. It must be stressed that the economic thrust of the mid-1980s days of SAP through to the privatization drive under Obasanjo to the present has failed to deliver the country to the Promised Land. Year 2014 reaffirmed this reality. Some institutions were misused and violated. The National Assembly was barricaded and tear-gassed thereby making

the theory of separation of power meaningless. A court was invaded and sacked. According to foreign observers human rights were abused. New meaning of arithmetic emerged: those who scored lower marks were declared winners over those with higher points. Some minority but powerful politicians sacked the majority members in some states House of Assembly. It is needless to say that some of these depressive stuffs made one to look unto 2015 with gloom and trepidation. The year 2014 was bad and difficult almost throughout but it was also an eye opener to the vast opportunities around and a pointer to what can be done to become a better nation. As usual there was the tendency to blame the leader for nearly everything bad under the sun as though one man can do it alone. It was forgotten that the leader had a vision to transform society but lacked the right elites to actualize the dream. He was weighed down by a most debilitating leadership culture ever. Wrong notion of leadership and the absence of development –oriented elites fouled the air and hindered progress. Whoever wins the presidency must reckon with the hindering leadership culture- the unclean environment and grossly incapable elites around the leader. The past year reminds us that the superman theory of leadership is wrong. While a leader is one person, leadership is a process of collective action of a group-some seen, others not. The leadership culture in Nigeria has been poor and putrefied since Independence and it remained so in 2014. Many more sad developments can be recalled but these are sufficient to show the hardship and attendant discontent of year 2014. But they offer useful lessons which resulted in self-discovery and general awareness on the way forward in 2015. For instance we must fight corruption with greater vigour, instal morality, sound ethical conduct, discipline and pearl integrity in our national life and evolve better leadership culture. We must reorder the economic system with a good mix of state and private capital to promote employment and reduce poverty, build more refineries to meet local demands and settle domestic debts, diversify the economy to reduce dependency and enhance infrastructure including rural development. We must promote patriotism with the interest of the individual subordinated to that of the country, selfless service and good governance. However for its pains and attendant self –discovery and heightened awareness, we would continue to appreciate 2014 for lessons to navigate our way to a better future. • Dr Abhuere writes from Uromi, Edo State

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

ISSUES

JOBS

A floating yard of jobs

How indiscriminate waivers, quotas haunt agric sector - P. 29

- P. 35

News Briefing

‘Why Nigeria needs national carrier’

2,544 BDCs make CBN list THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given approval to additional 102 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators, bringing the total to 2,544 since the recapitalisation deadline lapsed in July. –Page 26

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

How OPEC weaponised price of oil against U.S. drillers IF there ever was doubt about the strategy of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), its wealthiest members are putting that issue to rest. –Page 26

IGI, NICON risk cancellation of licences THE operating licences of Industrial & General Insurance Plc (IGI) and NICON Insurance Limited may be cancelled by the regulatory body, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), for failing to file their statutory quarterly financial returns with the Commission in 2014, The Nation has learnt. –Page 34

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil Cocoa

-$117.4/barrel -$2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

- ¢132.70/pound

Cotton

- ¢95.17pound

Gold

-$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

-$163/lb RATES

Inflation

-8.2%

Treasury Bills-10.58%(91d) Maximum lending -30% Prime lending

-15.87%

Savings rate

-3%

91-day NTB

-15%

Time Deposit

-5.49%

MPR

-12%

Foreign Reserve

$39.6b

FOREX CFA

-0.2958

EUR

-206.9

-242.1

-156

-1.9179

SDR

-238

RIYAL

-40.472

• From left: Large Projects Manager, Mantrac, Julian Carrasco; General Manager, Power Systems Sales, Ibrahim El Bassiouny; Segment Manager (Nigeria), Investor and Large Projects, Mohamed Abou El Wafa and Managing Director, Edmund MartinLawson at the firm’s Consultant Day in Lagos.

I remain chairman of Ikeja Hotel Plc, says Ibru • EGM was Kangaroo exercise M

R Goodie Ibru, Chairman, Ikeja Hotel Plc, said the report of his purported removal as chairman and director of the company by some shareholders was false and misleading. He described the purported Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) by some shareholders as an illegality mounted on illegitimacy. Ibru, who spoke at a media briefing in Lagos over the weekend, said the EGM failed all due processes of corporate governance and laws and regulations, and it would have no effect. He said the EGM was held in contempt of existing court orders and litigations and it was done without the necessary notices and approvals of the regulatory bodies-Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He characterised the EGM as a Kangaroo meeting by some self-serving directors, set within the context of the ongoing squabble over the estate of his late brother, Mr. Alex Ibru.

By Taofik Salako

He pointed out that the socalled EGM was not properly convened, as none of the over 14,000 shareholders of the company was issued with the notice required by sections 220-222 of the Corporate and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2004, saying they were not afforded the opportunity to appoint proxies to vote in their stead. “I should also point out that I was not personally served with notice of intention to remove me, nor was I afforded the opportunity to make a statement in my defense, both of which are my rights under CAMA 2004. In fact, this purported EGM mounted illegality upon illegitimacy with such reckless disregard for due process to scandalise anyone with even the most passing familiarity with the capital markets,” Ibru said. He pointed out that the requisitionists-persons who sought for the EGM, sought

to hold their meeting in contempt of not one but two restraining orders from Nigerian courts in different suits brought by the first three children of Mr Alex Ibru and his sisters. He said there is litigation surrounding these issues ongoing at Lagos State high Court, the Federal high Court in Lagos and Abuja, and the Federal Court of Appeal; and the litigation includes suit No.LD/114/2013 brought by my nieces, the first three children of my brother Alex,” Ibru explained. According to him, the Federal High Court has issued an order restraining Mrs Maiden Ibru from representing the companies comprising Alex Ibru’s estate in the affairs of Ikeja Hotel Plc. Besides, there was an order that restrained her from holding the EGM purportedly fixed for 6th January 2015. He said the order was an addition to the order from the Lagos State High Court in suit No: LD/114/2013 restraining

her from meddling in the estate of Alex Ibru. “It should go without saying that any resolutions passed at these farcical proceedings should not and cannot be recognised, and we will be challenging them accordingly. “The architects of this carnival have characterised it as a popular revolt by aggrieved shareholders against an overbearing board. This is deeply misrepresentative of the truth,” Ibru said. He flayed the roles played by some directors, noting that their they have been members of the Board of Directors of Ikeja Hotel since about 1985 and have been involved in every board decision and policy directive of the company. “At no time before the unfortunate events of the last few weeks have they ever communicated any dissatisfaction or unhappiness with the decisions of management or the direction of the company, whether privately or at meetings of the board. It is shocking, therefore to learn that they are excusing their actions as • Continued on page 26

Discount Houses’ assets, liabilities rise 20% to N187b

HE total assets and li abilities of dis count houses stood at N187 billion in October, showing an increase of 20.4 per cent above the level at end-September last year, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) report on the subsector has shown. The development was accounted for, largely, by the

By Collins Nweze

43.5 and 24.9 per cent rise in claims on banks and claims on the Federal Government, respectively. Correspondingly, the increase in total liabilities was attributed, largely, to the 66.4 and 29.5 per cent rise in borrowings and money-atcall, respectively.

It said discount houses’ investment in Federal Government securities of less than 91-day maturity rose to N69.0 billion and accounted for 45.7 per cent of their total liabilities. At that level, discount houses’ investment in Nigeria Treasury Bills rose by 31.1 per cent above the level at the end of the preceding

month. Thus, investment in Federal Government securities was 14.3 percentage points below the prescribed minimum level of 60 per cent. Total borrowing and amount owed by the discount houses was N58.4 billion, while their capital and reserves • Continued on page 26

IGERIA needs a na tional carrier to de velop its air transport sector as well as serve as a platform to strategically position herself as a continental leader, the Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr Tewolde Gabremariam, has said. He said the establishment of a carrier would help to liberalise air transport, create jobs and act as an incentive for foreign direct investment (FDI). According to him, the best way to achieve such a national carrier is to utilise the right model driven by cooperation and partnership with carriers within the African continent He said without having a carrier, foreign carriers would continue to dominate market share in the continent, which is currently patterned on a 80 per cent basis in favour of foreign carriers as against the market share of 20 per cent for African carriers. Gabremariam said Ethiopian Airlines would be willing to assist the government to set up a national carrier if requested for. He said Ethiopian Airlines would be favourably disposed to having discussions with officials of the Federal Government on how to set up a national carrier. A national carrier for Nigeria, he said, would be strategic to accelerate socio - economic development of the continent, because air transport has the capacity to move thousands of passengers across national borders at a cost relatively cheaper than rail or road transportation. He said: “‘Nigeria needs a national carrier for strategic reasons. The national carrier would be useful in good times and at bad times. “The question that experts and industry watchers are asking is what kind of national carrier. There are different models to be adopted in setting up a national carrier. The Nigerian government would require cooperation and partnership with other African carriers. Ethiopian Airlines is interested in assisting Nigeria to set up a national carrier. “This is important because the national carrier would create jobs, attract foreign direct investment and enhance development. Africa needs home-grown carriers to develop air transport on the continent. “This is because air transport is cheaper to develop compared with other modes of transportation including road and rail.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

BUSINESS NEWS

2,544 BDCs make CBN list

HE Central Bank of Ni geria (CBN) has given approval to additional 102 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators, bringing the total to 2,544 since the recapitalisation deadline lapsed in July. The CBN had last August, published a list of 2,442 licensed BDC firms, which it said, had complied with its new capital requirements of N35 million as at July 31, last year. There were 3,208 registered BDCs before the expiration of the deadline. The CBN had in June announced a new minimum capital requirement of N35 million for the operation of BDCs, up from the N10 million. To ensure that the forex dealers comply with the new capital requirements, the CBN had extended the deadline to July 31, last year. The

By Collins Nweze

forex dealers were previously given a deadline of July 15, last year. The apex bank had also stated that interest would be paid on the mandatory cautionary deposit of N35 million, based on banking industry savings account rate. It, among other requirements, also reviewed the mandatory cautionary deposit for BDCs upward to N35 million. The regulator had pointed out that on the expiration of the deadline on July 31, last year, that it would cease to fund any BDC that failed to comply with the new requirements, adding that “only BDCs that meet the new requirements would qualify to be engaged as agent by the licenced international money transfer op-

erators for inward and outward transfer business in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has said that the $15,000 weekly sale to each BDCs by the CBN is inadequate to cover operating costs. “Considering the difficulties that BDCs are facing, due to the volume of the weekly sales granted to BDCs as against the associated costs in the business, we are strongly suggesting that the CBN consider increasing the weekly sales to BDCs from $15,000 to $50,000, the Association said in an appeal letter to the CBN Governor. Making a case for extension of CBN forex intervention to BDCs, the association said,” it said in a statement. The association also ap-

pealed to the apex bank to reduce the mandatory caution deposit to N15 million from N35 million, to free up cash for BDCs to meet dayto-day operations. “After the expiration of the deadline for the payment of the increased caution fee of N35million, we noticed that a good number of Bureau de Change Operators could no longer conveniently carry out their weekly trading due to lack of cash. “To avoid the possibility of such BDCs closing shop even after having made the effort to pay their caution fees, we are sincerely pleading that the Central Bank should consider the possibility of reviewing the caution fee from N35million to N15million to financially empower the BDCs to carry on their weekly trading,” it said.

How OPEC weaponised price of oil against U.S. drillers

F there ever was doubt about the strategy of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), its wealthiest members are putting that issue to rest. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait stressed a dozen times in the past six weeks that the group won’t curb output to halt the biggest drop in crude since 2008. Qatar’s estimate for the global oversupply is among the biggest of any producing country. These countries actually want — and are achieving — further price declines as part of an attempt to hasten cutbacks by U.S. shale drillers, according to Barclays Plc and Commerzbank AG. Crude fell 48 per cent last year and has declined 37 per cent since OPEC affirmed its output target on November 27. That decision, while squeezing revenues for OPEC members this year,

aims at preserving their market share for years to come. An analyst at consultants IHS Inc. in Washington, Jamie Webster, said: “The faster you bring the price down, the quicker you will have a response from U.S. production — that is the expectation and the hope. I cannot recall a time when several members were actively pushing the price down in both word and deed.” U.S. crude production totaled 9.13 million barrels a day last week, up about 1 million barrels from a year ago and 49,000 from the OPEC meeting in November. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in underground shale rock have boosted output by 66 per cent over the past five years. Exports, still limited by law, reached a record 502,000 barrels a day in November, according to the Energy Information Administration.

I remain chairman of Ikeja Hotel Plc, says Ibru • Continued from page 25

• From left: Managing Director, Secure ID, Kofo Akinkugbe; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and Chairman, Secure ID, Adedotun Sulaiman during a visit to Secure ID by the minister in Lagos. PHOTO: ADEJO DAVID

‘Naira devaluation’s impact to be felt soon’

HE Chairman, Corner stone Real Estate, Mr. Lanre Okupe, has said the impact of currency devaluation and decline in oil prices will be felt between the next four and six months. He said since investors and other businesses would still have old stock, and that is why market prices are still the same. However, once new orders are placed for products, price would change since the exchange rate has soared owing to the devaluation. To this end, the economy, expectedly, would begin to

By Muyiwa Lucas

experience a tougher period except measures are put in place to cushion the effect. Going by the growth being recorded and experienced in the real sector in the last two years, experts are now upbeat that the real sector will benefit from the oil price crash as investors would look in its direction for succor. Okupe, however, said the situation would create a problem for the economy, especially because the spending capacity of con-

sumers will also be affected. “If the devaluation and oil price crash continues, it will not be a problem of the real sector alone, but a general one for the economy. Besides, when prices go up, the challenge will be if there will be disposable income to buy products,” he said. Principal Partner, Imole Ayo Real Estate, Mr. Kayode Oyedele, agreed that the devaluation of the naira had been made worse with the tumbling oil price. According to him, people are reluctant to spend freely as they used to in the past because

of the fear of the unknown. But for him, the effect of the situation has set in. This is because properties that would have ordinarily been rented out are now delayed. “It is a two-way dilemma in the real sector. While the property owner wants maximum profit from his asset, the buyer is weary of his finances at this period,” Oyedele said. He said even though the sector is being looked up to for good investment opportunities for investors, availability of funds will be the bane of such investment.

‘Business devt service providers vital to SMEs’ survival’

HE dearth of Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) to address the challenges of poor packaging of loan requests and non-bankable business plans is one of the woes besetting the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Youth Chamber of Commerce (NYCC), Peter Ayim, has said. He, however, said the demand for BDSPs is expected to be on the rise as the economy grows and the

By Chikodi Okereocha

SMEs sub-sector grows too. Speaking to The Nation on the sideline of the signing of an agreement between the Bank of Industry (BoI) and 122 BDSPs in Lagos, Ayim said the demand for such professional services are high in Nigeria. He said before now, it looked as if all the odds were against the youth sector, adding that with innovative intervention such as the gesture of the BoI, the youths now have an opportunity to express themselves.

He added that with such intervention, Nigerian youths all over the nation can now breathe a sigh of relief that for the first time, a platform to address their unique issues has been established. “So, all over the nation, Nigerian entrepreneurs particularly the youth segment can now go to sleep and be happy that they have representatives who are speaking for them,” he said. The NYCC was one of the 122 BDSPs that got Bol’s nod. Ayim assured that by the time the Chamber hits the ground running, “it’s very likely that we

will be besieged because it has never been done before. So we are looking forward to contending with a whole lot of demands that will arise on the occasion of this innovative intervention that has been launched.” BoI’s Managing Director, Mr. Waheed Olagunju, said the BDSPs would collaborate with the bank to identify credible SMEs that require finance. They would also develop bankable business plans and proposals for SMEs to facilitate their access to finance.

a response to a failure of corporate governance by the board- a board to which they themselves belong, and to whom they have never expressed their concerns,” Ibru said. According to him, far from failing in their responsibility to shareholders, the management of Ikeja Hotel has been working tirelessly to raise new equity and brace up to face the new challenges of the hotel market in Nigeria but this effort was frustrated by some of the people orchestrating the EGM. He explained that by the last quarter of 2014, the company was in advanced talks with a UKbased private equity firm, Salt Capital, which would have introduced $10 million in equity and $25 million in long-term debt to reposition its properties in Lagos and Abuja. He alleged that a director that was nominated procured a status Quo order from the Lagos High Court preventing a general meeting of the company that would have paved the way for Salt Capital’s investment. “I find it astonishing that in 2014, a year that recorded the worst performance by the NSE in recent history, a cabal can conspire to destroy a company’s opportunity to progress, to introduce new equity, characterising it as a

defense of shareholders’ interest. It is an objective fact that they have destroyed shareholder value. “It should be stated, for the record, that Salt Capital made exhaustive presentations and submissions to the board of Ikeja Hotel with regard to their investment, and it is a matter of record that their proposal was supported by directors.” He defended the legacy of the board and management of the company, noting that it has grown tremendously over the years and it has continued to operate with best corporate governance practices, adding that there is no problem with the company. “In fact, we are very proud of this company and I will take you back memory lane. You know this hotel was the first international privately owned hotel in Nigeria and we had support from highprofile institutions like the International Finance Corporation, which is the private arm of the World Bank and the development banking institution in Nigeria, known as Nigeria Industrial Development Bank (NIDB), which is now Bank of Industry (BOI). I know that Bank of Industry was very proud of this hotel. We structured the company very well.

Discount Houses’ assets, liabilities rise 20% to N187b • Continued from page 25 amounted to N28.6 billion. CBN data indicated that growth in the key monetary aggregate contracted in October 2014. On month-onmonth basis, broad money (M2) fell by 1.5 per cent, in contrast to the growth of 2.7 per cent in the preceding month. The development reflected the 9.1 per cent fall in foreign asset net of the banking system, which more than offset the effects of the 0.9 and 4.1 per cent growth in domestic credit (net) and other assets (net) of the banking system, respectively. Similarly, narrow money supply (M1) declined by 1.5 per cent below the level at

the end of the preceding month due to the 4.6 and 0.7 per cent fall in its currency and demand deposit components, respectively. Over the level at end-December 2013, however, M2 grew by 4.2 per cent. Reserve money (RM) rose by 4.0 per cent at the end of the review month and was below the quarterly benchmark. Available data indicated mixed developments in banks deposit and lending rates during the review month. The seven- day and 12-month deposit rate fell from 4.54 and 9.31 per cent to 4.43 and 9.23 per cent, respectively, while the average savings deposit rate remained at 3.43 per cent same as in the preceding month.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

China’s inflation rate rises to 1.5% in December

HINA’S inflation rate remained near a five-year low in December, edging up to 1.5% from 1.4% the month before. Sharp rises in the price of some food items were behind the increase, including a 14% rise in egg prices. Consumer price inflation (CPI) for the whole of 2014 was 2% compared with 2013, well below the government’s target of 3.5%. Analysts suggested the data pointed to persistent weakness in the world’s second largest economy.

The producer price index (PPI), which includes wholesale and factory price inflation, fell by a greater than expected 3.3% in December from a year earlier marking the 34th consecutive monthly fall since September 2012. Analysts had expected PPI to fall by 3.1% in December. China’s National Statistics Bureau said the fall was largely due to falling oil prices. Together, the inflation numbers point to weak domestic demand across China, which some analysts say may give the

government room to cut interest rates and take other measures to boost growth which has slowed to a five-year low of 7.3% in the three months to the end of September. On Thursday, China said the recent approval of infrastructure projects would not “play the role of using fiscal expenditure as strong economic stimulus in 20153 and that the projects were different to stimulus measures introduced in 2008. Liu Ligang, an economist with ANZ in Hong Kong, said China’s

inflation had been “very tepid”. “Going forward, we do see the risk of deflation is rising, especially [as] PPI inflation has been in negative territory for over 34 months,” he said. “That means there’s no passthrough effected from PPI inflation into CPI inflation. “In fact, CPI will continue to be dragged down by PPI inflation in the next few quarters [and] all this suggests the People’s Bank of China will need to act more aggressively.”

ECB risks undermining QE if it opts for compromise plan T HE ECB is considering three main options for pumping money into the struggling euro zone economy but two of them could hurt confidence in the bloc’s most indebted states,defeating the object of the exercise. With euro zone consumer prices falling in December, for financial markets it’s no longer a question of whether the European Central Bank will act to boost economic growth and ward off a deflationary spiral, but when. President Mario Draghi may announce an ECB program of buying government bonds, using newly printed money intended to flood the wider economy, as soon as the Governing Council’s next

policy meeting on Jan. 22. The main scenario for markets is that the ECB will join its U.S., Japanese and British peers in launching quantitative easing (QE) by buying government bonds in amounts proportionate to each euro zone state’s shareholding in the bank. But objections from the Germany’s Bundesbank to the ECB taking on sovereign credit risk have raised two compromise solutions, as suggested by recent comments from ECB chief economist Peter Praet. Option two is that national central banks buy the debt of their own

governments, so the risk remains with the country in question. The third is the ECB buys only triple-A rated bonds, hoping that investors would turn to the lower-rated debt of weaker euro zone government which, while riskier, offers a better return. However, economists believe the second and third options could backfire. If the ECB were unwilling to take on the risk of holding Greek, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese debt, private investors might ask themselves why they should do it. The main scenario preferred by

•Ahmad Al Haddabi, Chief Operating Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports (Centre), From left: Chris Youlten, Senior Vice President, Network Operations, Aubrey Tiedt, Vice President Guest Services, Richard Hill, Chief Operations Officer, Jeff Wilkinson, Senior Vice President Technical and Calum Laming, Vice President Guest Experience, at the ribbon cutting of the inaugural flight of Airbus 380.

investors appears most is keeping with the solidarity principles of European monetary union. If the ECB had to take losses on the bonds of a member state which could not repay its debt, the central bank would have to be recapitalized by all 19 euro zone governments. Private investors would also suffer losses in any debt write-off but at least the pain would be shared. By contrast, options two and three would not spread risk across the union; investors could therefore seek a premium on lower-rated bonds, pushing up yields for the governments of the very countries that need lower borrowing costs most. “It seems like a step away from the whole notion of monetary union,” said Luke Bartholomew, investment manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, a firm with over 400 billion euros of assets. “Secondly, it is a pretty explicit acknowledgement of the credit risk that the ECB doesn’t want to have on the balance sheet and that is a signal that they don’t want to send. Government borrowing costs set the standard for the interest rates that businesses and consumers pay for funds, and QE aims to deliver an economic boost by bringing them down. But under options two and three, they might even rise in the euro zone’s “peripheral” economies which are struggling to grow and suffering from high unemployment. “If central banks cannot agree on risk sharing and they are reminding the market of the risk, then it’s not getting the same bang for the buck in terms of how much sentiment improves as they would get with the first option,” said Michael Krautzberger, head of European bonds at BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager.

