January 20, 2015 by The Nation

NIGERIA DECIDES

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•Babangida to Buhari: we’ll support you to salvage Nigeria PAGES 2,4,5,10,17,56,58,59&60 •Bayelsa youths clash over First Lady•Urhobo to endorse candidate •I’m not afraid of Osoba, SDP, says Amosun•Peterside’s plans for Rivers •Ambode, Agbaje: who’ll Lagosians vote for?•Fashola: beware of PDP’s lies •Ajimobi, Alao-Akala in live radio debate•PDP tackles APC in Kwara

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Jonathan, PDP under fire over Buhari ‘death threat’ It’s reckless, say ACF, APCON From Yusuf Alli and Tony Akowe, Abuja

HERE was outrage yesterday over an advertisement placed in some national newspapers in support of President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election campaign. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on whose platform the president is contesting, was under fire over the advertisement placed by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose. The advertisement titled “Nigerians be warned”, quoted a Bible passage saying “I have set before thee life and death…”. It has photographs of the late Heads of State Gen. Murtala Muhammed, Gen. Sani Abacha, the late President Musa Yar’Adua – all of who died in office and the photo of Gen Buhari,

•Condemnation trails Fayose’s death wish for Buhari —Pgs 4&5 “age 72 from NorthWest again”. “Will you allow history to repeat itself? Enough of state burials. Nigerians vote wisely. Vote Goodluck Jonathan. Northern presidency should wait till 2019,” it said. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) described the advertisement as “reckless”, adding that PDP leaders have turned themselves to God. President of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), the advertising regulatory body in Nigeria, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, described the advertisement as “unconventional, shocking and controversial”. Continued on page 2

•Gen. Buhari (left), his running mate Prof. Yomi Osinbajo (middle) with APC National leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (second left), Niger State governorship candidate Abubakar Sani Bello and former APC National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande during the party’s rally in Minna, Niger State...yesterday.

‘

This is the height of desperate tactics by the PDP, which is capable of degenerating into unnecessary bloodshed and destruction. They are choosing death for us. This is not politics

NLC, APC, others knock petrol price cut

UNDAY night’s reduction of petrol price from N97 to N87 by the Federal Gove r n •SEE ALSO m e n t rePAGES 6&7 has ceived little kudos but huge knocks from Nigerians. Besides, filling stations across the country did not

WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS KIDNAPPED ON APRIL 15 EVER RETURN?

’

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

•‘I’ve not got PVC’

heed Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke’s directive to effect the new price regime “with immediate effect” from midnight (Sunday). Majority of them sold at the old price yesterday. Those who did not want to sell at the old rate closed shop. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) - the umbrella body of workers - hailed the price cut, but insisted that “it is not deep enough”. The opposition All ProgresContinued on page 2

Stop Boko Haram, Sultan urges Jonathan From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan was yesterday in Sokoto where he got a passionate request from the Sultan – stop Boko Haram now. Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III was, besides, concerned politicians’ use of religion and ethnicity rather than issues to campaign for votes at next month’s elections. •President Jonathan (left), Vice President Sambo (right) and Sultan Abubakar...yesterday.

Continued on page 2

•MARITIME P14 •POLITICS P17 •SPORTS P24 •PROPERTY P49 •ENERGY P50 •FOREIGN P55

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS Stop Boko Haram, Sultan urges Jonathan Continued from page 1

•Senator Oluremi Tinubu (third left); Iyaloja of Nigeria, Chief Afolasade Tinubu-Ojo (fourth left) and others during the senator’s visit to Lagos Market Women and Men Association in Ikeja.

Jonathan, PDP under fire over Buhari ‘death threat’ Continued from page 1

Gen. Buhari, on his tweeter handle thisIsBuhari, said: “How can his (Jonathan’s) campaign be talking about dead ex-leaders, jogging around the stadium and outright lies about my health?” The All Progressives Congress (APC) described the advertisement as “choosing death for our candidate”. The party accused the PDP of threatening Gen. Buhari’s life and paying lip service to the Abuja accord signed last week by the parties to ensure a violence-free election. The Director of Media and Publicity of the Buhari campaign, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a statement that “the PDP and its surrogates should be held responsible if anything happens to Gen. Buhari, before, during and after the elections”. The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation advised

President Jonathan and the PDP leadership to take charge of their campaign before their surrogates plunge Nigeria into confusion and anarchy. It urged all APC members and millions of supporters of Gen. Buhari across the country to remain calm and not play into the hands of the PDP hatchet men to be provoked and thereby, giving them the much-needed excuse to abort this democracy before or after the elections. Shehu said: ”This is the height of desperate tactics by the PDP, which is capable of degenerating into unnecessary bloodshed and destruction. They are choosing death for us. This is not politics. We are, therefore, asking our supporters to stay calm and be law-abiding.” “Even as a candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has a duty to lead the country with responsibility up until May 29, when a new President will be

inaugurated,” he said, adding that the on-going campaign on Gen. Buhari’s health, using forged medical reports, and now suggestions of death are reeking of plots to eliminate him (Buhari) before or after he wins. The Organisation added that “the world is watching and that if anything happens to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari before, during or after the elections, under the pretext of X, Y or Z, we shall be left with no option than to conclude that the PDP and their surrogates are to be held accountable”. “All APC members and millions of supporters of Gen. Buhari across the country should not play into the hands of the PDP hatchet men to be provoked and thereby, giving them the much-needed excuse to abort this democracy before or after the elections.” The APC stressed that it is committed to the peace accord

signed by political parties under the supervision of the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr. Kofi Annan and the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku. It asked the police, the SSS, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the advertising regulatory agency in Nigeria (APCON) to do their jobs by not allowing these dangerous threats to democracy go unchecked. “Once again, the APC campaign advises all its supporters to strive to stay above the ‘rofo-rofo’, which is clearly designed to provoke our supporters to help the PDP’s sinister agenda to abort this hard fought for democracy in view of their impending defeat in the forthcoming general elections,” Shehu said. Continued on page 60

“Politicians should not encourage sentiments against patriotism and national unity among Nigerians,” he cautioned. Citing the 2011 general elections, the monarch said “We are amazed at what is happening today. Even in 2011, we did not face such challenges.” “You must ensure peace and stability and the problem of insurgency must be brought to an end,” Alhaji Abubakar told Dr. Jonathan. He spoke of so much rot “in almost all sectors, including education and the trend of insecurity, among others.” So we should address issues that could bring succour to an average Nigerian,” he added. Alhaji Abubakar, who wondered why politicking had turned into war, said: “We should know that both parties have significant number of Christians and Muslims as members and God knows why He created us to live together as Nigerians. “We should respect our individual religious tenets, otherwise one will be turning against his or her own reli-

gious tenet.” The Sultan cited the Paris killings and advised that” Nigeria must not allow foreign happenings to creep into its domain, especially those which do not happen here or concern us while we condemn same to safeguard our territory. “Our leaders must continue to dialogue on matters affecting the country by preserving and encouraging the love for one another,” he counselled. Delighted by the signing of the anti-violence pact by presidential candidates, Alhaji Abubakar also observed that this was not enough to address the situation, pointing out that other politicians should be cautioned against the use of thugs and weapons before, during and after elections. He also warned against any tendency to disenfranchise would-be voters from the general polls, “because millions of Nigerians are likely to be disenfranchised for not obtaining their PVCs”. “I am one of those who up till now have not received the PVC, the Sultan said. Continued on page 60

Babangida to Buhari: we’ll support you to salvage Nigeria

LL Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari’s ambition yesterday got a boost from his primary constituency - the military - with former military President Ibrahim Babangida saying his colleagues (retired generals) will support him. Gen. Babangida, hosting the APC presidential hopeful in his Uphill residence in Minna, said he was proud of Gen. Buhari’s persistence and perseverance in offering himself for service at the highest level. “You have beaten some of us in proving Gen. Douglas

From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

Mc’Arthur’s theory that, ‘old soliders never die but fade away gradually’, but you have refused to fade away,” he told his guest. He praised APC for honouring the military by nominating Gen. Buhari. “I wish to congratulate members of the party for the honour of nominating my colleague, General Muhammadu Buhari as your presidential candidate in the 2015 election,” Gen. Babangida said. The former military president said the media misrepresented his relationship with Continued on page 60

NLC, APC, others knock petrol price cut

Continued from page 1

sives Congress (APC) described the price slash as “mere tokenism”, and slammed the government for ripping off Nigerians. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC accused the Federal Government of “making a show out of deceit” by its socalled fuel price reduction. It said a 10.3 per cent slash in the price of petrol (from N97 to N87) is mere tokenism at a time the price of crude oil has crashed by about 60 per cent. The party said the pump price of a litre of fuel should not be more than N70, meaning that at N87 per litre, the government is forcing Nigerians to subsidise the “massive corruption” in the oil sector by N17 for every litre of fuel. ‘’When crude oil was selling at 100 dollars per barrel, the landing cost of PMS without subsidy was N125 per litre. Now that the oil price has crashed to about $44 per barrel, landing cost without subsidy is about N65 per litre. The same goes for diesel, which should not sell for more than N90 per litre,’’ it said. The APC said while gov-

It’s not enough, says Nigeria Labour Congress

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday welcomed the slash in the price of petrol, but said the reduction is not sufficient enough. It described the decision as unilateral. In a statement by General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, the congress said the government sidelined the Board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) which is statutorily empowered to determine price of petroleum products. He said the price reduction envisaged by the congress is the one that will operate within the institutional framework of PPPRA, adding that the “logic of our reasoning is hinged on the premise that only the PPPRA is charged with the statutory responsibility of determining petroleum product prices based on a relatively acceptable template. “Accordingly, it is the PPPRA (on whose board we have NLC, TUC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, NURTW) relying on the existing price template that could ernments of countries which are not as economically endowed as Nigeria have reduced the pump price of fuel, Nigeria that is the world’s sixth largest producer of oil is just announcing a price slash that is far below those countries. ‘’Early this year, Zambia

From Tony Akowe, Abuja

arrive at a fair and just price reduction. In other words, the reduction by the government, as welcome as it is, is by fiat. “It is unfortunate that the PPPRA Board has been sidelined for so long. We demand that its board be constituted immediately to enable it discharge its statutory function”. The statement said: “The reduction in the pump price is a welcome development. However in our estimation, it is not sufficiently deep enough. “Prior to this price reduction, government had substantially devalued the naira, thus ensuring that the full benefits of falling crude price are not passed on to Nigerians. The N10 price slash translates to 10.3 per cent reduction compared to 33% price reduction in most countries. For instance, in the United States, the price dipped to under two dollars from three dollars per gallon. “We recall urging the government to effect a price reduction following a sus-

slashed the price of petrol by 23 per cent while Tanzania reduced the pump price of the product by 16%. In the US, which until recently was importing crude oil from Nigeria, the price of fuel has fallen for 113 consecutive days as of Jan. 16. Therefore, the 10.3% price

tained price slump of crude oil in the international market in order for Nigerians to benefit from the development. We commend the government for listening to our advice. “However, beyond the issue of price reduction of PMS, the regulatory agencies in the downstream sector of the oil industry need to protect Nigerians against monopolistic exploitation. “We make bold to refer to the unacceptable price manipulation by monopolies in the oil sector where prices have remained unreasonable high for diesel the price of which is deregulated. “Given the realities of the international oil market today, there is no reason for maintaining the price of diesel at N160 per litre. The regulatory agencies are called upon to break this stranglehold on consumers. “Finally, we wish to appeal to transporters and transport operators alike to ensure that the benefits of this price reduction get to commuters”.

slash in Nigeria is too meagre too late,’’ the party said. It said the real reasons that the government has delayed reducing the price of imported petroleum products following the crash in crude oil prices are the massive corruption in the oil sector and lack of political will on the

part of the leadership. ‘’With Nigeria depending on importation of petroleum products to meet about 90% of its domestic consumption, the country is relying heavily on term contracts entered into with petroleum product trading companies to meet its domestic demand. It is pos-

•Ozo-Eson

sible that the petroleum products pricing formula embedded in these contracts, which generally run for up to 1-1/2 and in some cases two years, have not anticipated these low prices. ‘’Therefore, unless the government moves to renegotiate the contracts now, it may not reap the full benefits of the decline in petroleum prices. But here is the catch: Since the government and its agents Continued on page 60

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS

NIGERIA DECIDES

Condemnation tra

•From left: Executive Director, Personal Banking, Access Bank Plc, Victor Etuokwu; Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), George Kell; Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Foluso Phillips; Chairman, Honeywell Group, Mr. Oba Otudeko and Head, Transparency and Anti-Corruption, UNGC, Mr. Olajobi Makinwa at the Africa Sustainable Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Business Roundtable in Lagos...yesterday.

•Gen. Buhari

ACF, PDP chieftain say campaign reckless, uncharitable •Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Danjuma Sheni (left) and the Charge De Affairs, Indonesian Embassy, Mr Eko Indiarto when Nigeria summoned the envoy over the execution of two Nigerians in Abuja...yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

N advertorial entitled: NIGERIANS BEWARNED!, sponsored by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and published yesterday on the cover of two national dailies, has introduced a dangerous dimension into the presidential election campaign. In the advertorial, the author asked Nigerians not to vote for the All Progressive Congress (APC) presi-

Blessing Olaifa, Assistant Editor, Abuja

dential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), who in his wisdom, is too old for the exalted office. Besides, Fayose alleged that three former leaders, who hailed from the Northwest of the country died in office, saying the country could no longer afford state burial. The governor listed Gen Murtala Mohammed, Gen Sani

Ekiti APC alleges plan to attack Buhari’s campaign convoy

•Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), NRC, Prince Adeseyi Sijuwade (right), Assistant Director, Running, NRC, Mr. Aliu Saleh (middle) and Assistant Director, Public Relations, NRC, Mr. David Ndakostu, after the inspection of five 68-seater airconditioned passenger coaches, two 16-seater rail uses and 18 four-seater motor Trolleys, at the Lagos District Office of the corporation...yesterday. PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA

•From right: Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Ben Chukwuma Ozumba, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Prof. Polycarp Chigbu, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Enugu Campus, Prof. Ifeoma Enemo and Prof. Charles Igwe…yesterday. PHOTO: OBI CLETUS.

HE local chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State yesterday raised the alarm over an alleged plan to ambush the campaign convoys of it presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. Gen Buhari’s campaign train is due in the Land of Honour State on Saturday ahead of next month’s presidential election. In a statement by Taiwo Olatubosun, the party’s Publicity Secretary in AdoEkiti, APC claimed it has in its kitty intelligence that Governor Ayodele Fayose has perfected plan to disrupt its campaign on Saturday. According to Olatunbosun, the party, the plan was to ambush the campaign convoy of the APC on its way to the state. He alleged that members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) have been recruited to carry out the plan. The APC spokesman alleged the OPC men have been engaged as task force officials and mandated to remove the posters of all APC candidates. They (OPC) members have also been instructed to strike at the campaign grounds to cause stampede during the rally. The statement reads: “Fayose’s desperation knows no bounds. He took front pages of two national dailies for advertorial on Monday (yesterday), depicting that Buhari will die in office like three other presidents from the Northwest died in office. “This is dangerous for our national unity and ethnic harmony. Fayose is dangerous to Nigeria’s unity and the earlier the authorities, Nigerians and Ekiti people in particular appreciate this, the better for us as a nation.”

Olatunbosun alleged that some thugs, who have been imported would be deployed to entry points into Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, where they would ambush APC members on their way to the campaign ground. He said: “So far, the group had removed Buhari’s posters pasted in his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti as well as those pasted in the party’s office in the state capital. “This is a clear case of undermining the peace pact brokered by eminent international leaders last week.? It is sad that after President Jonathan campaigned in Ekiti State, Fayose sent signage officials and OPC thugs to be removing our candidates’ posters after paying necessary fees to the agency. “Fayose’s hatred for Buhari knew no bounds, as his aide was behind a fake medical report on Buhari declaring him as a prostate cancer patient. “Fayose’s aide forged the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital? as Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital and forged the signature of a non-existent consultant to declare Buhari as a prostate cancer patient.” The APC spokesman said the governor was prosecuting the presidential election as the last battle of his life with its attendant security challenges. Olatunbosun said: “What Governor Fayose is doing is to raise the tempo of crisis in the state to further escalate violence in the already charged political climate. We have our constitutional right to display the posters of our candidates. We call on the security agents to be alive to their responsibility of protecting the lives of everybody including those of APC members and residents that will throng the campaign rally on Saturday.”

PO THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NIGERIA DECIDES

on trails Fayose’s ‘death wish’ for Buhari

‘

Now, we have a governor in modern day Nigeria, talking about the death of former leaders as if he himself has control over death. This is quite absurd and unfortunate

‘ APCON chief: It’s simply unconventional, shocking, controversial •Fayose

• Sanni

Abacha and Alhaji Musa Yar’Ardua as former heads of state, who died in office. But a chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, described the on-going campaign against Gen. Buhari as worrisome. He said the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has gone berserk. The ACF had an ally in a former PDP governorship aspirant in Kaduna State, Shuaibu Idris Mikati , who said the campaign of death-wish by the PDP against Gen Buhari has done incalculable damage to whatever chances President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP may have had have in the North. Sani and Shuaibu spoke with The Nation in separate cahts. Shauibu, who has not defected from the PDP described the advertorial credited to the Ekiti governor governor as “most reckless, unwarranted and uncharitable.” According to him, it was unfortunate that the governor Fayose embarked on such a devilish analysis aimed at denigrating the Northwest region, stating that his action smacks of desperation and lack of the fear of God.

HAIRMAN of the Advertisers Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi said the advertisement was not only unconventional but embarrassing and shocking. He wondered why anybody could quote a portion of the Bible to support a publication believed to have been done in bad faith. Akinwunmi’s reaction was posted on his facebook account. The APCON chief noted that the author of the advert chose a day that the Federal Government, controlled by his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) slashed the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known in the popular parlance as petrol, from N97 to N87. Akinwunmi said the advertisement knocked off whatever measure of sympathy the fuel price reduction could have earned the federal government. He advised the PDP to, as a matter of urgency, dissociate itself from the controversial advertisement, which he noted, could rub off negatively on the ruling party. The response reads: “You know, sometimes it looks as if life plays a cruel game. The Punch of today has an ad reportedly sponsored by Ayo Fayose. Now going by FB responses alone, the ad has attracted many negative reHe said: “Governor Fayose’s advertorial is most reckless and unguarded. He has forgotten that no human has control over death. Only yesterday, I attended the burial of a two-year-old child, yet it was not the wish of his parents that he should die. “Now, we have a governor in modern day Nigeria, talking about the death of former leaders as if he him-

self has control over death. This is quite absurd and unfortunate. “ Also speaking, the ACF spokesman described the campaigns against Gen. Buhari as worrisome and unfortunate. He urged politicians to keep to what they know instead of telling lies about the health and certificate status of Gen. Buhari. Sani said: “The allegations about

sponses. “Now note that above the ad is the Punch’s lead story announcing the government’s decision to reduce the pump price of petrol to N87 per litre, from N97. “Normally the petrol story should make everyone happy and earn the government some kudos. However, Fayose’s handiwork beneath it kills the joy and makes a mess of the petrol price reduction story. “From a professional standpoint, it’s not an issue of whether the ad is good or bad. It is simply unconventional, shocking, controversial, and perhaps even embarrassing, and has certainly annoyed a few people. And by the way, the reference to portions of the Bible introduces a curious twist! “Some people have wondered if this ad would not have a negative rebound on PDP. I don’t think so. By now, many people can separate Fayose’s antics from the party! Professionally though, I advise the party to come up with a statement clearly saying Fayose’s ad does not represent the party’s opinion. This should be done as quickly as possible. “Now I am sure that wherever he is, the President must be wondering about his Ekiti enfant terrible! “These are really exciting times!” certificate and ill-health against Gen. Buhari by the opposition party is worrisome in the sense that the campaigns should assume responsibility for issues that are of real concern to Nigerians instead of dwelling on irrelevance and things that do not matter. “Happily enough, both Professors Itse Sagay and Tam David West have said the courses attended and the pub-

lic offices held by Buhari are over and above the educational requirements being demanded by the constitution. “Also Ahmadu Bello University has put health matter to rest by saying the documents being circulated about the General’s health status are fake. So, as the politicians canvass for votes, they should keep to what they know”, Sani said.

INEC has achieved 75% distribution of PVCs, says Jega

NDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof Attahiru Jega said the electoral umpire has achieved 75 per cent in the production and distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Jega promised that all eligible voters would have gotten their PVCs before the commission will lower the curtain on distribution by the end of this month, preparatory for the general elections on February 14 and 28. The INEC chief spoke, who spoke yesterday at a two-day conference organised by Bayero University, Kano, (BUK) entitled: “INEC and the 2015 General Elections: Expectations, Prospects and Challenges,” also accused politicians of threatening INEC officials on duty as well as inducing with monetary gratification to dance to their tunes. According to him, the disposition and the change of attitude by politicians would determine the attainment of credible, free and fair elections next month. He said politicians

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

are bent on winning elections, “by hook or crook.” Prof. Jega assured that INEC would be ready to conduct elections in the troubled Northeastern states with adequate security arrangement, even as admitted that elections would come with serious challenges. He, however, expressed optimism that with the cooperation of all stakeholders, the elections will turn out the best the country has ever had. His words: “At the end of it all it is the voter that will give the final decision in the process. As election management body, we will do our possible best to provide level playing ground. “We are humans and we are doing our best, but that could not be enough that is why we are calling on all stakeholders to also put in their best. Together we can ensure that free, fair and credible elections are held. Nigerians should also use their election rights and improve in the credibility of the exercise

“We inherited over-bloated structure, but we have re-structured it for better, in terms of doing away with areas that were hitherto too loose and duplicating. On policy matter, we looked at both strategic and operational policies. “We trained ourselves in maintaining to be non-partisan and highly professional. All necessary planning that could improve in an open, transparent and accountable elections are put in place.” On the desperation of politicians to win elections, Jega accused politicians of threatening INEC officials on duty as well as inducing with monetary gratification to do their biddings. According to the INEC chief, the Commission has received a number of cases where National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members working for INEC were threatened and stampeded by politicians when they turn down their offer. “I am not bashing politicians, but the general tendency is disturbing as they want to win by hook or by

crook,” Jega insisted. He, however, urged politicians to change their attitude of desperation, adding that the February elections will be difficult for politicians to manipulate. The INEC chairman also regretted a situation where politicians have resorted to cloning the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC), warning that such attempt would at the end be to their own detriment as the PVC is so programmed that faking it is impossible. “Cloned cards cannot work in INEC reader machine,” Jega warned. Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammad Lawan Uwais, who chaired the occasion, lauded INEC for its preparations ahead of the February polls. In his remarks the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone One, Muhammad Tambari Yabo, warned politicians and their supporters to shun violence. He reiterated the readiness of the police and sister security agencies to

•Jega ensure adequate security of lives and property during the elections. “We are determined more than ever before to provide a level playing ground to see that we have free, fair and credible election in this country where all other countries in the world will look up to us for exemplary election process and procedures,” Yabo stated.