China central bank to maintain ‘prudent’ monetary policy in 2015

HE People’s Bank of China will continue to maintain “prudent” monetary policy in 2015, keeping credit growth stable while having its hands free to fine-tune policy when necessary, the regulator said in an online statement on Friday. However, the central bank said it would quicken the pace of marketoriented interest rate reform and push forward on increasing yuan convertibility in the capital account. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) also said it would take steps to prevent systemic risks in the financial sector, a sign that regulators will maintain pressure on off-balance sheet lending and shadow banking. China has made a series of moves to clamp down on shadow banking in recent months, including tighter regulations on the usage of bond market and interbank assets for refinancing. The announcement reiterates the PBOC’s commitment to stable monetary policy, even as speculation mounts that Beijing will have to take steps to boost growth and fend off deflationary pressures, in particular loosening monetary policy by cutting reserve requirement ratios (RRR) for banks.

But many economists believe the PBOC has resisted such calls because it fears that weak demand for loans from viable corporate borrowers means fresh liquidity will only be funneled into speculative ventures or help reinflate asset bubbles in property. Analysts say the PBOC could take that view because of its experience in 2009, when stimulus spending caused widespread economic distortions.

A 50 basis point standard RRR cut would create an estimated 2.4 trillion yuan ($386.57 billion) in new funds after the money multiplier is applied. Liu Ligang, China economist at ANZ in Hong Kong, has called for the central bank to cut RRR or otherwise inject more cash into the system. He said that usually in an economy that’s slowing firms do not see the need for fast investment and “may

not want to borrow more”. “But China’s case is a bit different,” Liu said. “If you look at the last six years, firms have leveraged up quite a lot, previously bank loans were at quite high interest rates. If China can relax monetary policy further, firms could have a great incentive to borrow at a lower rate, and use them to pay off high-yield debt. Merely doing so will alleviate firms’ financial burdens and also the risk of default.”

Official says Euro-zone economy hasn’t entered HE euro-zone economy deflationary phase said, it puts the ECB further away from achieving its inflation target hasn’t entered a deflationary

phase, even though consumer prices in the single-currency area fell on an annual basis last month, European Central Bank executive board member Benoit Coeure said. “The euro zone isn’t in deflation,” Mr. Coeure said in radio interview with station France 24. Deflation refers to a persistent drop in consumer prices that threatens household spending and business investment. Mr. Coeure’s comments came a day after the European Union’s

statistics agency reported consumer prices in the 19-member euro zone fell 0.2% in December from the previous year, marking the first negative reading since the height of the global financial crisis five years ago. Much of the decline was due to lower energy prices. The recent drop in oil prices is “good news for the European economy,” Mr. Coeure said, because it boosts the purchasing power of households and businesses and may lift spending. On the other hand, he

of just below 2%. The key point for the ECB, he said, is whether weak consumer prices are temporary or more long-lasting. If they prove durable, “it becomes much more concerning to us.” Mr. Coeure’s comments come amid widespread expectations in financial markets that the ECB later this month will launch a broad-based asset purchase program that includes government bonds, a policy known as quantitative easing, to boost the money supply and push inflation back toward the bank’s 2% target.

‘UK should move to inflation measure’ BRITAIN should switch to using a measure of consumer prices which better reflects housing costs as its main gauge of inflation, according to a review published on Thursday. The CPIH index, which was launched in 2013, includes more housing costs than the Consumer Price Index which is currently the basis of the Bank of England’s inflation target but does not include items such as mortgage payments. The CPIH and the CPI have been the same at the same rate since August. The review, carried out for the UK Statistics Authority, recommended that Britain’s statistics office “should move towards making CPIH its main measure of inflation.” The review also recommended ending the use of Britain’s Retail Price Index as a basis for contracts, including inflation-linked bonds issued by the government.

‘Developing countries to benefit from fall in oil prices’ GAINS from low oil prices can be sustained for importing developing country if supported by stronger global growth, said a World Bank Group analysis, contained in the latest edition of Global Economic Prospects. Soft oil prices are expected to persist in 2015 and will be accompanied by significant real income shifts from oil-exporting to oil-importing countries. “For policymakers in oilimporting developing countries, the fall in oil prices provides a window of opportunity to undertake fiscal policy and structural reforms as well as fund social programs,” said Ayhan Kose, Director of Development Prospects at the World Bank. The weak demand continues to adversely impact the recovery in global trade. Long-term trends have also slowed trade growth, including the changing relationship between trade and income. The report said the expected recovery in global growth is not likely to be accompanied by the rapid growth in trade flows in the pre-crisis years. The study noted that the stable nature of remittance flows could help smooth consumption in developing countries.

Germans open to Greek Euro exit A MAJORITY of Germans wants Greece to exit the euro if the country doesn’t comply with the austerity measures agreed upon with international creditors, according to a poll. German public broadcaster ARD on late Thursday said a poll found 61% of respondents want Greece to leave the single currency if it doesn’t cut public expenditure as agreed with the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund in exchange for financial aid. The poll also found that citizens of Europe’s largest economy oppose concessions ahead of a decisive election. Greece is set to vote on a new parliament later this month and the antiausterity Syriza party, which opposes the country’s financial bailout and economic reforms, is leading in opinion polls. A Greek exit from the euro would be “much less dramatic for the rest of Europe than a few years ago,” said 53% of the polled Germans. The survey was conducted on Monday and Tuesday among 1,006 Germans aged 18 and above. A majority–68%–were opposed to forgiving some of Greece’s debt to support an economic recovery in the country, while 28% regarded this as an option. Four fifths want the German government to urge the future Greek government to stick to austerity.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

ISSUES

• A rice market

How indiscriminate waivers, quotas hurt agric sector The backward integration policy in the agric sector, particularly on major food items such as rice and fish, raised stakeholders’ hopes of a substantial cut in the country’s huge import bills. But that has not happened. Instead, the policy may have been hijacked by phoney investors and importers who, despite not having any record of investments in rice and fish production, enjoy Federal Government’s waivers and import allocation quotas. This has implications for Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, writes Assist. Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA.

HEN the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, moved to extend the implementation of the Backward Integration Policy (BIP) to the agric sector, stakeholders in the sector lauded the initiative. To stakeholders, the policy, which worked wonders in the cement sector where it was first implemented in 2002, would replicate its success story in the agric sector, particularly on rice and fish, two major food items, where the BIP was extended in the hope of cutting the country’s huge import bills on the items. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, said Nigeria spends an estimated N360 billion yearly on the importation of rice. The country is ranked world’s second largest importer of rice behind China, consuming nearly six million tons yearly. The country also imports an estimated 1.9 million metric tons of fish valued at N125.38 billion annually. Such huge import bills are considered outrageous and unacceptable by the minister and stakeholders in the agric sector. For one, Nigeria is blessed with arable farm land and manpower to support local rice production. For another, the country also has abundant aquatic resources in form of inland and territorial water bodies in addition to a huge local consumer market to support fish production. What was lacking perhaps, is a policy in the mould of BIP to encourage fish importers to engage in fish

farming enterprises with the aim of increasing local production and reducing import, with genuine local rice processors or investors with verifiable investment in the local processing of rice being issued import quotas that attract lower levies and taxes. In other words, the BIP empowers only genuine investors in local production and processing of rice as well as fish importers with genuine investment in fish farming to import the difference between what the country could produce locally and the shortfall that must be covered through importation. This was why the policy raised the adrenalin of stakeholders who embraced it. Their expectation was that its success in the cement sector would be replicated in the agric sector. Aganaga said in the cement industry where it has been implemented since 2002, the policy has seen the country’s cement capacity increase from two million to about 28 million tons, with total installed production capacity of 45 metric million tons per annum (MMTPA) and bagging capacity to 27.7 MMTPA. He also

said the industry attracted investment of about $6billion, provided direct and indirect employment for about two million people. In addition, Nigeria has been able to save about N210billion in foreign exchange per year according to the minister. However, the policy which worked magic in the cement sector has failed to reposition the agric sector much to the disappointment of key stakeholders, especially farmers. Rather than improve the fortunes these two sub-sectors, the BIP is threatened by a rash of discretionary waivers and import allocation quotas to phoney investors. Most of the investors, it was alleged, have no track record of investments, either in form of paddy or rice milling. Same for the fisheries subsector. Here, investors with considerable investments in cold storage facilities and well-established supply chains across the country are denied import allocations. Rather, individuals and companies with little or no track record in fish importation are allegedly allocated import quotas. Analysts say discretionary grant of

‘Many of the non-committed investors who got the import allocation quotas for rice are trading it to interested stakeholders at between 60 and 80 per cent levy after obtaining same at 20 per cent’

waivers and concessions to non-committed investors appears to be more pronounced in the rice sub-sector where industry stakeholders are now screaming blue murder over possible loss of huge investments by committed investors. In a protest letter to the government through the Ministers of Finance/Coordinating Minister for the Economy, and Industry, Trade and Investments, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Aganga, respectively, the stakeholders drew attention to the “indiscriminate and wrongful award of import licences as well as concessions to businessmen with absolutely no investments in the rice sector.” They alleged that such businessmen are now “making billions of naira selling those licences to importers in the market.” It was alleged that many of the noncommitted investors who got the import allocation quotas for rice are trading it to interested stakeholders at between 60 and 80 per cent levy after obtaining same at 20 per cent. Documents obtained by The Nation showed that investors, who have only submitted expressions of interest in the sector without any visible form of investment, might be enjoying waivers amounting to about N20 billion under the exercise. This means that the development may have cost the government N20 billion in form of Customs revenues. Under the new rice policy, a core strategy under the Agricultural Transforma• Continued on page 30

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

ISSUES ‘Through the indiscriminate granting of waivers, the government may have been promoting the activities of rice smugglers, losing an estimated N20 billion in the process’

•Dr Adesina

• Tunji Owoeye

•Dr Aganga

How indiscriminate waivers, import quotas hurt agric sector •Continued from page 29

tion Agenda (ATA), allocation of rice import quotas by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that a move to bridge the supply gap of import-grade rice of 1.5 million metric tons was designed to ensure that existing rice millers and new investors receive a preferential levy of 20 per cent and duty of 10 per cent. But other importers pay higher levy of 60 per cent and duty of 10 per cent. The Minister of Agric and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina had in a letter to Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, on the allocation of rice import quotas, noted that the criteria for allocating quotas under a methodology, which assigns weight to key criteria of self-sufficiency in rice production and milling in Nigeria, include the submission and approval of a Domestic Rice Production Plan (DRPP) among others. Adesina said a supply gap of import-grade rice was determined to be 1.5 million metric tons for last year while an inter-ministerial committee discussed the methodology for allocation of the import quotas. “Subsequently, a letter was sent to existing rice millers and new investors to submit a DRPP, and based on their submissions, 1.3 million metric tons of rice import quotas were issued to 25 qualifying millers at the preferential levy of 20 per cent and duty of 10 per cent. The remaining 0.2 million metric tons of rice imports will be at the higher levy of 60 per cent and duty of 10 per cent for other rice importers”, the letter read in part. However, documents made available to The Nation showed that the supply gap estimate is unrealistic when compared to a total of 2.74 million metric tons of imported rice that made its way into the country last year – representing a combination of rice imported into the country and the smuggled commodity from neighbouring West African countries. In other words, through the indiscriminate granting of waivers, government may have been promoting the activities of rice smugglers, losing an estimated N20 billion in the process. Also, the allocations released by the Ministry of Agriculture include several beneficiaries who fail to meet the finance ministry’s stipulated criteria. Documents further showed that new investors without milling capacity or investments in the country received the highest quota of the allocations to approved rice millers, while millers did not receive allocations and in some instances, received very low allocation. Of the 28 companies, only 16 allegedly have mills. The remaining 12 have no milling capacities, but account for higher imports than the qualified millers. The composition of the inter-ministerial committee and the strategy deployed in arriving at the supply gap also raised eyebrows in the industry. This is so considering that about three million metric tons

of rice was smuggled from Cotonou in 2013, while an estimated 1.5 million was accounted for last year. Also, with President Goodluck Jonathan approving the BIP plan in May last year, the delayed implementation of the policy till December did not go down well with stakeholders.

Rice investors react For the President, Rice Millers Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RiMIDAN) and Chairman, Rice Investors Group, Mr. Tunji Owoeye, the BIP on rice is work in process. He said: “It's still a new programme subject to amendments. These kinds of actions happen in the oil industry too. The policy would be reviewed by May and the flaws would be corrected.” On those who traded the allocation quotas they got, he said: “If anyone is disgruntled, the issue should be addressed as the policy is still in its early stage. It's not a perfect plan.” According to Mr. Owoeye, 22 companies have been given allocation, adding that some of them never expected they could get it because many of them were not even prepared for it. “They did not even apply. Government just gave them allocations to encourage local content investments. Some don't even have structures to do the business. I'm not supporting them to trade, but very few are doing that,” he explained, adding that what government has been doing between the last two and three years is to get across the rice value chain to get an investment plan in the industry. He said consequently, inspection was conducted based on the claims, while proposals were also requested through expression of interest from other investors. “This is the first time government is doing something right in the sector. The Millers who got the allocation did not even know the Minister of Agriculture,” he said, adding that the interests of those who have expressed huge investment stake were also taken care of. While noting that members of the association have come a long way to ensure that the policy works, he said it was intended to encourage millers to build capacity. Will genuine investors whose investments are currently on the line because of the alleged indiscriminate approach of the Federal Government in granting waivers and import allocation quotas to investors who have no investments in

the industry be swayed by Owoeye’s explanations? Time, they say, will tell.

Fisheries sub-sector also hit In line with the BIP, all fish importers must engage in fish farming enterprises like their counterparts in other parts of the world. The aim is to boost local production and reduce import. But the subsector is also caught in the web of indiscriminate grant of waivers and allocation quotas, dashing the hopes of stakeholders. A study carried out by a committee of the fisheries sub-sector headed by Prof Doyin Salami of the Lagos Business School is said to have discovered that the dichotomy in fish price hinges on the neglect of big importers and subsequent allocation of import quota to individuals and companies with little or no track record in importation. It was however learnt that aggrieved stakeholders in the sector may soon breathe a sigh of relief. Dr. Adesina said government intends to review the fish import quota as a way of cutting down the increment on its price across the country. The review, the he also said, is to ensure that established importers are given import allocations that reflect their operational capacity. According to him, the review is aimed at ensuring that established importers, with considerable investments in cold storage facilities and well established supply chains across the country are given import allocations that better reflect their operational capacities. He said the ministry would work to clear any distortion in the market, announcing an increase in fish import quota for the third quarter of the year in order to address anomalies discovered by the committee. Envisaging a stretch in the period of importation to close the gap in supply, the Adesina reminded stakeholders that government’s plan is to reduce the import bill and encourage investment in aquaculture. He urged the Federal Department of Fisheries to support efforts at helping the companies to fall in line with reform objectives of the government which have far reaching benefits for local production.

Agric

Transformation

‘The review is aimed at ensuring that established importers, with considerable investments in cold storage facilities and well established supply chains across the country are given import allocations that better reflect their operational capacities’

Agenda threatened The shoddy implementation of BIP on rice and fish has far-reaching implications for the on-going reforms of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) launched in 2011. Aside from fears that the nation may be losing N40 billion yearly in the rice segment of the agric sector alone due to the activity of smugglers and individuals pretending to be investing in the local production and processing of rice, industry sources say that the ATA may have been put on a reverse gear. Coming barely two weeks into the 2015 deadline set by the Federal Government to attain self-sufficiency in rice, stakeholders fear that the deadline will not be met. A petition by stakeholders read: “The way it is going, another few years will be wasted and the nation drawn back. With oil prices falling, ATA provides the best opportunity for the country to generate alternative revenue by reducing import and in the near future, join the export market. With this sort of policy, this thing is not going to work. The rice import allocations will derail the selfsufficiency efforts.” Players across the value chain, with substantial investments said the crisis they are facing is “imminent crisis of viability and closure” following the government’s “seemingly biased” allocation of import quotas. They insist that the allocations “provide a free ride for smugglers, thereby derailing the objectives on rice self-sufficiency.” Part of the objective of the administration is to turn Nigeria into a net exporter of rice, thereby driving the goal of the ATA to unlock the country’s large agricultural potential, diversify the economy, revive its rural areas and turn Nigeria into a global powerhouse in crop production. But with fraudulent importers and investors now capitalising on government’s shoddy implementation of the BIP on rice, experts say the objective may not be achieved. Stakeholders in the fish business are also worried that the discrepancy in fish import experienced lately would not only impede access to one of the most affordable and veritable source of animal protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are predominantly found in imported fish, but is said to have caused the price of the commodity to rise beyond the reach of low income earners. Experts say because of her huge wealth and employment generation capacity, the future of Nigeria is hinged on agriculture. They say the sector is believed to hold the key for inclusive growth that will help lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty into wealth. This position is true, particularly now that government’s attention is shifting to the nonoil sector following the continued plunge in crude oil prices and the falling value of the naira against other major currencies. The e=1xperts said the sector is capable of making up for the loss in oil revenue. The fear, however, is that with the way the sector is being managed, the expected succour may be long in coming.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

MONEYLINK

CBN defers credit risk mitigation policy for oil sector loans

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the weekend, deferred the implementation of its credit risk mitigation framework for oil and gas loans. This is due to the on-going implementation of the Basel II/III capital adequacy framework. A letter to all banks signed by K.O Balogun, for Director, Banking Supervisions, said a new date would be advised to all banks in due course. The regulator however advised banks to put in place adequate risk mitigating techniques for the management of their oil and gas risk exposures which would be reviewed during its regular riskbased supervision activities. The letter, titled: ‘Oil and Gas Industry Credit Risk Mitigation,’ referred to the December 10 circular, where the apex bank warned banks on dire consequences of the falling oil price on loan advances to the oil and gas sector, as well as the public sector.

•CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Stories by Collins Nweze

CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, said the falling oil prices and the potential for a further decline has been of major concern in recent times. She said considering the quantum

of exposure to the oil & gas sector, combined with risk management deficiencies revealed by the recent Risk Based Supervision exercise, there is a need to proactively guard against a crystallization of these risks. “The CBN therefore considers it essential to ensure that banks have sufficient capital buffers to mitigate these escalating risk taking activities. Where exposure to the oil and gas sector (as defined by the International Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Sectors as issued by the CBN) is in excess of 20 per cent of total credit facilities of a bank, the risk weight of the entire portfolio in the sector will attract weight of 125 per cent for the purpose of capital adequacy computation,” she said. Oil prices have declined from $107.89 per barrel in June to $85.06 per barrel in October, and currently trading at $50.33 per barrel. The possibility of further declines, she said, should not be underesti-

mated. The CBN director said that a proposed single-factor sensitivity stress test showed that at $70 per barrel, 25 per cent of oil sector loans would become non-performing while 15 per cent of the loans will be nonperforming in the public sector. At $65 per barrel, 40 per cent of oil and gas portfolio becomes nonperforming and 30 per cent for public sector loans. Also at $60 per barrel, 55 per cent of oil loans become non-performing while 45 per cent of the loans become non-performing in the public sector. The CBN has therefore mandated banks to forward to it, the computations and results of a single-factor sensitivity stress test, using specified template and guidelines, on the impact of volatile and falling crude oil prices on bank’s financial position, performance and prudential ratios. The regulator also wants lenders to ensure that projections for volumes of crude oil sales for up-

Protect your cards against fraudsters, Sterling Bank urges

TERLING Bank Plc has advised organisations and Nigerians to protect information about their financial transactions, particularly their cards to avoid falling prey to fraudsters. This advice came against the backdrop of increasing Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) related frauds within and outside the shores of the country leading to financial losses on the part of banks’ customers. The bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Shina Atilola, said the bank expressed regret that fraudsters had taken advantage of the cash-less policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to penetrate electronic payment

systems globally. He explained that although the card payment system in the country was based on the “Chip and PIN” technology, which is adequately protected, some other countries have not fully adopted this technology. “What is use in some countries is the magnetic strip technology, which makes it easy for fraudsters to clone customers’ cards and fraudulently make use of their card information. Also, some people do not exercise sufficient caution in the manner they handle their debit and credit cards as they either expose it to unauthorised persons or give it out to other people to make withdrawals or transact on their behalf,”

he explained. The bank’s spokesman explained that when card information has been compromised, the cardholder becomes vulnerable to fraudulent activities. “In countries where the chip and PIN technology has not been fully adopted, such as the USA and China, card information such as the card number on the face of the card and the Card Verification Value (CVV) -the set of numbers at the back of the card - can be used to perpetrate fraud even without the customer’s PIN”. Therefore, it is not just about keeping the PIN secure, the card number and the CVV should also be protected.

stream obligors are backed by independent and professionally prepared reserves estimation reports. It is requesting that adequate technical data be provided by the obligor for the management of obligor credit risk, including a copy of the feasibility study of the project being financed. The CBN is also asking lenders to ensure there is documented improvement in their monitoring activities of oil and gas exploration, production exposures. Oil and gas customers have a robust and effective enterprise management policy and system. Of key importance is a price risk hedging policy. A comprehensive review exercise on oil and gas obligors is conducted on a periodic basis. There is an improvement in the quality of credit file contents, organization and indexing, presentation, maintenance, management, and oversight. She said lenders will be assessed for compliance with these directives as part of periodic Risk Based Supervision review.

Ghana to issue 400m cedi domestic bond in April

HANA plans to issue a 400 million-cedi, seven-year domestic bond in April in a fresh bid to use longer-term maturities to restructure its rising debt, the central bank said. Reuters said the country’s third bond will finance infrastructure projects and will be open to foreign investors. Ghana is seeking aid from the International Monetary Fund as it grapples with fiscal problems including a debt-to-gross domestic product ratio above 60 percent. The West African country aims to raise a total of 25.4 billion cedis

($7.88 billion) in domestic securities before July, the bank said in its issuance calendar. Ghana issued its debut seven-year domestic bond in August 2013 and held a similar auction three months later with yield at 18 percent yield. The bank will also issue five-year bonds in March and June to raise 440 million cedis each, and three-year paper worth 630 million cedis each in February and May to roll over maturing debts. The government did not issue a seven-year bond last year as it wanted to avoid a spike in yields following a slump in the local currency.

DATA BANK AFRINVEST W. A. EQUITY FUND ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH BGL NUBIAN FUND BGL SAPPHIRE FUND CANARY GROWTH FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CORAL INCOME FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND FBN HERITAGE FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

132.34 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,728.29 1,092.38 112.31 120.31 1,117.51 1.1841 1.2569 0.7009 1.1047

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS) Transaction Dates 05/01/2015 3/12/2014 1/12/2014 1,116.70 1.7777 1.2569 0.6899 1.1047

GAINERS AS AT 08-01-15

SYMBOL O/PRICE ZENITHBANK 15.00 NASCON 5.95 FCBM 2.01 NAHCO 4.65 AGLEVENT 1.25 REDSTAREX 1.01 LIVESTOCK 2.15 CUTIX 1.30 NB 140.70 WEMABANK 0.93 AIICO 0.75

C/PRICE 16.13 6.40 2.11 4.88 1.31 4.20 2.25 1.36 147.00 0.97 0.78

CHANGE 9.53 7.56 4.98 4.95 4.80 4.74 4.65 4.62 4.48 4.30 4.00

LOSERS AS AT 08-01-15

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

DANGCEM JBERGER PRESCO HONYFLOUR LEARNAFRCA TOTAL NESTLE ETERNA TRANSEXPR COSTAIN ABCTRANS UACN FIDSON

167.00 54.75 27.47 3.22 1.41 152.13 898.53 2.99 1.17 0.73 0.55 29.05 3.46

C/PRICE 158.65 52.02 26.10 3.06 1.34 144.75 855.00 20.85 1.12 0.70 0.53 28.08 3.35

CHANGE -5.00 -4.99 -4.99 -4.97 -4.96 -4.85 -4.84 -4.68 -4.27 -4.11 -3.64 -3.34 -3.18

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Inflation: November

7.9%

Monetary Policy Rate

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

$47.12

Money Supply (M2)

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

Amount Sold in ($) 499.93m 399.97m 349.96m

CBN EXCHANGE RATES December 5, 2015

$35b

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

Amount Offered in ($) 500m 400m 350m

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

US Dollar

167

168

Pounds Sterling

261.9395

263.508

Euro

206.2617

207.4968

171.546

172.5732

Yen

1.3838

1.3921

CFA

0.2944

0.3144

242.3484

243.7996

Yuan/Renminbi

27.1505

27.314

Swiss Franc

16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

WAUA Tenor

05-01-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 06-01-15

Overnight (O/N)

10.54

11.17

Riyal

44.4906

44.757

11.94

12.18

SDR

243.2856

244.7424

13.08

13.33

14.03

14.17

GOVT. SECURITIES YIELD – SECONDARY MARKET

Tenor

FOREX RATES

R-DAS ($/N)

165.29

Interbank ($/N)

162.75

Parallel ($/N)

185.50

Jan. 5, 2015

Rates

T-bills - 91

13.65

T-bills - 182

13.88

T-bills - 364

13.65

Bond - 3yrs

13.81

Bond - 5yrs

13.85

Bond - 7yrs

13.83

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 10-01-15

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 10-01-15

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

EQUITIES

Nigerian equities lose N1.5tr in first week I

NVESTORS in Nigerian equities started this year with the unnerving hangover of the previous year as quoted equities lost about N1.5 trillion in the first week of the New Year. With consecutive decline all through the five trading sessions, the week saw most equities dropping to their lowest levels. Aggregate market value of all quoted companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed the week at a low of N9.980 trillion as against its opening value of N11.478 trillion, representing a loss of N1.498 trillion. The benchmark index at the NSE, the All Share Index (ASI)- a valuebased index that tracks prices of all quoted equities and also doubles as country index for Nigeria, indicated a week-on-week average decline of 13.05 per cent. The ASI dropped from its opening index of 34,657.15 points to close at 30,143.02

Stories by Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

points. The performance in the first week of the year raised the spectre of the previous year. Nigerian equities ranked among the worst-performing stocks globally in 2014 with average full-year decline of 16.14 per cent. Aggregate market value of all quoted equities closed 2014 at N13.226 trillion as against its opening value of N11.477 trillion for the year, indicating a loss of N1.75 trillion during the year. The performance in 2014 contrasted sharply against the exceedingly bullish performance in 2013. Investors pocketed some N4.25 trillion in capital gains in 2013. The main index at the NSE, the ASI recorded full-year return of 47.19 per cent rising from its opening index for the year of 28,078.81 points to close the year at 41,329.19 points.

The performance in 2013 significantly surpassed the much applauded return in 2012 when equities posted average return of 35.45 per cent, equivalent to capital gains of N2.44 trillion. A five-day loss of N1.5 trillion last week overshadowed the market situation, underlining fears by several analysts that the market may witnessed a prolonged bearishness this year. Overall outlook remained modest by most analyses. Sectoral review showed widespread losses across the sectors. The NSE 30 Index, which tracks the 30 most capitalized companies, recorded a weekly decline of -12.97 per cent. The NSE Banking Index, which tracks the most active sector, recorded average loss of 13.28 per cent. The NSE Con-

sumer Goods Index, which tracks large manufacturers of fast moving consuming goods, recorded return of -11.45 per cent. The NSE Lotus Islamic Index, which tracks Islamic compliant ethical stocks, recorded average loss of 13.46per cent. The NSE Insurance Index recorded the lowest sectoral loss of -2.45 per cent. The NSE Industrial Goods Index posted average return of -10.98 per cent while the NSE Oil and Gas Index dwindled by 6.22 per cent. Total turnover last week stood at 2.01 billion shares worth N23.38 billion in 20,902 deals. The financial services industry remained the most active with 1.69 billion shares valued at N16.11 billion in 11,626 deals; thus contributing 83.8 per cent and 68.9 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. Conglomerates sector followed with a turnover of 156.59 million shares worth N642.08 million in 1,569 deals. The third place was oc-

cupied by the consumer goods sector with 57.99 million shares worth N3.01 billion in 3,216 deals. The trio of First City Monument Bank Plc, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Plc and Zenith International Bank Plc were the most active stocks, accounting for 939.63 million shares worth N9.65 billion in 2,970 deals, representing 46.69 per cent and 41.27 per cent of the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. With 14 gainers to 55 losers, Guinness Nigeria led the losers with a drop of 22.56 per cent to close at N130.21. Dangote Cement followed with a loss of 20.68 per cent to close at N158.65 while Access Bank dropped by 20.45 per cent to close at N5.25 per share. On the upside, RT Briscoe recorded the highest percentage gain of 14.29 per cent to close at 88 kobo. Red Star Express followed with a gain of 6.60 per cent to close at N4.20 while Presco rose by 6.53 per cent to close higher at N26.10.

Stockbrokers urge investors to take advantage of low prices

NVESTORS should see the current downtrend at the stock market as enticing opportunity to buy into good stocks and take future positions in companies with prospects for good returns. In a review of the market situation, a cross-section of stockbrokers said investors should not panic about the market situation. They urged investors to leverage on the expertise of stockbrokers to make investment decision that would minimize their risk and maximize return. Managing director, Finawell Capital Limited, Mr. Tunde Oyekunle, said that investors should come to the market to take their position. He stressed the need to imbibe the consciousness of making wise investment decisions by buying attractive stocks at low prices. Chief executive officer, Standard Union Securities Limited, Mr. Sehinde Adenagbe urged investors not to panic but rather move closer to stockbrokers for advice on investment opportunities in the capital market, which is a source of medium and long term investment. Meanwhile, the stockbrokers have commended the leadership of Mr. Albert Okumagba. Okumagba was appointed mid last year as president of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS). Managing Director, Express Dis-

•Commend Okumagba’s leadership count Asset Management Limited, Alhaji Atiku Kafaru described Okumagba as round peg in round hole. According to him, the institute has recorded laudable achievements within the short period that the new administration came on board. “The current leadership of the institute has raised the bar in the area of visibility. Members are more interested in the institute’s activities. Membership has increased. The current leadership has a target of about one million members for 2015 through the Diploma

Programme and this is achievable. As a prelude, the new leadership has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with some tested institutions in order to realize the target for increase in membership base. A lot of sensitization programme is going on in this regard,” Atiku said. Oyekunle attributed the impressive performance of the new leadership to factors such as vibrancy, innovativeness, market experience and the strong determination to

move the market to the next level. “This is not only being communicated through effective communication strategy but quite visible,” Oyekunle said Adenagbe said the current leadership leverages on wide contacts to boost the operation of the institute. “The current leadership draws more members to the fold. Members that are not very active on the institute’s activities are now brought on board as every member is seeing the institute on a close range. It is dear that the current leadership is building a world class institute,” Adenagbe said. Chief executive officer, Halicorn Consulting Limited, Mr. Segun Oye noted that the institute is mak-

ing efforts to encourage members in spite of the challenges in the market. “Efforts such as negotiating dues, discounting trainings and sustained dialogues are part of the efforts being made to encourage members,” Oye said. Oyekunle described the recent stockbrokers’ conference as one of the best ever in the history of the institute in both the form and content. He however urged the leadership to get closer to the members to understand their plights and give them value. Atiku said the institute should endeavour to partner with the government functionaries to drive revenue that would enhance business opportunities for members.

FBN Holdings completes 100% acquisition of Oasis Insurance

BN Holdings Plc has concluded the acquisition of the minority shareholdings in Oasis Insurance Plc, making the holding company the wholly owner of the insurance firm. FBN Holdings completed the acquisition through FBN Insurance Limited, its insurance subsidiary. Following the completion of the acquisition, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has delisted Oasis Insurance Plc. The Nation had exclusively reported the acquisition of the majority shareholding and takeover

bid for the minority shareholdings in Oasis. FBN Insurance Limited had acquired 71.2 per cent equity interest in Oasis Insurance through a block divestment in February 2014. FBN Insurance subsequently launched a mandatory takeover bid for the remaining 28.8 per cent equity interest in Oasis Insurance in line with the rules of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Regulatory filing indicated that by the close of the take-

over bid on 31 July 2014, FBN Insurance Limited received a total of 1,289,493,953 ordinary shares bringing its shareholding in Oasis Insurance to approximately 91.1 per cent. FBN Insurance Limited elected to exercise its rights under Section 146(2) of the Investments and Securities Act to compulsorily acquire shares belonging to the minority shareholders having crossed the 90 per cent threshold. At the end of the 20-day statutory notice period FBN Insurance Limited increased its holdings by an additional 22,603,617 shares bringing its holdings in Oa-

sis Insurance Plc to approximately 91.4 per cent. FBN Insurance Limited thereafter transferred the sum of N310,649,730 to FBN Registrars as consideration for the outstanding 560,808,895 shares or 8.6% per cent. FBN Registrars will keep the fund in trust for shareholders who are yet to tender their share certificates. By this action, FBN Insurance Limited now holds 100 per cent equity interest in Oasis Insurance Plc. The NSE yesterday confirmed the transaction, noting that Oasis Insurance requested for voluntary delisting after the full acquisition.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS INSURANCE

IGI, NICON risk cancellation of licences

HE operating licences of Industrial & General Insurance Plc (IGI) and NICON Insurance Limited may be cancelled by the regulatory body, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), for failure to file their statutory quarterly financial returns with the Commission in 2014, The Nation has learnt. The Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, who stated this, said the submission of financial returns is mandatory in line with section 8 of the Insurance Act, 2003. He also explained that in accordance with extant laws, all insurers and reinsurers are required to, within 30 days from the end of each quarter, file financial returns as at the end of the quarter with the

• To pay N1.826m fine

Stories by Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

Commission, adding that failure by any company to meet this requirement constitutes a ground for cancellation of the insurer’s license in line with section 8 of the Insurance Act 2003. Daniel said that out of the 59 operating insurance companies, eight were yet to submit their financial returns for the third quarter of 2014, to the Commission. He listed the defaulting companies to include Anchor Insurance Company, Great Nigeria Insurance,

IGI, NICON, Mutual Benefits Life Assurance Linited, Staco Insurance Plc, Universal Insurance Company Limited, and UNIC Insurance Plc, adding that there are five firms under regulatory intervention. The affected companies are Alliance & General Insurance, Alliance & General Life Assurance, Goldlink Insurance Plc, Investment & Allied Insurance Plc and Spring Life Assurance Plc. He said 46 other operating insurance firms filed their first, second and third quarter returns with the

Commission. “As all insurers and reinsurers are required to, within 30 days from the end of each quarter, file financial returns as at the end of the quarter with NAICOM, late filing of quarterly returns attracts a fine of N5000 per day for each day of default. “An insurer who refuses to submit to NAICOM on, or before the end of the next quarter is deemed to have failed to render quarterly returns. All contraventions upon which penalties have been imposed

in any accounting year are required to be included in the audited annual accounts to be presented at the annual general meeting of the insurer;” Daniel said, adding that in case of general insurers, the quarterly returns are expected to include: statement of premium transaction by class of business, statement of commission by class of business, statement of claims by class of business, statement of management expenses, quarterly balance sheet, revenue account, profit and loss account.

Life insurance basics

SSESS your life insurance needs The first step in life insurance planning is to analyze your life insurance needs • Before purchasing a life insurance policy, consider your financial situation and the standard of living you want to maintain for your dependents or survivors. You might want to ask yourself who will be responsible for any outstanding medical bills and funeral costs. What would happen if your family had to relocate or otherwise change their standard of living once you’ve died? The assumption of immediate death is necessary to determine the current life insurance needs for a family or individual. • Add in the longer term financial needs of the remaining family members, such as: children’s expenses, income for the surviving spouse, mortgage and other debt payoffs, college education funds and an additional emergency fund. Because life insurance needs change over time, your life insurance amount should be reevaluated periodically. Insurance experts recommend revisiting the coverage of your policy once every five years or whenever you experience a major life event such as a change in income or assets, marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, or a major purchase such as a house or business. In theory, you should have a declining need for life insurance as you age because fewer people remain dependent upon you for income support. Exceptions would be protecting a business entity or paying taxes on a large estate for heirs. If the purpose of buying life insurance is to pay estate taxes, then you’ll need permanent life insurance, which is in-force as long as you live and pay the premiums. Policy choices Life insurance policies are divided into two main types: • Term life insurance, which provides only a death benefit without any “cash value” (offering the least expensive cost per $1,000 of death

coverage purchased). • Permanent life insurance, which has a “cash value” account in which a return-on-investment component becomes an often complex and expensive part of the policy (most expensive cost per $1,000 of coverage). Term life insurance Term life insurance is the easiest life insurance to understand: It provides death benefit protection without any savings, investment or “cash value” components. Term life insurance is available for set periods of time such as 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. With “annual renewable term life,” your policy automatically renews and premiums increase each year. Choose “level term insurance” if you want your premium to stay the same for the duration of the policy. Also available is “decreasing term insurance,” where premiums remain level but your death benefit declines over time. This is useful if you want to cover only a specific debt that decreases, such as a mortgage or business loan. As long as you pay your premiums, the company cannot cancel you. Term life insurance is a popular choice because of the long rate-guarantee periods. However, if you get to the end of your policy term and still need life insurance, you’ll need to shop for a new policy, which will then be priced based on your age and health status. Choosing an initial rate-guarantee period is easy: Match the period of time your dependents need your income to the available rate-guarantee periods. For example, if your children are young and you have decades to go on your mortgage, look at 30-year term life. If your children are leaving the nest and your home is paid off or nearly paid off, 10-year term might fit the bill. Other policy provisions that drive the popularity of term life insurance are guaranteed renewal and guaranteed convertibility. • Culled from insure.com

• From right: Director-General, Lagos State Pension Commission Commission, Mr. Rotimi Hussain; Hon. Commissioner for Establishments, Training & Pension, Mrs. Florence Oguntuase; Head of Service, Mrs. Josephine Williams and Permanent Secretary, Teachers’Establishment and Pensions Office, Mr. Nurudeen Adejiyan-Ojora, during the 7th Pre-Retirement Seminar organised by LASPEC in Lagos.

Anchor rewards long-serving employees

NCHOR Insurance Plc has rewarded some workers and individuals who have contributed to the growth of the firm, its Managing Director, Mayowa Adeduro, has said. In a statement, Adeduro said the event was part of activities marking the company’s 25th Anniversary in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He said past chairmen and chief executives of the company were awarded and recognised for their dedication and selfless services to the company. He said the firm also recognised employees who have served the company for over a decade with awards and gifts. He said there was an inspection of the company’s building projects in Akwa Ibom State which included the upgrading and face-lifting of its registered office and the construction of a multipurpose six floor complex on a 1,500 square-metre piece of land in a commercial high rise location in the state capital. There are also plans to let out more floors in these buildings to boost its income from investment properties. He said: “As part of the programme, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who was the special guest of honour, was awarded and recog-

By Bolajoko Bukola

nised for outstanding leadership, uncommon transformation culture and dedicated service to Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria in particular. “Prizes were also presented to the winners of the 25th anniversary essay competition for secondary schools. The Winner, Saviour Okon Paul from State College, Ikot Ekpene went home with a cash prize of N30,000, while the school was presented with three desktop computers, exercise books and insurance text books,” it stated. It continued: “The first runnerup, Esther Bassey from Uyo High School, Uyo got a cash prize of N20,000 while two desktop computers, exercise books and insurance text books was donated to her school, while the second runner, Favour Okpo from Government Secondary School, Afaha Eket, Eket also got a cash prize of N10,000 and the school got a donation of one desktop, exercise books and insurance text books.” Adeduro assured that the company would continue to see its customers and clients as reason for being in business and ensure that stakeholders enjoyed a pleasant experience doing busi-

ness with it. Meanwhile, the Director-General, Nigerian Insurers Association and guest speaker, Sunday Thomas, while delivering the anniversary lecture titled: “Sustaining infrastructural development and transformation initiatives of the nation through insurance”, observed that billions of dollars is spent yearly by the Federal Government to boost transportation, power, ports and terminals, and energy. He, however, said there is need to protect these huge investments through the risk transfer mechanism of insurance. He said: “The insurance industry has a key role to play in contributing to the nation’s economic growth as a risk transfer and management mechanism, growth driver for other sectors of the economy and a huge potential for direct and indirect labour employment. “It is a provider of long-term capital investment needed for infrastructure projects which will help drive a competitive, healthy and robust national economy.” The NIA boss said the potential of insurance as a mechanism for sustaining infrastructural development and transformation initiatives of the nation is huge.

House passes bill to extend terrorism insurance through 2020

OVING quickly after the Federal Terrorism Insurance programme expired on December 31, last year, the United States’ House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill to extend the terrorism insurance backstop until the end of 2020. The House tally was 416-5, with one member voting “present.’’ The legislation, which has strong support from the major insurance and

risk management trade groups, now goes to the Senate. The program, which was created by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, died in the Senate at the end of last year because a lone retiring senator staunchly opposed agent licensing provision contained in the bill. The measure that passed Wednesday — H.R. 26, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Programme

Reauthorisation Act of 2015 — is identical to a compromise measure approved by the House last month. The bill calls for extending the program for six years, gradually increasing the trigger for activating the backstop to $200 million from the current $100 million and gradually increasing the industry wide retention to $37.5 billion. The bill also would establish a

new National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers that would streamline interstate agent licensing. Extension of the backstop was the top legislative goal of the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc., as well as insurance and producer groups, in the last Congress. The Senate last year had approved a bill that would have ex-

tended the program for seven years while retaining the current coverage trigger. But the Senate failed to take up the House measure before adjourning last month after retiring Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., blocked Senate consideration of the bill because he objected to the NARAB provision, claiming it violated states’ rights. • Culled from Business Insurance

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS JOBS

• A ship yard

A floating yard of jobs I

T is a joint venture between the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), Korea with a lot of potential. Under the venture, 50,000 jobs are expected to be created in five years, starting from this year.

The construction of an oil and gas/maritime fabricated yard in Lagos is expected to boost economic activities and create jobs, reports AKINOLA AJIBADE. The firms will pool resources to build a fabricated yard that would serve as floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessels in Lagos. The yard, expected to be completed this year, will be bigger than LADOL’s at the Lagos Free Trade Zone (LFZ) within Apapa Pilotage District. It will produce thousands of metric tonnes of materials needed to keep the FPSO vessels operational. The FPSO vessels are located near where oil is processed and stored until it is transferred to a tanker that would take it to where needed. Such vessels require constant repairs and maintenance, which can only be done by certified technicians and engineers working in the fabrication yard. The project, which being is built for Total Upstream Nigeria Limited, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),

will enable Nigeria maximise its potential in the Free Trade Zones and join nations, which grew through that means. The United States (US), Britain and Canada, among others, are leveraging on such zones to create jobs and build their economies. Those to be employed in the yard include welders, fabricators, drivers and loaders. Others are engineers, accountants, geologists, project officers and office assistants. Those who require specialised skills will be trained abroad. LADOL Managing Director Dr Army Jadesinmi said the yard would serve maritime, oil and gas operators, and create 50,000 jobs. Jadesinmi said the yard is being constructed to make Nigeria the preferred destination for oil and gas/maritime activities in West Africa.