THE NATION TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS FUEL PRICE REDUCTION

DPR threatens to sanction erring filling stations

O avoid sanctions, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has warned filling stations to adjust their pump price per litre of fuel to N87 from N97 as directed by the Federal Government. DPR Head of Operations, Lagos Zone Mrs. Chioma Njoku said the department had started monitoring filling stations to enforce adherence to the directive. She said: “DPR will ensure

that the new price regime stated by the government is complied with and any filling station found wanting will be sanctioned. “We have commenced full operational check at most filing stations in Lagos to ensure that they adjust to N87 per litre.” Meanwhile, a check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at filling stations within Lagos metropolis as at 3p.m. yesterday showed that most of the

operators were yet to comply with the directive. Except for the NNPC Mega Station in Falomo, Ikoyi, all other stations visited sold petrol at N97 per litre. The managers of the filling stations told NAN that they had old stocks and that it was difficult to adjust to N87 from N97. Others agreed to adjust, but said they could not do so because their engineers were yet to arrive from their head offices to effect the change.

Mrs. Christy Okonebo, station manager, Total Filling Station, Costain, said the station received 66,000 litres of petrol two days ago at N97 per litre. “The reduction in price was announced yesterday night (January 18). We paid for this product since four days ago. “If we adjust the price to N87 from N97, who will pay for the difference?” she asked. She said the station would adjust when its engineers from the head office got to the sta-

tion. Okonebo added that if the management changed the pump price, it meant the station would lose N660,000. Mr. Samson Ademola, a supervisor at Conoil Filling Station in Ojuelegba, explained that the station was still selling at N97 per litre, pending when it received new stock. Alhaji Sanni Garba, dealer, NNPC Filling Station, Oregun, lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for the new price,

CDRP queries new PMS price

Abuja: Price cut records partial compliance

HE Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People (CDRP) has questioned the economic rationale behind the Federal Government’s reduction of the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). It insisted that the decision was never in the interest of the masses and therefore, parochial and politically motivated. The group’s Acting National Coordinator, Comrade Saka Waheed, said this in a statement yesterday. According to the group, the N87 price is still arbitrary in the face of near worthless global oil. Saka said: “The natural economic expectation of our organisation is that the price of petroleum would drop in conformity with the current global fall in the price of the commodity. Therefore, it is strange and parochial to hear that the Federal Government is celebrating paltry N10 reductions.”

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

•A filling station complying with the pump price of N87 in Abuja...yesterday.

IPMAN, MAN, PENGASSAN, others hail reduction

HE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN); the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State chapter; and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) led some of the organisations and individuals that have hailed the reduction in the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirits (PMS) from N97 to N87 per litre. LAGOS: National President of IPMAN Mr. Chinedu Okoronkwo said the reduction was a welcome development. He told The Nation that reduction in pump price is currently a global phenomenon because of crude price crash in the international market. He said: “Reduction in price of fuel is a global phenomenon. So, it is not only Nigeria. It is because of crash in crude oil price. We are happy with the reduction announced yesterday by the government because if the

By Emeka Ugwuanyi and Akinola Ajibade

price was not reduced, we couldn’t have done anything. The reduction will reduce marketers’ exposure.” On compelling their members to comply with the reduction by adjusting the pumps to N87 per litre, Okoronkwo said there was no need to use force because the dynamics of the market would compel them to adjust, noting that no consumer would leave where fuel is sold for N87 for N97 per litre. OGUN: The President of MAN, Ogun State Chapter, Mr. Wale Adegbite, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), hailed the government in an interview in Ota, Ogun State. “The reduction in the price of petrol would make Nigerians to have more money in their pockets to spend on goods and services. They will spend less in fueling their cars and genera-

tors,” Adegbite said. He added that the development would also reduce the cost of transporting goods and services from one part of the country to the other. He stated that the price reduction would impact more significantly on the manufacturers, if the price of diesel could also be reduced by the government. LAGOS: The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said the downward review of the price of petrol was a welcome development. Its spokesman, Babatunde Oke, said the issue was consistent with the wishes of Nigerians, who have been looking up to the government to cushion the effects of the harsh economy. He said: “During our strike last December, we told the government that the problems in the sector were affecting the socioeconomic activities. Besides the issue of repairing the refineries,

we demanded for a review of the petroleum products. We are happy today that the government has acquiesced to some of our demands.” LAGOS: The President, International Association of Energy Economists, Nigerian Chapter, Prof. Adeola Akinnisiju, also lauded the government for the reduction in the price of petrol. He said the idea would to some extent ameliorate the conditions of users of petrol. Dr. Austin Nweze, a lecturer at the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos and a governorship aspirant in Ebonyi State under the Social Democratic Mega Party, told The Nation that the reduction was a good decision. But, he added that the announcement came at a time, which could also be considered as a move to score political point by showing the people or electorate that the government cares. “However, it is commendable because it is the first

time the government reduced fuel price on its own without being coerced to do that through demonstration or strike,” Nweze said. He added that politicians were influencing a lot of activities as the general elections draw near. According to him, the reduction supposed to have been announced and implemented before now because crude oil price didn’t just fall last month. He noted that a month ago, South Africa reduced price of petrol and diesel by about 30 per cent. On the impact of the reduction on the economy, Nweze stated even though the pump price of fuel just came down, “it will not have immediate effect on the masses because the real impact should only be measured when transporters to long places such as from Lagos to the eastern or northern states and also local shuttles cut down their fares.”

Lagos marketers stick to old price

ANY marketers in Lagos continued yesterday to sell fuel at the old price despite the announcement by the Federal Government reducing the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirits (PMS) from N97 to N87 per litre. No single filling station among those visited by The Nation in the Lagos metropolis sold the product at N87. At the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) filling station in OkoOba, Agege, a Lagos suburb, the meter was yet to be adjusted the new price.

saying he meant well for the people. In Ikorodu, many of the filling stations visited were selling at the old pump price of N97 per litre, while a few others promised to adjust their pump later. Mr. Felix Idowu, a motorist, who bought fuel at Conoil, Onipanu, said he was not happy buying at N97 per litre, but that there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

By Seun Akioye

The pump price per litre remains N97 as the attendants insisted that the new price regime would not take effect soon. Agege, Abule-Egba, Okooba, Ifako-Ijaiye and Ogba it was the same trend with all the marketers insisting that the new price regime would not take effect, except the old stocks were sold. At Oando filling station on Old Agege road, the attendants, who spoke to The Nation, said they have no power to reduce the pump price of petrol.

“We have also heard about the new price. In fact, we heard it this morning. But we cannot change it from here. We have spoken to our bosses at the head office. We are still expecting directives to change the price,” one of the attendants said. Another worker, who identified himself as a supervisor, said changing the price was not feasible until old stocks have been disbursed. “They just announced this new change and we have stocks already bought at the old price. Until we exhaust the old stock and buy at the new

rate, we cannot sell at the new price,” the supervisor said. A rowdy scene was witnessed at the Total Petrol Station, Mangoro. A consumer bought fuel with the intention of paying the new price. But after being told he must pay at the old price, he refused. “The government has reduced the price of petrol and all of you are supposed to have adjusted your pump price. If the government increased the price, you would have adjusted your price to reflect the new increase. But it is difficult to do the same when it is a reduction in price,”

the man, who identified himself as Adekoya, said. Motorists interviewed also expressed their frustrations over the unwillingness of the petroleum marketers to sell petrol at government approved price. A manager at a Total Station, who did not want to be named, said: “We have old stocks, which we bought at old price. There is no way we can sell at a lower price than what we bought. No businessman wants to lose his investments. When we finish this stock, we will sell at the new price.”

OST petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) refused yesterday to comply with the new pump price of N87 per a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) announced by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Sunday night. The minister had directed that the new price should take effect from Sunday, but when The Nation monitored compliance yesterday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mega Station at Kubwa sold the petrol for the old price of N97 per litre. The Oando petrol station opposite refused to sell. The NNPC super mega station on Kubwa Expressway by Katampe was not opened to customers. Rahamaniya Oil and Gas Limited at Mpape Junction on Kubwa Expressway sold the product for N97 per litre. However, NNPC mega station on Olusegun Obasanjo Expressway , which sold for N87 per litre, recorded a very long queue stretching over a kilometre. Opposite the station, Forte Oil sold for N87 per litre as well as Hali Brother NNPC on the same Olusegun Obasanjo Expressway. The NNPC station in Lugbe on Airport road also sold for N87 per litre. Those that were yet to comply complained that they were yet to receive stock for the new N87 per litre.

Uyo filling stations kick From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

OME filling stations in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, refused to comply yesterday with the new fuel pump price regime of N87. The Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was sold between N97 and N100 in most of the filling stations visited yesterday by The Nation. In most of the filling stations on Ikot Ekpene, Oron, Abak and Nwaniba roads, a litre of PMS was dispensed between N97 and N100. But the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mega Filling Station along Ikot Ekepene had adjusted its pump price to the new price regime and was dispensing PMS at N87 per litre . Motorists queued up at NNPC mega station, where fuel was being sold at N87 per litre.

THE NATION TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS FUEL PRICE REDUCTION

Enugu NLC, drivers, commuters hail Fed Govt

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and some drivers and commuters in Enugu State have hailed the Federal Government for the reduction of the petrol pump price from N97 to N87 per litre. They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the pump price reduction would make life easier for Nigerians. The state’s Chairman of NLC, Chief Chumaife Nze,

described the development as a good response to the yearnings of Nigerians. According to him, the pump price reduction was necessary following the dwindling price of crude oil at the international market. “The government is sensitive to the plight of the people. So, it will go a long way to alleviate the suffering of the masses. “We hope that as other situations change, the govern-

ment will be responsive and change accordingly. What is paramount is the way forward in this country,’’ he said. A commercial bus driver, Mr. Ndubuisi Igbokwe, regretted that some petrol stations were not responding to the government’s directive as most of them still sold at N110 and N97 respectively. Igbokwe also appealed to relevant agencies saddled with the responsibility of ensuring compliance to petroleum laws

to do so in the interest of the poor masses. “I was very happy when I heard about the development. This is the first time in Nigeria that after something went up, it is coming down. “We are not sure yet if it will affect transportation fares, but I know it will make things better for us. “My fear now is the petrol stations complying with the directive because they say that the product they have is the one that

Buyers protest in Ekiti as petrol sells for N97

play. Why did they not reduce the price during December when the masses will benefit in their travelling,’’ he said. The petrol pump price reduction was announced on January 18 by the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke. Madueke also mandated the Department of Petroleum Resources and other petroleum agencies to ensure adequate implementation and compliance.

Cross River State: Petrol sells for N97 in Calabar From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

OST filling stations in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, sold fuel for N97 yesterday. A couple of stations also sold for N100. Except the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) station and a couple of other major marketers, the other filling stations did not comply with the Federal Government’s directive. An independent marketer, who spoke with The Nation, said they had to sell off their old products before they would start selling at the new price. “How about people that bought product at a price that included the N10 government just reduced? Should they run at a loss? It is not going to be instantaneous. “But between today and tomorrow, we hope to normalise. We think it is a welcome development. It shows the government is sensitive to the feelings of Nigerians,” the marketer, who did not want his name mentioned, said. Residents urged relevant agencies to intervene to ensure the new rate is enforced.

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

ESS than 24 hours after the Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke announced a reduction in the pump price of petrol from N97 to N87, filling stations in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, were still selling yesterday at the old price. The action of the owners of the petrol stations, which failed to adjust their pump price to the newly-ordered rate, angered some motorists and motorcyclists, who hoped to get the commodity at the new price. The only outlet selling at the new price of N87 was the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mega Station located on Iworoko Road, which attracted a long queue of motorists. But, other filling stations affiliated to the NNPC did not adjust their meters to read N87 per litre. Other filling stations in the city owned by both major and independent marketers refused to comply with the new price regime, claiming that they were yet to exhaust the stock, which they bought at the rate of N94.5 from the depots. At some stations in AdoEkiti, some consumers accused fuel attendants and managers of “economic sabotage and wickedness”. The irate buyers accused filling station owners of “foot dragging anytime there is an order to reduce pump price, but always adjusting their meters immediately there is fuel price increase”. Some of the motorists threatened to report the erring filling stations to the state Petroleum Products Consumer Protection Agency (PPCPA), saying those stations deserved to be sealed off to serve as a deterrent to others. A manager at a filling station owned by a major marketer said they would only sell for N87 per litre on condition that the NNPC would have to take stock from their reserve and give them refund in form of subsidy. He added: “I don’t know the reason why the NNPC has not visited us to take the stock of what we have here. We bought this product at the rate of N94.5 and it will be difficult to sell at N87 without assurances from the NNPC of refunds.”

they bought at N110,’’ he said. A commuter, Mrs. Ifesinachi Okoro, hoped that the development would positively affect every sector of the economy to improve standard of living. Another commercial bus driver, Mr. Ikechukwu Nebo, told NAN that the development was a campaign strategy targeted at making people to vote for the PDP. “We have been in Nigeria and we know the politics they

Edo: Petrol stations maintain old price From Osagie Otabor, Benin

OME petrol station in Benin City, the Edo State capital, belonging to major marketers failed yesterday to sell petrol at N87 per litre. A visit to some petrol stations showed that fuel was still being dispensed at the old price of N97 per litre. Attendants at the petrol stations said they were yet to be informed about the new pump price. The petrol stations, where the new pump price took effect, were Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega filling station on Sapele road, Zeeko Oil and Total Oil on Akpakpava road. Many petrol stations belonging to independent marketers sold fuel for N97 per litre yesterday. Managers at the stations, who pleaded anonymity, said they could not afford to sell at a lower price. Chairman of Edo State Petroleum Monitoring Committee Mr. Soni Idahagbon ordered the sealing of one of the Oando petrol stations for selling petrol above N87 per litre.

Oyo APC rejects N10 reduction

•New petrol pump price in Abuja... yesterday

Abia independent marketers close shops in Umuahia

HE announcement by the Federal Government that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) should be reduced to N87 may have forced some marketers to close their filling stations in Umuahia, the Abia State capital. When The Nation visited fuel stations in the state capital, it was noticed that most of them were closed, leaving only a few major marketers selling at the new pump price. But, those, who spoke with The Nation, said the directive to reduce the pump price was a welcome development, adding that it would help to alleviate the suffering of the masses. They said prices of goods and services would be reduced. The end users, however,

From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia

called on the Federal Government to ensure that the directive to reduce pump price was implemented by both the major and independent marketers to avoid exploiting the masses. Even though most filling stations were yet to adjust their meters in Umuahia, only the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC0 mega filling station in Nkwoegwu sold at the new rate. The state NNPC Sales Representative, Mr. Eneh Nnabuike Samuel, said they began compliance as early as 8am yesterday, adding that the corporation would soon go into town to enforce compliance by their other outlets. Reacting to the develop-

ment, the Commissioner for Petroleum Resources and Mineral Development, Chief Don Ubani, said the directive showed that the administration at the centre was a listening one. He added that following the sharp fall in the global oil price, most countries reduced their pump prices to cushion the economic effect the fall would have on the masses, adding that Nigeria should not be different. He said the state government, NNPC and other stakeholders in the petroleum industry have met on the way forward. “We have agreed to work for the success of the directive so that our people will not suffer because of the fall in oil price,” he said.

YO State All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the slight adjustment in the pump price of the premium motor spirit as announced by the Federal Government, describing the development as hypocritical. In a reaction to the new announcement, the APC, in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Olawale Sadare, urged President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic team to explain how the new pump price came into being, and without making any guiding statement on it. The statement reads: “It is to the common knowledge of everyone that the prices of crude oil in the global market have fallen by 50 per cent, but the Nigerian government chose to announce a phantom N10 per cent reduction in the official pump price of petrol in what we suspect to be another subtle attempt to evolve a soft-landing for president in next month general elections. “Inasmuch as Nigerians are amazed that the PDP administration of Dr. Jonathan can bow to the pressure, which first came from the APC in Oyo State, to reduce the fuel pump price, it is curious to note that the announcement in the dead of the night by the minister did not meet the expectations of the people and as such cannot be celebrated. “What happened to the prices of other petroleum products, such as kerosene, which sells for between N120 and N150 when its landing cost is N45.90k? Why does Nigeria still depend largely on smaller countries with functional refineries to run its economy when we are the world’s sixth largest exporter of crude oil? Why does the country lose at least 400,000 barrel of crude oil to pirates on a daily basis? “Until the unprecedented high level of insincerity with which the nation’s oil industry is being managed by the present administration is tackled, Nigerians would not get a fair treatment from operators in the sector and this would continue to cause unnecessary hardship for the masses. “Subsidy or no subsidy, the citizenry would always demand transparent handling of the nation’s resources to guarantee good governance in the land.”

THE NATION TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS Ministry organises seven days praise/worship

Kaduna stands still for Buhari, others

RESIDENTIAL campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) berthed in Kaduna yesterday with the party’s candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, promising to revive the textile and other moribund industries in the first two years, if elected. But, before Gen. Buhari’s arrival with his campaign team at about 6:25pm, his supporters stormed the Kaduna rally en masse as early as 8am. They patiently waited for him to arrive from the APC presidential campaign in Minna, the Niger State capital. He came to the venue in a convoy escorted by thousands of supporters, who trekked for about 20 kilometres to the ven-

•APC candidate unveils agenda for industries From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

ue of the rally from the Kaduna International Airport. He, however, told his supporters to go out and vote on February 14, as well as protect their votes in a peaceful and orderly manner. Gen. Buhari, who addressed the mammoth crowd of supporters at Murtala Muhammed Square in Kaduna, lamented that Kaduna State used to be the industrial hub of the North and textile production in Africa. But all the industries, he said, are now moribund. He said: “We used to have

textile industries, aviation industries and others in Kaduna here. But now, all those industries have been destroyed in the last 16 years of PDP, due to corruption. “Kaduna is my home and I don’t have anything new to tell you people. But, I must tell you that we are going to fight insecurity, corruption and revive the economy. “Within the first two years of our government, we will address the issue of dead companies and revival of the economy. We will equip schools and put drugs in hospitals.” On the February 14 presidential election, Buhari said: “I am not saying anyone should

be violent or attack anyone. But you must cast your vote, wait, escort and protect your votes in a peaceful manner.” The party’s Northwest Chairman, Dr. Inuwa Abdulkadir, reacted to the claim that Buhari was sick. He said: “Yes, Buhari is sick of corruption, insecurity, bad governance, bad roads and unemployment.” He added that Buhari has come to win and reposition the nation in the right direction. The vice presidential candidate of APC, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo said on February 14, the country will witness change. Former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the

By Wale Adepoju

•Buhari

party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Director-General of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign and Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi; Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko; Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, APC governorship candidates for Kaduna and Kebbi states - Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Senator Muhammadu Magoro - and many others attended the rally.

Jonathan: we have not neglect the North From Adamu Suleiman, Sokoto

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan took his campaign for a second term to Sokoto State yesterday, saying that his government had done a lot for the North, especially by establishing nine new federal universities and others in the region. Jonathan said his administration also established and sited the Almajiri Integrated School in Sokoto as a model. According to him, “we have also rehabilitated and reconstructed the road linking Sokoto-Tambuwal- Jega-Kontagora in Niger State to enable free movement of people and vehicles.” Jonathan warned that the Federal Government would not condone arson and violence in the name of politics. He said the PDP and its candidates believed in one and indivisible Nigeria. “The unity of the country cannot in anyway be compromised and the Federal Government will continue to frown at all terror groups and their dastardly activities,’’ he said. ‘’The politicians must begin to tell their followers to be disciplined and do the right thing. “Politics should be devoid of terrorism or violence or the use of religion as well as ethnicity to divide Nigerians,’’ Jonathan urged. The president said more emphasis would be given to irrigation farming with a promise to boost agriculture in the state. “We will responsively activate and make Goronyo and Shagari dams more functional for farmers to use for food production. “The aim is to boost food production and ensure its security,” he maintained. Jonathan, who also noted that the PDP government had intervened in the state during crises and disasters, said: “We have through our agency donated N1 billion to flood victims and N250 million to Kara market fire victims in 2014,” he added. He promised to link Sokoto through to Niger Republic with railway to boost its commercial potential and make life easier for economic activities. “You will also agree with me that PDP-controlled states have demonstrated their commitments to service delivery to their people,” he said.

•From left: INEC National Commissioner, Dr. Abdulkadir Oniyangi; guest of honour, Justice Roseline Bozimo and chairman of the occasion, Justice Abubakar Jega, at an international conference on electoral jurisprudence in Africa in Abuja...yesterday.