She said: “LADOL and Samsung Heavy Industries of Korea had in 2013 entered into partnership to boost human capacity and Nigerian content development in the oil and gas industry through the establishment of Samsung Nigeria Technology Academy (SaNTA). The FPSO‘s facility will create job opportunities for the skilled and unskilled workforce. It is a big project, which will translate into economic growth by attracting foreign operators to Nigeria. “For us to be the hub, we must show the outside world that we can do it. So, this business of Nigeria becoming the hub of maritime and off-shore oil and gas operation in the region, via providing jobs for people in the two sectors, means the •Continued on page 36

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

JOBS

A floating yard of jobs

•Continued from page 35

country becoming the first port of call when it comes to maritime and oil and gas, shipping, investment technology and upstream oil and gas engineering. They would not be sustainable if it goes to small countries with less than 10 million population. Nigeria has a huge population and volume of business activities and its best suited for this project. You can see the multiplier effects through jobs creation.” SHI Chairman K.S Lee said the project would create avenues for skills and technology transfer. He advised operators to prepare for the opportunities in the nation’s oil and gas industry. Many people, Lee said, are going to be taken from the labour market, when the facility is completed, saying that technically-proficient workers, such as engineers, craftsmen, geologists, among others, would get jobs through the facility. The idea, according to him, will revolutionise oil and gas business by making people to learn, adopt and practise new things that would lead to job’s creation. Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Chief Executive Officer Ernest Nwapa said job creation is one of the major goals of the local content programmes spearheaded by the Board. Nwapa, during a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, said the government has started the implementation of oil and gas parks in nine oil producing states, adding that the partnership between LADOL and Samsung is good, capable of improving local content initiatives in Nigeria. “Oil and Gas sector is the barometer used in gauging or assessing the growth of the Nigerian economy. We decided on the domestication of contents/personnel in the sector to move the economy forward. What the government is saying is that an appreciable percentage of local content programmes must be injected into activities or programmes in the oil and gas sector. The journey into that giant stride has started with the

• Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke

• Dr Jadesinmi

• Nwapa

launch and implementation of oil and gas parks that would create 50,000 jobs. Now another 50,000 jobs are coming through the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) fabricated yards in the country,” Nwapa said. He said the FPSO project would create direct and indirect jobs for people, urging Nigerians to prepare themselves for the opportunities. Nwapa said both graduate and non-graduate workers would get opportunities to show their skills as long as there

are openings in the petroleum sector. The Minister of Industry, Dr Olusegun Aganga, said Free Trade Zones attract investments creats jobs, arguing that Nigeria’s FTZ cannot be an exception considering the volume of activities in the economy. He said the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is not leaving any stone unturned in its efforts to maximise opportunities that will lead to socio-economic growth. He added that the conception and

implementation of FPSO project are one way of growing the economy, by generating employment opportunities for people. ‘’The Council is making efforts to promote export activities by encouraging manufacturers to package their goods to appeal to buyers outside Nigeria. When this happens, more money would come to the country and activities would be galvanised,” he said. He said the country boasts of 30 Free Trade Zones, urging Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities in the zones to establish industries and create jobs.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS Nigerian-German Business Association elects Esan as President

HE Board of Directors of Nigerian-German Business Association (NGBA) has elected an entrepreneur and investor, Mr. Folabi Esan, as the President of the association. He takes over from Mr. Peter Sengpiel, who served the association for two years before stepping down at the as-

• Esan

sociation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), which held in Lagos. Esan became a partner at Adlevo Capital, an expansion stage private equity firm investing in African businesses that provide technology driven services or infrastructure, in 2008. Before then, he served as

the Chief Executive Officer at Catalyst TDC - a venture incubator. Prior to that, he was the Regional Manager for SAP West Africa (ERP software and solution provider) and Heureka Consulting (technology marketing services). He has over 20 years’ experience, establishing new

businesses in Nigeria. He has worked in various industries and for some global companies. The Nigerian-German Business Association was founded by representatives of the German business community in Nigeria, representatives of the Nigerian business community, del-

egation of German Industry and Commerce (AHK) and the Nigerian and German Embassies. Germany and Nigeria signed a bilateral cultural agreement in 1999, placing cultural relations between the two countries on a sound footing in international law.

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Job search when you have to be discreet W

HEN you don’t want your employer to find out that you are job hunting, there are steps you can take to keep your job search confidential. The last thing you need to have happen when job searching is for your employer to accidentally find out that you’re looking for a new job. It could jeopardise both your current position and future references from your employer. Here are some suggestions on how to effectively job hunt on the sly, so that the wrong person doesn’t find out that you are looking to make a move.

Stealth job hunting do’s and don’ts E-mail address Do not use your work email address for job hunting. Use your personal account or set up a free web-based email account specifically for job searching.

Office equipment Don’t use your employer’s com-

By Olu Oyeniran

puters or phone system. Many employers monitor Internet usage and review phone call logs. Keep your resume, your email correspondence, anything and everything related to your job search on your home computer.

Your resume Be careful where you post your resume. If you don’t want your current employer to accidently find your resume when searching for candidates, post on job sites where you can keep your employer and contact information confidential. For example, if you post your resume on Monster, you can make it confidential and your contact information and references won’t be displayed. You can block your present company’s name by entering an end date of present for your current position.

Additional resume options Other options for protecting your privacy (aside from blocking) include listing a generic company

name and job title, rather than a specific one. You can also leave off company contact information. Do the same with your contact information and phone numbers. List your job searching email address and cell phone number.

Telephone tips Do not use your work phone number for job hunting. Instead, put your cell phone number and/ or home phone number on your resume. Be sure to have voice mail or an answering machine in place so you get the messages in a timely fashion.

How and when If you can’t job hunt from work, what other options are there besides evenings and weekends? Visit a bookstore, cafe or library with internet access on your lunch hour and bring your laptop if you can find a wireless connection to use. Use your phone to job search there are lots of job search apps available. Lunch time also a good time to return prospective employer phone calls, especially if you

can take an early or late lunch to catch them in the office.

Interviewing Try to schedule interviews for either the beginning or the end of the day or on your lunch hour. If you have vacation time you can use, schedule multiple interviews for the same day.

Dress the part If you typically wear jeans to work, don’t wear a suit when you have an interview scheduled. Someone will start wondering what the occasion is for dressing up.

Be discreet Be careful who you tell that you’re looking for a new job. If you tell co-workers, you can be sure that it will get back to your boss, one way or the other. Do tell your family, so they can take messages for you and so they don’t inadvertently spill the beans to your work colleagues and leave you a message that someone is calling about an interview.

Social networking sites Be really careful what you post on social networking sites. Don’t tell your Facebook friends or your LinkedIn connections that you’re job searching. Don’t tweet about your job search activities either. Even if your boss doesn’t follow your updates, someone else may and the word that you’re job hunting could get back. EkiniConsult & Associates is organising three free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 0808384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free e-Book only. •Oyeniran is Lead Consultant, EkiniConsult & Associates. He can be reached on Jobsearchhow.com.ng Tel 08083843230 (SMS Only).

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

THE CEO The banking sector thrives on loans. But lending without adequate information means lenders will be losing money. In this interview with COLLINS NWEZE, the Managing Director/CEO, CRC Credit Bureau Limited, ‘Tunde Popoola says credit bureaux are critical to banks’ survival. He says the sector provides full lending information that makes banks’ operations successful. Popoola says banks will now have to be more innovative, competitive and learn to begin to look at banking not as a brick and mortar kind of thing, but as services that have to be rendered.

‘Banks without innovation will die’ W

HAT is your view on banks’ poor performance in recent times? In the last few years, there have been policies on the way banks charge customers, and the way they acquire customers. You see that part of the challenge has been that there has to be value creation before a customer can be charged. There are no longer free funds from customers. Banks also need to find ways to address their costs. The issue of cost has been part of banks’ fall in profits. What are the roles of credit bureaux in the economy? We enable financial institutions doing consumer lending to be able to take informed decisions. Ours is to ensure that nobody lends to anyone in the dark. We are to ensure that lenders are able to lend with full information at their disposal. So, without credit bureau, consumer lending cannot be successful. Credit bureau infrastructure is a way of giving access to a mass of people to have access to loans. The same thing goes with mortgage loans. These are the kind of loans that go to individuals. You need to make sure that you are lending to the right people and that you are lending to the right segment of the population. You need to know about their pedigree as far as financial issues are concerned. These are the roles that credit bureaux have come to play. So, we represent that link between the lender for consumer loan, and the borrower for consumer loans. We are at the middle. We provide necessary information to enable lenders give funds to the consumer. The kind of information we provide include identification, current exposure-to know whether that person is already leveraged. We ant to know what has been happening to that person in the past one to three years relating to obligations, among others. These are critical information we bring to the table as credit bureaux. We remain the enabler. That is why, the stage we are now, we will begin to see other non-bank financial institutions which are already approaching the credit bureau. That’s where the future is. People need information to be able to take decisions. We provide the information, without which, people will be lending in the dark and loosing money. Even as we speak, a lot of non-bank financial institutions are approaching credit bureaux to get data on borrowers because they are also lending. The CBN has been advising banks on the need to use two credit bureaux in loan restructuring. Has that policy impacted on the level of businesses you do? Yes, I think the CBN has done very well in the support they have given credit bureaux in Nigeria. I think they see the support from the perspective of value we bring to the table to enhance the management of risk management in the Nigerian banking industry. Successive Central Bank of Nigeria Governors, have seen how important we are to the lending industry and they really have come out clearly in giving specific direction on what the banks should do. Recently, there was another circular from the CBN that mandated that effective July 1,

• Popoola

this year. It is an offence for any bank to grant any credit without consulting at least two credit bureaux. That is, without checking for credit information of that particular applicant or prospective borrower from the credit bureaux. It also warned that any bank that fails to submit credit information from

at least two borrowers, will be treated as if that bank is making concealment of the information, and will be penalized under the banking and other financial institutions act. There has also been some brainstorming sessions on how to enhance quality, get the banks to submit complete information, and

Profile Institutions attended

Obafemi Awolowo University, Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Wharton Business School.

Qualifications

B.SC (Economics).

Previous positions

Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), an agency established by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)

Present position

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CRC Credit Bureau Limited.

Experience

Over 25 years.

what kind of information and comprehensive that information should be. The CBN has been able to organize meetings between credit bureaux and the banks. These are the kind of supports we get from the CBN, and the implication is that it has deepened the relationship we have with commercial banks and the lending industry. They are taking us more seriously. This has created an upsurge in the request for our products and services on daily basis from the banking institutions. Has there been any case of default from the banks and does the policy apply to all categories of loans? The policy covers every transaction and amount. Even that circular said they should not give loans to those with delinquent facilities. They actually gave threshold of N500 million for commercial banks and N250 million for specialised banks. The policy was very clear in making cases for commercial banks. •Continued on page 38

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

THE CEO

‘Banks without innovation will die’ •Continued from page 37

Since that time, top management of banks have demonstrated their interest on what is going on between the banks and credit bureaux. That also has shown how committed the Central Bank is to making sure that there is success for credit bureaux. What has been the percentage of increase in your transactions? It has been very significant, I must tell you. We have got to daily threshold of usage that we have not had for a long time. That showed us that banks are taking us very seriously. So, that has led to significant improvement in relationship between us. We now have banks showing interest in collecting data, updating data. Even the ease with which they submit data now has increased. Every bank should submit data not later than five days after month-end. The numbers of institutions that are submitting data now have increased tremendously. What percentage of increase have you recorded? It cannot be less than 25 per cent increase in the number of institutions and volume of transactions. What is the competition in the credit bureaux market like? The competition is very healthy. As you know, lenders are known. It is a market that everyone knows. What we are trying to do is focus on the formal market. They are the regulated segment of the market, which are commercial banks, merchant banks, the leasing companies, microfinance banks, primary mortgage institutions. So, the competition has been very keen around that area. So, we are competing for all these institutions. But the issue has been how innovative have you been as a credit

bureau. Can these people be able to access your platform? How long does it take them to be able to download information from your platform. What is the level of your relationship management? How easy is it for them to reach you, or for you to reach them? And again, the quality of your report and depth of information they get from your platform, which have to do with the quantum of information you have and the number of institutions that are submitting information to you. These are what constitute competitive edge for us at CRC Credit Bureau. For us, we have a much more robust credit information report that is rounded and comprehensive. What else has distinguished you from the competition? We have produced significant products to support our customers. It has made us stay ahead of the competition. We have prided ourselves as the market leader, and we are focusing on thoughtful leadership. We want to be in the mind of everybody. We have moved from just collecting information from regulated entities to non-formal sectors. So, you se some level of patronage from corporative societies, pharmaceutical companies, among others. We also focus on institutions that are large in size, because they will have customers with multiple transactions. There is no key institution in Nigeria today that is doing lending, and is not in our platform. We have seen high level of acceptance from these institutions. We now see people seeing value from what we are doing. We also get request from individuals wanting to know their positions. We also have level of lodgment of complaints for correct information that

‘Any bank that cannot innovate, and cannot move with the tide, will be washed away by the tide. So, as we move on, we see innovation, the banks of the future, are those that are innovative. They leverage on technology and highly skilled human resource. Those will be the differentiating factor, as we move into the future’

• Popoola

can tell you the volume of people making enquiries. We have, because of high level of patronage seen less number of litigations. There is also more awareness. Before now, any small thing, people threaten us with litigation, but because of awareness they now know that there are processes to go through. You can now make formal complaints, if not addressed, you can report to the CBN, and if the CBN does not do anything, you can now go to court. We have now seen an increase in number of enquiries, request for change from what they got from our platform. This has made our relation with lending institutions much more robust. Those are the kind of things we have seen in the industry. The financial sector is now getting much more enlarged. We have seen technology companies like Paga, PayPal, doing businesses that were hitherto done primarily by banks. How do you see these impacting on the conventional bankers and their profits? You know, we are in a very interesting phase in the Nigeria financial landscape. We came up few years ago, pursuing aggressively, what we called financial inclusion, where people will have access to formal financial services. When that was done, the intent was not that everyone will go to formal commercial banks. Financial inclusion can come in different forms. Some through mortgage, some through, microfinance banks and some through the traditional commercial banks. When you have deepened the financial market, every segment of the market will grow. Operators, new parctioners and new segments will come in. Part of them are those licenced to do telephone banking. There is now a non-bank credit card company, giving credit cards to customers, still they are not commercial banks. So, it is easy for us to conclude that will be taken from a segment of the commercial banks. No, it will rather deepen the financial system. What I am saying is that all those efforts you are seeing are deepening the financial system. When the financial system is deepened, the banking industry will be the ultimate gainers. All transactions at the end of the day still go to the banking system. It is about money coming into the pockets of people. It can come though different ways, credit cards, transfer, all manner of ways. People now have more choices to make. Before, access to financial services were said to be around 30 per cent. And we wanted to target 70 per cent, and it has moved to about 50 per cent. This, current number is not just about those who lodged money in commercial banks. It also has to do with the people in Paga, PayPal among others. At the end of the day, what is important is that you want to send money to people, and you are able to do that, through whatever platform you will do that. Whether through your bank account, or telephone or whatever it is. If you able to do that, it may eventually translate to access to credit for you. What does access to credit imply? Access to credit does not mean that you have to get to your bank before you have access to credit. It also means that through all manner of devices, you can have access to credit. So, it is a beautiful thing, which should continue this way. And it will continue because Nigeria is at a threshold, we have interesting statistics to show. The rebasing of our economy has propelled us to be number one in Africa. International investors now want to be part of what is happening in Nigeria. And so, you will see more of these initiatives from various

• Popoola

‘The competition is very healthy. As you know, lenders are known. It is a market that everyone knows. What we are trying to do is focus on the formal market. They are the regulated segment of the market, which are commercial banks, merchant banks, the leasing companies, microfinance banks, primary mortgage institutions’ part of the world coming to Nigeria. You also see more of these initiatives coming to Nigeria. Even telcos will now be performing mini banking services. Banks will now have to be more innovative, competitive, and learn to begin to look at banking not as a brick and mortar kind of things, but as services they have to render. So, all of these products, they have to find a way to introduce them, and get to the consumer and get to the market and get to their customers. So, if they are unable to get to their customers through some of these forms and processes, those banks will have to lose the market. But if banks are able to innovate, and device ways of seeing their customers not necessarily coming to the banking halls, but getting the services they need, wherever they are, then, they will be the gainer at the end of the day. As we speak today, you may do a lot of banking transactions without going to the banking hall. You may even not visit your bank for a whole year based on the kinds of products you are seeing coming up from the banking system. If you want to send money to your children, or your parents, you may not need to visit a bank to do that. And those means of transferring financial services will keep on expanding. Before now, when I wanted to send money to my children for their school abroad, I had to go to the bank to fill Form ‘M’ and all that. But it was through my laptop we did it last year. I did not leave my office. So, that’s the kind of things we are beginning to see. When you say you want to make a place, a financial hub, these are the kind of things you see. Are we likely to see more of these firms in the financial sector? Organisations like Paga, are all part of what we are expecting. More of them will come. We have those who are in the telephone

territory. There are those in the credit card territory and they are not formal banks. They are being licenced by the CBN to be able to give credit to people using plastics even without having bank accounts. These are the things that will become the formal feature of our economy. The banks now have to gain, not by charging customers more, but by having volumes of transaction from everyone. They have focus on volume and innovation for them to remain competitive. Any bank that cannot innovate, and cannot move with the tide, will be washed away by the tide. So, as we move on, we see innovation, the banks of the future, are those that are innovative. They leverage on technology and highly skilled human resource. Those will be the differentiating factor, as we move into the future. Not even in early 2000, if you rely and brick and mortar kind of banking, you will be washed away. The vey innovative ones will take all your customers away. If you are a bank that still wants to be sitting face to face with your customers, then you have already lost the business because everyone is moving into depersonalizing loan process in banks. What roles for credit bureaux in the entire scenario? Part of what you have been seeing is attributed to the fact that you now have credit bureaux in the economy. Six to seven years ago, no one will come to Nigeria, to do non-bank credit card operators. Because, how will you know the people you are lending to? Our job is to enhance information sharing, so that credible people will have access to credit. So, in all of these, we produce access to information, be it banks, or nonbanking institutions. Banks now have very credible means of getting information.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

BUSINESS

MOTORING

Mercedes reveals awesome self-driving car •Mercedes-Benz FO15 Luxury in Motion

The days of drivers being stressed up on the wheels are gradually coming to an end, courtesy of technology improvement. A self-driving car with breath-taking look - Mercedes-Benz FO15 Luxury in Motion - has just being introduced by Mercedes-Benz, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO with agency addition.

HEN an automobile company unveils a self-driving car, the era of comfort for passengers has come. Mercedes-Benz FO15 Luxury in Motion has blazed the trail, challenging the role of a ‘driver.’ The four-seat luxury vehicle unveiled in Las Vegas at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show joins the soon-to-be-produced S500 Intelligent Drive and futuristic Actros 1845 truck in Benz’s stable of semi- and fully autonomous prototypes. It combines the attributes of a traditional luxury vehicle with the technology needed to survive what Mercedes envisions as the overcrowded urban landscapes of the year 2030 and beyond. “The Luxury in Motion is for the individual who wants to retreat to a private place, relieving themselves of the stress and work involved with driving in the ever more hostile urban environment where driving is not enjoyable,” says Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler and head of Mercedes cars. At first glance, the F015 looks odd even by sci-fi car standards; it’s 205.5 inches long, 79.4 inches wide, and 60 inches tall. The F015’s wheelbase of 142.1 inches runs 9.6 inches longer than the S Class, and just a little shorter than a Maybach 57, which is 42 inches longer overall. Yet the F015 is wider and taller than both of those vehicles, providing a massive amount of interior space. The F015’s chassis combines carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, aluminum and high-strength steel into a body shell that weighs 40 percent less than today’s production vehicles. Mercedes claims no sacrifices to safety, despite a saloon-style door system that allows the doors to be opened up to 90 degrees without a centre pillar. The most dramatic demonstration of how much Mercedes believes autonomous vehicles will change society lies with the F015’s seats. There are four captain’s chair-like rotating “lounge” chairs that can

• Interior of the car

swivel into a face-to-face configuration. When needed, the driver’s chair swivels to face forward, and a white, leatherwrapped steering wheel slides out of the instrument panel. The electrically powered seats also swing outwards by 30 degrees as soon as the doors open for ease of exit and entry. Communication between the car, its driver, pedestrians and other cars on the road is a key element of this car. The car builds a picture of the outside world for navigation through a system of optical, radar and other sensors that read the environment. Meanwhile, the vehicle’s inter-

nal connectivity downloads traffic data and other things taking place beyond the reach of the car’s sensors from the cloud. The continuous flow of information is managed in the vehicle by a series of six displays, mounted in the dash, sidewalls and rear of car. Passengers are able to communicate with the vehicle via gestures, eye-movement or actually touching the screens. Because the car can be controlled from any of the touchscreens, “any passenger can become the driver,” said Zetsche. The intelligent vehicle can also warn other road users of potential hazards, for

example, provide early information on certain traffic situations. It has large communication displays at the front and rear of the car with LED panels. By changing the colour of its head LEDs, the car can indicate whether it’s driving or the human in his lounge chair is. If the F015 detects a pedestrian at the roadside, undulating light signals appear in the LED grille to let the pedestrian know that the vehicle has seen them. Should that pedestrian enter the roadway, the F015 halts and scans its surroundings to check whether it is safe to do so. If it is, the car uses a high-precision laser system to project a virtual cross walk onto the road surface and speaks “Please go ahead.” (Hopefully using William Daniels’ voice.) While little information was provided about the F015’s propulsion system, the automaker did say that it would be powered by an electric drive system based on the hydrogen plug-in hybrid technology used in the F125 Research vehicle. A pair of electric motors (one at each front wheel) provide propulsion, drawing electricity from a fuel-cell stack, hydrogen tank and lithium sulfate battery pack. Fifteen years ago, carbon-fiber cars and fuel cells were either lab experiments or expensive, handbuilt luxuries; today, they’re technologies filtering into the mainstream. The tech in the F015 looks somewhat sci-fi, but given that today’s Mercedes can manage parking and freeway driving without human input, 2030 doesn’t look so far away.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

MOTORING

to introduce new Audi expands investment with Coscharis Ford Mustang •24 billion A C UDI is expanding the biggest investment programme in its history. From 2015 through 2019, the Ingolstadt-based company plans to invest •24 billion, which is •2 billion more than in the previous planning period. Seventy percent of the investment will flow into the development of new models and technologies. Audi aims to meet stringent CO2 limits worldwide with a new generation of extremely economical combustion engines and alternative efficiency technologies. Furthermore, new features in the areas of connectivity and driver assistance are designed to extend the “Vorsprung durch Technik” of the brand with the four rings. At the same time, the company is expanding its worldwide production network. More than half of the planned investment will take place at the German sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. Audi plans to develop new cutting-edge technologies and to create additional production capacities worldwide in the next five years through large-scale investment. “We place top priority on sustainable growth. That’s why we are

Stories by Tajudeen Adebanjo

making large investments in the innovative areas of electric mobility, connectivity and lightweight construction,” stated Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management (CEO) of AUDI AG. The company is also pushing ahead with the expansion of its global production network. The total investment volume of •24 billion comprises approximately •17 billion of investment in property, plant and equipment and •7 billion of capitalised development costs. “Seventy percent of all our investment in the next five years will flow into new models and innovative technologies,” explained Board of Management Member for Finance (CFO) Axel Strotbek. “Despite the growth in total investment, we will keep a watchful eye on the upcoming challenges and exercise the required cost discipline,” stated the CFO. Top priority is being placed on progressing

as efficiently as possible. The expansion of international manufacturing structure and higher advance expenditure for new models and technologies, in particular to meet stricter CO2 limits worldwide, require enormous efforts from the entire workforce. In order to fulfill the ambitious CO2 limits, the company is working not only on the next generation of fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel engines, but also on plug-in hybrids such as the Audi A3 Sportback etron, which became available in the first markets at the end the year. “We are constantly further developing alternative drive systems and focusing above all on connecting the car with its digital environment,” said Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s Board of Management Member for Technical Development. “The car will communicate with the driver, the Internet, the infrastructure and other vehicles, while moving in an environmentally friendly manner.” The new Audi TT is a pacemaker in terms of seamless connectivity. Its integrated Audi virtual cockpit, which merges a combination of instruments and an MMI screen into a central digital unit, sets new standards.