APC raises alarm over plot to arrest Goje

HE national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm in a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan over a potential plan by some key members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to violate the peace accord signed by political stakeholders in Abuja last week. Specifically, the APC said it had uncovered a plan by the Gombe State chapter of the PDP and Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo to “instigate organised and coordinated violence” by infiltrating its rallies, adding that this may lead to the loss of lives and property. The letter with reference number APC/NHDQ/PRES/ 22/015/01 and signed by the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun,

•Odigie-Oyegun writes Jonathan urged the president to direct the relevant security agencies to investigate the allegations. Odigie-Oyegun also urged the president to direct the agencies to place necessary measures to check the excesses of some persons during political campaigns. The letter titled: “Notice of potential violation of agreement to avoid violence during elections” reads: “Please be informed that on Wednesday 14th, January 2015, a pact to avoid violence during the elections was signed by all political shareholders and witnessed by the international community. “The attention of our party has been drawn to a plan by the Gombe State governor and the

PDP leadership to stage-manage a violent and deadly fracas, which will be attributed to our supporters. This is intended to cause mayhem and disrupt the already-tensed political atmosphere in Gombe State. “Under the plan, six (6) vehicles are being acquired and branded with APC logo with the aim of infiltrating our campaign rallies to instigate organised and coordinated violence. It is planned that property will be destroyed and innocent people killed. “The objective of this deliberately organised violence is to provide justification for the arrest and detention of APC party leaders, particularly Senator Danjuma Goje. This, they be-

lieve, will weaken the party as the leader, Senator Goje, who is expected to give leadership to the APC during the elections, will be kept out of circulation under the guise of police investigation. “As a law-abiding and peaceloving political party, the APC is a signatory to the Abuja Non-Violence Political Campaign Pact. Our party and our supporters condemn violence in any form. “The APC is committed to sensitising all our followers nationwide to respect the non-violence agreement. “To this end therefore, we call on you to direct the appropriate agencies to investigate this report and put in place appropriate measures during political campaigns in the state to prevent the actualisation of this evil plan.”

‘We ’ll give security, infrastructure, others priority’

LL Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen. Muhammdu Buhari said yesterday that his administration will put security, infrastructure, agriculture and education on his administration’s top agenda. He spoke yesterday at the party’s campaign rally in Minna. Addressing huge party supporters at the Polo Ground in the Niger State capital, Buhari said immediate attention would be given to the key areas to move the nation forward. The fight against insecurity, he said, “will be total” and assured that his administration would equip the armed forces and ensure that whatever due to

•Niger deputy governor, supporters defect to APC From Jide Orintunsin, Minna

both soldiers and police in terms of welfare would be given to them. Buhari, who spoke in Hausa language, told the mammoth crowd that attention would be accorded infrastructure as well as the country’s major roads. The APC standard-bearer, who arrived in Minna with his running-mate in a chartered flight along with other party chieftains, said his administration would leverage on the agricultural potentials of Niger State and the dams in the state to develop the sector. He also added that education

would be given prime attention when he takes over in May. Buhari, however, maintained that all the promises made could only be actualised, “if the people go out to vote, peacefully stay behind and ensure that their votes count.” The party’s vice presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said APC government would also give attention to the power sector. The party’s National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said President Goodluck Jonathan’s bid for a second term was a betrayal of a promise he made in 2011. According to him, “President Jonathan in one African coun-

try in 2011 promised to spend only four years. He went further to say that if he could not fix Nigeria in four years, he would not be able to succeed in 20 years. So, why must we allow a man who failed to honour a promise he made four years ago?”. The rally came to a climax when the state deputy governor, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, led 319 other PDP chieftains to the APC. He announced his defection to reporters at his residence while on his way to the Minna International Airport to receive Gen. Buhari for the APC campaign. Ibeto said he and over 200 leaders from the PDP have defected to the APC because of the injustice and irreconcilable differences with his former party.

HE Victorious Praying Women Ministry (VPWM) has organised a-seven-day worship session at the church premises in Ikeja. The event tagged: Open the flood gates of heaven, has the theme “Overflow above and beyond”. The fellowship’s Protocol Officer, Mrs Yemisi Oni, said the worship would usher in God’s blessings as worshippers’ lives would never remain the same. The worship, according to her, is to take members and worshippers alike to the realm of overflow. “Worship is important for people to receive from God. This is why we are going to be worshipping God for seven days,” she said. Mrs Oni said people with health conditions should come as there would be prayer of agreement for their healing. “There would be healing ministration for the sick, and as such people with health conditions should come with their medical reports. Everybody is invited,” she said. She said: “The programme, which began yesterday starts at 9am and ends by noon daily. On Sunday, the last day, it will start at 4pm and end by 7pm.”

Nigerian group in U.S. endorses Buhari

GROUP, Association of Credible Leadership in Nigeria, United States (U.S.) Chapter, has endorsed the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, as their preferred candidate in the next month’s general elections. The group took the decision after a symposium it organised in Chicago, where leadership as an impediment to Nigeria development was discussed by Nigerians in Diasporas and Mayor of Chicago city. “There are times for merriments; there are times to cry! Nigerians are sobbing for sins not committed by all. We must stand to defend our heritage by chasing away total charade in the name of governance, which imposed poverty and destitution on the doorsteps of every Nigerian. “We have faced endless and habitual corruption perpetrated by mischief-makers who are our brothers. Today, brothers will rise against brothers by making a statement on February 14, 2015 in a social contract, the way we made historical statement on June 12, 1993, “the group said. The group said the Federal Government had failed the people, adding that “if things continue this way, Nigeria may not know peace.” It added: “We are seated on gunpowder that had started exploding in the Northeast, which could extend to every part of our nation. This anarchy must be brought to end by giving back what the people deserve in terms of infrastructure and hope for real development.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS

Amosun : I’m not afraid of Osoba, SDP

GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun said yesterday that he was not “jittery” about former Governor Olusegun Osoba and his prediction that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) would garner about 500,000 votes for its governorship candidate, Senator Akin Odunsi, in the February 28 poll. Amosun wondered what “magical stunt” Osoba wanted to pull to enable SDP win half a million votes in the state when it was obvious that he or his party do not command such support. He challenged the ex-governor to name the party’s presidential candidate. The governor said the changes made in lives and communities in the last 43 months coupled with the

Parents fault teachers’ strike

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

facelift of the state would ensure his re-election. Amosun, who spoke through the Director of his campaign organisation, Bode Mustapha, at a briefing in Abeokuta, the state capital, said he was drawing the world’s attention to Osoba’s boast of 500,000 votes. According to him, some politicians were capable of playing sundry “tricks”, hence the alarm so that the “forthcoming general elections are not rigged by anybody or party”. He said: “What kind of mysterious, magical stunt does Chief Osoba have under his hat that will automatically produce a halfmillion votes out of nothing, when the world knows that

neither he nor his party possesses the support to command even a fraction of such votes from any ward in the state. “Ideally, the former governor should be patient enough to test his popularity at the polls. “Here is a party, the SDP that could not even garner marginal support from its campaign at the Itoku Market among other parts of the state capital. Perhaps there are high and mighty plans underhand to rig these elections.” Amosun promised that the new Local Council Development Areas(LCDA) proposed by his administration would be created after next month’s elections. According to him, the LCDAs would be in full op-

eration on or before May 30 as necessary steps had been taken for their creation. The governor, who made this known yesterday at his campaign tour of Yewa North Local Government Area, said financial constraint accounted for why the planned LCDAs creation had not been effected. He said his administration planned to create about 30 LCDAs in addition to the existing 20 local governments. Amosun said: “We have concluded plans on the creation of the local council development areas. It would have come before today, but due to some hitches, which is mainly, finance. But I can assure you now that we are more than ready. “Most states have like 30, some are 40 and you need to

see these states, they are half of Ogun State. “To enable our people benefit more from the good governance we are witnessing now in the state, it is very important that we create the council area. “I can’t say off hand now how many we plan to create but I can tell you that we will have something around 50 altogether after creation. “We would have done it now, but some people may say it is politically-motivated, I want to assure you that by March 1, we will announce the names of the local council areas because I have the assurance that by the special grace of God and with the support of our people, I will return to office to continue the good work I have started.”

From Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

ARENTS of pupils in public primary and secondary schools in Ogun State yesterday faulted the indefinite strike by teachers, saying it was an “unfair” thing to do at this time of “economic downturn”. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) said the nation’s economic situation do not warrant such strike and urged the teachers to re-examine their action. The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Academic Staff Union of Secondary School Teachers (ASUSST) last Friday begun the strike, following the government’s inability to meet their requests. The unions said the strike would continue until Governor Ibikunle Amosun meets them, instead of sending emissaries. NUT and ASSUS leaders said the governor had refused to pay the 27.5 per cent salary increase promised them last October as well as the allowances, deductions from their salaries.

NSCDC trains officers From Oseheye Okwuofu, and Bisola Oloyede

HE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Oyo State has promised to ensure a peaceful conduct of next month’s elections. NSCDC’s spokesman Oluwole Olusegun said: “NSCDC has fared well, especially in the area of gathering intelligence and the security of life and property. It is poised to ensure a peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections. “A lot of training was organised late last year for some officers on handling of arms. About 105 officers had their passing out parade after being trained at the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army. “Some officers are now working with the Joint Task Force, Operation Burst outfit. This is to ensure adequate security and reduce chaos in the state.”

Robbery scare in Akure From Damisi Ojo, Akure

ANKS in Akure, the Ondo State capital, hurriedly closed yesterday, following a rumour that robbers were in town. Security operatives responded promptly as Armoured Personnel Vehicles (APCs) with fierce-looking policemen were mobilised around the areas where the banks were located. A security officer at a new generation bank in Alagbaka area, who pleaded for anonymity, said the banks got the information that robbers were in the city and planned to rob some new generation banks. It was gathered that many of the banks in Akure closed at noon when the information reached them. This development, however, caused untold hardship for customers as many of them returned home without performing their transactions. Police spokesman Wole Ogodo dismissed the rumour. He said the police were up to the task. He said police officers, led by the deputy commissioner of police, went round the banks to ensure security of life and property.

2,000 Accord members join APC From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

•Amosun talking to supporters at Yewa North Local Government Area...yesterday.

Lagos, NBA push for speedy resolution of judiciary strike

HE Lagos State government and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) have urged the Federal Government to ensure a speedy resolution of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) crisis as the two parties meet today in Abuja. The call for a speedy resolution of the 15-day strike was however without prejudice to the appeal filed by the government against the judgment of Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court, Abuja. This was the thrust of a communiqué read by the Attorney General, Ade Ipaye, after a meeting of the government and NBA leaders from the state’s four divisions.

By Adebisi Onanuga

Other signatories to the communiqué are Yemi Farounbi, Alex Mouka, Adedotun Adetunji and Chris Okoye, who are NBA chairmen in Ikeja, Lagos, Ikorodu and Badagry. Ipaye, who said the state supported the autonomy of the judiciary and direct remittance of money to the judiciary from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, however declined to give details of the judgment the state appealed against. The attorney-general lamented that the strike of the judiciary workers was a disturbing precedent. “Ironically, the courts

which are empowered by law to enforce judgment, are being sidelined and shut down by this method of enforcement.” According to him, the strike had caused untold hardship to ordinary Nigerians, depriving them of their freedom without trial and without any opportunity to apply for bail. “It has also made fundamental rights enforcement, settlement of disputes (matrimonial, family, landlord/ tenant, employee/employer, contractual, taxation, company management among others) impossible , thereby shutting down all justice infrastructures provided by law in Nigeria.”

Ipaye said in a very disturbing way, “the situation signals the impotence of the Nigerian justice system and constitutes a clear inducement to impunity. “We fear that the breakdown of law and order is the logical result, especially when we are within a few days to general elections. “We also fear that the consequence of this strike will outlive the strike period. It will be a precedent on record that striking judiciary workers can shut down the justice system. Local and foreign investors who find this on our records will have no reason at all to trust the efficacy of our justice system,” he said.

N250m campaign fund divides Oyo PDP

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has fallen into disarray, following disaffection generated by how the N250 million fund released by President Goodluck Jonathan for his campaign in Ibadan, the state capital, last week, was spent. Jonathan and other national leaders were at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on January 12 for his

From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan

presidential campaign. The party’s governorship candidate, Teslim Folarin, was given the party’s flag at the campaign rally. A source told The Nation that some party top leaders were not happy because they did not get their “due”. The source said the money was not evenly distributed among party elders who mobilised their supporters

for Jonathan and other candidates, thereby sparking anger and silent protest. Such funds are collected by a serving minister who is expected to further distribute to all stakeholders for effective campaign. But according to the source, the N250 million released to Oyo State has been largely expended with only N75 million balance. Some elders, it was learnt,

have been complaining , saying they were given only a paltry sum. A former senator and some other leaders had threatened to expose the deal should the alleged cheating go unaddressed. A chieftain, Yekini Adeojo, called a stakeholders’ meeting yesterday to resolve the issue. The outcome of the meeting was unknown.

VER 2,000 members of the Accord Party have joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan South East Local Government Area of Oyo State. The defectors, who are supporters of Deji Aboderin, said they left Accord because of injustice. Aboderin was an aspirant into the House of Representatives under Accord. Receiving the defectors at a rally in Odinjo area of Ibadan, the state capital, yesterday, the APC Chairman in the council, Kayode Arowolo, congratulated them for joining the right party. He said the APC remained open to all interested citizens, who were willing to fight for the nation’s progress and development. Arowolo assured them of equal treatment. He said the party’s strength and electoral chances had been further boosted by Aboderin, who he described as a philanthropist.

‘Let peace reign in Osun’

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has appealed to Ashipa and Ipetumodu communities in Ife North local Government Area to embrace peace. In a statement yesterday in Osogbo, the APC Chairman, Gboyega Famodun, said the party was “unhappy and embarrassed” by the violent dispute. Famodun said: “This act of violence is criminal and those responsible for its perpetuation would be brought to justice. “The party and the government will ensure that the prevailing peace in the state is not disturbed by any community. “In a dispute of this nature, no individual or group is allowed to act outside the law.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

BUSINESS

There is nothing wrong in having a robust renewable energy programme in the country. In fact, government has taken a step in that direction by introducing the: ‘Light Up Nigeria’ scheme.

THE NATION

- Director-General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, Rueben Okeke

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

ITF, UNIDO partner on skills gap’s survey

• Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) speaking. With him is Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefulire (left). On his left are Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr Kayode Aderanti and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science & Technology, Lagos State, Mrs Nike Animashaun, during the handover of ICT Resource Centres to Nigerian Police Station in the state at Police Area Command, Ogudu...yesterday. PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

HE Industrial Training Fund (ITF), in partner ship with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has commenced a National Industrial Skills gap assessment survey to identify the mismatch between the skills of available workers and skills demand in the industrial sector. The Director-General, ITF, Dr. Juliet Chukkas Oneako who spoke during the launch of the National Industrial Skills Gap Assessment Survey in Abuja, assured that skills development has become top priority of the government. She said: “As a nation, we are aware of the present and future skills needs in industries and

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

most importantly, we understand the latest employment trends. Without this knowledge, the skills produced by institutions will not meet the needs of the industries and the desire for an inclusive sustainable economic growth will be stunted. “The survey will be conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in line with the important industrial sectors identified in the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP). The survey is expected to be upgraded every five years by the ITF and the NBS. “Data from the skills gap assessment survey will serve as baseline for developing strat-

egies and appropriate intervention measures to address existing gaps.” The DG said the development of relevant industrial skills has remained the most critical issues facing the country today. Onaeko said: “The current paradox in Nigeria, where on the one hand many youths are unable to find jobs, while on the other, industries claim they have jobs available but cannot find people with requisite skills must be solved. “It is against this background that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment developed the NIRP to rapidly build up industrial capacity, and improve competiveness in Nigeria.”

PPPRA warns marketers to sell fuel at new price •Pegs ex-depot price at N77.66 per litre T HE Executive Secretary, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Farouk A. Ahmed, yesterday warned oil marketers to comply with the new price regime for premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol announced by the Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke. He said the agency and the Department of Petroleum Reources (DPR) would col-

laborate and ensure compliance with the new price regime so that Nigerians can fully gain from the donward price review. He also said the new ex-depot price of PMS is now N77.66 per litre. In a statement in Abuja, Ahmed recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan last Sunday directed the an-

nouncement of a downward review of the pumpprice of PMS from N97 to N87per litre, with effect from January 19. According to him, the announcement, which was made by Mrs. AllisonMadueke, is in consonance with Section 6, Clause 1, of the Nigerian Petroleum Act and was necessitated by

the prevailing volatility in the international oil market and the drop in crude oil price. Ahmed said: “Consequent upon this announcement, the PPPRA, in exercise of its mandate of determining the pricing policy and setting benchmark prices of petroleum products, hereby further

Chamber seeks OPS involvement in disbursing N250b MSME fund

HE Abuja Chambers of Commerce has ap pealed to the Federal Government to include the organised private sector (OPS) in setting criteria for assessing the N250billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Council Scheme launched by President Goodluck Jonathan. Its Vice President, Public Relations, Jude Igwe made the appeal at the inaugural ceremony of the 9th President, Exco and council members of Abuja Chamber of

From Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

Commerce and the presentation of its 2014 award to recipients in Abuja. He said: “The Chamber commends the N250billion Micro, SMEs council scheme launched by President Goodluck Jonathan as a policy in the right direction, but advised that the organised private sector should be engaged in setting eligibil-

ity criteria for assessing the loans. “We are also concerned about the stiffling negative effect of multiple taxation and revenue collection on the SMEs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but was relieved to note that the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohommed has directed that urgent steps be taken to check this menace. “As members, we are chal-

lenging the chamber as the voice of the OPS to take up the challenge of creating clusters of business owners as a means of strengthening the capacity of her members to meet the eligibility conditionalities for support loans.” Igwe said Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs can develop a reliable feedback mechanism with the collaboration of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry to make for constant review of the impact of policies.

TCN records 73.54Mw stranded energy

HE Transmission Com pany of Nigeria (TCN) has recorded stranded 73.54Megamatts, the Federal Ministry of Power has said. In its Power Statistics of January 18, released yesterday, the Ministry said of the 3,636.29Mw energy generated by the generating companies, TCN could only send out 3,562.72Mw. The Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo in a Town Hall meeting at Abuja last week, said TCN has a wheel-

•Evacuates 3,562.75Mw From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

ing capacity of 5,500MW, attributing its inability to evacuate all the generated energy to vandalism. But following the statistic, the electricity generation companies recorded a peak generation of 3,986.6MW on January 18. The highest ever generated in the market was the 4,517.6

MW on December 23, 2012. Despite the failure, to accomplish its dream, Nebo last week in the market outlook for 2015 to 2017, unfolded a target of 6,000MW for this year, saying that although Nigerians are skeptical about the possibility of generating 6000MW, the NESI would accomplish it in 2015. He said the market which

is expected to generate 10,000Mw by next year, would in 2017 produce 12,500Mw. His words: “And then we have an outlook for 2015 to 2017. People are saying you said you will do 6,000Mw. Yes! We have the capacity. We are going to do that shortly by the grace of God this year. But beyond that, by 2016, we expect to get up to 10,000Mw, and by 2017, we are targeting 12,500Mw,” he said.

Committee gets 48hr ultimatum to reconnect The Minister took the deciBorno to national grid sion after high level review of

INISTER of State Power, Hon. Mo hammed Wakil has disbanded the Technical Committee on Reconnection of Borno state and issued a forty eight hour ultimatum for reconnecting the state to national grid. Wakil also directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria to speed up work on the 330/

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

132/33 kv sub station in Damaturu which when completed will improve quality of supply to Borno and Yobe. He said Borno should have three sources of power supply from the national grid.

His Special Assistant on Media, Olawale Rasheed, said following a meeting on the blackout crisis, the Minister took direct charge of the reconnection efforts, insisting that Maiduguri must be reconnected irrespective of security and sabotage challenges facing the state.

the situation on ground with security and intelligence personnel, especially when reports indicated that sabotage and insurgency are twin evils responsible for the persistent blackout, he said, adding that Borno people were no longer ready to take any further excuses for the continuous black-out.

announces the new ex-depot price of PMS as N77.66 per litre.” “In view of the foregoing, oil marketers are hereby advised to adhere strictly to this new price regime, as the PPPRA, in conjunction with the DPR shall enforce compliance in order to ensure that consumers benefit fully from this review. In other words, any violation of the prevailing price regime,

shall attract appropriate sanctions. “It is therefore our wish to advise Nigerians against any form of panicbuying, as there are enough products in all depots across the country. “We also wish to assure Nigerians that the PPPRA, in exercise of its mandate, is fully committed to ensuring adequate supply and distribution of petroleum product.”

‘Stakeholder urges review of auto policy’

N auto dealer and Chairman of Oris Velvet Autos, Chief Alfred Omoghiade, has called on the Federal Government and its agency, the National Automotive Council, to take urgent steps to review the current auto policy in the interest of the nation’s economy. In a statement, he said the call was imperative against the background that the auto policy was implemented, is not delivering on its projected benefits, but rather, it is harming the industry and the economy. The policy came into effect early July last year with the aim of localising the manufacturing of vehicles with the assembly plants projected to roll out an aggregate of 300, 000 vehicle units within the next two years and specifically, 23, 000 vehicle units of various brands of automobiles produced by the plants between June and December 2014. The policy, in the thinking of government, would not only help to reduce the pressure on foreign reserves by discouraging importation, but also lead to massive job creation and enhance the wellbeing of the economy. Accordingly, with the full implementation of the auto policy, tariffs jumped from 20 percent duty on passenger cars (PC) and 10 per cent on commercial vehicles (CV) to 70 per cent and 35 per cent respectively. But in his evaluation of the

policy at the weekend, Omoghiade, said the Federal Government should as a necessity wade in and review the policy especially in view of the prevailing economic situation. He faulted the implementation of the policy, saying it has failed to yield the expected dividends because the local production of cars and vehicles as key elements of the policy, is not being met just as the nation is losing much revenue at the ports. He also pointed out that the policy has led to job losses at the ports and retarded business activities of other stakeholders. He noted that while the policy was a noble vision but that the implementation had been hasty leading to contradictions and no concrete benefits yet to the nation as planned. “Having implemented the auto policy this far, it is becoming incresingly clear that the anticipated objectives are not being realised and it is a well thought out suggestion that the Federal Government and the National Automotive Council should take a second look at it and review it accordingly. Based on certain fundamentals in the nation’s economy, the auto policy ought to have been given at least10 years of incubation before its full implementation. This is to ensure that the right enabling environment is in place and consequently guarantee its success.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS MARITIME

e-mail: maritime@thenationonlineng.net

Customs agents accuse retired officers of W doing ‘bad jobs’ at ports

HAT are retired Customs officers and their serving counterparts posted out of Lagos still doing at the Apapa Ports? Importers and clearing agents are complaining about their activities, which they describe as illegal. The Customs men, they allege, are extorting money from them and inhibiting the Federal Government’s trade facilitation programme. No fewer than 15 of such former officers are said to be involved. The retired officers, it was gathered, connive with some of their colleagues at the command, to operate without the knowledge of the Area Controller, Mr Charles Edike. Some of the retired officers, it was learnt, enter the port under the pretext of clearing containers. When accosted, they usually claim that it is illegal for only serving officers to engage in Customs bro-

Stories by Oluwakemi Dauda MaritimeCorrespondent

kerage, adding that nobody can tell them the type of business to do after retirement. A source said: “They end up not facing most of the challenges the regular agent faces. Most of the importers that have something to hide pass through them to clear their cargoes. “It is a serious challenge to the country because they don’t have their name at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja. But officers themselves know those among them who have retired, posted and serving officers working as clearing agents. “And that is why we are wonder-

ing why the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) have not arrested them. The CIU officers know them but they cover them up, thinking that it is only the duty of the Comptroller-General, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, alone to bring sanity to the service. “But when it affects the regular agents, the CIU officers make their life miserable. And that is why people are always complaining about the activities of the CIU officers.” The source, who pleaded not to be named, went on: “An importer gives me a job, I look at the document and I tell him that he is not compliant. He says, ‘you agents are thieves’. He collects the job back

from me and gives it to a Customs officer and the Customs officer will deliver. Do you think the importer will come back to me again?” At a stakeholders meeting organised by the command, the Chairman, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs, Agents (NCMDLCA), Apapa Chapter, Mr Tanko Ibrahim, claimed: “Some retired officers are here working, some that are not Apapa officers and maybe have been posted to Maidugiri or other places too are here working and most of them are the ones doing the bad jobs. Some of them are in the Valuation, CIU and Enforcement Unit.” The Area Controller has prom-

ised that the illegal activities would be stopped. He directed the officer in charge of the CIU to work with the Deputy Controller in charge of Administration and the terminals heads to fish out the officers. “In November last year, we called on all officers working in this port to bring their staff orders and we took all of them one by one and identified them as officers working in this port before we placed their names on our nominal role that was sent to headquarters. “So CIU, you will help us here now. I am here and I am not Holy Spirit. So except you tell me that is when I will know. I know these officers are the ones giving us problems because they don’t have any stake here and turn here to their fishing pond, let’s see them, we will arrest them and send them to Abuja,” Edike said.

Customs raises antismuggling tempo in Imo

• Dimka displaying some of the seized goods.

Agbakoba seeks refund of N1tr ‘illegal’ charges by operators

ORMER Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has threatened to sue the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) and the Association of Shipping Line Agencies (ASLA) to court over an alleged illegal N1 trillion collected from importers. The charges were said to have been collected before the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) was appointed as the ports economic regulator. Agbakoba is accusing STOAN and ASLA of refusing to return the cash. Answering questions from The Nation at his office in Apapa, Lagos, Agbakoba said the Federal High Court in Lagos recently upheld the NSC as the ports economic regulator and directed the terminal operators and shipping companies to cut down their charges and refund all the money they collected from importers. Agbakoba accused the terminal operators and shipping companies of driving away genuine investors and crippling the economy because

of their illegal charges. He urged the government to overhaul its outdated policies, and embark on a visionary enterprise that will institutionalise growth in the maritime sector as alternative to oil. The last major review of Nigerian Shipping Policy was 28 years ago when the NSP act no 10 of 1987 was enacted, he said. He wondered why the terminal operators and the shipping companies have not refunded the N1 trillion to boost shipping and maritime. Agbakoba urged the government to create an enabling environment to encourage huge investment in the sector. The ports that are supposed to be the hub of shipping business in West and Central Africa, he added, were unattractive and uncompetitive because of arbitrary charges. “We went to court recently and there were two very important cases; the terminal operators and

shipping companies hiked their prices and introduced one nonsense charge (Shipping Line Agency Charge) making billions of naira and the court has declared it to be illegal collections. “The next case we are pursuing is that we are going to go after the terminal operators and the shipping companies to refund at least the N1 trillion they have taken illegally” “The N1 trillion, had Nigerian companies had it, would give them capital to do other things, and this is why the Shippers Council has insisted that nobody must be allowed to over-price the ports because they do, many importers will not patronise them ,” he said. Agbakoba said he is not happy because the ports have been abandoned for those in Benin Republic and Togo. “Until recently, there is no clearly recognised economic regulator for the shipping sector. The Federal High Court has held that the Nige-

rian Shippers Council is an economic regulator. It is only when the Nigerian Shippers Council, is empowered to regulate that stakeholders in the sector can turn around their businesses and generate huge revenue for the nation as their counterparts in other countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and USA. “This is due to lack of regulation in the sector, which has led to a plethora of uncoordinated activities and exorbitant port charges which make Nigeria very unattractive for business. “Invariably, Nigeria due to paucity of its shipping regulations, is violating international trade facilitation laws. For instance, Nigeria as a coastal state is to provide port importation support and access to landlocked countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso. Cameroun and Ghana are now providing those services in spite of long distances between the countries,” he said. The spokesman of the terminal operators, Mr Bolaji Akinola could not be reached as at the time of filling in this report.

HE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ in Owerri, the Imo State capital, has raised its anti-smuggling tempo by deploying its officials to all its area of coverage. The Area Controller of the Command, David Dimka, findings revealed, has directed constant land patrols and fortified all check points to curb smuggling. Dimka ordered the officials to comb all the bush paths in their areas to get the smugglers of used cars, rice, vegetable oil, second hand clothing, bags, frozen chicken, shoes and used tyres, among others. The Intelligence officers deployed by the command, it was gathered, were instructed to also beam their searchlight on travellers who assist the smugglers. The officers, it was gathered, seized 363 items that were illegally imported into the country last year. The value of the items, its Public Relations Officer (PRO) Onuigbo Ifeoma said, was over N1.8 billion. The command, she said, also recovered some items from importers, who shortchanged the government. The value of the items, Onuigbo said, was over N71 million. The value of all seized items by the command last year, she said, was N1,877,605,093. Onuigbo confirmed that the command has also increased foot patrol along bush paths and raised its level of intelligence gathering for preventing smuggling. She said 104 arrests were made, with 134 cases pending in court in contrast to 31 arrests recorded in 2013 with 20 cases in court. According to her, the intensive and aggressive patrol embarked upon by the command would continue till the end of the year, in order to get the smugglers.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS AVIATION

How to combat airports security threats, by experts

O strengthen security at airports, the Federal Government must provide the operational equipment, experts have said. It is by so doing that safety of passengers, aircraft and installations can be guaranteed, they said. At a lecture organised by the Aviation Security Department of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Ikeja, Lagos, they said the required equipment include state-of-the-art screening facilities, scanners, operational vehicles, communication gadgets, and close circuit television (CCTV). These equipment, they said, would enable airports security personnel respond to civil aviation threats. The Director of Aviation Security, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), Wendel Ogunedo, said security personnel would continue to protect the airports from unauthorised persons. The security arm, he said, would perform optimally if the government could recruit at least 1,500 additional personnel to complement the existing ones. The step, he said, has become imperative in view of the expansion of more airport terminals which require more personnel to man them . Securing the airports, Ogunedo said, has become more challenging in view of the latest threats to civil aviation. He said though the government was responding to the needs of aviation security personnel, a lot still needed to be done. Ogunedo specifically canvassed for the installation of CCTV cameras at airports, stressing that their deployment would reduce the burden of airports’ security personnel . He advised the government to provide security patrol vehicles at airports, arguing that it would assist aviation security personnel to monitor all land and airside areas of the airports . ”There are new threats to aviation and airport security at airports nationwide. Aviation secu-

IR travellers on all Etihad Airways flights to the

United States (US) from this week will experience the benefits of arriving in the US having precleared US Customs and Border Protection at the Abu Dhabi Airport. The US pre clearance have opened for the early flight to New York JFK and San Francisco flights since last week, and they conveniently connect with inbound services from Mumbai, Delhi and other cities in India and the Indian Subcontinent. The new early morning US preclearance operation complements the mid-morning one, which caters for Etihad Airways passengers on flights to Chicago, Dallas-

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

rity personnel in FAAN are ready to respond to such threats . “But their readiness is hampered by a lot of factors, which have posed challenges for us. We need close circuit television cameras at all airports to monitor activities around the airports both on the land and air side . “But at the Lagos Airport, there are not enough cameras to monitor the movement of passengers, airport workers and those moving around the airport. If there were enough cameras, it would go a long way to reduce the burden aviation security personnel go through,” he said. He acknowledged the presence of some cameras on the airport road, but was uncertain about how functional they are. ”Another challenge the airport security personnel face is inadequate patrol vehicles for monitoring the land and airside areas,” he said, adding that, in 1999, there were about 14 patrol vehicles at the Lagos Airport. He lamented that only three vehicles are left, which he noted are not enough to carry out effective monitoring of the entire airport. “We think, this is a key area where the government has to intervene,” he stressed. There is also the problem of inadequate communication gadgets, such as walkie-talkie, which would enable aviation security personnel communicate across the lines around the airport. Ogunedo also canvassed the option of airport security personnel being allowed to carry fire arms at the airport. He said athough the National Assembly has approved the decision, but it is yet to see the light of day due to the influence of those who do not believe in the capacity of security personnel to deliver. “It is for this reasons that we are calling on the Federal Government to recruit at least over 1,500 additional aviation security personnel to make up for the gap in personnel in that area. “We need more aviation secu-

•Passengers undergoing screening at the airport

rity personnel, who will be adequately trained to cope with the rate of expansion of airport terminals nationwide,” he said. Head of Aviation Security, at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Ademola Oladele, who also spoke at the event, said security personnel at the airport could only tackle the new threats to civil aviation if they are adequately equipped with the right intelligence and technology. The regulatory body, he said, has designed new measures to tackle emerging security trends with new regulations, which require that passengers, airlines, crew members, service users and providers comply with the procedures at the airport. To achieve enhanced security at the airports, according to him, the NCAA expects all stakeholders to comply with the National Aviation Security Plan. He said the new measure has already been subscribed to by all operators at the airports. Passengers and airlines, he said, are now expected to submit to fullbody checks at the airport in response to the latest threats to civil aviation, adding that new conditions have been set at airports for

the issuance of On-Duty cards as part of measures to control access into sensitive areas. He said all operations at the airport must comply with the standard operating procedures prescribed by global aviation bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO) and the domesticated aviation security plan. He said : ”As a result to new threats to civil aviation, all security procedures at airports have been overhauled. There is high level collaboration between the relevant agencies for timely sharing of security intelligence and information,” he said. Airlines, ground handling companies, aviation security companies have to be trained regularly to acqaint them with the latest trends and technologies in global aviation. He recalled that there was an agitation by FAAN security to carry arms, saying that NCAA was not opposed to that. “For us at the NCAA , it is purely an operational issue, which we do not dabble into. But, our concern is on issues bordering on arrest and prosecution of offenders, which we think should be the duty of the police and not avia-

Etihad Airways gets US clearance Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Washington, D.C., who proceed through the facility. The airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Baumgartner, said: “We’re delighted that from this Thursday (last week) all air travellers flying to the United States from Abu Dhabi will enjoy the benefits that US Customs and Immigration preclearance offers. “Since its opening in January last year, the US pre-clearance has been extremely popular with air travellers, particularly those from the Indian Sub-continent and Middle East region. More than 325,000 people have passed through the facility, arriving in the United

States as domestic passengers.” The pre-clearance process provides passengers with the unique opportunity to pass through all required checks including US customs, immigration and security conveniently, while in Abu Dhabi, before they board their flight to the US, enabling them to avoid queues on arrival. Another the key benefit of US pre-clearance is that baggage security screening meets United States TSA security standards, allowing air travellers, who connect a US domestic flight, to have their baggage checked through from Abu Dhabi to their final destination.

US pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi Airport is one of its kind in the Middle East, and the United Arab Emirates’ capital is one of a small group of airports around the world that offer passengers pre-clearance into the US. During its first 12 months of operation, the US pre-clearance in Abu Dhabi has improved the passenger experience through the introduction of automated passport control (APC) kiosks and greater numbers of officer processing desks. The self-service APC kiosks expedite the US entry process for American, Canadian, and eligible visa waiver programme (VWP) international travellers, by pro-

tion security. “We are looking forward to the office of the National Security Adviser to resolve this . But, we are convinced that with the right technology in place and operational facilities manned by highly trained aviation security personnel, there’s no threat to civil aviation that cannot be contained .” In his contribution, the Head of Aviation security and Chief Security Officer of the Lagos International Airport, Col. Carl Onalo ( rtd ), said government is committed to strengthening security at airports by stepping up efforts to improve safety and security . He urged all security agencies to collaborate in their bid to contain all threats to civil aviation at airports, stressing that there is need to reinforce the foundation of aviation security professionals in the fast changing industry. ”Today we are set to reinforce the foundation of aviation security. This is because the industry is fast changing. It is, therefore, important that we step up our game, doing all things necessary to stay ahead of the enemy and ensuring the safety and security of the aircraft, passengers, aviation facilities and installations,” he said. viding an automated process through US pre-clearance’s primary inspection area. Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has been recognised as one of the top- 10 safest airlines in the world. The internationally-regarded w e b s i t e www.AirlineRatings.com selected Etihad Airways as one of the safest airlines for this year, out of a list of 449 global airlines monitored, while only 149 of the 449 have the top-seven-star safety ranking. The Airline Ratings’ system takes into account a variety of factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations, government audits and the airlines’ own records.

TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

In almost 16 years, Lagosians have sealed a pact with the progressive bloc. Will there be a clean break from the past as people prepare for the governorship election? Will the people sustain the tradition? Group Politcal Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights factors that will shape the poll.

HO wears the crown in Lagos State on February 14? The contest is mainly between All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Akinwumi Ambode and Olujimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Asked to predict the outcome of the contest, Lagos prince and one-time legislator and Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Tajudeen Olusi said: “Lagos belongs to progressives.” But, PDP chieftain and former Works Minister Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe disagreed. He said: “Agbaje will beat Ambode.” Since 1999, only progressive parties-the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress (AC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and APC-have ruled Lagos. Efforts by the PDP to win governorship elections have been futile. Olusi attributed the failure to the gap between the people’s expectation and PDP’s vision. He said the PDP-Federal Government has neglected Lagos in the last 16 years. The progressive beat, which started in the Second Republic, goes on. In 1979, a progressive, Alhaji Lateef Jakande of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), defeated Ladega AdenijiAdele of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In 1983, Jakande was re-elected, defeating Hakeem Habeeb of the NPN. In the Third Republic, the proscribed Social Democratic Party (SDP) was more popular than the National Republican Convention (NRC). But, owing to the split in the dominant party, a section tilted support towards the late Chief Michael Otedola of the NRC, who defeated the SDP candidate, Chief Yomi Edu. In 1999 and 2003, Senator Bola Tinubu of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) defeated PDP’s Chief Dapo Sarunmi and Mr. Funso Williams. In 2007, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) of the Action Congress (AC) and later, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), defeated Senator Musiliu Obanikoro of the PDP and Agbaje of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA). In 2011, the PDP candidate, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, also lost his deposit. He was defeated by Fashola. At the flag off of the APC governorship campaign in Ikeja, the state capital, Olusi said Lagosians are not assailed by collective amnesia. “They will vote for the right party and the party is the APC,” he added. The elder statesman said President Goodluck Jonathan’s poor performance will be the PDP’s albatross in next month’s election. He explained that Lagosians who are affected by the grave economic situation will vent their anger on poll day, adding that many who are angry at the erratic power supply and collapsed infrastructure will reject the PDP. “Corruption is a big issue. As Obasanjo has said, it has ruined the country. This is another factor,” he stressed. At the PDP presidential campaign in Lagos, Ondo State Governor Segun Mimiko drew the attention of party supporters to the ongoing Lagos/Ibadan Expressway project being undertaken by the Federal Government. But, the APC National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the move as hypocrisy. “The latter-day construction of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway is a vote-winning gimmick that has backfired as the project has only progressed at a snail-speed apparently due to lack of funds, ” he added. Other Lagosians who share the view that Lagos State has been neglected by the Federal Government are bitter at the PDP. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) complained that people are weary of the President’s insensitivity to the plight of the state. He cited the traffic gridlock at Apapa, the sea port, and the agony unleashed by fuel lifting by thousands of trail-

A crowd of supporters at the Lagos APC rally

Ambode, Agbaje: Who ‘ll Lagosians vote for? ers on daily basis. He said the socio-economic life of residents is dislocated, adding that hotels and recreational centres are worse hit. Besides, Fashola gave other reasons. He said Lagosians will not vote for Agbaje because his party opposed the creation of additional councils in Lagos. At Ikorodu, he told the huge crowd at the campaign held at Ogolonto that PDP will scrap the additional 37 councils, if it wins the poll. “You had one local government before in Ikorodu Division. Now, you have six. Do you want PDP to scrap the councils?” he asked. The crowd chorused: No. Prospective voters have also been beaming a searchlight on the two candidates, based on their pedigree and previous experience. Agbaje is a successful pharmacist. Ambode is a former Auditor-General for Local Government. He has worked in over 12 councils before he moved to the civil service, where he retired as the Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance. Fashola paid tribute to the APC flag bearer for rendering effective service to the state. The governor recalled that, when the Federal Government withheld allocations to the state, he invented the financial strategy that made the local governments to survive. “He has worked with my predecessor. He has worked with me for six years as an accountant-general. Let me remind you. Which party and government frustrated the creation of new local governments in Lagos? It is the PDP. At the time their party and their government seized our money, this is the young man who was managing the finances and made those local governments to survive. “I was the Chief of Staff then. I was the one fighting the legal battle with Yemi Osinbajo. So, are you not seeing the team? Ambode in Lagos and Osinbajo in Abuja. Your local government will be safe, if Buhari is elected. Your local government will be protected, if Ambode is elected. Those who wanted to spoil it yesterday cannot come and ask for your votes. Go and tell those who are not here that the election is about another fight for freedom. It is about the survival of the local government, state and the country.” In Fashola’s view, it is dangerous to elect an inexperienced successor, warning that progress may be at a standstill. He said: “This state is too strategic and too critical to the development of Nigeria, to the prosperity of the West Africa subregion, to the prosperity and stability of the African continent to be entrusted to a beginner or an experimental. We are voting continuity because

we want to consolidate in what we have achieved.” At the Ikeja rally, former Governor Bola Tinubu also spoke on why Ambode is better than Agbaje. He said previous opportunities given to the pharmacist to learn the ropes were rejected by him in the past. He said when the party and the government offered him opportunities to serve as a commissioner, senator and deputy governor, he refused to take up the jobs. Tinubu, who predicted that PDP will lose the poll, said the challenge of post-Fashola period will require sound financial management. He said while Agbaje lacks experience in this regard, Ambode has been tested and he can now be trusted. “Agbaje wanted to be governor in 2007. He contested in the AC. He failed. He went to DPA. He failed. He has gone to the PDP. He will fail again,” Tinubu added. Addressing supporters in Apapa, Ambode described the PDP flag bearer as a trial and error politician. He said: “We don’t need trial and error politician. We need experienced people to continue the progress we have made in Lagos,” he said. In terms of structure, APC also appears to have an edge over the PDP. The ruling party will lean on the incumbency power and a resilient public, which the federal might may not be able to confront. Today, APC has 40 members of the House of Assembly, 20 members of the House of Representatives, three senators, and 40 members of the State Executive Council. Until recently, the Chairmen of 57 local governments, their vice chairmen, secretaries, councillors and supervisory councillors belong to the ruling party. Their successors are pro-APC executive secretaries. The ruling party is also ahead of the PDP on the mobilisation field. A week after the flag off of the APC campaigns, PDP is holding town hall meetings in some local governments. The preparation by the opposition party may have been slowed down by the post-primary crisis that rocked the fold, following its rancorous shadow poll at Oregun. There was reconciliation, but the perception of Agbaje as an outsider who came to reap where he did not sow has not disappeared. Few weeks ago, his rival at the primaries, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, former Minister of State for Defence, maintained that the primaries that threw up the former Afenifere treasurer as the PDP candidate was flawed. “That was why I protested. That was why I wanted to go to court. I protested so that this will not repeat itself in the Lagos PDP,” the former minister said. Ahead of the poll, many big wigs have also

‘What is the logic, if you vote out Jonathan and you ask Lagosians to vote for Agbaje, a PDP man? Many see Agbaje as a good man. But, his party is not good. The feeling is that the good man has joined a bad company’

defected from the PDP to the APC. When they defected, Dr. Abayomi Finnih, Chief Rafiu Jafojo, Chief Tunde Daramola and Dr. AgangaWilliams shed light on why the PDP cannot win Lagos. Jafojo said: ‘PDP is out of tune with reality. When I got to the PDP, I met a party in crisis. I left them in crisis. They do not have that intention of winning. They are using the chapter to bargain for appointments for few chieftains in the camp of their leader. APC is an organised party with clear vision and goal. It is like a movement. It is masses oriented. That is why Ambode will win.” A chieftain of the APC in Agbowa-Ikosi, Alhaji Isiaka Adekunle Ibrahim said the APC will profit from the sentiment that Nigerians are fed up with President Jonathan. “What is the logic, if you vote out Jonathan and you ask Lagosians to vote for Agbaje, a PDP man? Many see Agbaje as a good man. But, his party is not good. The feeling is that the good man has joined a bad company,” he added. Adekunle-Ibrahim, an economist and banker, said it is unthinkable that the PDP is asking for an endorsement by the Southwest, of which Lagos is an important part. He said stakeholders are irked by the marginalisation of the region, despite the support given to the President in 2011. “The Southwest is bitter against the Federal Government. Our leaders were called rascals the other time at Ibadan. key positions have eluded us. What is the gain of the Southwest under the Jonathan Administration. How can Lagosians vote for the continuity of the government that has denied Lagos a special status?” he queried. Also, the APC chieftain said that many things have happened between 2011 and now that will make other non-Yoruba ethnic groups, particularly Northerners, to turn their backs against the PDP. “Go to Agege, Apapa, Idi-Araba, Obalende. They are for Buhari. If they are for Buhari, then, they are for APC. In Lagos therefore, they are for Ambode,” Adekunle-Ibrahim added. Ambode has even warmed himself to the nonindigenes when he promised to run an all-inclusive administration that will carry all the ethnic groups along. He told the crowd at Ikeja that he will not run a discriminatory government, but an administration that will cater for the welfare of all Lagosians, irrespective of religion and tribe. “APC has accommodated all the tribes. In Lagos, we have people from the six Southwest states as commissioners and special advisers. We have an Igbo as commissioner. We have northerners at the board and parastatals. We have them as council functionaries. We have them in the civil and teaching service. Ambode has given commitment that nothing will tamper with their interest. They will not vote the PDP because they trust that the APC will continue to cater for them.” he stressed.