OSCHARIS Motors is set to introduce the all new Ford Mustang into the Nigeria market for the first time ever. This follows on the heels of previous successful introduction of the Ford Ecosport, Fusion, Edge and Flex variants by the company. The Mustang is loaded with innovative technologies and delivering high levels of performance and style, the all-new Mustang is the next chapter in the life of one of the world’s most iconic cars. “Ford Mustang inspires passion like no other car,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “The visceral look, sound and performance of Mustang resonate with people, even if they have never driven one. Mustang is definitely more than just a car – it is the heart and soul of Ford.” Mustang’s impact goes well beyond the 9 million-plus cars sold in its 50 years of continuous production. It has made thousands of appearances in film, television, music and video games, and is the world’s most-liked vehicle on Facebook. First shipments will arrive early this year. The Mustang offers four- and eight-cylinder engines; the upgraded 5.0-liter V8 is joined by an

all-new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine that brings state-of-the-art technology to Mustang. Both engines are mated to either a six-speed manual or the optional SelectShift automatic transmission with Steering Wheel Paddle Shifters and Remote Start System. The Mustang’s EcoBoost engine uses direct injection, variable cam timing and turbocharging to deliver plenty of usable performance across a broad rev range. A unique intake manifold and turbocharger housing enable it to deliver the performance Mustang drivers expect with 231kW and 434Nm of torque. Mustang GT continues with its proven 5.0-liter V8, now featuring an upgraded valvetrain and cylinder heads that help boost output to 324kW and 542Nm of torque. A new intake manifold features charge motion control valves to partially close off port flow at lower engine speeds. This increases the air charge tumble and swirl for improved airfuel mixing resulting in improved efficiency and idle stability. The clean-sheet design of both Mustang fastback and convertible evokes the essential character of the brand, retaining key design elements – including the long sculpted hood and short rear deck – with contemporary execution.

ABC subsidiary, firm roll out locally assembled trucks

•From left: CIG Motors Sales and Marketing Manager Kayode Adejumo; CIG Chief representative officer Andy Wang; First Bank Managing Director Bisi Onosanya and Diana Chen during opening of CIG Motors in Victoria Island, Lagos

Kia sells 2.9m vehicles

IA Motors Corporation announced its 2014 full-year global sales figures (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants) for passenger cars, recreational vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles, recording a total of 2,907,757 units sold. This figure represents a 5.9 per cent cumulative year-on-year increase compared to 2013. In 2014, Kia posted a year-on-year sale increase in China, North America, general markets and Korea of 17.5 per cent (678,196 units sold), 7.0 per cent (650,241 units

sold), 2.1 per cent (524,345 units sold) and 1.6 per cent (465,200 units sold), respectively. Meanwhile, 2014 sales in Europe experienced a slight drop of 0.1 per cent (589,775 units sold). For the month of December 2014, global sales of Kia vehicles grew by 20.7 per cent with all major regions experiencing year-on-year growth. Sales in China, North America, Korea, general markets and Europe grew by 35.9 per cent (69,111 units sold), 34.2 per cent (48,939 units sold), 17.1 per cent (48,018 units sold), 12.0 per cent

(41,349 units sold) and 2.4 per cent (44,975 units sold), respectively in December. Kia’s bestselling model in overseas markets during 2014 was the B-segment Rio (known as ‘K2’ in China) with 491,613 units sold. The C-segment Cerato (known as ‘Forte’ or ‘K3’ in some markets) was the second best seller with 432,420 units delivered, while the Sportage compact CUV, Optima Dsegment sedan and Soul urban crossover followed with 416,856, 300,685 and 194,572 units sold, respectively.

SUBSIDIARY of ABC Transport Plc, Transit Support Services Limited in partnership with Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company Ltd (ANAMMCO) will officially roll out Shacman trucks from the ANAMMCO plant in Emene Industrial Layout, Enugu, on Thursday. The groundbreaking event is billed to attract a host of high profile government functionaries, industrialists and technocrats including Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr Frank Jacobs; Director General, National Automotive Council, Aminu Jalal, the Managing Director, Shacman Group, Shaanxi, China, Mr. Wang Gang, and ANAMMCO chairman Sir G. U. Okeke,. The resuscitation of ANAMMCO factory by Transit Support Services Limited is in response to the new national automotive policy, and the need to grow domestic automobile capacity and generate employment opportunities in Nigeria. Shacman is a brand of the Shaanxi Automobile Group Co. Ltd. China, which has over 45 years of manufacturing experience and remains one of the leading automobile manufacturers in China. Shacman produced the first heavy duty military off-

road truck in 1968 and has since inception manufactured over 600,000 vehicles of different varieties, making great contribution to China national defence construction, developing the national economy and adding value to the entire Chinese society. Over four decades, Shacman has evolved into one of China’s domestic large-scale automobile enterprise group with over 33,000 employees and is ranked 24 among Chinese top 500 mechanical enterprises. Shacman also engages mainly in development, manufacture and sales of off-road vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, medium-duty, large and medium-sized coaches, medium and light-duty trucks, minivan, new energy vehicles, heavy-duty axles, light axles, Cummins engines and automobile components, among others. Established in 2007, Transit Support Services Limited, Nigeria, has been behind the success of notable transport operators in the whole of Africa sub-region and is continuously researching for best solutions to enhance cost efficient services in Transport and Logistics Operations. Transit Support Services Limited is dedicated to providing the latest materials, services and technology to the automobile industry through its associates worldwide.

SAFE DRIVING

HE rate of accident is still very high in Nigeria and one of the factors responsible for this is inadequate sleep by drivers. The medical prescription is that drivers are to have a minimum of six hours of uninterrupted sleep before embarking on a journey. A driver that fails to have enough sleep daily is accumulating sleep debt which must be paid with adequate sleep to prevent the manifestation of the devastating consequences which include: • Mental, emotional and physical fatigue. • Micro sleep.

Effects of sleep debt on driving • High blood pressure • Migrane-like headache • Aching muscles. • Diminishing ability to perform high – level cognitive functions (reduced performance ability). • Increased risk of fibromyalgia. • Confusion. • Memory lapses or memory loss. • Hand and leg tremors. • Hallucinations. • Irritability. • Reduced concentration. • Depression.

• Increased stress hormonal level • Poor co-ordination of the body organs. • Cerebral arterioclorosis. • Heart attack. • Stroke. • Death. Professional drivers, drivers of own vehicles and employers of drivers must clearly understand the consequences of inadequate sleep or sleep debt as well as take precautionary measures to avoid the devastating hazards. Employers of drivers must

always remind themselves that the drivers are human beings handling a very complex work which requires the simultaneous use of the eyes, nose, ears, brain, hands,and legs in a continuously changing environment. The drivers therefore need to sleep in a comfortable place and have enough rest after a driving task. A situation where drivers are not allowed to go on annual leaf to refresh their body and health is laden with dangers. Always remember that the road is patient but it does not

Jide Owatunmise Registrar / Chief Executive, Professional Driving and Safety Academy

forgive. As we are now in a new year, I hereby plead with all road users to be safety-conscious all the way.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2015

‘

The INEC should drop the idea of disenfranchising eligible voters for lack of Permanent Voter Card. The blame for non- possession of Permanent Voter Card should be placed at the doorstep of the INEC

‘

In this piece, Adeyinka Jeje, Election Manager and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, contends that the disenfranchised of eligible voters, through the shoddy distribution of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is dangerous for democracy.

dential elections. One constant in stable electoral environments all over the world is confidence in the system. No voter ever expect to be disenfranchised and voters in those climes know that anyone who commits an Electoral offence shall be liable. The simple question l want to ask is: Hhs INEC distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards generated confidence in the Nigeria Electoral System towards the 2015 elections?”

Can there be credible elections without PVCs?

HAVE followed with interest the on-going National discourse on INEC; the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards; and the Continuous Voter Registration. I have restrained myself from making comment by virtue of my office, but l am finding it difficult to defend my position of silence in the face of what appeared as deliberate effort by INEC to frustrate the 2015 General Elections. My change of position is also due to the fact that I am an Election Manager in Lagos State and constitutionally, whatever is the final product of the voters register by the INEC will also affect the performance on my job, hence, I am constitutionally permitted to shout loud and clear where Any short-coming in the process. Moreover, l am a Nigerian and privileged to have full understanding of the electoral terrain, hence l owe the nation, posterity and myself the duty to analyse the situation as an insider and let Nigerians know and understand the unfolding scenario.

Issues

It is essential to articulate the issues under these major headlines; (i) Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and (ii) The Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise.

Permanent voter cards

It would be recalled that the Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) were issued by INEC on registration for the 2011 General Elections. INEC informed all of us that those with double registration had their names deleted as at 2011 and even threatened then to prosecute those affected by double registration. The Permanent Voter Cards being distributed now, had the 2011 Voters Register as its data base. Of course, this was four years ago! INEC equally informed us in 2011 that it was in the process of issuing the Permanent Voter

Cards. In essence it took INEC four years to produce the Permanent Voter Cards purportedly to be used for the 2015 General Elections. One would have expected a perfect and seamless job, not the haphazard issuance, missing of individual names and entire registration units all over the country. First, let us examine the issue of double registration. While INEC has the right to perfect its Voter Register, l have checked the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, l did not see anywhere INEC is empowered to disenfranchise anybody for double registration. Me think the most logical thing to do is to delete double but still maintain the voter in the register. INEC could decide to prosecute anyone for double registration but for God’s sake, it has no right to disenfranchise anybody. Secondly, INEC came with some double talks on why voters in some states decreased while obviously these states are states with exploding population. Is INEC saying after the 2011 General Elections it did another editing of the register or it employed another computer application that assisted in weeding out names with double entry? I know this was not the case, hence something mischievous or hidden from the public and the Election Managers in the 36 State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), who will equally use the same register for their Local Government elections are not being along carried on by INEC. This leads simply to suspicion as election is a process and the compilation of the Voters Register is a very important aspect of that process. Thirdly, is the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards for three days and relegation of subsequent collection to INEC Local Council Offices, is a reckless management of the distribution

Continuous voters registration exercise

•Jeje

without adequate consideration for the environment. All of us who witnessed the distribution were sure that not up to 30 percent collected the PVCs. I was therefore ,shocked when INEC claimed that over 60 percent of registered voters had collected the PVCs and that any registered voter without the PVC will not be allowed to vote in the 2015 General Elections. This seemingly simple unconstitutional decision by INEC is a recipe for disaster in the forthcoming election. The voters register is biometric in the sense that it has the picture, details and finger-prints of each voter. It is easy to relate the photograph in the register to the face of the voter and one could ask some simple security questions like age, date of birth, etc, to ascertain doubtful voters. To outrightly ban those who could not locate/collect their PVC is nothing but arbitrary use of power. If this situation is not corrected by calling INEC to order, the ground or foundation is being laid for altercations at each of virtually all the polling units across the country. On the day of election, it is easy for altercation to get heated and if not well managed, could lead to squabble which may ultimately lead to chaos, riots and breakdown of law and order. I foresee this happening simultaneously all over the country and this will simply lead to cancellation of elections in those areas where peace appears to have been disturbed. I have read voraciously about electoral processes and luckily l was in Washington DC, USA with Prof Jega and his team during the 2011 presi-

After the 2011 elections, Prof Jega announced that INEC would start the Continuous Voters Registration immediately all over the Federation. I find the whole gamut of Continuous Voters Registration as a huge joke on Nigerians. Why five days if it is Continuous Voter registrations, is it not contradictory? We all can remember the problem of the data Capturing Machines when used in 2011 and we begin to wonder what magic INEC wanted to perform within 5 days of what they called Continuous Voters Registration exercise. Of course, this is not the age of miracles, the exercise has failed woefully. The INEC has a monopoly on the compilation of Voters Register, but the Constitution also empowers SIECs to advise INEC on the subjects as long as the same Register would be used for Local Councils’ elections. This implies SIECs are Stakeholders, but INEC in its electoral arrogance did not consider it necessary to carry the SIECs along and to worsen the matter has refused to acknowledge inputs from SIECs. INEC is on a solitary journey in the Nigeria electoral terrain whereas it is expected to carry all the stakeholders along. It is more painful because this is one of our areas of core competence where we are, expected to exhibit pure professionalism, which I must confess is lacking in INEC’s management of the exercise.

Inferences

It is quite clear from the analysis that if INEC is not called to order, it would embark on unconstitutional disenfranchisement of eligible voters. INEC has no right to delete any name from the Voters Register but can only prosecute those involved in double registration. What happens to the names of individuals missing in the Register or to names of people in an entire Registration Unit missing? Many people re-registered but still no Permanent Voter Card. Yet many of these peo-

ple have the temporary Voter Card but according to INEC, cannot vote. What will happen on Election Day. Are we using the Card Reader? What value is the Card reader going to add to the election? Is the card reader going to replace the Poll Clerk? In fact it is still a mystery to me at our level of electoral development what the card reader is meant to achieve. Anyway you must have a Permanent Voter Card before the Card Reader can be used. What if the Card Reader is faulty? The INEC should drop the idea of disenfranchising eligible voters for lack of Permanent Voter Card. The blame for non- possession of Permanent Voter Card should be placed at the doorstep of the INEC. I do not want to subscribe to the allegation that INEC is playing out a script. More worrisome is the implication of the aforementioned on the voter turn –out. Any Electoral Management Body (EMB) that refuses to take into cognizance the confidence of the voter in the electoral system and level of participation in the democratic process is invariably plunging the nation into legitimacy crisis. If democracy is the government of the majority, a situation where less than half the voter population elect the representatives could not be said to be democratic in actual terms. Prof. Attahiru Jega should revisit the way INEC is embarking on this journey of 2015 elections. Nigeria has a lot to learn from Brazil that incidentally shares some attributes with Nigeria, equally a federal state, highly populated and multi-cultural in nature. Just last year October, 2014 the Voter Turn –out in the presidential election of that Country was 78.9 per cent where Presidential, Gubernatorial and National Assembly Elections were held same day. Perhaps we need to also note the 2013 parliamentary elections in Australia with 93.23 per cent Voter Turn-out. Nigeria could achieve same feat if the political will and the conducive atmosphere is in place. However the present disposition of INEC and the body language appears to be indifferent to high turnout of Voters during the coming election. The INEC not to allow itself to be an instrument in subverting itself in the process of free, fair and credible election. It should allow without any controversy the use of Temporary Voter Cards during the 2015 election or else it might open itself to litany of litigations which I hope may not add to frustrating credible 2015 general elections in Nigeria.

Why I want to be senator, by candidate By Lucas Ajanaku

• Clifford

•Bankole

SENATORIAL candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Clifford Odia, has promised to restore the lost voice of the Esan people, if voted to the Upper Legislative Chamber. Speaking in Lagos, he said: “I will restore the lost voice of Esanland at

the Senate. The voice will be vocal and democratic and truly representative of the people. As a chartered civil engineer I will be able to reconcile the bill of engineering management and evaluation with what is critically executed on ground.” He promised to attract government presence to the zone and take youth empowerment as his personal responsibility. “I will not only teach them to fish I will use my position to empower Esanland by attracting donor agencies,” he added.. Odia who is of the Esan stock, a major ethnic group in Southwestern part of the country in Edo Central Senatorial District, in Edo State, has a personal story which is a tale that explains very vividly that Odia is not making promises he cannot fulfill as some politicians would want to do but would more likely reach into his pedigree to write a script for success and bring more attention to the

plight of his people. The statement recalled that starting out with a small construction company in 1991, Odia made a huge success of that company which now employs over 200 professional engineers. At the moment he sits atop a conglomerate which runs a quarry in Edo State, two asphalt plants – one in Edo State, the other in Rivers State while another quarry will soon be commissioned. Before his foray into politics, Odia had an overwhelming grassroots support. His philanthropic activities are well documented and appreciated by the people who see him as a pillar of support to the vulnerable in the society like widows. He is very supportive of the women folks and some indigent students enjoy scholarships in his name. He said: “Politics in Edo State in the days ahead is going to be very interesting and exciting in a state where the opposition has produced the governor running the state. Al-

ready propaganda is very high in the political menu in a state where words have become very cheap. There is indication that the opposition party will be desperate to secure the seat in order to buoy the exaggerated performance of the governor. But the Ishan people will likely use the election as the beginning of a process to put their house in order and take their destiny in their own hands in the face of a governor that has only paid gratuitous attention to them. In terms of infrastructural development, the zone comprising five local government areas-Esan West, Esan Central, Esan North East, Esan South East and Igueben-is a distant third.” Esan is also the home of Chief Tony Anenih, the PDP leader. A community leader said: “The Esan people will demonstrate their true ancestry; they will demonstrate that they are decent people properly brought up by their parents; people who will not stay in exalted offices and throw in-

vectives at their elders no matter the political provocation. “They will cast their vote to support their star leader, Chief Tony Anenih in order to demonstrate that they don’t consume their stars as is the practice in most parts of the country. The Esan people enhance the luminosity of their own stars.” Odia said that he will not betray the trust and confidence of the people, if he becomes a senator. “I am amiable, peace-loving and loved by the people; I am Christian, not only by birth but by action.” Many are of the opinion that Odia has absolute trust in institutions and pursues his cause with diligence. Since he joined the PDP, he has never done anything to hurt the party. Instead, he has supported the platform. Even, when he was in a vantage position to wrest the slot from Ugbesia, he refrained. Odia honoured the internal zoning subscribed to by stakeholders. His action brought tranquility to the party.

THE NATION MONDAY JANUARY 12, 2015

‘

It is disheartening to note that 14 days after the nomination and the affirmation of Gambo Lawan as the candidate, he was wrongly and illegally substituted with Mohammed Imam

‘

For 16 years, the progressive parties have ruled Lagos and impacted on the citystate. Will the situation be different in the general election? Ade Adetayo, who examines the two parties -- the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) -- contends that the ruling party will have an edge over the opposition platform in the general elections.

APC, PDP and battle for Lagos

HE struggle for the soul of Lagos State by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is taking on an interesting dimension. The issues that will shape the contest are many. They include security, economy, job creation and the infrastructure battle. But, the slogans have not excluded innuendoes, half-truths and flowery promises, which to the discerning electorate, may end up as the elusive rainbow on the lambent sky. On January 4, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, the PDP flag bearer, was in North London to present a fanciful speech entitled: ‘My Master Plan for a New Lagos’ to a select audience of party supporters from Europe and America. It focused on three key areas of security, education and health. To the PDP faithful in the Diaspora, it all sounded more like some sweet music to their eager ears. But, to the vast majority of discerning Lagosians, Agbaje’s claim of the ‘real change’ is laughable.And why not? It all boils down to the fact that they have immensely benefitted from what good governance is all about, especially during the tenure of Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Agbaje’s treatise on the new Lagostherefore,cracks the rib all because a politician cannot give what his party does not have. Indeed, one pertinent reason why the APC’s mantra of ‘Change’ has caught the nation’s polity like a wildfire and millions of Nigerians are queuing behind its party flag bearers at both the state and federal levels is the incontestable fact that PDP has failed the citizenry and woefully too. In fact, it has become an inglorious acronym andsordid symbol for all that poor leadership entails. Name it-clueless leadership,failed electoral problems, prevailing decrepit infrastructure characterized by epileptic power supply and distribution, pot hole-riddled roads,mass youth unemployment all signpost our journey so far from 1999 to 2015 under PDP. Add these to the twin evils of crass corruption and inexcusable impunity all in high places.And that again explains the growing clamour across the political spectrum for the much-needed and long-awaited change. It therefore, stands logic on its head for anyone flying the leaking umbrella of the PDP which has been unable to shield us from the scorching sun of inept leadership as well as the lashing rains of corruption to promise change. Agbaje’s promises to act as the key to unlock Lagos state’s huge potentials is not in tandem with realities on ground. The reasons are obvious because those potentials have already been made obvious to the generality of the residents courtesy of APC’s people-friendly policies, programmes and projects.Where do we start from as the list is endless? Do we talk of the unprecedented turn- around in the state’s economy, which even Agbaje admits has witnessed an exponential increase from an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N10 billion in 1999 to N400 billion in 2014?And which has made it possible for impact-making programmes in the key areas of infrastructural development, healthcare delivery, education, skills

• Ambode

• Agbaje

acquisition and transportation? What about the most modern ten-lane Lagos-Badagry Expressway or the Lekki Export Processing Zone? What about the effective waste management system boasting of 5,000 refuse trucks within five years of Fashola’s administration across the state? Can we forget the Operation Green Lagos with clean toilets,

‘To the PDP faithful in the Diaspora, it all sounded more like some sweet music to their ears. But, to the vast majority of discerning Lagosians, Agbaje’s claim of the ‘real change’ is laughable. And why not? It all boils down to the fact that they have immensely benefitted from what good governance is all about, especially during the tenure of Babatunde Fashola and his predecessor’

eradication of the menace of floods assisted by the dredging of canals in such areas as Orile-Iganmu, Ajegunle and Ogba? What about the most modern mobile sewage laboratory as the first of its kind in Africa? Do we speak about the clean,orderly and affordable Bus Rapid Transport system that has since become a model for other states?Are these the ones Agbaje refers to as the ‘give-and-take policies of the present administration’? If indeed, he is true to his conscience Agbaje would admit that given the spate of preventable fatal accidents caused mainly by the okada riders, government’s clamp down on their nefarious activities is all meant to save irreplaceable lives. Some were reportedly engaged in the nefarious activities of armed robbery and ritual murders. Those whose motor cycles were seized ran afoul of the law. Every responsible government is based on the rule of law. In addition, Agbaje’s claim of the collection of N1,000 from market women per day as unremitted and un-receipted for flies in the face of the aforementioned increase in the IGR. Maintenance of modern markets do not go for free anywhere in the world. And so is quality education delivery, whether we admit it or not. But graciously, the government has made sacrifice in other areas to make the reversal possible.With the vast improvement in the pupils’ and students’ reading culture as evident in improved performance in external examinations set by WAEC/NECO and JAMB, his claim of poor learning conditions in Lagos schools holds littler water. This is incomparable withwhat obtains in the PDPled states. The same scenario plays itself out when the APC flag-bearerof the state, Mr.Akinwunmi Ambode, a thoroughbred, tested and trusted technocrat and financial guru, is pitched against that of the PDP, Mr.Jimi Agbaje, a run-of-the mill failed politician cum pharmacist. While Ambode parades a prideevoking curriculum vitae as the former Accountant –General, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance and Auditor-General, whose experience traversed several of the local government councils in the state, Agbaje’s own pales into insignificance. His only credential in politics is having contested the state gubernatorial ticket on the platform of one the defunct political parties. This throws up the fundamental questions. Even as an un biased observer or a referee in the game of politics, who would score more of the vital goals? Ambode of course, based on his wealth of experience in the administrative affairs of the state and his robust qualification in financial management. He stands on the brink of history to carry on the baton of the culture of leadership excellence which the forward-looking administration of BRF will be handing over come May 29,2015? The preference for the vastly experienced APC in the Centre of Excellence above the untested and untrustworthy PDP is the wisest of all. The difference between light and darkness is patently clear.