THE NATION TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

PDP has always contested and ‘ The lost elections in Lagos. The coming election will not be an exception‘

‘PDP members will vote for APC’

Tayo Ayinde is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of the aspirants that took part in the governorship primary of the party in Lagos. In this interview with Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, he talks about the primary, chances of the APC and the implication of insecurity on the forthcoming general elections.

By Joseph Jibueze

‘Tinubu’s a blessing to APC, Nigerians’ OW true is the allegation that some aggrieved Lagos governorship aspirants stormed out of the primary venue angrily? Let me say this loud and clear, the APC governorship primary in Lagos was conducted among individual aspirants and not as a group. We arrived at the venue of the election separately and left the same way. We never had a joint nomination form. We contested and campaigned individually. Those peddling the rumour that we stormed out angrily as a group are only being mischievous. We met ourselves at the venue and did not leave the venue together. In every election, there is always a winner and losers. With the emergence of Jimi Agbaje, can you evaluate the chances of the APC and the PDP in the election? The PDP has always contested and lost elections in Lagos. The coming election will not be an exception. The giant strides and laudable achievements of the APC-led government in Lagos is our unique selling point. Today, Lagos State is a reference point to other states. Lagosians are happy with our party and they have always voted for the APC because they know that the party belongs to them. They will do it again in the forthcoming governorship election in the state. Some observers are apprehensive about the influence of Tinubu in the Lagos Chapter of the APC. What’s your view on this? First of all, the influence of our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a positive one. The APC is a national party and no one individual can claim to have undue influence on the party. From the way it conducted its primaries recently, the APC has demonstrated that it is the more democratic than parties, par-

ticularly the PDP. Otherwise, the party would not have deemed it necessary to conduct primaries for different elective positions. Asiwaju Tinubu would have just come up with a list of party candidates to be presented to INEC. All aspirants were given a level-playing ground to test their popularity and acceptability among our members. Things have always worked out for us because our party’s democratic tendencies. We have party structures and each is saddled with different responsibilities. We are very organized. That is why we were able to grow from a one party state, to zonal, regional and now a national party. The APC has become the most preferred alternative and that is the reason why Godfearing and progressives-minded individuals and groups have come together to work for a common goal of providing a better platform for Nigerians to effect their desired change at the national level. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a blessing, not only for our party, but to Nigerians in general. Considering the problems facing the country, what are President Jonathan’s chances of returning? It is unfortunate that Nigeria is beset with a mountain of problems at this point in time. He has not succeeded in tackling any of the problems successfully. It is painful that many African countries are overtaking Nigeria socially and economically. President Jonathan has not come out to tell us how he intends to give us relief in this austerity period. As a result of insecurity, lack of regular electricity, unemployment, bad roads and other social vices, some Nigerians now prefer a country like Ghana to this great country. Some Nigerians spend their Christmas and New Year holidays in South Africa

•Ayinde

and Ghana. It is a shame. It has never been this bad. I am happy for one thing. Nigerians are wiser now. We have had enough of this retrogressive government of the PDP. An average Nigerian cannot eat one meal a day. To pay school fees of children is a problem. There is serious poverty in our land. God has answered our prayers in this country with the emergence of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as APC candidates for the February 14 election. With these God fearing men, Nigeria will be totally out of the poverty that President Jonathan has inflicted on us over the last six years. I watched the flagging off of PDP campaign in Lagos on TV. I was expecting that President Jonathan would reveal what he intends to do in the next dispensation. But, I was not disappointed; he did not mention a single thing. He was only condemning past Presidents and Heads of State, forgetting that he would leave Aso Rock one day too. What is your perception of the situation in the Northeast? January 14 was exactly nine months since about 230 school girls were abducted in the village of Chibok, in Borno State. As we speak, the President has not visited the families of the abducted girls. It is also very sad that he has no clue of the whereabouts of the girls. Thousands of lives have been lost, while properties worth billions of naira have been destroyed due to the insurgency in that part of the country. The President has not found any solution to the problem. The country has become a laughing stock within the international community.

•Some physically-challenged people (in front) at a rally for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State governorship candidate Akinwunmi Ambode at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. PHOTO: SEYI ODEWALE

ANY members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next month’s general election in Ondo State, an APC chief, Mr Segun Abraham, has said. According to him, there is also a likelihood that security agencies, including the army and the police, will work for change and refuse to be used to perpetrate rigging because they also bear the brunt of President Goodluck Jonathan’s maladministration. Abraham said the mood, even within the PDP camp, is for change at a time when doctors and court workers are still on a protracted strike and insecurity is worsening. The APC chief, who was a governorship aspirant in Ondo State, added that the people must defend their votes by remaining at the collation centres until results are announced to forestall falsification of figures. Abraham said: “If you look at the mood of the nation, everyone wants a change, because it is crystal clear that the PDP government has disappointed the country. It is promises upon promises, but the people only discover that poverty is increasing, insecurity is worsening is at an alarming rate, and the peace of the country seems to have eroded. So everybody is agitated and seriously asking for change. “This gives APC a very good chance of winning this election. Even the PDP members will vote for APC in this election. A lot of them are shortchanged; only a few cliques are benefiting, therefore even PDP members are fed up. “The police and soldiers too are fed up. Their families go to the market. Their children are in school. Right now the hospitals are on strike. Judiciary workers are on strike. What type of country is that? “The security agencies belong to this nation. They also want a change. They are not different simply because they are in uniform. I’m sure they are not going to allow themselves to be used in negative way to destroy the country.” On how to ensure that votes count, Abraham said: “Going by the experience from 2007 election when PDP was bent on rigging, the people were mobilised to protect their votes. The same thing happened in Osun State recently. They refused to sleep after voting. They stayed until result was announced early in the morning. “In this election, it is the only weapon everybody has. We must stay where we vote and ensure the proper thing is done. People must be at the collation centres to ensure that they do not change the figures.” •Jonathan

Aggrieved Lagos Assembly aspirants agree to move for party’s victory By Raymond Mordi

HE 241 aspirants for the Lagos State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who were aggrieved over the conduct of the primaries have met with the leadership of the party and agreed to put their differences behind and work for the general interest of the group in the general elections. At their meeting with the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the aspirants thanked the party leadership for the opportunity given to them to express their displeasure with the way the candidates for the House were elected at the primary. Chairman of the group and immediate past leader of Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Legislative House, Hon. Niyi Fadare, thanked Tinubu for finding time to meet with the group. Fadare, who contested for the Lagos House of Assembly in Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I, also commended Tayo Ayinde, one of the Lagos governorship aspirants, who initiated the idea of addressing the problem as a group. According to him, Ayinde held several meetings with the group, urging all them to bury the hatchet and join hands with other party members to work towards victory for the APC in the forthcoming general elections. On his part, Tinubu lauded the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by the aspirants and urged them to close ranks to ensure victory for the party at the general elections, adding that the party is big enough to take care of their respective interests. The National Leader urged the aspirants to get involved at different stages of campaign activities from their various constituencies to the national level, saying that all members of the party cannot hold elective and appointive positions at the same time. Dr Ibrahim Qazeem, from Somolu constituency 2, who is secretary of the forum, assured the National Leader of the readiness of all the aspirants to work towards the success of the party at different levels of election come February. Hon. Jimoh Olufunke, from Ojo constituency 2, noted that the idea of coming together as aggrieved aspirants has given them opportunity to get to know each other better and to better appreciate the challenges facing the party in the state. Tinubu urged them to continue to operate under the umbrella of forum, saying that he would always be available to guide them whenever his input is needed. •Tinubu

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Flush out slush funds

•INEC, EFCC, ICPC should check illegal fund raising by political parties HE call on the anti-corruption agencies, the electoral commission and law enforcement bodies to rise up to their constitutional responsibilities deserve the support of all lovers of democracy. As the Centre for Social Justice (CENSOJ) put it, politicians and political parties have flagrantly violated laws of the land on how funds may be sourced for election purposes, while the institutions of state saddled with the task of ensuring that donations of public and private funds are duly scrutinised are doing little in this regard. At a time when the source of funding terrorism is receiving international attention, the motive for the laws in Nigeria should be better appreciated and enforced. Section 224 of the 1999 Constitution gives the responsibility for monitoring the parties’ finances to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The commission is expected to demand annually audited reports of the accounts of the parties showing the receipts and expenditure. This provision has been consistently violated and no penalty applied. This might have informed the impunity that has attended parties’ and candidates’ fund-raising activities in the past few months. State governments have been donating public funds without due regard for ethical consideration and legal provision. At a dinner to raise funds for the re-election

bid of President Goodluck Jonathan late last year, the 21 states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) donated more than one billion Naira. It is unfortunate too, that private firms were encouraged to flout the laws. Unnamed Oil and Gas sector players were said to have contributed five billion Naira to the campaign, while those in Real Estate and Building donated N4 billion; Transport and Aviation, N1 billion; Food and Agriculture, N500 million; Power, N500 million; Construction, N310 million; Road Construction, N250 million. All were anonymous donations. Section 93 of the Electoral Act makes it illegal for political parties to accept or keep anonymous donations in cash or kind. Equally, as assigned by the Electoral Act, INEC had, in 2013, issued Guidelines and Regulations guiding the conduct or political parties and candidates in elections. The 2015 general election is the first opportunity to test the will of the commission to apply and enforce the rules. It has also failed in applying S.14 of the guidelines. Private firms that have donated to political cause are not only in violation of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, but the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). This is where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also failed to apply the hammer. The Securities and Ex-

change Commission (SEC), another regulatory authority in the financial sector, has chosen to look the other way. If Nigeria must develop, laws, rules and regulations must be applied scrupulously. The law is put in place to ensure that public fund is judiciously expended and the weak protected. When a political party in power feels it could dip hands in the till at will, others that may not control the public structure would be put at undue advantage. We join CENSOJ in calling on the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the CBN and SEC to swing into action immediately to arrest this ugly trend.

‘Politicians and political parties have flagrantly violated laws of the land on how funds may be sourced for election purposes, while the institutions of state saddled with the task of ensuring that donations of public and private funds are duly scrutinised are doing little in this regard’

Waste to wealth

•Ogun govt’s decision to take over abandoned FG housing project is a welcome development

GAINST the backdrop of the acute housing deficit in the country, the news that Ogun State Government is discussing the possibility of taking over the Federal Government housing project in ObadaOko area of the state is heartwarming. Provision of housing was one of the cardinal programmes of the Alhaji Shehu Shagari administration which was in power from October 1979 to December 31, 1983, when it was overthrown by the military on New Year’s Eve. Ever since, the housing projects scattered all over the country, like many other Federal Government projects, were abandoned. Many of them have since dilapidated; many over overgrown with weeds and are now havens for social miscreants and criminals. Yet, millions of Nigerians are without roofs over their heads. In the particular case of Ogun State, its prox-

‘If the deal between the Federal Government and the state government works, it would not only boost the state’s mortgage scheme, it would also reduce the security threat posed by the abandoned buildings. The squatters and other undesirable elements who have turned the abandoned houses into their abode would automatically be ejected to allow the place to be reclaimed for public good’

imity to Lagos has posed some challenges, as a result of the fact that Lagos is becoming choked up and can hardly keep on accommodating the multitudes that troop into the state from all over the country in search of greener pastures. Today, many people working in Lagos State live in Ogun; this means they commute daily from Ogun to their places of work in the former federal capital, thus putting pressure on the infrastructure in the nearby Ogun State. Furthermore, economic activities are also on the increase in Ogun State, with more industrial concerns now moving in, thus further compounding its housing challenge. It is against this background that we commend the decision of Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State to negotiate a possible take-over of the project with the Federal Government. Governor Amosun disclosed this during his ward-to-ward campaign for his reelection at Owowo. “We must find a way of developing the FG (Federal Government) abandoned housing project here at Obada-Oko, Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state; we know that it was initiated by the FG then after the state government had allocated it, but the state of the housing estate today is an eye-sore. We are now negotiating with the Federal Government with a possible take-over of the abandoned housing project,” he said. This is the way it should be and we hope the Federal Government would see it in the context of provision of houses for the people rather than from

the political perspective that many such projects and proposals had been viewed in the past, leading into avoidable waste of public funds. The Shagari government was ousted about 32 years ago; if the Federal Government had any intention of continuing work on the project, it would have done so all these years. That it has not is enough proof that it is no longer interested in the project; or it is not a priority. Yet, further delay may be too costly because the houses will only continue to deteriorate as long as they remain abandoned. If the deal between the Federal Government and the state government works, it would not only boost the state’s mortgage scheme, it would also reduce the security threat posed by the abandoned buildings. The squatters and other undesirable elements who have turned the abandoned houses into their abode would automatically be ejected to allow the place to be reclaimed for public good. The two governments should therefore work harmoniously on this matter. Indeed, other state governments should emulate the Ogun State example because the housing projects initiated by the Shagari administration were abandoned all over the country and there is hardly any state without housing challenges. It is a partnership that would be beneficial to both parties once the value and modalities for the takeover are worked out. All the states have to do is leverage on the structures on ground if their integrity can still be guaranteed.

Boko Haram war needs new strategy

IR: Nigeria is under a severe internal socio-economic and security threat. As a more general level, the threat has social, economic, political and environmental dimensions. Each of these dimensions has greatly affected the nation‘s stability, and can be traced to ethnic militia armies, ethnic and religious conflicts, poverty, terrorism, armed robbery, corruption, economic sabotage, and environmental degradation. Boko Haram activities, has destabilized socio-economic activities. In the past, the sight of bombs and their catastrophic impact used to be a movie scene. This is no longer the case. The best selling news in town now is the Boko Haram story. The atmosphere of insecurity currently inflicted on the nation by the Boko Haram points to poor use of pre-emptive intelligence and a coherent strategy in the management of the security issues arising there from. A critical corollary of this violence is dire humanitarian crisis that threatens human security in Nigeria. In respect of the implications of terrorism for the wider polity of Nigeria, it is to be noted that the Boko Haram insurgency has led to negative perception of Nigeria as an unsafe country by the wider world. This has damaged Nigeria’s profile as a favourable international destination for investment, travel, tourism, scholarship, and migration. The implication of this is that Nigeria is gradually drifting into the status of an ostracized nation. This does not augur well for the sustenance of the country’s national security. All over the world what makes insurgency distinct is that it is ideologydriven but in Nigeria it has become common knowledge even to the younger generations that the present spate of bombings, mass murder, kidnappings, etc in the northern country are politically motivated with imputed spiritual connotation. Religion is only used as a tool to recruit the hungry youth and children of the poor as vessels of destruction in order to carry out the political goal of a few. To win this war against Boko Haram, Nigeria needs a military strategy, a political strategy and propaganda strategy that would address the issues that have continuously challenged the present government and may continue to do so post 2015 general elections. • Farotimi Dolapo, University Of Ibadan.

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 TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

IR: Does a degree automatically make an individual a great leader? If it does how come Winston Churchill with no academic degree and with poor results in high school but armed with a military training could mobilize his countrymen and western allies to end the second world war, better yet, he was able to rise up to become prime minister of the United Kingdom, and authored many books and even won a Nobel Laureate in literature? If it does, how come late Alhaji Sabo Bakin-Zuwo with barely formal education, a man who could scarcely speak the English language could defeat an incumbent governor of Kano State in the 1980s, the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi who was, well-educated and sharp? If it does how come Nigerians see statesmen with various graduate degrees that still find it challenging to read speeches they did not help prepare with superfluous intermittent breaks leading many a people to question the authenticity of their degrees? Nigeria today has gone to a most pitiful level of decadence where advisers do not properly guide statesmen to concentrate on issues based electioneering. We have quickly forgotten that the presidential system requires hard work and only people with vision are chosen as advisers. It appears that our country has gone out of control and we haven’t learnt anything from the civil war that should make us live forever in peace just the way great aspiring nations have done in recent history. If Alhaji Shehu Shagari could grant a presidential pardon to Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu as a sign of national reconciliation, why can’t the political class leave General Muhammadu Buhari be, get down to brass-tacks and engage in politics of issues not Jibber-Jabber to move our country forward? Tunde Thompson a moment ago

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

Why the hubbub over Buhari’s certificate?’ as reported in the media has chosen to forgive the general for his detention during his reign and even advised well-meaning Nigerians to do same for peace. Would our degree-certified politicians and their bogeymen stop the politics of character assassination in our body politic? It was Winston Churchill who said and I believe it is true that, “sometimes it is not enough to do our best; we must do what is required.” What is required for our country, to lift us out of lassitude is not

diversionary campaigns by raising a certificate war-cry against the general, what is required is not to have politicians divert and pull the wool over the eyes of a trusting follower-ship, what is required is not scape-goating clowning around. What is required for nation building are leaders with vision, countries are as great as their leaders. Nigerians need foodstuffs and good governance and accountability and not words. We ask for leaders who can provide us with security, so that we

all can travel across all space without fear, for Nigeria can never be great if she cannot provide internal security as well as security around her borders. Leaders who can banish ethnicity and indigeneship, so bad that people at festive seasons in states other than that of their forebears say that they are travelling home. Ironically, most of these persons were born in these states, pay taxes there, that notwithstanding, the systemic discrimination prevents them from being assimilated into these states and this happens all

across the country. They can vote for indigenes but cannot be voted for. The armies of degree qualified politicians and their lieutenants have let us down by not campaigning on issues, not seeing their opponents regardless of gender, language or religious link as one indivisible Homo sapiens and build into the Nigerian consciousness the concept of kindness and charity which is truly lacking at the present time. If they mean well to stamp out ill-will which has been with us since independence, then they must learn to see members of the opposing parties as people who hold different views and not enemies. The problem with Nigeria has always been that of a visionless political class and this explains significantly why we are not united. • Simon Abah, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

New Nigeria of our dream

IR: We are into the final lap of what must be the most hotly contested general election in our nation’s history and one that many would consider to be a pivotal moment. To many, the match is between the incumbent the People Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC). To some the choice is between General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ), whilst to others it is between maintaining status quo or change. This election is not about PDP or APC. Why? For usually in any contest, the winner is the one with the better skills, strategy, funds and luck even. But in an election, the winner or loser is decided not by the contending parties but by the audience or in this case the voters. For in a democracy, we, the person more literally, have the power to

decide who wins or lose, who to serve us as our government and who to serve us as the opposition for the next four years. This election is really about us, the voters, being able to exercise our democratic right to vote in a free and fair election. If you are still undecided or unconvinced if you should vote, let me offer some reasons why you must vote in this election. It is our duty as responsible citizens. Choosing not to vote is like a family member who chooses not to take out the trash in the house but then complained about the stench, or who chose not to participate in the decision-making process of repainting the family house but gripes about the colour chosen. We lose our right to complain about the state of affairs in this country when we choose not to vote when we can.

It is where everyone is truly equal. It doesn’t matter if you are the Senator or a labourer, rich or poor, young or old, male or female, as long as you are a Nigerian above 18 years, with no criminal record and are of sound mind, you have one vote each. That is the beauty of democracy; everyone is truly equal at the ballot box. In this way, in a functioning democracy, this system ensures that the rights of the masses are protected and the rich and powerful cannot exploit the system to their advantage. If we don’t realize this fact and allow the rich and powerful to buy our votes or to bully us into voting for them, then we don’t have a democracy. It is the only way to hold government accountable. Perhaps we are where we are as a nation is because we have given the keys of power to the same group for the past 16 years and they have gotten drunk with

power to the point that they don’t feel the need to be accountable to us anymore. We need to remind them who are the real boss in a democracy. We are voting for our children, for a government that would carry us into the next four years. If we are dissatisfied with the way our country has been managed and believe that things should be better, then this is our chance to vote for change. The choice is for us to make, save the future generation or be part of a failed generation. Even the incumbent president has admitted the fact that his own generation has failed, possibly he meant the PDP generation of leaders, which will surely be judged right come February 14. • Comrade Ahmed Omeiza Lukman, Kiev, Ukraine.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

COMMENTS and his close confidants, complete with scions and prized autos, skipped town! Mallam El-Rufai argued that HAT globally renowned Africans, such explosive vote-pilferage, Kofi Annan (Ghana), former which allegedly leaked to irate United Nations secretary-general; youths, accounted for the postand Emeka Anyaoku (Nigeria), former vote rage in many northern Commonwealth secretary-general, were cities. If that were true, would involved in the non-violent pact of January the Jonathan pact-signing theory 14, would underscore the African anxiety Olakunle of rigging-does-not-causeover Nigeria’s 2015 general election. lordbeek1@gmail.com, 08054504169 (Sms only, please) Abimbola violence still hold? That bodies like the European Union, That patent illogicality of someUKaid, United Nations Development people-are-willy-nilly-violent Programme (UNDP), the US International seemed to have driven the Republican Institute (IRI) and the Foreign certitude in Prof. Bolaji Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, Akinyemi’s thinking that backed the pact-signing, shows the whichever side won the elimination by not-so-divine-intervention, what brief did the two touching affection the rest of the world harbour toward Nigeria presidential election, violence would break out. renowned global diplomats have? To persuade MKO to surrender and its wellbeing. With all due respect to the erudite and rigorous professor, that his freely given mandate — not to compel the erring Nigerian Still, even with all the international do-gooding, it is amazing theory cannot be supported by logic — or even common sense. If order to right the grave wrong, even with Abacha’s death! how the global order is rigged against justice and fair play; but is violence breaks out, it is because there is demonstrable violence This however, had nothing to do with the personal ethics of nevertheless primed to rally against violence, the sure and logical to the voting right of the people. these two gentlemen; but rather the cast-in-iron ethos of the result of injustice. That was the trigger in the Wild, Wild West of the 1st Republic, hypocritical establishment that sent them. It is the Yoruba equivalent of daring God but scampering before when Demo politicians, with a certain Remi Fani-Kayode leading It didn’t matter: that MKO committed no crime, aside from men! winning a credible election; that while in gaol, the state also The involvement in the pact-signing, of Mr. Annan and Chief the pack, boasting on the hustings that if the people did not vote eliminated his wife Kudirat, for crusading to actualise the mandate Anyaoku, global patriots of the first rank, introduces an ironic for them, others would. Certainly, the others did; and the people of her locked-up husband; that a vicious state also ruined his déjà vu, particularly if the mind flips back to the 12 June 1993 reacted. The rest, as they say, is history! multi-billion naira business empire! presidential election result annulment debacle. Ironically, some 50 years later, a certain Femi Fani-Kayode, the Twenty-one years after June 12, during which period Nigeria June 12? O, yes! June 12 is the fundament of the current mess. proud scion of the original, is in the Jonathan camp, leading the and its institutions badly atrophied, and in the run-up to another If Gen. Ibrahim Babangida had not annulled Nigeria’s cleanest charge with his own harvest of pre-vote illogicality! vital poll, this soulless pro-power, anti-justice mindset has changed election ever, there would have been no Gen. Sani Abacha, whose That was the trigger in the 2nd Republic, in the tragic Akin little. iron despotism totally defrocked the military, before he expired Omoboriowo brazen gubernatorial steal in old Ondo State (now In the non-violence pact of January 14, equal access, the most via “divine intervention”; no NADECO war of attrition; no Gen. Ondo and Ekiti states), via the notorious federal might. That inferno fundamental guarantor of electoral justice — and peace — was the Abdulsalami Abubakar and his hurried handover; no consumed the otherwise fine mind, Olaiya Fagbamigbe, among last of the five protocols: “All the institutions of government, including concessionary zoning that made Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo others. INEC and security agencies, must act and be seen to act with impartiality.” president to placate the Yoruba, but whose presidency gave the That probably would have been the trigger, had federal might The first four protocols were sentimental platitudes, on which 4th Republic its worst possible start; no President Umaru Yar’Adua attempted to skew the Osun gubernatorial election of 2014, against hardly anyone can be held to account: issue-based campaigns, no dying in office, prompting an opportunistic junking of zoning the people’s clear and unmistakable will. And whoever still inciting statements, zero-tolerance for provocative campaigns and that vaulted Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to power; and no President believe both the Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections of 2014 a national peace committee to commit all parties to the accord! Jonathan, thoroughly and hopelessly overwhelmed, so much so were “free and fair”, despite delivering contradictory results, are Now, what was that: a honest oversight or a lexical Freudian that he is not only the undertaker of his Peoples Democratic Party entitled to their costly delusion. slip showing that even in the search for “peace”, the core (PDP) federal ruling party but may well be, from threats of his Trust no politician — progressive, conservative or reactionary fundament of justice matters less than sentimental pufferies? own camp fearing a crushing election defeat, the undertaker of — if they can rig, they will. Still, from its certified record of Why, the president even blighted the ceremony with his nearthe country. deviant abuse of state coercion for partisan gain, and the nearpatent illogical assertions, this one a fantastic claim that rigging But back to June 12, vis-a-vis the intervening pair of Mr. Annan complete collapse of elite consensus on, and mass revulsion at, does not necessarily cause violence. It was a light jibe at Gen. and Chief Anyaoku. IBB had annulled the election and Abacha the Jonathan Presidency, it appears to have higher motive, than Muhammadu Buhari, his main presidential rival, whose “inciting” had gaoled Chief MKO Abiola for four years, roughly equalling anyone else, to rig the election. statement was blamed for the post-2011 electoral violence in the his annulled presidential term. In fairness to the Jonathan government, such brazen electoral North. But to break the deadlock, before MKO’s own alleged abuse is the usual trend. But by its spectacular bungling, Jonathan President Jonathan reasoned — rather speciously — that in Kano appears stripped of any elite conspiracy that could, like in the Bauchi he got barely 16 per cent of the vote. Yet, violence still ‘Let the noble, anti-violence ensemble and past, cover up such a heist. broke out. But what if even that number was stolen? So, let the noble, anti-violence ensemble pressure the Nasir El-Rufai, on page 466 of his book, The Accidental Public pressure the government to deliver a government to deliver a demonstrably fair poll. Servant, claimed a fleeing Kaduna PDP hierarch, on board the demonstrably fair poll. That would be better same aircraft with him, confessed that to make the 25 per cent Prevention-is-better-than-cure wise, that would be better mark in the state, Jonathan’s vote was inflated by 800, 000! On antidote to violence than a thousand pacts, even if a non-violence antidote to violence than a thousand pacts’ account of this heist, he alleged, Vice President Namadi Sambo pact isn’t a bad idea.

“You dare God but scamper before men” — Yoruba saying

epublican ipples

Non-violence and allied pacts

XPECT the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) to take to the airways to celebrate the benevolence of the Jonathan administration in bringing down the price of petrol from N97 per litre to N87. Greek gift or not, it seems doubtful that transformers actually appreciate the import of what their principal has done to the spending power of the fuel consumer by that N10 slice off the price of petrol. For if we adopt the lower mark in an economy which consumes anything between 33-40 litres of petrol daily, we are talking of a princely N330 million daily addition to the consumers’ spending power. Multiply that by the average of 30 days in a month; or if you like, 365 days a year and the scale of “achievement”, like their rebasing magic, comes stark clear! I leave our economists to find the multiplier and the countless other derivatives for the Nigerian economy; and this from a simple gesture of hiving N10 off petrol price courtesy of our loving President. Our legion of transformers ought to see themselves in my debt for helping them to figure out one of the less obvious achievements of their principal! It is of course an issue of what to make of the gesture. What is undeniable is that the price of oil has tumbled by more than 50 percent over the last six months. From a little over $100 a barrel in June last year, Nigeria’s Brent crude currently struggles to hit the $50 a barrel mark. Of course, the argument goes that if it petrol sold for N97 when oil sold for $100, Nigerians should consider themselves entitled to a generous discount. Sunday night’s announcement by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke was therefore supposed to be the answer to Nigerians’ quest for some equity at least in product pricing. It is doubtful that Nigerians bargained for the tokenism of N10 as announced by the minister. Now, the question is being raised whether the N10 cut –a discount of approximately 10 percent on petrol only – is the best the administration can do. There is also the issue of whether the administration is not being clever by half in creating the impression that the oil price slump only affects premium motor spirit. Let’s look at the issue a bit more closely. We know for a fact that the price of diesel has long been deregulated. In other words, we are supposed to see the efficacy of the market forces at work. But what do we have? A depot price of N97, excluding trucking expenses and the marketers’ margin hence the pump price between N140 to N150 a litre. If we expected the retail price of the product to reflect the dynamics of the movement in oil prices given the dive of more than 50 percent on the price, what we have seen is more of the same old story of distortion in which prices, once they go up never truly go down. Of course, that in itself would be understandable enough in an economy where every operation is powered by diesel; and where in the absence of reliable power, makes

Policy Sanya Oni sanyaoni@yahoo.co.uk 08051101841

Jona’s Greek Gift the perfect price inelasticity of diesel more than guaranteed. As for kerosene which is said to be under a regulated regime of N50 per litre, the reality is that the household product has never been sold for anything less than N120 per litre at the retail end. Again, the reason is not difficult to understand: the so-called poor, for whom the product is said to be meant, have long given up in the quest to make the product either accessible or affordable. Rather, they have simply yielded the space to marketers’ forces – perhaps waiting for Jonathan’s wonder cooking stoves to bail them out! By way of contrast, only the buyer of premium motor spirit, with an ‘artificial’ cap in price, pretends that product prices are set by anything but the rule of the thumb. Even at that, it depends on where the buyer is doing so from! That is the state of the nation’s downstream sector today. It is a big jungle where marketers rule – a market of unequal actors – disparate fuel consumers versus unscrupulous marketers, the latter aided by the government through the regulator – the Petroleum Products Prices Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). By the way, I invite you, my dear reader to check out the website of the PPPRA, which until Sunday’s announcement was alive and well. All through yesterday, my efforts to find at least some basis for the Greek gift on their website yielded nothing: that website is for now temporarily out of service – perhaps until the agency’s mathematicians fine-tune their magical template! Still want to know what the ‘gesture’ is meant to achieve? With general elections barely six weeks away, it is in the character of the Jonathan administration to cynically exploit just about any issue for political advantage – which of course is not a crime. What is unacceptable in this instance is that the course neither offers the nation a pathway out of the mess nor the long-sought opportunity to overhaul its energy policy. And you know where this leads? Sure enough, we’ll be back to debate the “subsidy” or lack thereof; the fuel price

template and the mechanisms of determining appropriate marketers margins – all the jargons and everything except the future of our endangered downstream sector. And while the motion goes on, the administration can claim a potent alibi in the inchoate Petroleum Industry Bill! Such has been the legacy of the transformers!

…And now Ayodele Fayose

Until yesterday, I honestly considered some boundaries inviolate even to our band of delinquent political actors. After seeing the front page advertisements in The Punch and Daily Sun signed by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, my simple conclusion was that some of our elected officials should be herded to the shrink. The advert was not just downright offensive, it was in bad taste. Mercifully, I am not alone in feeling this way. All of those I have spoken to on the advert agree that Fayose went beyond the boundaries of decency. Here is what a reader C. Olumide, from Ajah Lekki sent to me on the issue. I take my reader’s liberty for granted in publishing the short piece: “Governor Ayo Fayose’s advert for Jonathan on the Friont Page of today’s The Punch is sickening and in very bad taste. Haba! It should be condemned by all right-thinking Nigerians. Is that PDP’s issue-based campaign? For a sitting governor of a PDP state to descend to that level is the height of depravity and impunity – a deadly combination that exist only in Nigeria. (or can you cite a similar example anywhere else in the world?) We should therefore let the whole world know through our writings and radio and TV discussions that majority of Nigerians condemn this crude, meaningless, repulsive and indecent advert which mocks the memory of our heroes and can trigger North-South violence and thereby negate the undertaking signed by both Jonathan and Buhari. The newspaper should have exercised better judgement by rejecting such stupid but volatile advert in the first place”. What more can I add? These are interesting times no doubt.

‘It is in the character of the Jonathan administration to cynically exploit just about any issue for political advantage – which of course is not a crime. What is unacceptable in this instance is that the course neither offers the nation a pathway out of the mess nor the longsought opportunity to overhaul its energy policy’

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

COMMENTS

OT a few have snorted that some governors serving out their last term are fixated by their ambition to head for the Senate. Indeed, some see it as self-perpetuation by other means. Let us get it clear; the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not discriminate against governors with such dreams. But much as some pundits see the ambition as political gluttony, it cannot be overlooked that some of the governors with eyes on the Senate will add value to political discourse by being there. Any serious-minded analysis that sidelines experience and track record ought to be seen as a material for the trash bin. The case of Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu should be viewed beyond parochialism. For one, he started his political career as a legislator when he was elected into the House of Representatives in 1983. His contributions on the floor of the National Assembly were the stuff by which one could measure depth in parliamentary proceedings. The record of his articulate delivery, influence and clarity of thought made him a delight to watch on the floor and in the committees on education and foreign affairs that he served on. If he was then so good, one can imagine how he would impact on the 8th National Assembly with the better education he has acquired, public service credentials and exposure to governance. Experience, they say, is the best teacher. Aliyu must have thought through the quality of represen-

Babangida Aliyu’s Senate quest By Danladi Ndayebo tation given to his people before joining the race. Being a deliberate person, one is not in doubt that he opted for the Senate to further the interest of his people and provide nation-wide service to fatherland. Even when he was widely touted as a presidential hopeful, the Niger State governor never acceded to pressure to run for the nation’s highest office. It is therefore unlikely that he has inordinate ambition. Yes, he has a pan-Nigerian vision of equal opportunity, welfarist existence and justice. For him the only way to bring about change is not by merely mouthing it. It is by the choice of practical platforms of action to bring them into fruition. For sure, Aliyu has always been a nationalist. He rallies supports across a wide spectrum of issues and is not someone limited by ethnic, religious and pecuniary considerations. In and out of office, he has an idea of how to better the country and improve the circumstances of the Nigerian. A seat in the Senate will help him articulate a model of governance that will engender development in all spheres of

‘The Ward Development Projects which ensures that each of the 274 wards in the state receives N1million monthly is a huge success story. Under the initiative, each ward takes full responsibility for proposing to the state government development projects that the ward consultative forum feels deserves priority attention. The implementation of projects is carried out by the people, who participate fully at all levels’ “A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” – John C. Maxwell.

NTIL the All Progressives Congress picked Warisenibo Dakuku Adulphus Peterside as its governorship candidate in Rivers State, there was confusion and palpable fear about the future of the state. Many big-wigs of the Peoples Democratic Party [including some founding members of the party] had cause to reconsider their membership of a party that has become anything but democratic, and so did the ordinary people wonder if governance in Rivers State had become the exclusive preserve of a charmed circle of political patrons and their benefactors. Contrary to the existing principle of power rotation among the various ethnic groups and the people’s desire for a humble and charismatic leadership, the Abuja dictators hand-picked the former Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike as its preferred candidate. And when the victims of the PDP political machination kicked against injustice, some of them were hounded and brutalized right in the premises of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Rivers State was a political time-bomb waiting to explode on account of injustice, until the simple, humble and charismatic Dakuku Peterside emerged on the scene. Born in Opobo-Kingdom of the King Jaja fame some 45 years ago, Peterside is a former Commissioner for Works in Rivers State and member representing Andoni/Opobo/ Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives where he has left his foot-prints in the sands of time as chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources [downstream sector]. Owing to his wealth of experience, he has also served as a member of other strategic committees, including anti-corruption, national ethics and values, drugs, narcotics and financial crimes, cooperation and integration in Africa, electoral matters, industry; communications and works. His laudable achievements in public life, as those who have kept a close tab on his career would readily admit, is the outcome of conscious efforts to attain personal development for leadership. After grazing from the learning pastures of the prestigious Okrika Grammar School [OGS] in the 1980s, Dakuku proceeded to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology where he bagged a degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences. In a desperate search for knowledge, at a time his peers were fiercely engaged in the pursuit of material acquisitions, Dakuku went further to obtain a postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration. He’s today an alumnus of the Georgia State University [Atlanta] and the Harvard Kennedy School. A member of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, and the Nigerian Institute of Management, he is also a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria. A globally-recognized expert in institutional reforms, the Amaopusenibo of Opobo Kingdom has been a regular resource person at international conferences

our national life and living. A seat in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly will also accord him the opportunity to share with his colleagues some success nuggets in the art of governance. Also, his colleagues will learn how on assumption of office as Governor of Niger State he was quick to make an impression on the state as a prudent, conscientious and responsive leader. Returning and fresh lawmakers will learn how, as an administrator and a good manager of resources, the chief servant was able to show sensitivity and responsiveness when it comes to attending to the needs of the down-trodden. Governor Babangida Aliyu is an accomplished bureaucrat who understands the rules of public order. He is therefore going into the senatorial contest with a clear understanding of the plights of the people and what is needed to make laws that will reverse the prevalence of poverty and underdevelopment ravaging the nation. At his inauguration speech on May 29, 2007, he provided an insight into how he intended to govern the state when he assumed the official title of “Chief Servant” instead of the more flamboyant title of “His Excellency.” His reasons were both inspiring and logical. His words then, “ chief servant to me best describes the job of an elected leader, who derives his powers exclusively from the mandate of the electorate….leadership should be and reflect humility and ability to render services to the people in the most dignified and accountable manner.” If elected Senator of the Federal Republic, his approach will not be different. The chief servant has in the last seven and a half years left development imprints

Peterside: Credible alternative for Rivers By Priye Briggs around the world where he constantly shares his thoughts on leadership, corporate political strategy and businessgovernment interactions. Charity, as the saying goes, begins at home. Peterside is a man who has worked tirelessly as a youth to improve the lots of Rivers people, without necessarily playing to the gallery. At various times, quite early in life, he served as national president of the National Union of Rivers State Students, state financial secretary of the defunct Democratic Party of Nigeria, Special Assistant to former Governor Peter Odili on students and youths affairs and chairman of Opobo/ Nkoro local government area in 2005 when he was recognized as the best performing local government chairman. Dakuku Peterside makes no pretence about transforming Rivers State with a magic wand overnight. Unlike others, he counts on the support of Rivers people and his undying passion for sustainable development to improve the lots of the people. A seasoned management expert and globally acclaimed leadership trainer, this man who was instrumental to the success of Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s infrastructural revolution in Rivers State intends to take service delivery of new heights in the nation’s “Treasure Base”. In addition to infrastructure development, Peterside has articulated a workable plan on industrialization, youth empowerment and security. Above all, his highest selling point is his antecedent and avowed commitment to purposeful leadership and transparency in governance. For now, how he intends to achieve his dreams for Rivers State is obviously more important. That Peterside is a credible alternative in a political setting soaked in tension emanating from the PDP politics of exclusion is evident in his political philosophy that drives home the point that Rivers people are “Greater Together”. Having considered the where the people find themselves now and where they ought to be, the Igbani-born politician of distinction has thought it wise to devise a political strategy that seeks to mobilise the people for the common good of Rivers State, regardless of their ethnic, religious and political differences. To dwell further on his “Greater Together” political philosophy, it is a deliberate attempt to aggregate the social capital in Rivers State with a view to employing the benefits that flow from such a governmental arrangement,

that are difficult to ignore. His chosen areas of priority, namely education, health, agriculture, infrastructural development and social security have seen progressive achievements. His accomplishments have been attributed largely to prudent and judicious application of funds, visionary planning and consistency in policy implementation. Aliyu has demystified power and the act of governance. He has introduced initiatives that are novel in the history of political leadership in Nigeria. An instant revelation is the Ward Development Projects which ensure that development reaches the grassroots. The Ward Development Projects which ensures that each of the 274 wards in the state receives N1million monthly is a huge success story. Under the initiative, each ward takes full responsibility for proposing to the state government development projects that the ward consultative forum feels deserves priority attention. The implementation of projects is carried out by the people, who participate fully at all levels. The Jama’a Forum, a meet-the-peopletour, initiated and embarked upon by Governor Aliyu to meet and interact with the people one-on-one in their communities and villages has not only gained significant support but has served as instrument through which the governor relates directly with the common man. The tour is aimed at getting to know the people, their areas of need and how to address their problems as well as giving the people an opportunity to interact freely with their governor on issues bordering them. Nigerians should therefore expect a robust Senate with the likes of Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu. • Ndayebo is Niger State’s Commissioner of Information, Communication and Integration

including trust, cooperation, information and reciprocity, to re-invent governance. The planned alteration in the existing social order of a system imbued with conflict arising from an unhealthy competition over the control of political, social and economic capital has come at the nick of time. Clearly, what the government of Dr. Peterside intends to achieve is a more politically stable environment driven by increased awareness, greater participation, and the building of public trust in political leadership. To achieve its objectives, the political inclusion agenda of the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State also promises increased opportunities for all, particularly the most disadvantaged groups and communities. Beyond mere platitudes, Peterside’s action-plan provides real solutions to the problems confronting Rivers people in recent times. On the political scene, he represents a paradigm shift in many aspects. To the admiration of his friends and close associates, Dakuku is not one to shut the door against a brother or neighbour on account of political differences. Little wonder he has spent his entire political career building bridges of unity and friendship across the length and breadth of Rivers State. Without a shadow of doubt, the man who is now fondly called DAP [an acronym for Dakuku Adulphus Peterside] is the most technically equipped candidate gunning for the highest political position in the state, an office where making correct political decisions requires sound judgment. Unlike those without any record of achievements outside the realm of politics, the APC candidate is a man who, having developed his mind at the highest level in the academia, understands how to use political power for public good. It was perhaps owing to his unrelenting quest for good governance and the promotion of human rights that he established the Democratic and Leadership Initiative, a non-governmental organization which he ran successfully until his appointment as works commissioner in 2007. “The chick that would become a cock”, as the African saying goes, can be spotted the very first day it was hatched”. This is a unique opportunity for all to identify with Dakuku Peterside, the new face of Rivers State.