Aregbesola: Don’t misuse soldiers during elections

SUN State Rauf Aregbesola has urged Nigerians to reject the use of soldiers for electoral duty, stressing that it is counter-productive. The governor, who spoke at the launch of the Armed Forces Remembrance Emblem at Osogbo, the state capital, said the people should reject any plan to use the military to intimidate civilians during and after the general elections. He recalled that soldiers were mobilised against civilians during the last osun State governorship election. The governor, who launched the emblem with N2.5 million, explained that he would have done more for the military, if the state has not started to feel the impact of the cash crunch. Aregbesola described the election as a historic event, urging the people to vote wisely. He said the exercise should put an end to the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership at the centre. He said: “It is a great misnomer and misuse of the military and resources for soldiers to be deployed as instruments for abridging the citizens’ freedom and liberty, and to intimidate and bully them for the sinister purpose of gaining electoral advantage. “This we have witnessed on several occasions in recent times when the government at the centre unleashed combat-ready soldiers on the populace in a purely civil matter of vote casting by law-abiding citizens. “More alarming is the fact that this happened at a time when a part of the country had been taken over by a terrorist group, whose dislodgement should have been a matter of high national security priority. “Such inexcusable abuse of authority and citizens’ trust ought to trigger in any right-thinking citizen a deep sense of patriotic indignation.” The governor advised the military to set up special vocations centres for soldiers to acquire new skills. He described military service as a distinctly peculiar profession, adding that soldiers are expected to put their lives on the line in the defense of the nation. Aregbesola said Nigerians should hold soldiers in high esteem as defender of the territorial integrity of the country. The Deputy Commandant-General and Chairman of Nigerian Legion in Osun State, Col. Alimi Samotu (rtd), called on the Federal government to pay the 20 per cent balance of pension arrears to avoid protest by ex-servicemen. He said: “The fallen heroes being remembered today deserve the honour because of the supreme sacrifice they made particularly during the Nigerian Civil war. “The gallant fighters lost their lives on the battle field without a farewell to their parents, wives, children and other dependants and many who did not die be• Aregbesola came maimed.”

Post-primary crisis rocks Borno PDP

HERE is no end in sight to the crisis rocking the Borno State Peo ples Democratic Party (PDP) over the outcome of its governorship primaries. Party elders and other stakeholders are protesting the alleged substitution of Alhaji Gambo Lawan as the governorship candidate. Lawan, who is the former National Chairman of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) and ex-Chairman of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, was selected as the flag bearer, following the intervention of the national party leadership. Following the selection, a Certificate of Return was given to him. At the selection process were Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, PDP National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu, PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman Chief Tony Anenih, Borno State PDP Chairman, Minister of State for Power Muhammed Wakil, and other leaders. However, Lawan’s name was substituted with that of Mohammed Imam, a nominee of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff at the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) office. Borno PDP stakeholders, in a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, called for a reversal of the wrongful substitution in the interest of justice and fair play. The petition was signed by Hon. Aminu Yakudima, Ibrahim Abacha and Salisu Aliyu. They said: “The process and composition of the people present is first of its kind in the history of our great party, which you described as the Supreme Court of the party, whose decision is final. You may wish to recall further that Gambo Lawan, having emerged from the old PDP as the candidate, you directed the new entrants to nominate the candidate for the deputy governor. “It is disheartening to note that 14 days after the nomination and the affirmation of Gambo Lawan as the candidate, he was wrongly and illegally substituted with Mohammed Imam on the eve of the closure for the submission of the nominees to INEC. “We want to believe that you are unaware of this ugly and sad development particularly in a nomination process of this magnitude that was conducted by the highest office in the land. In this regard and in the best interest of the party, we call for the immediate reversal of the decision to substitute • Mu’azu Gambo Lawan.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

SHOWBIZ

David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o for two Hollywood films

IGERIAN-British actor, David Oyelowo and Oscarwinning actress, Lupita Nyong’o will be sharing close ties this year, with plans to play together in two Hollywood films. According to earlier reports, Oyelowo and Nyong’o are attached to Americanah, another exciting literature by Chimamanda Adichie, which is being adapted into a movie. With Americana still in the works, both stars are also said to be in talks with the producers of Disney’s The Queen of Katwe, a story about a young girl from the slums of Uganda who, with the help of her coach, becomes a chess prodigy. Mira Nair is expected to direct the film from a script by William

Wheeler, who also penned the screenplay for Nair’s previous film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist. The story is based on an ESPN Magazine article and the 2012 book The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl’s Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster, both by Tim Crothers. Oyelowo, who is traveling the awards circuit this season with his lead role as Martin Luther King Jr. in Paramount’s Selma, will play the coach, Robert Katende, while Nyong’o takes on the role of the child’s mother, Harriet Mutesi. The actor has played supporting roles in the films Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Middle of Nowhere, Lincoln, and garnered praise for portraying Louis Gaines in The Butler.

• David Oyelowo

Since winning the Oscar for her breakout role in 12 Years a Slave, Nyong’o has booked work on one

Denrele Edun ditches old look

• New look Denrele

Artistes advise Nigerian youths on elections

HILE most Nollywood actors and filmmakers have pitched their tents with some candidates for the coming elections, other artistes appear neutral, as they have come together to urge Nigerians to explore their fundamental human rights by coming out en mass to vote. Spearheaded by advocacy group, Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, the artistes, in a series of short videos, directed by Body Lawson and posted on the internet, are encouraging young Nigerians to not only register and vote, but also ensure their votes are protected. “So you registered to vote. You should be very proud. Because that card you hold in your hand has the power to change this nation one vote at a time. So, it’s very simple; select, vote and protect,” says songstress and photographer, TY Bello. Pop artiste, 2Face Idibia also reaches out to a wider audience with vernacular, saying; “I go register, I go select carefully, I go vote wisely, I go protect my vote. I be 2Face Idiibia. You sef go out there; register, select, vote, protect. 2Baba say so.” On the other hand, Nollywood actress, Ufuoma Ejenbor called on voters not to be swayed by electioneering promises. “They would hold rallies, they always do. That’s fine. But let’s not get carried away with the singing and dancing. Let

of the most hotly sought after projects in Hollywood: Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens. She will

also voice a character in Disney’s The Jungle Book.

Obesere’s son floats record label

By Ovwe Medeme

V show host, Derenle Edun seems to have dumped his scanty signature hair style, sky-high boots and other features for a saner look. The on-air-personality changed his looks for an appearance on EbonyLife TV recently, in a move that surprised his fans. The eccentric entertainer is known for his unconventional style, usually sporting biker jackets, loads of jewelry, bobby pins, sky-high boots and eclectic hairdo. Interestingly, Denrele looked every inch a gentleman in jean, blazer and laced shoes with matching belts. He even offered his signature smile, revealing his real dashing looks. This is not the first time Derenle would be appearing normal; in November last year, he traded his eccentric appearance for a dapper look when he made the cover of Complete Fashion Magazine. The entertainer was decked in a formal look, complete with polka dot tie and diamante brooch, losing the crazy attitude, shoes and clothes.

• Lupita

By Ovwe Medeme

us get hold of their manifesto. Let us understand their individual plan for every sector of the economy. Let us read it, be knowledgeable of it and balance it out with reality. Enough is Enough,” she advised. EiE is also organising a Presidential and Governorship election debate series called The Peoples’ Debate, in partnership with GenVoices, Gemstone and the Nigerian Global Shapers Hubs (Lagos, Abuja, Calabar, Ibadan & Kano).

• 2face

ON of self-styled Fuji musician, Abass Akande Obesere, has taken a bold step to float a new record label called R-Entertainment, giving reasons he doesn’t want to follow the same genre as his father. Lekan, who is based in Dublin, said he desire to have a different identity from the acclaimed Paramount King of Fuji. “I don’t want to play Fuji music because my great grand dad was a Fuji musician. My dad too is a Fuji musician. And a lot of people don’t know that two of my father’s brothers are into Fuji music as well,” he said. The young lad arrived Nigeria recently with two acts on his label; rap artiste, Abiodun Azeez, aka Beezy and Hip-hop sensation, Akinyemi Akintoye, known as Sajan. Speaking of the mission of REntertainment in the Nigeria music scene, he said, “I started R-Entertainment two years ago. It is about promoting music in Africa. I have been collaborating with top promoters in Dublin. I was part of the team that brought Wizkid, Davido and others from Nigeria. I just felt it is about time

By Mercy Michael

I come back home to add value to what we have now. And by so doing, we are going to be promoting a couple of singles from the two acts on the label. Beezy is a rapper, and already, he has a single titled Pawon, produced by TJ, while Sajan is a hip-hop artist. He too has a single titled Soyoyo. These two singles we shall be releasing officially on Nigerian radio stations from next week,” he revealed. On R-Entertainment, his sojourn in Dublin and how he met his two signees, Lekan said: “The label started in 2013 in Dublin after I did my first club show for which I brought an artiste from the UK. I just wanted to test the waters with that show, and it turned out to be a successful show. I continued with the club shows in Dublin, but I didn’t just want to stay glued to that platform. So I decided to think out of the box; everyone knows my dad is a musician, and I didn’t want to sing. At that point, I decided to sign my first artiste, Beezy. We did a couple of stuffs and I

• Sajan, Lekan Akande and Beezy

thought that since I have a rapper, it would make sense to get a singer as well. I then decided to bring Sajan on board. Together we’ve done a lot of works in Dublin. So we then decided it is about time to come back to Nigeria where we came from and contribute our quota to the music industry.

Idris Elba releases Mandela tribute album

RITISH actor, Idris Elba, who portrayed Mandela in the 2013 film, Long Walk to Freedom, has released an album in honour of the late South African president and activist. Titled Idris Elba Presents: Mi Mandela, the album showcases the best of South Africa’s emerging talents, features music that are influenced by various South African musical traditions. Reports have it that majority of the album was written while Elba, who also moonlights as a Disc Jockey, was filming Long Walk to Freedom, in Johannesburg. The work is said to be part of what Elba hopes will be ‘character albums’ based on various roles he has played, although, as with Mi Mandela, Elba is unlikely to sing on most of the tracks. “Mi Mandela is part of a series of albums that I’m going to make called character pieces, character albums,” Elba said in an in-

terview with NME. “I take the character that I played and sort of explain the journey playing him, and the journey of the character, in music. What would he have listened to, what might have influenced him, what influenced me as an actor … This suddenly becomes these new songs, these new ways to write songs and express emotion attached to a character.” Elba has recently been under much media scrutiny after it was revealed that Sony has been considering him as the next James Bond, following the hacking of Sony students. The idea was met with mixed reactions. While Rapper Kanye West loved the idea, telling The Sun that casting Elba as James Bond would be ‘visionary’, others were more critical, with radio show host Rush Limbaugh insisting that Elba can’t be James Bond ‘because he’s black’. Elba himself took a lighter approach to the ‘controversy’, by tweeting a picture of himself look-

• Idris Elba

ing a little disheveled with the caption ‘isn’t 007 supposed to be handsome? Glad you think I’ve got a shot! Happy New Year people.’ In a 2011 interview, he said that while he would certainly consider the role, he did not want to be ‘the black James Bond’. “Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond, and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond, so if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond,’ he stated.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS ON ANY EMERGENCY Council endorsed the useful phone numbers submitted by the security agents in case of any emergency on the metropolitan Roads. Accordingly, the public may easily contact KAROTA for: Breakdown of Vehicle(s), Traffic Congestion, Accidents, and Illegal/Wrong Parking on – 08091626747. Similarly, the State Police Command could be contacted on – 08032419754, 08123821575. In addition, the State Fire Service can also be contacted on – 07051246833, 08191778888.

183TH KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

PREPARED BY COUNCIL AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KANO.

onfident and in steady progress to complete the initiated good work across all sectors, the Kano State Executive Council held its one hundred and eighty third (183rd) sitting on Thursday 8th January, 2015 (17th Rabi'ul Awwal, 1436AH) under the Chairmanship of Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. Thirty (30) memoranda from ten (10) MDAs were tabled for deliberation of which Council approved sixteen (16) cutting across four (4) sectors for execution with an expenditure of Nine Hundred and Ninety Four Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Ten Naira, Seventy Two Kobo (N994,842,310.72) covering twelve (12) projects while the remaining three (3) are on policy issues. Thus; 1. THE INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT/MAINTENANCE SECTOR Of the sixteen memoranda approved for execution at the one hundred and eighty third (183rd) sitting of the Kano State Executive Council, nine (9) are under the infrastructural development/maintenance sector which typically centers on provision of qualitative physical facilities, utilities, structures, etc. for use by the public in the State. Achievements recorded under performances of the infrastructural development/ maintenance sector, as guided by the leadership of Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE in his second (2nd) term, are beyond comparison as they cut across aspects that transformed the quality of life of the citizenry for the better. Volumes that can be written on this are beyond this medium but the following examples can be cited. o Transportation - Numerous new roads were constructed/under construction while several others are expanded. - All categories of roads are continually maintained. - Flyovers, pedestrian overhead bridges constructed/under construction. - Street lighting provided along all categories of Kano Metropolitan roads. - Garden interlock tiles provided along pedestrian walkways of most metropolitan major roads. - Rill drainage provided for all categories of roads in Kano Municipality, etc. o Facilities - Schools at all levels constructed/renovated/maintained. - Health care delivery facilities (Hospitals/Institutions constructed/maintained). - Government secretariats/institutions constructed/maintained/renovated, etc. o Utilities - Potable water supply provided/maintained. - Independent supply of electricity from Tiga and Challawa Gorge Dams initiated, etc. Continuing with the laudable trend, the nine (9) memoranda approved for execution by the Kano State Executive Council at its one hundred and eighty third (183rd) sitting under the infrastructural development/maintenance sector can be sub - divided into three (3) - viz; five (5) = roads and related structures; two (2) = facilities (housing, secretariat); two (2) = schools. a) Roads and Related Structures i. Request for funds to enable provision of speed breakers across roads at seven (7) locations:- Sabon Bakin Zuwo Road; State Road by Magwan Junction; Iyaka Road; Sallari Junction; Nassarawa Hospital Center; Aminu Kano Hospital Center and Magajin Rumfa Junction were identified for the cited project estimated to cost the sum of N9,275,000.00 which was requested for release. Council noted, considered and approved as requested and the project to be executed on Contractual arrangement under the supervision of the State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport.

ii. Request for funds to enable construction of Madobi Bridge - Madobi Town Road (beginning of 5KM dual carriage way road section):- The Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport substantiated to Council, through contents of this memorandum, the need for the execution of the cited project estimated to cost the sum of N539,833,612.50 which Rabi’u Musa Kwankawaso was requested for release. Council considered the project as relevant and approved as requested since a reputable Contractor is available. iii. Request for funds for the construction of Kwankwasiyya - Type Modern Drainage at Gidan Sani Hanga - Chiromawa, Municipal Local Government Council Area:- This project was initially approved for execution at the Contract sum of N32,538,376.73. The Contractor commenced work but was disengaged at some point due to non - performance. Two (2) other Contractors were engaged to replace the original. These two (2) executed work to 75% completion level valued at N26,426,849.03. Current remaining work is valued to cost the sum of N10,870,129.97 which was requested for release. Approval was granted for the two (2) new Contractors to continue the project to completion stage according to the details presented. iv. Request for funds for the installation of double arm new street lights along Sani Abacha Youth Center - Madobi Bridge Road (9KM):- The State Taskforce Committee on the Installation/Repairs/Reactivation of the Street and Traffic Control Lights identified and estimated this project to cost the sum of N196,211,595.20 which was requested for release. Accordingly, Council considered and approved as requested. v. Request for funds to enable payment of compensation for property affected by the renovation of Obasanjo/Ajasa Road:- The Ministry of Land and Physical Planning submitted this request for consideration by Council. Details were presented on the affected structure valued for compensation at the sum of N689,000.00 which was requested for release. Council noted, considered and approved as requested. b) Facilities i. Presentation of information memorandum on the relocation of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) State Command's Headquarters:- The Kano State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) relocated to its newly constructed office situated at Kwankwasiyya Modern City along Zaria Road. The Command Office was constructed by the State Government as part of its effort towards providing conducive working environment to the Security Agencies in the State for better efficient services. Council acknowledged the presentation of the report appreciatively. ii. Request for funds to enable provision of furniture at six (6) staff houses of Agriculture Academy Rurum:- The Ministry of Education submitted this request to Council for consideration. Details with the financial implications to the tune of N3,570,835.65 which was requested for release were presented. Council noted, considered and approved as requested for the commitment. c) Utilities i. Request for funds for the maintenance/upkeep of Public and Voluntary Schools:- Cognizant of the free education policy of the present administration in the State, the Ministry of Education submitted this request for consideration by Council. The details estimated to cost the sum of N186,084,900.00 which was requested for release were summarized and presented for consideration as follows;

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 S/N Organization

No. of Schools Enrolment /Centres per head (N) 940 586,451 41 24,806 46 8,816

i. SSSMB ii. STSB iii. SAME (Women Centres) iv. SUBEB (Boarding 1 PS, Minjibir) Total 1,031

55 Amount Total (N)

300.00 175,935,300.00 300.00 7,441,800.00 300.00 2,644,800.00

210

300.00 63,000.00

620,283

300.00 186,084,900.00

Accordingly, Council considered and approved for the release of the stated sum for the undertaking. ii. Request for funds for the construction of perimeter wall fence at a Primary School opposite a Filling Station along Madobi Road (Kuyan - Ta - Inna), Kano:- Details on the requirements for the construction of a perimeter wall fence and a standard gate for the school in question were summarized, estimated to cost the sum of N13,189,847.40 which was requested for release. Council considered the details submitted as appropriate and granted approval as requested. 2. THE EMPOWERMENT SECTOR Empowering the citizenry in Kano State for self actualization as God fearing, patriotic, productive, knowledgeable, Law abiding, wealthy people is the cardinal preoccupation of the present administration in Kano State. Series of approvals were granted for the execution of public spirited/oriented projects/schemes/programmes under the empowerment sector. The list of beneficiaries is impressively long and cut across all segments of the society. Access to professional/academic education (through sponsorship); access to the acquisition of employable skills (through training); access to capacity building for serving civil servants; access to financial and/or material support; etc. are provided by Government under the present administration inherent in activities of various MDAs. For example, over 5,000 Kano State Indigenous Qualified Students are sponsored to undergo professional/academic courses at under and postgraduate levels in colleges/universities in Nigeria and abroad; employable skills acquisition institutes established; series of empowerment schemes conducted for underprivileged women; etc. Along this line, Council approved the execution of three (3) memoranda under the empowerment sector at its one hundred and eighty third (183rd) sitting as follows; a) Request for Funds to Enable Purchase of 2015 JAMB Forms and Conduct of Training for the Beneficiaries:Office of the Deputy Governor/Honourable Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments submitted this request to Council for consideration. Details were presented with the financial implications to the tune of N17,000,000.00 which was requested for release for the stated purpose. Council noted, considered and approved as requested and approved the sum to be utilized as follows; i. Purchase of 2,000 JAMB forms at N5,500.00 = N11,000,000.00. ii. Training of 2,000 candidates = N6,000,000.00. b) Request for Funds to Enable Payment of Registration Fees for WAEC and NABTEB Examinations of Science and Technical Colleges (2015):The Ministry of Education submitted this request for consideration by Council. Details were summarized and presented to Council for consideration along with the financial implications to the tune of N23,391,750.00 which was requested for release. Council noted, considered and approved as requested and the approved sum to be utilized according to the details presented. c) Presentation on Four (4) MBBS/Pharmacy Kano State Indigenous Students formerly Sponsored for Studies in Institutions Abroad by their Parents:The office of the Secretary to the State Government endorsed the list of the four (4) candidates referred in this case and presented their case for consideration by Council. The details presented were favourably acknowledged as Council approved their inclusion amongst the list of beneficiaries in the 2014/2015 academic session. 3. THE HEALTH SECTOR The Kano State Government, under the present administration, upholds that "Health is Wealth". Cognizant to this, its continually approves execution of projects/programmes/schemes etc. under the health sector so as to improve the quality of lives

of the citizenry in the State. The two (2) memoranda approved for execution at this sitting under the health sector only added to the impressive series. Thus; a) Request for Funds to Enable Preparation for Commissioning the Renovated Kano Dental Center, Zaria Road and the Eye Clinic at Murtala Muhammad Hospital:The Ministry of Health submitted this request for consideration by Council. Applause and commendations were accorded to the State Government under the capable leadership of Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE for granting series approvals for the execution of vitally required projects, schemes and programmes under the health sector aimed at positive transformation of the health delivery system in all ramifications be it in the infrastructural development/maintenance sense, material/consumable sense; personnel/professional sense; etc. Along these lines, Council was presented with the request contained in this memorandum for the release of the sum of N2,125,640.00 to enable preparing two (2) recently renovated health care delivery facilities for commissioning which include the following; i. Kano Dental Center, Zaria Road = N1,304,540.00. ii. Eye Clinic (Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital) = N821,100.00. Accordingly, Council considered ad approved for the release of the stated sum for the smooth conduct of the exercise. b) Presentation on the Accreditation Status of the Schools of Health Technology Kano and Bebeji:The Ministry of Health submitted this presentation for consideration by Council. Council was categorically informed, through contents of this memorandum that, a team of inspectors from the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria was at the two (2) Schools on re - accreditation/accreditation inspection visitation respectively. The team granted full accreditation status for the courses offered at the two (2) institutions for a period of four (4) years. Specifically, School of Health Technology Kano scored 71% while that at Bebeji scored 73%. Nevertheless, ten (10) areas that require improvement in both schools were highlighted to Council pending the next accreditation visitation in four (4) years. Council acknowledged the presentation of the report appreciatively. 4. THE ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION/PROTECTION SECTOR A clean serene environment connotes living in good health which interpretes to successful productive existence and economic wellbeing. This and more informs the present administration in the State to leave no stone unturned in granting series of approvals for the execution of projects/schemes/programmes under the environmental sanitation/protection sector. One (1) memorandum was approved at the one hundred and eighty third (183rd) sitting as follows; Request for Funds to Enable Payment for the Weekly Airing of the Programme "Mu Kyautata Muhalli":This laudable environmental sanitation sensitization programme was aired every week in two (2) years at the total cost of N1,200,000.00. Thus; o First (1st) - forty four (44) Week in 2013 = N600,000.00. o Second (2nd) forty four (44) Week in 2014 = N600,000.00. Total = N1,200,000.00. Council appraised the request and approved for the release of N600,000.00 to cover one (1) year. UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES AT THE 183RD KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SITTING o CELEBRATION OF MAULUD AND LAUNCHING OF KWANKWASIYYA FREEDOM SQUARE Council acknowledged the successful Launching of Kwankwasiyya Freedom Square located at the newly constructed Mahaha Sports Complex Kofar Na'isa by the present administration on 1st January, 2015 at 12:59am. Subsequently, the 1436AH Maulud Nabiyyi Celebration was marked at the same venue, same day by His Excellency Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. o SIGNING OF YEAR 2015 PROVISIONAL WARRANT Council noted the successful signing of the year 2015 Provisional Warrant on 6th January, 2015 by His Excellency Governor Engr. Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE.