‘Dakuku Peterside makes no pretence about transforming Rivers State with a magic wand overnight. Unlike others, he counts on the support of Rivers people and his undying passion for sustainable development to improve the lots of the people.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

’

But I do not think it is binding on any of the candidates who signed the agreement. There are several Supreme Court’s authorities that say for a candidate to be held liable for electoral offences, you must prove his direct involvement or participation in the violent act for it to affect the outcome of the election or the candidate himself

’

See page 26

E-mail:- law@thenationonlineng.net

Eleven candidates for the February 14 presidential election and their parties endorsed an anti-violence pact in Abuja last Wednesday.To lawyers, although such agreement is not tenable in law, it is symbolic, and could serve its purpose, but with the sincerity and commitment of politicians. ERIC IKHILAE reports.

•APC Presidential Candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari signing the accord

• President Jonathan signing the accord

How to make anti-violence pact work, T by lawyers

INSIDE:

HOSE in the race for next month’s presidential election have pledged to ensure a violence-free exercise. President Goodluck Jonathan, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and nine other candidates signed an accord last Wednesday to maintain peace. They also pledged to stop vicious campaign comments which could affect the conduct of a free and fair exercise. But how can this pact be made to work? The agreement was part of measures to avert a recurrence of the violence which occured during and after the 2011 general elections. The presidential candidates signed the pact at a 2015 General Elections Sensitisation Workshop on Non-Violence in Abuja. The session was hosted by the Office of the National Security Adviser and Office of the Special Adviser to the

Buhari’s qualifications: Matters arising -Page 27

President on Inter-Party Affairs. The two offices were supported by the European Union(EU), UKaid, UNDP, IRI, the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). The politicians committed themselves, their parties and supporters to the following: •To run issue-based campaigns at national states and local government levels. They pledged to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious sentiment, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by themselves and all agents acting in their

name. •To refrain from making or causing to make in their names or that of their parties any public statement, pronouncement, declaration or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence before, during and after the elections. •To forcefully and publicly speak out against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence whether perpetuated by their supporters and, or opponents. •To commit themselves and political parties to the monitoring of the adherence of this accord, if necessary, by a national peace committee made up of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders. •All the institutions of government, including INEC •Continued on page 26

Senatorial race: Did Uba violate Electoral Act?

Falana worried about fate of 527 suspects

-Page 28

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THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

LAW COVER CONT’D

•Hon

•Falana

•Nwobike

•Magaji

How to make anti-violence pact work, by lawyers •Continued from page 25

and security agencies, must act and be seen to act with impartiality. The development has been hailed and described as symbolic, with the capacity to discourage electoral violence this time. Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka endorsed the pact, saying it was “a positive step” and praised the organisers. Soyinka said he hoped 2015 would prove to be a “liveand-learn election year, not a do-or-die.” However, there are fears in some quarters that the politicians may not walk their talk. How will they control their passionate supporters? Is the pact capable of thawing the general apprehension over the possible outcome of the elections? Those who think the pact marks a step in the right direction are of the view that it was the first time in the nation’s recent history when major players in electoral contests are made to pledge to discourage violence and to openly demonstrate act of comradeship. They argue that the published photographs showing President Jonathan, locked in a warm embrace with Gen Buhari, with both men smiling broadly, was capable of sending the message that the quest for political powers should not be at the expense of societal peace. Others however believe the general apprehension is excusable in view of the nation’s electoral history, coupled with the philosophy that now drives partisan politics in the country. From the First Republic, through the Second, the abortive Third and the current Republic, violence has become a regular feature. Politics in the country is now driven by the do-or-die philosophy; a belief system built on the warped mentality that it is a taboo for an incumbent to lose election. The stake is further raised by the fact that in this clime, the allure of political offices is more tempting. Politics has become the most lucrative business in the country. Known paupers often land in grand opulence overnight by either merely holding political offices (to which they add no value) or being close to someone at the corridors of power. Critics argue that what is required for peace to reign during and after the elections is for state institutions, charged with electoral duties to be fair, transparent and impartial. They contend that such an agreement (as endorsed last week by 10 presidential candidates and their parties), aside from being “a gentlemen’s agreement,” is not enforceable in view of the difficulties involved. They argue that what was needed was the political will by those in government to strengthen state institutions and provide necessary measures to effectively punish electoral offenders. They observed, for instance, that, for almost four years, President Jonathan could not muster the zeal to follow through his pledge to establish the Electoral Offences Commission, a body he promised to set up on assuming office in 2011. The Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reforms Committee (ERC) had suggested the need for such a body with the power to investigate and prosecute election-related abuses. The commission, as proposed by the ERC, would have the principal responsibility for investigating and prosecuting electoral offenses under the Electoral Act, including in-

THE AGREEMENT •To run issue-based campaigns at national states and local government levels. They pledged to refrain from campaigns that will involve religious sentiment, ethnic or tribal profiling, both by themselves and all agents acting in their name. •To refrain from making or causing to make in their names or that of their parties any public statement, pronouncement, declaration or speeches that have the capacity to incite any form of violence before, during and after the elections. •To forcefully and publicly speak out against provocative utterances and oppose all acts of electoral violence whether perpetuated by their supporters and, or opponents. •To commit themselves and political parties to the monitoring of the adherence of this accord, if necessary, by a national peace committee made up of respected statesmen and women, traditional and religious leaders. •All the institutions of government, including INEC and security agencies, must act and be seen to act with impartiality. citement, the use or threat of violence, bribery of voters or election officials, theft of ballot materials and falsification of election results. A Bill to that effect is still pending before the National Assembly. Observers are of the view that a more pragmatic way would better serve to discourage the recourse to violence, and assuage the fear being nursed by many about whether or not the circle of violence will recur this year. There is also the concern about the inability of state institutions to remain impartial, be guided solely by state’s interest and refuse to act in favour of the incumbent. This, observers argued, raises a serious issue in view of the recent conduct by the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS). They contend that where the Inspector General of Police (IGP) chooses to “interpret and apply” the Constitution by withdrawing security aides attached to some individuals, who defected to opposition parties, but ignores the same Constitution when politicians decamp to the ruling PDP, does not show an IGP that will be impartial during elections. They equally observed that a DSS that prefers invading the offices of opposition parties, while raising false alarm plans to hack into the database of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), even when INEC did not complain about such

threat, did not guarantee fairness. Observers suggest that in view of the central roles both institutions (Police and DSS) play during elections, they should do more to shed the current partisan image they currently exhibit. Lawyers, including Sebastine Hon (SAN), Joseph Nwobike (SAN), Femi Falana (SAN) and Mahmud Magaji (SAN) expressed varied views about the benefit of the anti-violence pact. While some dismissed it as being worthless, others believe it could serve useful purposes. Hon described the development as symbolic. He noted that was the first time when major political contenders are made to openly pledge their intent not to be violent. He said was hopeful it will curb the tendency to resort to violence. “Everybody saw it on television and read it on the newspapers. So, to an extent, I think it was a plausible effort. “But I do not think it is binding on any of the candidates who signed the agreement. There are several Supreme Court’s authorities that say for a candidate to be held liable for electoral offences, you must prove his direct involvement or participation in the violent act for it to affect the outcome of the election or the candidate himself. “I think it all depends on the sincerity of the candidate. If they are sincere and committed to the agreement, their supporters because they both have cult-like

The contract/agreement is a welcome ‘development for some reasons. First, it cast a moral burden on the aspirants. Second, it is going to stabilise the polity, and third, it will, to a certain extent reduce the chances of violence. But fairness and transparency must be the watchdog of INEC

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followership - will see the need to avoid violence. I hope the candidates are sincere and abide by the terms of the agreement,” Hon said. Nwobike, who described it as a good development, noted that it lacked the capacity to “generate any peace-capital. I do not think that agreement will achieve any purpose. The reason is that the candidates, who signed the agreement, cannot control their followers. “Secondly, a lot of things have happened in the past that tend to suggest that such arrangement cannot really work. When the presidential candidate of the APC lost election in 2011 about 11 Youth Corps members from the South were killed. “They were not killed by you and I. They were killed by the miscreants. There is no evidence that it was the candidate who asked them to kill. But it is very clear that those who carried out the killings did not even seek the man’s instruction to kill, and so, he could not even restrain them. There were crises here and there in some PDP states to. “Let me also say that it is a good development. It is good that it was signed. It is good that the politicians have bound themselves to the terms of that agreement. It now presents a benchmark on the basis of which we, the electorates, can assess these candidates and their political parties,” Nwobike said. Falana argued that the signing of the pact was a waste of time on the ground that none of those who signed the peace accord could be made to account for any uprisings that may happen after the elections. He said the country should be work to ensure that electoral offenders are prosecuted rather than signing an accord that will never work. Magaji argued that such agreement was not enforceable. He noted that it was impossible to directly link those who signed the pact with the actual perpetrators of violence. He said what could prevent violence was where the umpire is fair and transparent in its handling of the exercise. “Where 100 per cent of the registered voters in a particular state or local government is recorded to have voted for a single party, you begin to ask: Was it that nobody travelled, died or left the state between the time of voters’registration and the time of election? Was it that the candidates or leaders of the other parties did not vote for their parties or themselves? “When such things happen, it will be very hard for you to convince the people that nothing went wrong. Where there is over voting, it shows clearly that there is rigging. In such instance, it will be difficult for you to tell ordinary Nigerians that they should exercise patient while we explore due process, because the umpire itself, did not follow due process. “The contract/agreement is a welcome development for some reasons. First, it cast a moral burden on the aspirants. Second, it is going to stabilise the polity, and third, it will, to a certain extent reduce the chances of violence. But fairness and transparency must be the watchdog of INEC,” Magaji said. Although views are divided about the legal worth of the anti-violence pact, there appears to be a point of convergence, which is the fact that a repeat of the nation’s ugly electoral history is avoidable where all Nigerians, particularly the major players, resolve to ensure that the process is fair and transparent.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

LAW & SOCIETY In this article, a Lagos lawyer Wahab Shittu writes on the controversy trailing the qualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari’s qualifications: Matters arising

HE controversy on the status of Gen eral Muhammadu Buhari’s qualifica tions in relation to his eligibility to aspire for election into the office of the president of the Federal Republic has been generating intense debate in recent times forcing a closer examination of relevant constitutional provisions with a view to offering insights into the legal position on the matter. Let me start by saying that the issue as to whether Buhari or any candidate is eligible or qualified in terms of qualifications to aspire to the office of the president of Nigeria is not a trivial matter or a non-issue but one of fundamental constitutional significance that clearly falls in the realm of issue based campaign. I, therefore, disagree with any suggestion that those raising the issue are petty or engaged in any smear campaign against Buhari’s candidacy. It is, therefore, proposed in this intervention to examine relevant constitutional provisions on the matter including judicial attitude through the cases in order to assist informed analysis on the subject matter. Section 131(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) dealing with qualification for election for the office of the president provides as follows: “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if – .. he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent”. On the surface, one may be inclined to think that theclear import of this constitutional provision is that the minimum qualification that an aspirant for such exalted high office must possess is education up to at least the Secondary School level. What then is the meaning of the phrase ‘minimum’? The Black’s Law Dictionary 8th edition page 1016 defines minimum as follows: “Of, relating to, or constituting the smallest acceptable or possible quantity in a given case ...” The question that arises is whether in the light of the above constitutional provision, such aspirant necessarily must acquire such Secondary School Certificate or whether merely passing through the four walls of a Secondary School without graduation from the said Secondary School will suffice to satisfy the provision. In the case of HASKE V MAGAGI (2008) 3 LRECN PG. 127 AT 130 RATIO 2the Court of Appeal Kaduna Division held on the meaning of ‘Education up to Secondary School Certificate level or its equivalent as follows: “Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution defines, “School Certificate or its equivalent” in sub-paragraph (b) thereof to inter alia mean, “education up to secondary school certificate level.” It is the law, that where a word or phrase has been legally defined in an enactment, not only will its ordinary or popular meaning give way, its meaning according to its definition in another legislation can also not be imported into the enactment in which it has also been

defined. See Yaro v Kurdah&Anor (1989) 1 NEPLER 1. Thus, in a number of decided cases, this court held that the meaning of definition of level of school certificate or its equivalent as contained under section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, can accommodate candidate who woefully failed in their bid to obtain a West African School Certificate (WASC). They are described as WASC “attempted” to “failures”. In essence, a candidate need not to have obtained the secondary school certificate level or passed the secondary school certificate examination. It is sufficient that such a person has attended a secondary school and read or studied up to the secondary school level, without passing and obtaining the certificate. See Bayo v. Njidda (2004) 8 NWLR (Pt. 876) 544; (2003) 3 LRECN 114. Chukwu v. Icheonwo (1999) 4 NWLR (Pt. 800) 597; (1999) 4 LRECN 332.(Pp. 143-144, paras, G-C).” Similarly in the case of AIKULOLA VS. AKOGWU (2006) 41WRN pg. 29 – 111, particularly at 46 ratio 11 the Court of Appeal Abuja Division while construing the meaning of the words ‘School Certificate’under Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution held as follows: “Under section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, the words “school certificate” or its equivalent mean: (a) Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent or Grade II Teachers Certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or (b) Education up to Secondary school level; or (c) Primary Six Leaving Certificate or its equivalent plus (i) Service in the public or private sector in the Federal in any capacity acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for a minimum of 10 years and (ii) Attendance at course and training in such institutions as may be acceptable to the Independent National Electoral Commission for periods totaling up to a minimum of one year; and (iii) The ability to read, write and understand and communicate in the English language to the satisfaction of the Commission. In effect, a person seeking to become a candidate for an election to the House of Assembly of any State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria must possess at least one of the qualifications set out in (a) or (b) or (c) above. See Bayo v. Njidda (2004) 8 NWLR (Pt. 876) 544 at 618 – 620.” Per Odili, JCA (Pp. 81 – 82) lines 45 – 35 ‘School certificate or its equivalent’ means (a) A Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent, or Grade II Teacher’s Certificate, the City and Guilds Certificate; or (G) education up to Secondary School Certificate level; or (c) Primary Six School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent.” Per Rhodes-Vivour, JCA (P. 104) lines. 30 – 45. In the case of DIGAI V. NANCHANG (2003)

•Shittu

2 LRECN pg. 513 –546 at pg. 515 ratio 4 dealing with the requisite educational qualification for membership of a state house of assembly the Court of Appeal Jos Division held as follows: “From the provision of section 106(c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, all that is required of a member of a House of Assembly by way of educational qualification, is that he has been educated up to the School Certificate level or its equivalent. Section 318 defines what is meant by school certificate or its equivalent…A close reading and analysis of Section 106(c) and section 318 clearly shows that all that is required of a candidate for the membership of House of Assembly, is that he had attended a secondary school up to school certificate level or its equivalent. To my mind, a testimonial from secondary school showing clearly that the 1st respondent attended and completed a secondary school as prescribed in section 106 (c) of the Constitution. What is required under the law is that there must be evidence that a candidate is educated up to the school certificate level, and not that he must produce a certificate to that effect. (Pp. 542-543, paras G-D)”. On whether the candidate need possess such school certificate to be eligible to contest, the same court held in the same ruling as follows: “I agree that since there is evidence that the 2nd respondent sat for the school certificate examination on May/June 1975, this is sufficient to satisfy the requirement of section 10(c) of the Decree. While the acquisition of sound education may be desirable to enable one discharge the functions as Chairman of Local Government Council, it is not absolutely necessary that such a person must possess a certificate to enable him function effectively.” (P. 545, paras. B-D)”. The other issue that is relevant is the person who has the burden to prove such qualification whether it is the candidate who is aspiring for such office that must show that he has passed through a secondary school or the person alleging otherwise that must show that the aspirant does not hold such qualification? The

answer to this poser was given in the case of Haske v. Mogaji (supra) where the court held on the question of onus to prove as follows: “It is both legal and logical that the mere fact that a party has pleaded in his petition that the other party is not qualified to contest an election, because he lacked the requisite educational qualification is not sufficient for the Tribunal to latch unto it and decide on it, in the absence of cogent and credible evidence of such nonqualification or disqualification being placed before the Tribunal. In the absence of evidence, such a plea in the petition ends and/or terminates with the petition”. It is clear from the foregoing that it is the person alleging non-qualification of the candidate that has the responsibility of showing by cogent/convincing evidence that such aspirant never attended any such secondary school as alleged. The foregoing analysis may have revealed the following: (a) Buhari’s eligibility to contest for the office of the president of Nigeria can only be challenged if those making the allegation can show either that he has never attended any secondary school, that he never possessed any primary school leaving certificate, that he has never served in any public service for a period of 10 years in addition to his primary school certificate or that he has never sat for any school certificate examination. It is immaterial whether he passed or failed such examination. To succeed, they must also show that he does not possess any higher qualification above the minimum requirement of secondary school certificate. In otherwords, they must show that all certificates acquired by the General in consequence of his military training at home and abroad culminating in his rising to the position of a Major-General in the Army were certificates below secondary school level or certificate. It is those making these allegations who must prove the allegations against the General. It is not the General who must show that he possesses such qualifications. The law is, ‘He who asserts must prove’. (b) The army authorities had publicly admitted that they have records of Buhari’s qualifications in their custody. The army being a public institution can furnish the Certified True Copies of Buhari’s qualifications to appropriate authorities, including INEC at the request of those making the allegations without bordering the General for such obligations. It can be said that those who have raised the issue of the General’s qualifications and eligibility may have served patriotic intentions, but they need to do more by showing through concrete, cogent, compelling and believable evidence that the General neither attended any secondary school nor possesses any primary school leaving certificate, including showing that his period of service in the army, including service as Head of State in total do not rank up to 10 years for them to succeed in their patriotic crusade. Finally, having raised the constitutional issue of qualification, no doubt an issue based campaign, those interested in taking the issue further are advised to be guided by judicial pronouncements quoted copiously above if they want to be taken seriously. However, if they are basing their conclusion on speculations not backed up with empirical evidence, it is wise to advise them to consider the issue as closed while moving to other issues in the campaign that ought to be dictated by issues and not sentiments.

Abuja varsity law students, others celebrate Rhodes-Vivour

•From left: Justice Inyang Okoro, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice Rhodes-Vivour, Justice Mary Peter-Odili and Justice Kunai Akoabo at the event.

T was not a crowd, but an assemblage of quality minds. It was the gathering of some of the nation’s best in the legal profession and some youths, who aspire after them. The event - a book launch and public lecture – held last Thursday in Abuja by some Law students of the University of Abuja, was

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

intended to celebrate the intellectual accomplishments of Justice Olabode RhodesVivour of the Supreme Court, and his contributions to the nation’s judicial system. Titled: ‘’The state of the Nigerian nation: Leadership crisis, terrorism, corruption and peace building,’’ the event, however, pro-

vided a platform for a frank analysis of the many ills plaguing the nation. Speakers identified impunity, avarice, corruption and bad leadership as the main contributors to the nation’s stunted growth. They contended that a solution lies in the people’s resolve to confront theses vices rather than complain about them. In attendance were Justices of the Supreme

Court, Justices John Fabiyi, Kayode Ariwoola, Mary Peter Odili, Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs and John Okoro; Justices of the Court of Appeal,Tajiani Abukakar, and Adeniyi Ademola; Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court and former Justice Minister and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Kanu Agabi (SAN). Also at the event were former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Damian Dodo (SAN), J. O. Olatoke (SAN), Joe Agi (SAN) and former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye. Speakers praised the honouree. Olanipekun described him as “one of the very best that our profession has produced; one of the very best that is adorning our country’s Bench”. •Continued on page 28

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

LAW & SOCIETY Abuja law students, others celebrate Rhodes-Vivour •Continued from page 27

•Chris Uba

•Mu’Azu

•INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega

Twenty-Five days to next month’s elections, a lawyer Emenike Nwagwu examines the crises rocking Anambra State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over choice of candidates, the roles of individuals and institutions vis-a-vis the Constitution, Electoral Act and the PDP Constitution. He calls for an urgent resolution of the matter in the interest of the rule of law and our democracy.

Senatorial race: Did Uba violate Electoral Act?