Signed: Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports andCulture www.kn.gov.ng/new

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

FOREIGN NEWS

AirAsia Flight QZ 8501 black box found

NDONESIAN divers yesterday found the crucial black box flight recorders of the AirAsia plane that crashed in the Java Sea a fortnight ago with 162 people aboard, the transport ministry said. But they failed to retrieve it immediately from the seabed because it was stuck under debris from the main body of the plane, the ministry added. Divers will on Monday try to shift the position of the wreckage to access the black box. “However, if this effort fails, then the team will lift part of the main body using the same balloon technique used earlier to lift the tail,” Budiono added. After a frustrating two-week search often hampered by bad weather, officials earlier Sunday raised hopes by reporting that strong ping signals had been detected by three vessels involved in the search. Those signals were coming from the seabed less than one kilometre (0.6 miles) from where the tail of the plane was found, Malaysian Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar said in a post on Twitter. Malaysia’s Navy is helping

in the search. The Indonesian meteorological agency has said stormy weather likely caused the Airbus A320-200 to crash as it flew from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore on December 28. But a definitive answer is impossible without the black box, which should contain the pilots’ final words as well as various flight data. S.B. Supriyadi, a director with the National Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters earlier in the day that an object believed to be the plane’s main body had also been detected near the source of the pings. The search, which has involved US, Chinese and other international naval ships, has recovered 48 bodies so far. Supriyadi said many bodies were believed trapped in the cabin, so reaching that part of the wreckage was also a top priority. The tail of the plane, with its red AirAsia logo, was lifted out of the water on Saturday using giant balloons and a crane. It was brought by tugboat on Sunday to a port near the search head-

Australia: Thousands at Cairns funerals

quarters, at Pangkalan Bun town on Borneo island. All but seven of those on board the flight were Indonesian. The bodies of a South Korean couple were identified on Sunday, but their 11-month-old baby remains unaccounted for, Indonesian authorities said. The other foreigners were one

Singaporean, one Malaysian, one Briton and a Frenchman — co-pilot Remi Plesel. Their bodies have not been recovered. While the cause of the crash is unknown, the disaster has once again placed Indonesia’s chaotic aviation industry under scrutiny. Indonesian officials have alleged Indonesia AirAsia did not have a li-

U.S. to hold global security confab

HOUSANDS of people have been attending the funerals of eight Australian children found dead in the north-eastern city of Cairns last month. The service is called Keriba Omasker, which means “our children” in the ancestral language of the children. Attending is Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who tweeted: “Today in Cairns. Sad beyond words. Keriba Omasker.” The mother of seven of the children has been charged with their murders. The other victim was her niece. The four boys and four girls were aged between 18 months and 14 years. Thousands of people attended the memorial at Cairns Convention Centre Hearses carrying the coffins of the eight children leave the memorial service at the Convention Centre The home where the murders took place is likely to be demolished Almost 5,000 people heard prayers and tributes to the children at a memorial service. Mr Abbott and other Australian political leaders laid wreaths.

•Part of the wreckage under which the black box was found embedded Yesterday. PHOTO:AFP

•Obama

NITED STATES President Barack Obama will invite allies to a Feb. 18 security summit in Washington to try and prevent violent extremism, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Sunday after meeting his European counterparts in Paris. The gathering of justice and interior chiefs came as France mourned 17 vic-

tims of Islamist gunmen this week in the worst assault on its homeland security in decades. “We will bring together all of our allies to discuss ways in which we can counteract this violent extremism that exists around the world,” Holder told reporters. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said after the meeting that European interior ministers had agreed to boost cooperation in an effort to thwart further jihadist attacks. “We all agree that we need to put in place better control on certain passengers, on the basis of objective criteria and with respect for fundamental liberties and without disrupting cross-border travel,” he said. He said Europe needed urgent progress in establishing a European Passenger Name Record database,

which would facilitate the exchange of data about passengers between member states. “We are convinced of the need for such a tool, to follow those who travel to terrorist operating theaters or who return from there,” he said, adding that this database would also be useful in the fight against other serious crimes. Cazeneuve said the Internet needs to remain a space for free expression, but that Europe should fight against abusive use of the web to spread hate speech, anti-Semitic messages and the recruiting vulnerable young people for violence. “We need to work more closely with Internet companies to guarantee the reporting and if possible removal of all content that amounts to an apology of terrorism or calls for violence and hatred,” he said.

Haiti protesters clash with police in anti-Martelly march

ROTESTERS in Haiti have clashed with police in a demonstration calling for the resignation of President Michel Martelly over long-delayed elections. Police in the capital, Port-au-Prince, fired tear gas and sprayed water on hundreds of demonstrators. Haiti is facing a major political crisis, as the mandates of its lawmak-

ers expire at midnight on Monday. If there is no agreement to extend their mandates, Haiti will be left without a functioning government. Mr Martelly would then have to rule the country by decree. The opposition accuses him of abusing his powers. Two weeks ago, Mr Martelly announced he had reached a deal with

the Congress to solve the crisis. Under the agreement, Haiti’s deputies would keep their seats until 24 April and senators until 9 September. Many protesters say they will only stop when President Martelly resigns Police sprayed water to disperse some of the estimated 1,500 protesters.

OPEN FORUM

Presidential declaration: My take away

Continued from page 64

In case Mr. President has forgotten, he should ask his aides to provide tapes of the Obama campaign for him. President Obama rode into office on a massive emotional campaign anchored on change (and that is where the comparison ends) but in the second term bid, the Republicans were most scathing, unrelenting and uncompromising in the public scrutiny of his first term record. That is what happens in every democracy. It is not about emotion and last minute allegations of assassinations. Even after Obama had taken out Bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for a terror attack on America, it took a most passionate presidential convention speech by his Democratic predecessor, President Bill Clinton, to defend his record of service and ‘save’ the Obama re-election bid. Which one of President Jonathan’s

predecessors will stand up for his record of service? As far as the economy was concerned, the president pitched on the size of the Nigerian economy as the largest in Africa. He was silent on why the citizens of the largest economy in Africa still live in darkness. He was silent on why the football team of the largest economy in Africa will not be at the Nation’s Cup, when Cape Verde, the smallest country, will be there. Mr. President, who was addressing young people, would have helped his own case if he had explained to them why Bolaji Abdullahi, a young Sports Minister, under whose tenure we won the Nations Cup, was removed for political expediency. I think Mr. President needs to be reminded that as recently as December 2014, citizens of the largest economy in Africa were looking for petrol in jerry cans across Nigerian cities, including Abuja.

Instead of revealing the plan for the next four years on the issues which Mr. President chose by himself to address, he sounded angry, and appeared irritated by the demands of his citizens for a better life. I expect that Mr. President will seek to do better as he promised across the next 35 states and FCT. My take away: A re-election bid is like a job appraisal or interview; the applicant who seeks to serve cannot get angry – Anger is not a strategy. We the citizens must continue to ask questions. Mr. President made promises to us in Lagos such as the construction of the road leading to the Murtala Muhammed Airport. He promised stable electricity. He promised to keep us safe. He promised jobs although Nigerian youths died under his watch while seeking to serve in the Immigration service. Mr. President must show us that

these promises have been fulfilled, or he must explain why they were not fulfilled. This is the essence of the social contract in a democracy. He must show us that he will not lose more parts of Nigeria and that he has a clear plan to reclaim the lost ones and rescue the Chibok girls who fall into the generation of young people he chose to address. This is the presidential speech I waited for. I am still waiting. Mr. President has 35 more states and the FCT to convince us not to vote for the CHANGE that beckons. P.S: If you listened to the speech given by the APC vice presidential candidate in Benin City on the same day. Please note that he became candidate only on December 11, 2014. Twenty-five days ago (not six years ago), yet he was able in half an hour without a prepared speech to discuss a plan for security, power, jobs, healthcare and social security.

cence to fly the route on the day of the crash, although the airline rejects the claim. Indonesia’s transport ministry quickly banned AirAsia from flying the Surabaya-Singapore route. On Friday it suspended dozens more routes operated by five other domestic airlines for similar licence violations.

Lebanon: Bomb hits Tripoli

SUICIDE bomb attack in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has killed at least seven people, in the latest violence linked to Syria’s civil war. The Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, said it was behind the attack, which also injured 30 people. The blast, on a cafe in a predominantly Alawite neighbourhood, was the first major attack in Lebanon for months. There has been tension in the past between Tripoli’s Sunni Muslim majority population and its Alawite minority. Lebanon’s National News Agency said the attack was carried out by two men from Tripoli, where longstanding religious tensions have been exacerbated by the war in neighbouring Syria. In a statement, the Nusra Front said the attack was “in revenge for the Sunnis in Syria and Lebanon”. The war in Syria has pitted the government of President Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, against an insurgency dominated by Sunnis. Tripoli had been in the midst of a tense calm since last October when fighting broke out between Sunni militants and government troops, killing 11 soldiers, five civilians and about two dozen militants.

ISIS kills 24 Kurds in North Iraq

SLAMIC State militants have killed at least 24 members of the Kurdish security forces in a surprise attack in northern Iraq, Kurdish officials said, in one of the deadliest single battles for the Kurds since last summer. Three Kurdish officers reported continued clashes with Islamic State on Sunday, one day after the deaths, near Gwer, a town some 40km (25 miles) southwest of the autonomous Kurdish region’s capital Arbil. Kurdish-controlled Gwer is likely to be a launch-pad for any future attempt by Iraqi and Kurdish forces to retake Mosul, the biggest city in northern Iraq which Islamic State seized last June. Islamic State militants crossed the river Zab in small boats on Friday night and entered Gwer, but were driven back by Kurdish peshmerga forces, the officers said. “We’ve been engaged in fighting with them for the past two days,” said one senior Kurdish officer on the Gwer frontline as the sound of gunfire rattled in the background. The officer said around 60 militants had been killed.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

NEWS ‘Jonathan’s problem personal, not generational’ Continued from page 4

and vision for a new Nigeria. They want Sokoto people to unite and vote Wamakko and Tambuwal.” Former Governors Ahmed Sani Yarima (Zamfara) and Muhammadu Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), spoke in the same vein. They said Nigerians should support and embrace APC as a formidable political tool for change, adding that” APC is now the choice of an average Nigerian and this is not the first time an opposition party in Sokoto under Wamakko is winning elections. “The choice of Tambuwal is for a responsive continuity and spread of development as does his outgoing leader (Wamakko),” they said. The duo noted that the country was in a quagmire following what they described as “absolute deterioration and insecurity.” They said: “Wamakko has succeeded twice in shaming his •The All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Okrika, Rivers State bombed by suspected thugs...yesterday.

Nigeria ’ll get to Promised Land, Jonathan assures Continued from page 4

riage followed by the little reception. “All these processes went through successfully. Up to this time, I have not heard of any incident and I ask you to join me to pray as the people are going back home today, there should be no incident.” The Church’s Sub-Dean, Ven. Emmanuel Adekola, in his sermon entitled: “Times of stress and the second coming of Christ,” taken from II Timothy 3:1-5, noted that the perilous times are already here. Warning that Nigerians have turned away from all that is good, he said the word of God remained the standard for the

judgment of all. According to him, the deviation from the scriptures and corruption of the word of God being currently witnessed has been in existence before now. He warned the congregation to be weary of fake prophets that will masquerade as messiahs in their day-to-day life. He said: “Many people will be perturbed with what is happening in the world and false prophets will set in because people are looking for answers. People masquerading as messiahs have come up. We must not be swept off our feet by speculative teachings. “Killing in the name of God is ongoing. But the word of

Jesus is for us to hold on to our faith. “We are witnessing insurgency in the North. People are suffering for the sake of their faith. France had its share last week when some journalists, security agents and hostages were killed. “Darkness cannot overshadow light. Evil cannot prevail over good. The promise of Christ’s return will surely come to pass, no matter how long.” Adekola urged the congregation to live holy and godly life, saying that is what the nation needs at this time. The cleric also charged them to be watchful and be on guard as they anticipate His coming,

which he described as the glorious hope of the church. The text for the service, taken from II Timothy 3:1-5 was read by the President’s wife, Dame Patience. Prayers were rendered for the President, the church and the nation. At the service were: Jonathan’s mother, Eunice; the new couple; Chief of Staff to the President, Gen. Jones Arogbofa (rtd.); the President’s Chief Physician, Dr. Fortune Fiberesima; the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr. John Kennedy-Opara; government officials and presidential aides.

DHQ confirms 14 soldiers dead Continued from page 4

Baga Headquarters last weekend and more of the troops are regrouping for necessary debriefing and briefing for subsequent missions. “It is necessary to reassure Nigerians that the Nigerian Armed Forces and security agencies are capable of flushing out the terrorists from Baga and all parts of the nation’s territory where their activities are prevalent. No portion of Nigeria’s territory has been or will be conceded to terrorists. “The use of all available resources within the armed forces will continue to be maximised to sustain the tempo of the counter-terrorism campaign towards containing and eradicating terrorism in the nation’s territory. “The support and understanding of all partners and neighbouring countries will however continue to be utilised where available and relevant in the conduct of the

mission and in line with existing agreement and understanding.” In a separate statement last night, the DHQ said the interpretation of recent terrorists’ attacks by Amnesty International has vindicated the position of the military that troops never engaged in massacre of people in the town. The DHQ said: “This interpretation of the recent terrorists attack on Baga is quite valid. You will recall that the military has maintained all through that the troops never engaged in any massacre in Baga as some activists and the media alleged in 2013. “We have been insisting that such viciousness and barbarism were more typical of the terrorists’ pattern of operation than the action of the troops. “Unfortunately however, some interest groups and terrorist sympathisers for whom it is more convenient continued to misinform the world, have kept attributing the evil

to Nigerian troops. “The attack on the town by the blood hounds and their activities since January 3rd, 2015, should convince wellmeaning people all over the world that Boko Haram is the evil all must collaborate to end rather than vilifying those working to check them. “Those who have found it more convenient to insist on labelling the Nigerian military with allegations of human rights abuse using Baga as a reference should note this development. “Let us hope this will encourage them to begin placing blames where they belong. The priority of all our military action in this campaign has been the protection of our civilian population.” The DHQ said more troops had been deployed in Damaturu to secure Yobe, the state capital. Boko Haram insurgents had on Friday attacked Damaturu with the aim of seizing the town.

But the insurgents were successfully repelled by troops. The DHQ confirmed that five soldiers were wounded in the counter-attacks on the insurgents. It added: “The terrorists had launched massive attack from different directions of the town on Friday evening, but troops were promptly mobilised to repel the attack that lasted the night, resulting in heavy casualty on the terrorists before the rest of them retreated. “Weapons including IEDs and Rocket Propelled Grenades captured from the terrorists are being compiled while their dead as well as civilian casualties are yet to be determined. “Pursuit of the fleeing terrorists is also ongoing while the five soldiers who were seriously wounded in the attack are being treated in the military medical facility. “Although normalcy has been restored, the town is also being reinforced with more troops.”

Two female suicide bombers hit GSM market in Potiskum

IVE people including two female suicide bombers were killed after a noon attack yesterday on a GSM market in Potiskum, Yobe State. According to eyewitness, the bombers were dropped off by an unsuspecting tricycle rider near the market. They later detonated the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) they hid under their clothes in the midst of unsuspecting crowd, killing themselves in the process.

From Duku Joel, Damaturu

A nurse at the Potiskum General Hospital said: “We have three dead bodies at the moment. The two suicide bombers also died. There are so many people wounded. There are 46 people that are wounded. With the number of these people wounded, there is a possibility that the death toll will rise because some of the injuries are critical.” the source informed. “Five persons were brought to the morgue of the Potiskum

General Hospital from the scene of the bomb blast, including two females who were said to have detonated the explosives. “The 46 persons brought injured with varied injuries are currently receiving treatment at the hospital (Potiskum General Hospital).” ”With the severity of injuries, the death toll may rise as some are “holding on to a tiny thread of life.” Describing the scene of hor-

ror, Adamu Saidu, a trader in the market who escaped the attack said the sound of the blast set the whole market in confusion. “I was attending to a customer in my shop when I heard a loud sound. I fell down but woke up to see many people running in all direction. Everybody was confused. I saw some people on the ground in pains. I saw the bodies of the two female suicide bombers cut into two,” Saidu explained.

predecessor and it will again repeat itself. “We are urging you to use the power of your votes to fight PDP out of office. PDP is a cirlce for rigging elections.” They urged the electorate to protect their votes. Describing the strength and unity upon which APC was built to rescue Nigerians, the state Acting Chairman, Alhaji Usman Damadamin Isa, said the party was for all Nigerians and devoid of religious, ethnic and personal sentiments. “I therefore call on the people of Sokoto state and Nigerians to turnout enmasse and cast their votes for the party. We should use our votes to sweep off PDP”, he advised. Those who honoured Tambuwal at the campaign launch include: former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Usman Bayero Nafada, Deputy Minority Leader, Suleiman Kawu Sumaila and other party leaders.

No tenure extension for Oteh Continued from page 4 appointed for a further period

missioners even disowned her. It could not be ascertained if Ms. Oteh will remain a member of the President’s Economic Management Team (EMT). “Another source added: “She earned First Class in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the nation might still engage her elsewhere. “No nation will allow a First Class brain and respected intellectual to waste away. Definitely, the Presidency may accommodate her elsewhere.” Gwarzo, the Executive Commissioner for Operations, graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Bayero University, Kano in 1987. He obtained a Post-Graduate Degree in Development Finance from the University of Birmingham in 1999. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers. A third source said: “Gwarzo will act pending the appointment of a substantive DG. The President has the discretion to appoint a DG in line with Section 5(1 and 2) of the Investments and Securities Act 2007. The section says: “The DG and the three full time commissioners shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Minister and confirmation by the Senate. “The DG shall hold office for a period of five years in the first instance and may be re-

of five years and no more.” Ms. Oteh was suspended on June 12, 2012 and was recalled via a letter by the SGF. The reinstatement followed an audit report on SEC by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Her recall created bad blood between the Presidency and the House of Representatives because she was reinstated on the eve of the presentation of the Ad Hoc Committee on Capital Market’s report on the SEC’s activities. The crisis between the House and Ms. Oteh followed a public hearing into the capital market operations. During the hearing, the then Chairman of the House Committee on Capital market and Other Institutions, Mr. Herman Hembe, alleged that Ms. Oteh was not qualified to be DG. He said the committee also discovered how Ms. Oteh allegedly spent N850, 000 on hotel accommodation in a day and N85, 000 on a meal. But Ms. Oteh took exception to the allegations, saying: “This has been a Kangaroo court. Not even in Idi Amin’s Uganda did we have this type of public hearing. You had implied that as a regulator, that by having people on secondment from the private sector, it could undermine the capacity of the regulatory functions of the commission. “In asking the SEC to contribute N39m for this public hearing, don’t you think that you are undermining your capacity to carry out your duties?”

UN expresses concern over threat to peaceful polls

NITED Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern that insecurity in Northeast may have dire consequences on next month’s elections. He said the prevailing attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect pose threat to peaceful conduct of the elections on February 14 and 28. The UN secretary said he will continue to rally UN member nations to discuss how to tackle the problem. Ki-Moon observed that not only was the activities of sect escalating the insurgents now pose threat to peace in neighbouring countries, particularly Cameroon. In a statement at the UN

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

headquarters, New York, but made available by the National Information Officer at the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Oluseyi Soremekun, the UN secretary urged the insurgents to embrace peace in the interest of humanity. It reads: “We face another grave test as Nigeria readies for its election next month. Boko Haram has continued its violence, killing Christians and Muslims, kidnapping even more women and children, and destroying churches and mosques. “Mayhem has spread across the region, and is now having a direct impact on Cameroon and other countries.

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

Lack of funds threatens Dream Team’s training tour T

HE proposed training tour of Turkey by the U- 23 national team may not take off at the end of the day as lack of funds’ complaints by the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may stall the proposal. The Dream Team VI kick start their crucial phase of preparations and camping for the All African Games match against Gabon today at the Abuja National Stadium’s FIFA Goal Project Center and it is evident the team will have to make do with preparing at home in Nigeria. The disappointed Coach

From Segun Ogunjimi, Abuja told NationSport that the training tour of Turkey may not materialize after all as a result of paucity of funds facing the NFF. “Yes we are commencing the crucial stage of our training for the Gabon match tomorrow (today) at the Abuja National Stadium’s Goal Project pitch and we will do everything within our powers to ensure we get the team ready for the task ahead. “I am not really sure of our going for the training tour in Turkey because the Nigeria

Football Federation is facing cash crunch for now and they would have liked to sanction our going immediately if not for funds problems. “But the door is not finally closed on the issue because we are still looking the way of sponsors for the trip. This is the time the corporate bodies should come to the aid of the Nigeria Football Federation by helping sort out this problem. It will be very good for us to go for the training tour for concentration, tactical and technical reasons too”, Siasia told NationSport in Abuja yesterday.

• Siasia

U-23 team’s camp in full swing A

LL the invited players for the Under-23 team have arrived the Febson Hotel camp of the Dream Team VI, alongside the team's technical crew led by chief coach Samson Siasia. Siasia who addressed the

players after dinner told them to brace up for the challenge of training all days of the week as the challenges ahead of them is enormous, he disclosed that not all of them will make the team as only 25 players will eventually be

selected, but added that all of them will be given equal opportunity to show what they can bring to the team. He added that the players must obey all the camp rules as is written in the team's code of conduct which the secretary of the team will

give to them, adding that they were not given any of such rules earlier because they were screening to be part of the team. The team will have its first training session tomorrow (Monday) morning at the Abuja national stadium.

Osaguona passes Raja Casablanca medical

• Osaguona

LLNIGERIASOCCER.COM understands that Raja Casablanca are on the brink of securing the signature of Osaguona Ighodaro from Enugu Rangers. The Morocco powerhouse showed their might after pulling the strings to arrange for his entry visa to the North African country on a weekend. Thus, the transfer which was on the brink of derailing was back on track, with the Nigeria international already passing a medical examination in Casablanca. Both parties - that is Raja Casablanca and Osaguona Ighodaro - are operating on the same wavelength, and in the coming hours the Africa

powerhouse are expected to officially announce the acquisition of the Super Eagle. There is talk that the 24 -

year - old will put pen to paper on a multi - year contract, whose duration is for four - and - a - half years.

Chikere for Sheriff trials

IGERIAN striker Osita Henry Chikere will undergo trials at Moldovan club FC Sheriff Tiraspol for a possible winter transfer. AfricanFootball.com gathered from a source close to the Vikings striker that he will earn a contract, if he passed the trial. "Chikere will begin trials with FC sheriff of Moldova on January 20th. If he passed, he will earn a deal," he told AfricanFootball.com. The 23-yearold Chikere has been with Vikings since 2013.

• Chikere

NUGA facilities ‘ll be ready in record time – Prof. Kucha

HE 25th edition of the NUGA billed for the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State come November, 2015 may still be nine months away but Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Emmanuel Iornumbe Kucha has stated in very strong terms that his institution will not wait till the last minute to get all the facilities needed in place. Prof. Kucha, while fielding questions on the state of readiness of the university for the Games noted that there is absolutely no reason for the NUGA Council to have doubts over their readiness as work is already in progress to ensure that construction of the facilities commence by March. “We’ll do the Games and very well too. NUGA Council had their meeting here in Makurdi and I must say that the outcome was not bad from what the NUGA president, secretary and the LOC chairman reported to me. The council saw what we have on ground with a promise that work would soon commence on the other facilities. We bided for this NUGA hosting and we’re not joking about it. That’s why as soon as we got it, we started preparing for it. “As a government establishment, there are processes that must be followed. As we speak, processes for some of the facilities to come on board are already on and I can assure you that our October target of all the facilities being on ground and ready for use will be achieved.” Though, he admits that sourcing of funds has not been an easy one, he believes things are beginning to fall in place as bids for the tender has already advertised for the construction of four additional hostel blocks, a multi-purpose Indoor Sports Hall and the construction of a squash court.

Prof. Kucha, however noted that the recent devaluation of the naira might pose some little problems but measures have been put in place to take care of such unforeseen development. “We’re not unaware of the situation in the country as regards the devaluation of the naira but I can assure you that we won’t let that be a setback to achieving our set targets. Our only area of concern in this regard will be in the areas of facilities that are coming in from abroad but for construction, I think we’re still on course. In terms of construction taking off, I can tell you that by mid February to early March when the NUGA council will be in Makurdi, work would be on at various sites. In fact, the council will meet work in progress when they come for their next meeting.” He stated that the university is working towards adding more football pitches, two sports hall –one for squash and the other for multi sports likes table tennis, badminton, volleyball, basketball and other indoor games. “There will be a new main bowl that would have a football pitch as well as serve athletics events. This will be in addition to the construction of four hostels blocks in addition to the five we already have on ground. There’s also a build, operate and transfer project that would give us another two hostel blocks and I believe all of these will take care of accommodation issues. Let me state here that the main objective of bidding to host the NUGA is to help put lasting structures in place given the fact that we’re located out of town. Having recreational activities on campus makes it a lot easier for our students to recreate from time to time. The idea is to help develop the students in all areas so that they don’t just concentrate on reading all the time.”

Nigerian pair nets in Crewe victory

IGERIA'S Nicholas Ajose and Uche Ikpeazu were among the goal scorers as their English league one side Crewe Alexandra beat Gillingham 3-1 on Saturday. Nicky Ajose opened the scoring for Crewe from the penalty spot in the 27th minute. Uche Ikpeazu, on loan

from Watford, pounced on the rebound of his first shot which was saved to slot home the third goal in the 83rd minute and secure all three points. He has now scored two goals in six games. Nicholas Ajose, who has now scored four goals in the league, gave way to Lauri Dalla Valle in 82nd minute.

• Ikpeazu • Ajose

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015

SPORT EXTRA

Kalou hands Cote D'Ivoire late win over Nigeria • Agbim

OTE D'IVOIRE beat African champions Nigeria 1-0 in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night thanks to a late goal from former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou. The Elephants attacked more in the game, but they were unable to find a way through against the equally impressive Super Eagles side who stood tall to them. With both coaches fielding talented players in the build up game, the two teams treated the fans to a classic, but the one-time African Cup of Nations winners nevertheless managed to emerge triumphant with Kalou's 84thminute strike. Super Eagles’ stand-in coach Daniel Amokachi handed starts to enterprising Stanley Dimgba and Nigeria Professional Football League top marksman Mfon Udoh. There was a worrying sight for Elephants fans in the opening exchanges when the dangerous Gambo Mohammed side-footed his effort from close range. Cote D'Ivoire fielded majority of their stars with African Footballer of the Year, Yaya Toure getting a good match from the fearless Joseph Nathaniel in the midfield. AS Roma winger, Gervinho should have given the Elephants the lead in the 27th minute of the match when he beat the Nigerian defence, but he was denied by goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim. Cote D'Ivoire threatened again when Serge Aurier headed wide from a corner kick and the first half ended goalless in Abu Dhabi. In a bid to grab the winner, the Cote D'Ivoire technical crew led by Hervé Renard threw more bodies upfront and pressurised the Super Eagles’ side in the second half. At the home stretch, New-

RESULTS England - Premier League Arsenal 3 - 0 Stoke City Man Utd 0 - 1 S’mpton England - Championship Blackburn 0 - 1 Wolves Italy - Serie A Inter 3-1 Genoa Atalanta 1 - 1 Chievo Cagliari 2 - 1 Cesena Fiorentina 4 - 3 Palermo Hellas 3-1 Parma Roma 2-2 Lazio Sampdoria 1 - 0 Empoli Spain - Liga BBVA Almeria 0 - 2 Sevilla Bilbao 1 - 2 Elche Granada 1 - 1 R.Sociedad France - Ligue 1 Lyon 3 - 0 Toulouse Nantes 0-0 Metz International - Friendly Nigeria 0 - 1 I. Coast Tunisia 1 - 1 Algeria

castle United midfielder Chieck Tiote found Kalou in the area and the forward slotted the ball past Agbim in goal for Nigeria. Nigeria's tour of United Arab Emirates will come to an end with a game against the Falcons of Sudan January 17.

Meanwhile, former Swiss junior international, Steven Ukoh, whose application to represent Nigeria at senior level was recently approved by world football-governing body, FIFA, made his international debut for the team as a second half substitute.

West Brom fans slam Ideye

SECTION of the West Bromwich Albion support appears to have run out of patience with the club’s Nigerian striker, Brown Ideye. Ideye, WBA’s record signing from Ukrainian club, Dynamo Kyiv, has yet to hit expected heights with just one Premier League goal to his name this season. The attacker failed to score in WBA’s latest Premier League game, a 1-0 win over Hull City at the Hawthorns on Saturday. He missed a glorious chance on 42 minutes when he dragged his effort wide with just the Hull City goalkeeper to beat after he was put through by Saido Berahino. Speaking after the game, the WBA manager, Tony Pulis, spoke about Ideye’s miss and the need for improvements to be made by every member of his squad. “We had good chances in the first half and never took them. A lot of things (in our performance) pleased me today but there are a load of things we can work on,” he said. Some fans of the club were however not quite as charitable and took to Twitter to voice their frustrations. Adam Stevens attempted to

draw comparisons between Ideye and the day’s match winner, Berahino as he tactfully made his point. “No one can try and fool #WBA fans as to Berahino's price. We've seen that 10 mil buys you an Ideye, so you can at least treble that for Said,” he tweeted via @AdamLibertyLies. Simon Kendrik summed up his feelings thus: “I've hoped and hoped that Ideye would prove us all wrong at some point. Today has extinguished that hope. #wba,” via @billybassett68. Martin Eaglestone posited that the former Sochaux man is not a striker with his tweet. “Seems Ideye is out to prove, beyond doubt, he is not a striker. #wba go prove me wrong –please,” he wrote via @Carrageryr. The man at the centre of the storm, Ideye, seems to be taking it all in his stride as he also took to Twitter immediately after the game. “We really appreciate all the support from everyone in the stadium today especially the WBA fans, very important 3point today,” he tweeted via @OfficialIdeye. Ideye, the club’s record signing, has scored once in 11 league appearances for WBA this season.

CAF Awards key to WC glory — Okon

UPER Falcons head coach Edwin Okon has said recent CAF awards won by the side and star striker Asisat Oshoala will be key at the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. The Falcons won the women's national team of the year while Rivers Angels markswoman Oshoala won the prestigious overall best and youth player of the year awards at the 2014 Glo/Caf awards in Lagos. Okon said the African performance award is a huge challenge for the side to further prove their worth at the world stage when football hostilities start in Canada in June. "The CAF awards to Asisat Oshoala and Super Falcons are good omens for better things to come, especially at the upcoming

Fifa Women's World Cup in Canada. "Winning the best national team in Africa is no mean feat and same goes for Oshoala's emergence as the best player as well as youth player for 2014. "The awards are wake-up calls for us to work harder as Nigeria will be the target at the World Cup among their opponents. "We would like to excel at the world stage to prove to doubters that the recognition of our performance in Africa are well deserved and not a fluke, " said the Rivers Angels head coach to supersport.com. The reigning African champions will campaign for honours in Group D at the World Cup together with Australia, Sweden and former world champions USA.

MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

TODAY IN THE NATION ‘Mu’azu was being less than honest when he asked the party to find out what went wrong and correct it. In a way, it could amount to selfindictment for him to feign ignorance of the monumental corruption at the party headquarters that made its leadership incapable of decisively handling genuine complaints of members’ VOL 10 NO 3,093

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

HE signal tear is his poster photo. It glistens a narrow line down the right side of Father Ejike Mbaka’s face. It makes him a sort of modern day Jeremiah. The word Jeremiad arose from that Old Testament prophet’s molten tears over the iniquities of his time. But whoever watched the video or read the full text of the Catholic cleric’s crossover night sermon of December 31, 2014 will know that his was not only a jeremiad. It was also a fiery rebuke. Father Mbaka had been around, but he only now gained national traction because of his pious perorations against the failings of the Jonathan administration. In the Southeast, he had always been a phenomenon. The Igbo always knew him, whether it was when he twisted the ribs of the swaggering “Ebeano,” Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, or when he ripped open the hypocrisies and vanities of Governor Sullivan Chime, or even when he was much younger and fulminated against the barbarities of the Abacha junta. His shrill voice, like John the Baptist’s, ruptured the wilderness of sin in the east. Now, in this harmattan season, he has poked the Jonathan government out of joint. So intimidated is the PDP hierarchy that a sulky silence is the only reaction to the lessthan-an-hour bombshell from the pulpit. Olisa Metuh, who often bursts out of control, became a wimp and responded with a whimper of conciliation, almost begging the man. And President Goodluck Jonathan, who has now lost decency in his campaign speeches, could not bait the righteous tiger when he visited the neighbourhood of his lair at the Adoration Centre in Enugu at the weekend. The only hefty voice who objected to Father Mbaka was Cardinal Archbishop John Onaiyekan, and he appealed to the inviolate supremacy of the Catholic hierarchy. But the gentleman cleric deliberately forgot that Catholic priests of Mbaka’s stripes do not bow to the Onaiyekan school of docility. He comes from the tradition of liberation theology that began in the 1950’s in Latin America. That brand of theology sees the gospel through the plight of the poor, and harangues a society that preaches the love of Christ when wealth and inequality lash the back of the weak and lowly. With such stalwart priests as Gustavo Gutierrez of Peru, Leonardo Boff of Brazil and John Sobrino of Spain, the Catholic Church was jolted out of its elitist and tyrannous torpor. They probably had read of the exploits of Martin Luther who thrived on the ideas of Erasmus and Peter Abelard in the Scholastic

N Thursday, January 8, 2015, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came to Lagos, warts and all, in furtherance of a presidential campaign flag-off. They had advertised this flag-off with a promise to show what they had done in Lagos. I anticipated this visit because I hoped it would provide an opportunity to discuss issues important to the people. When they left, they left nothing tangible behind except violence, attacks and robberies on citizens who had been trapped in the traffic they created. The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention had held in the same city of Lagos a few weeks ago without violence and robberies. But that is not my take away. My take away was the presidential speech. Having ridden to office on the back of civil society (aka Doctrine of necessity), and having been elected by an impassioned campaign of emotion and sympathy (aka ‘I had no shoes’), I expected that a president seeking re-election will understand that his record of service and not sympathy would be the vote catching message. Even though I was in Benin to attend the APC vice presidential candidate’s town hall meeting, I took the time to listen to the presidential flag-off speech. Mr. President had my attention when he said his message that day, and for the rest of the 35 states and FCT, was going to be focused on young people. And just as I thought he was going to raise hope, he did what no leader should ever do. He dashed hope. He told young Nigerians that his generation had failed. Yet he seeks their votes to lead them. This compounded the problem. If the President admits personal failure, he was uncharitable in seeking to paint everybody in his own service record. What then is his “Transformation Agenda”

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchnation@gmail.com 08054501081(sms only) Twitter: @samomatseye

•Winner, Informed Commentary (DAME)

Parable of Father Mbaka

•Rev. Mbaka

era that led to the rise of the protestant movement. But these Catholic priests of liberation did not want to break out of the Church. They galvanised it as a platform not only to humble it but turn it into the way for the poor. Since then, some Catholic priests have pitched their tents with the downtrodden, and compelled the pope to recognise the poor. The present Pope Francis is the first modern Pope to exercise this radicalism with his emphasis on the poor and attack on tyranny in the world. While an Enaiyekan may frown, Pope Francis will cheer on his priest. The effect of liberation theology coined by Gutierrez has ricocheted throughout the church around the world, especially where poverty and oppression are palpable. The priests see the word of God as a sword and

latch on to scriptures like Paul’s that noted that Jesus was poor so that we might be rich. It resonated in the communist era, especially in Poland when a Catholic priest, Jerzy Popieluszko, found common cause with the Solidarity Movement that buried communism. Or in South Africa where anti-apartheid forces formed groups to rail at racism. In Nigeria, we have seen a few. Olubunmi Okogie, now greying at the temple, once ruffled the army brass. Outside the Catholic Church, we have seen a few do it. We cannot forget what Reverend Mbang did in the Babangida era when top officers sat in cold comfort in the church as the cleric tore them apart on network television. The irony of Catholic defiance is rooted in the history of the church’s cohabitation with tyrants, whether in the Ancien Regime in France before the revolution and even in the Napoleonic era or during Nazism or under Mussolini or the Sawdust Caesar’s regime. Perhaps that is why they throw up upstarts and rebels in the name of the Lord. They are contrasts to the Pentecostal order who tend to either distance themselves from or preach partnership with authority as we witness in today’s Nigeria. They don’t cry out against the sins of social injustice. References to such scriptures as Roman 13 that call for obedience to temporal powers are self-serving. God cannot ask his people to obey rulers that lack the fear of God. Paul who wrote that fought against the order of his day and was beheaded, a radical of his day. Did Moses not rise against Pharaoh, or Daniel against the king? What of the trinity of Shredrack, Meshack and Abednego? Did Herod not pursue Jesus into a manger? Would the Lord have been born if Herod had his wish? Did Jesus not die a

OPEN FORUM By

BABATUNDE FASHOLA

Presidential declaration: My take away about? Failure? My take away: Leaders don’t dash hope, they inspire it. To be fair, he quite rightly set out the agenda and burning issues on the minds of the Nigerian people when he opened by stating that he was going to address three issues of corruption, insecurity and the economy. I expected to hear about a security plan to restore Nigeria’s territory that was lost to terrorists and how to bring back the girls abducted in Chibok, the president sadly said nothing. Instead, Mr. President went for the sympathy message again, that there was an assassination attempt on his life four years ago. My take away: Mr President, this is a good try but it took four years and on the eve of election campaign for you to disclose such grave national security information. Any attempt on your life as our leader is an

attack on all of us as a people and a nation. Twenty four hours before this Lagos Presidential flag-off, there was an attack of terror in Paris in which 12 people were killed. By midnight, arrests had been made; the Government of France had swung into action with 80, 000 combined security forces in a manhunt for the terrorists. They pursued the terrorists into a forest, evoking memories of Sambisa Forest. As I conclude this piece, three terrorists had been killed and one was on the run. After six years, there was no message or plan in this Presidential re-election bid speech on how to solve our security problem. Mr. President spent a lot of time accusing his predecessors of not buying arms. Those young people whom Mr. President sought to impress must remember that in the last 20 or so years, our armed forces have been involved in wars/ peace-keeping missions in Somalia, Sierra-Leone

EMEKA OMEIHE

rebel? Did Prophet Nathan not rebuke King David? That is the logic of Mbaka, and the liberation theology. They know that the kingdom of God suffers violence. So those who say that Mbaka once endorsed Jonathan should have listened to the sermon and the parable of the birds. He said, in his recantation, that Jonathan the bird did not fly in his vision, and he had to turn. The anointed Peter in the Bible, and whom Paul called Cephas, once had to reverse his position when he was rebuked by Paul. Those who know little about the lives and working of priests criticise him. They should know that the path of the just is a shining light that shines more and more to the perfect day. Rather than flay Mbaka, why not probe the content of his sermon. He said Jonathan has failed. He said the Southeast has not enjoyed his service in spite of the Igbo support. Is it not true that President Jonathan has recruited the Igbo elite, plied them with positions and contracts, and neglected the common Igbo man? He has conned the Igbo with promises of bridges and roads and economic progress that never happened. Jonathan is a psychological booster to the Southeast, an Ojukwu reborn in a phantom Biafra victory. Hence he calls himself Azikiwe during elections and becomes Goodluck thereafter. His victory benefits only the top Igbo acting like the warrant chiefs of the colonial era. This is political 419. President Jonathan is enemy number one of the Niger Delta. He rose on their back to power, and he has done nothing significant. For all their mediocrity, the military under HausaFulani soldiers built refineries, petrochemical plants, major schools, etc. What can Jonathan say he did other than pursue Ijaw agenda? Even at that he has only energised a few of them. The Ijaw are some of the most pauperised in Nigeria. They sit on black gold and look like rust. The number two enemy is Chief Edwin Clark, an elder who is not elderly, and plays the role of interloper in the politics of the region. His age-mates now take the back seat because they have done their best and are tired. He is either saying un-elderly things or doing them. We should heed Mbaka’s parable of the four birds. It mirrors the classic novel, The Painted Bird, by Jerzy Kosinski, about a bird that was isolated by other birds because of its colour. It was an attack on prejudice, especially during the Nazi era. If the healthy bird in Mbaka’s parable could not fly, the Jonathan administration should heed it, and so should his apologists. If not, Jonathan is the Judas who betrayed the Nigerian people. And, as the good book says, “his place let another take.” and Liberia, and their performance was globally adjudged to be outstanding. They used arms. If Mr. President’s predecessors did not buy arms, which arms did these soldiers use for those operations? It seems to me very simple to accept that armoury management is a matter of inventory management; use and replace. I think young people must see these accusations against predecessors as being without basis. Assuming there is a basis, General Buhari left office in 1985; the technology of arms has improved rapidly and it cannot be his fault that a President in 2015 is seeking to use 1985 arms. Mr. President still owes Nigerians an explanation about the $9 million cash seized in a plane in South Africa, in an amateurish attempt to buy arms through the back door. As far as corruption was concerned, the president’s silence on the forensic audit report about $10 billion & $12 billion or $20 billion, (depending on whose version between the Ministry of Finance or Central Bank), showed an unwillingness to defend his record. I think it would have helped Mr. President’s reelection bid if he spoke about losses to the economy as a result of pipeline vandalism and huge economic losses to the country in terms of stolen crude oil. Answers to allegations of mismanagement of SURE-P funds being used for political objectives and the unresolved kerosene import scandals would perhaps have been helpful. Instead, Mr. President chose to attack the records of predecessors, many of whom are not seeking re-election. My take away: Mr. President seems to have forgotten that he is the one seeking re-election and it is his record in the last 4-6 years (not his record as Governor of Bayelsa) that would be helpful to the people in decision making.

•Continued

on page 59

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