HIEF Chris Uba’s roles in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his romance with Independent National electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary to achieve his political objectives is a matter of concern to all. At the outset of this democratic experiment in 1999, Uba was hardly known in political circles as a strong force, not even in Anambra State where he hails from. It is believed that his elder brother, Senator Andy Uba, then a Senior Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, brought Chief Chris Uba to political limelight. Chief Chris Uba has become a political force that neither Senator Andy Uba, Anambra State, its people and the Judiciary are spared from his attacks depending on the which political divide one finds himself. From the 2003 National Assembly elections when Chris Uba first experimented with his own list of candidates alongside that of the PDP in Anambra State, the state has never had one list of candidates for elections till date. It has always been the PDP list against the list of Chris Uba. The existence of such parallel list of candidates in Anambra State PDP in 2003 produced such cases as Uba v Ukachukwu and Ukachukwu v. Uba which consumed the career of many Justices of the Court of Appeal,including Justice Okechukwu Opene (JCA). The cases of Abana v. Obi, Enemuo v. Duru as well as that of Hon. Jerry Ugokwe that took an appeal to the ECOWAS Court of Justice as a ploy to buy more time, all emanated from Chief Uba’s action. By the time the curtain was drawn on the elections of 2003 and its related cases, not less than four judges both at the High Court and the Court of Appeal had lost their jobs as a result of their conducts in the cases in which Chris Uba had interest... In the primaries that led to the Governorship election of 2013 in Anambra, Chris Uba reenacted his act when he took his brother and Governorship aspirant, Senator Andy Uba to conduct their own primary election at a different location while the rest of the aspirants were at another properly designation venue participating in a lawful primary election under the supervision of Governor Shema of Katsina State duly designated by the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) for that purpose. The outcomes of the parallel primaries were subject matters of litigation that ended at the Supreme Court. Just as in Emeka v. Okadigbo, Lado v. C.P.C and others, the Supreme Court pronounced that Senator Andy Uba did not participate in the primary election conducted by the PDP and would not have won such a primary election in which he did not contest and can, therefore, not become the candidate of PDP in the said election. Comrade Tony Nwoye was declared nominated as the candidate of the party in that election. It would have been expected that Chris Uba and his collaborators would have learnt a lesson from their selfish acts and the subsequent judgment of court that kept Senator Andy Uba out of an election he would have likely won to become the Governor of Anambra State. It seems, however, that the lessons of that great event was lost on the self-styled “war Lord”. Again, when the whistle was blown for the

primary election to nominate the candidates of the PDP for the National Assembly election to be held in this year, the PDP and Chris Uba went their divergent ways. At all the dates of the primaries, Chris Uba purported to have conducted his own primaries at separate venues from that conducted by the NEC of PDP, not many people took Chief Chris Uba serious as it was believed by many that he would soon fizzle out, but a new twist attended the whole saga on Wednesday, January 14, this year, when it was confirmed that the INEC had published the ‘list’ submitted to it by Chief Uba as the list of PDP candidates for the National and State Assembly elections in Anambra as against the authentic list of candidates of PDP submitted by the National Chairman and Secretary of the party, which is a product of a lawful exercise, a result of party primaries conducted under the supervision of the party. Not a few people have been dumbfounded at seeing this direct affront on democracy. The people of Anambra, particularly, the PDP family has since then been thrown into great wonder, amazement and mourning. The question on every lip is: “What went wrong with our legal order as to hand the people of Anambra and their rights to choose their leaders over to Chris Uba”? The INEC has a ready defence for publishing the said Chris Uba’s list of candidates. According to INEC, it is obeying what was termed a judgment of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which had declared in November, last year that the tenure of one Ejike Oguebego was subsisting as the chairman of PDP in Anambra. It further declared that it was only the list of candidates produced by the said state executives of PDP in Anambra that should be accepted and published by the INEC and no other. If the said judgment is couched as it is rumoured, then INEC may be justified in publishing the Chris Uba list of candidates because a judgment, no matter how perverse, stands until it is set aside on appeal. However, it is worrisome that among the reasons given for the acceptance of the Chris Uba list of candidates is that it was the primaries conducted by Chris Uba and Ejike Oguebego that INEC officials monitored. If one understands the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) on the monitoring of political party activities, it is the national leadership of the party and not its state chapter that relates with INEC on political party activities. How did INEC prefer to monitor the primaries conducted by Ejike Oguebego and Chris Uba and failed to monitor the one conducted by the NEC of PDP through its National Working Committee?

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It is instructive that the INEC has not treated the rest of the 35 state chapters of the PDP as it treated the Oguebego and Chris Uba-led state chapter in Anambra, if the Commission had done that, it would have ended up dealing with 37 political parties in PDP alone. What if it had applied the same yard stick to every political party, the result would have been unimaginable. As for the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the matter is still subjudice and would have been decided if not for the industrial action embarked upon by Judiciary workers. However, interested Nigerians have found it difficult to believe that a court of law that ruled last October that one Kenneth Emeakayi was the state Chairman of PDP, Anambra and that his tenure elapsed in that month could turn in another breadth and rule that Oguebego is the Chairman of the same PDP, in the state, that his tenure is subsisting. Unless there is a provision in the relevant laws of the party under which the two purported chairmen held office concurrently or that Oguebego was elected after the tenure of Emeakayi elapsed in October,2014, then the said judgments of the same court are irreconcilable and ought to be re-examined thoroughly. Assuming without conceding that the tenure of Oguebego is still subsisting, an examination of the PDP Constitution and Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), as well as the guidelines for PDP primaries reveals that it is not the state chapter of a political party, rather it is the NEC that conducts primary election to nominate the candidates of that party. Time is ticking away on the Anambra saga. On December 15, last year, the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Mu’azu wrote a letter to the chairman of INEC restating to him the obvious fact that it was the candidates on the list of candidates submitted to INEC, signed by the National Chairman and Secretary of the party as approved by the PDP NEC through its National Working Committee (NWC) that are authorised to stand for elections on the platform of the party. What would happen if this empasse is not resolved before the next month’s elections is yet to be imagined. Head or tail, the relevant institutions, including the PDP, INEC and the Judiciary have all contributed in one way or the other to encourage Chris Uba in his democratic activities. It is these same institutions that would put him in permanent check otherwise the said activities are heating up the polity and are challenging the foundations of our democratic experiment seriously.

Head or tail, the relevant institutions, including the PDP, INEC and the Judciary have all contributed in one way or the other to encourage Chris Uba in his democratic activities. It is these same institutions that would put him in permanent check otherwise the said activities are heating up the polity

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Olanipekun, who praised organisers of the event for their effort, said it was one of the best ways to honour an individual who has given his all to the administration of justice. He said he had known Justice Rhodes-Vicour in the early 70s as an undergraduate at the University of Lagos, noting that the Justice has “quintessential and recondite” personality. He said: “Nobody is remembered for the extent to which he acquired material wealth while on earth, but for the good you did. You can only be remembered through what has been written and said about you.” Justice Fabiyi, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, said he had been unable to see the CJN since the courts were shut by Judiciary workers, who have been on strike since January 5 to force the Executive (both at the federal and state levels) to obey a judgment given on January 13, 2014 by a Federal High Court in Abuja. Fabiyi, who seemed uncomfortable with the Executive’s reluctance to obey court orders, observed that the election period was when the Judiciary requires more prayers to enable it handle the post-election litigation challenges. “We are trying all our possible best to keep this nation afloat. And we know that many of you are praying for us in time like this. In the next six weeks, we will see what happens,” he said. Agabi, who gave the keynote address, expressed concern about the growing disrespect for law and order. He praised the judiciary for sustaining the country, but advised judicial officers to always resist efforts to tempt them to betray their out of office. He contended that as against the belief, the Judiciary is not corrupt, but it is imperfect. He argued that the allegation of corruption is intended to discourage the Judiciary, because it serves as the country’s only hope of continued existence. Agabi regretted the practice where government and leaders deliberately ignore court judgments and orders, arguing that such practice was not healthy for the nation that seeks to grow its democracy on the principles of law and order, and rule of law. “Those in authorities must always remind themselves that they will die one day and give account of their deeds. We have reached a point where corruption permeated every department of our national life, so that we all became corrupt. We all have to repent. “A time is never going to come when we shall legitimize corruption or violence; a time is never going to come when we shall abolish the law and the courts. We belong to a nation, some of whose citizens are seeking immortality in the things that are perishable. You judges have the unique privilege of immortalising yourselves now that you are judging. That is what you do when you commit them to writing. “Generations upon generations forever, shall condemn Pontius Pilate, who declared that he found no guilt in Christ, but nevertheless, sentenced him to death. That is the fate that awaits those judges who succumb,” Agabi said. Justice Rhodes-Vivour frowned at the continued condemnation of the identified ills of the society, particularly corruption; but with people reluctant to confront the vices. He said what was needed for the country to exit the woods, was for everyone to resolve to work for a better society. He waived aside the anxiety being expressed over the next general election, assuring that the Judiciary will not fret, as it was capable of handling whatever the outcomes turns out to be. “Anytime anybody stands up to speak, what he says is that this one is corrupt, that one is corrupt. I always say; nothing new is being said. If you read Genesis, chapter six, verse 12 in the Bible, God said the whole world was corrupt. That, man has corrupted the world. That was then. And now, we are still saying this is corrupt, that is corrupt. “What we should do is to gather together and try to reduce corruption. I think it is high time we start addressing how to reduce corruption instead of reminding ourselves that this or that is corrupt. Let us think of ways to reduce it. “The whole country is wondering what this election will be like, whether the country could handle it. I think we will handle it easily. As far as the judiciary is concerned, we are waiting for whatever comes from the election with pleasurable anticipation.

Newspaper of the Year

AN 8-PAGE PULLOUT ON NORTHERN STATES

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

PAGE 29

Anniversary durbar for Emir of Zaria •PAGE 31

Farmers’ feast in Plateau •PAGE 31

•CSWs at work

Who will keep 16-year-olds off oldest profession?

So close to city, so far from growth •PAGE 33

There is hardly anything anybody can do to stop prostitution, but perhaps it is not late to rescue teenage commercial sex workers (CSWs) in a Lokoja hotel. JAMES AZANIA reports

T may well be the oldest profession but what society likes its 16-year-olds in the trade? Decent minds are worried that in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, girls in their mid teens are knocking off older women in commercial sex work. The reporter stumbled on this thriving industry on a ride with a friend to the mechanic’s workshop in the Phase II Housing Estate area of the confluence city. A constant stream of human traffic went in and out of a brown bungalow located a little behind a mechanic’s workshop not too far from the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) worship centre. On the other side of the road is a big sign pointing towards the Nostalgia Hotel. Right in the middle of the city is a thriving racket of teenage prostitution. Lokoja temperature, that afternoon, stood at a burning 34 degrees, while young girls, mostly of school age, were busy in the hotel as sex workers. It is worrisome that girls that young are in the trade, but per-

‘The bowel of the hotel looks like the main bowl of a stadium. It is alluringly cool, contrasting sharply with the searing heat outside. On this afternoon, young boys sat on settees adorning one side of the covered corridors. With bottles of beer before them, they played games, accompanied by buxom young girls’ haps even more disturbing that most of them seem to be of Tiv extraction. Who will rescue the girls? Will Sev-Av Foundation, the non-governmental organisation owned by wife of Benue State governor, Mrs. Yemisi Dooshima Suswan take up the challenge? The bowel of the hotel looks like the main bowl of a stadium. It is alluringly cool, contrasting sharply with the searing heat outside. On this afternoon, some young boys sat around on comfortable

settees adorning one side of the covered corridors. With bottles of beer before them, they engaged themselves in games, accompanied by some quite buxom young girls. Clutching a big red diary in his right hand, the reporter looked quite out of place. Looking towards the bar and away from the penetrating eyes all around him, he requested for a bottle of malt. Not available, the bar tender replied. The bar, however, had enough

beer in stock, to which the reporter declined, saying that he preferred to reserve beer for later in the day. The game went on, with too many empty beer bottles of beer for a midday show. Meanwhile, skimpily-clad ladies went in or emerged from one room after another. The reporter stood out like a sore thumb. Not only was he garbed in native attire, his age was also way off that of the youngsters loafing around the hotel. How about a try, the reporter reasoned, moving straight towards the bar and mumbling an introduction to a girl standing by. The teenager hesitated a little before giving her name. A conversation ensued. “Why the place dull like this now?” the reporter inquired in broken English. No response. “Na because na afternoon? I no know this joint before, but I like am,” he pushed further, hoping to hear something. •Continued on page 30

Minister promises better health sector

•PAGE 34

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NORTH REPORT •Continued from page 29

“If you come towards evening, e dey full,” she replied, finally. “So, if I come like six for evening time e dey alright?” “If you like.” “Yes, I like am but na you I for like come see, because I dey shy small, and as I don know you my problem don solve. She lightened up a little and we managed to exchange phone numbers. Over time I began to assimilate the intricate web in which this 19-year-old worked. I learned mainly from her the rationale, the excuses, the allure, the pains and some of the compelling reasons that drive the trade. As it turned out, she was already a mother of two female toddlers. She got to realise I was not going to play ball the usual way her patrons did, but I probably made up by giving her money occasionally for the information she divulged and acquaintance we had fostered. A Tiv from Vandekya Local Government Area of Benue State, she dropped out of school at 16 when she got impregnated by another schoolmate. The boy, who it turned out fathered her two children was to later put up with her and the mother under whose roof she was put in the family way, before the mother could no longer afford to cater for all of them. The boy-father left. She too left, while her mother looked after the two toddlers in Otukpo. My friend looked forward to a better future. According to her, most of those plying their trade at the hotel ended up there on friends’ advice in the hunt for the good life. “We know ourselves,” she said. “Some are friends from the village, some from school. Others come like that. Things are not easy in our place and you are not free to operate (like here) where people don’t know you. There is action here because men like the girls; they are young, some girls are 16 and the men like to come, even big men send for us.” Iyhonde (not real name) is another resident prostitute, whose story is slightly different. She claimed to be a student at a nearby higher institution and did not intend to remain in the trade for “too long”. Her account of studying could not be corroborated.

•Lokoja

Who will keep 16-year-olds off oldest profession? My friend, the mother of two, winced when I related this to her. “Na so dem dey talk,” she sniffed. The reporter gathered that the hotel management knows exactly how to keep the business going. The trick? Youth. Only teenagers work there. The manager seems to have a knack for spotting resident CSWs who no longer promote the unwritten ethos of the hotel and keep them out. A source told the reporter: “Go ask, no ashewo dey stay here for long and none of them dey pass 20 years for age. When manager see that kind thing wan happen, he know wetin to do. I never see that ashewo. Better make that one go Central (another hotel)”. Findings revealed that the proprietor of the hotel where our friend and others ply their trade runs at least three other such outlets in the state capital and has another in Kabba. A psychologist at the Kogi State Polytechnic, Mrs Abigail Modupe Rowland said poverty is one reason young people go into prostitution. One of them is poverty, but she argued that financial challenges should not be a licence for unsavoury acts. She said, “There is this Yoruba proverb that says do not forget the child of whom you are. Many of them want to do things that are

‘Some of them might not be from broken homes but their parents might be too strict. When children enter adolescent stage, the parents or guardians and even school should be careful the way they handle them’ above their financial power. They want to do what others who are more financially buoyant are doing, and mixing up with friends who advise them to fulfill their desires by pairing up with men and these men don’t give anything for free. So, you can see this poverty I am talking about is linked with our value system. “Broken homes can also cause these behaviours. Maybe, they are from single parents and these children are frustrated and confused. Once the mother and father are no more together the strong force of parenting is lacking. “In some cases none of the parents is even there... In broken homes there is no more love; there

is visible hatred and it is the children that suffer much of the consequence. Some of the girls become angry and say what is this? I will do what I like; I own myself. “Some of them might not be from broken homes but their parents might be too strict. When children enter adolescent stage, the parents or guardian and even school should be careful the way they handle them. “In psychology it is called a period of ‘storm and stress’; this is because of what the parents and the children experience. These children want to be free at these periods because they are maturing; all the sexual components. They might be sexually mature but not financially or spiritually. They now refer to their parents as Old School, so this now calls for understanding and diplomacy in the way you handle

them. You don’t just give orders. Maybe he or she wants to go for party and you say the way you dress… no. He or she might go and not even come back, so you have to calm down and dialogue with the child, reason things and highlight likely consequences together. Put these things to the child, the pros and cons and you will see that the child will eventually reason with the parents, but if you say I have already given my own instruction, the child might even go out and not come back”. No matter the negative traits our children might have or exhibit we should stay close to them. We should always be good examples to them because the children are watching those things we do; the things we wear. “Prostitution has great effect on them. Some sustain injuries; they go through pelvic pains, there could be damage to the reproductive health which will in life lead to pains, hatred and bitterness. There is HIV/AIDS and some get pregnant no matter what they do and many seek abortion. Some of them live in bitterness all through their lives. Most of them are not even happy with what they are doing. “In some cases it leads to selfmutilation, some even become mentally deranged. To prevent it or at least reduce the tendency parents have a great role to play.” Another expert, a sociologist at the Kogi State Polytechnic, Mr. Olorunfemi Olusegun threw more light on the phenomenon as being witnessed in the state capital. He said, “Let us start from the socio-pathological angle to it. It is rightly said that some set of people are more into it. When you talk of the pathological aspect, it has to do with the cultural and it could be biological. You know we normally circumcise women in parts of this world. They say they don’t want them to be wayward and so they clip up part of their private parts. This could be responsible and some of these girls could end being loose, they don’t see it as anything and a man cannot satisfy some of them. They don’t know how to control it and they go haywire. It might be one of the reasons why we are experiencing prostitution in this country, not necessarily because of the money, but definitely she will have to survive too. Olusegun called on government, parents and institutions to fight teenage prostitution together, saying it bodes no good for the already delicate situation the country has found itself.

200 women trained in Kebbi N

•Doemak community

O fewer than 200 women have been engaged by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Kebbi State to make shoes, bags and shea nut processing, among other skills. Speaking during the flag-off of the training at the conference hall of the School of Nursing, Birnin Kebbi, Director General of the NDE, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, said the aim of the training was to reduce the number of unemployed women in the state particularly those who lost their husband or parents. He said the trainees would spend two weeks after which the directorate would help to start them up. Mohammed noted that the fin-

From Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

ished products of the trainees would be exposed at markets and exhibitions. The director general, represented by Assistant Director in charge of Women Employment, Malama Aisha Ibrahim, said the NDE had trained over 990 women in the country to make shoes and bags. The NDE Coordinator of Kebbi State, Alhaji Mohammed Zogirma said the beneficiaries were drawn from different locations in the state.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NORTH REPORT

Anniversary durbar for Emir of Zaria T

HE Emir preferred a quiet anniversary owing to the security challenges in the nation. What he got instead was quite different. Dignitaries streamed into Zaria or Zazzau, its older name. Among them were high-profile government functionaries and guests from outside Kaduna State, to say nothing of thousands of local folks. Trumpeters, drummers, praise singers, among other performers, gave a good account of their callings. To top it off was an elaborate durbar, that age-old feast of horses and athletic riders reserved for highprofile occasions. It was Alhaji

‘The Emir’s reign has promoted peace and unity which, in turn, facilitated development in the Kaduna State. The Emir’s contribution in the state cannot be undermined, necessitating improved security and understanding among the people’

From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

Shehu Idris’ day, his 40th year as Emir of Zazzau. Alhaji Idris is the 18th Fulani to reign over the kingdom after succeeding Alhaji Muhamadul Aminu in the Katsinawa dynasty. He was crowned on February 8, 1975 by Brigadier Abba Kyari, the then military governor of the North Central State. The colourful feast attracted senior traditional title holders who came with the full complement of palace courtiers and performers. The Federal Government was fully represented at the event by Vice President Namadi Sambo who described the Emir’s reign as 40 years of blessings, stressing the need for people of the Emirate to continue to live in

•Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III (left); Governor Ramalan Yero (middle) and the Emir, Alhaji Shehu Idris

peace. While congratulating the Emir for attaining 40 years on the throne, Sambo attributed the success recorded by the emirate to patience, fairness, justice and truthfulness, adding that he was not surprised by the achievements of the Emir, considering his background as a teacher and spiritual leader. Kaduna State Governor

Mukthar Yero said the Emir’s reign has promoted peace and unity, which in turn facilitated development in the state. Yero said, the Emir’s contribution in the unprecedented growth in the state cannot be undermined, necessitating improved security and understanding among the people and assured that Kaduna State government will continue to

uphold its agenda of providing enabling environment for peace to lead. While saying that, his government will not relent in its efforts towards ensuring security of lives and property in the state, as well as creating opportunity for the economy to grow, he reiterated his administration’s resolve to keep improving the living standards of the people, through profession of basic infrastructural amenities. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III called on the people to remain united, asking traditional and religious leaders to lead by example and also have the fear of God in everything they do. The sultan further appealed for wise voting in the forthcoming general elections, so as to elect credible leaders that will take the nation to a great height and urged Nigerians not allow a repeat of the 2011 post-election violence, saying “We must stand up at all cost to be with our people and we must say no to selfish politicians. Remember, Islam hinges on peace, justice, equity and fairness to all, therefore, as Emirs we must promote such attitudes. There can never be peace without justice, equity and fairness”. •Continued on page 32

•The durbar

Farmers’ feast in Plateau T

•Elderly Doemak performers at the event

HE Long Doemak or traditional head lifted a calabash of burukutu, poured some of the local brew on the ground and prayed the land to yield its best in the new season. He looked upwards and asked the heavens for a good measure of rain and sunshine necessary for a bountiful harvest. He also prayed against untimely death. He took a sip and passed it round. Food and drinks were served next and the Doemak in Quan-Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State launched into their annual fiesta. It was as much a thanksgiving session for last season’s yield as it was a prayer for a better harvest this time. The state is home to hundreds of ethnic groups who preserve their culture through annual feasts. Some of the numerous tribes and ethnic groups include Berom, Ngas, Tarok, Ankwei, Ganawuri, Jarawa, Anaguta, Rukuba, Irigwe, Amo, Jukun, Fulani, Mwaghavul,

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

Mushere, Ron, Kukere, Tal, Mupun, Piem, Meriam, Doemak, Kwala, Boghom, Bwall among others. This was exactly what the Doemak people of Quan-Pan Local Government did during the Christmas period when they rolled out the drums to song, dance, ate and drank as if there will be no tomorrow. Doemak people are of the Pan Chiefdom and remain the largest dialect in the Chiefdom. The other major Chiefdom in the local government is the Quan Chiefdom. The event tagged ‘Pit Jepsual’ meaning ‘Doemak Day’ was put together by Doemak Youth Development Association, with the Long Doemak who is the traditional head of the Doemak People, Cosmos Ndelong Dakyap performing the traditional rites to launch the festivities. •Continued on page 32

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NORTH REPORT

•Youths at a local delicacy stand •Continued from page 31 Prior to the day, women in the chiefdom are asked to prepare the local beer which is the first item needed for libation. As soon as the traditional leader performed the necessary rituals, dancers stepped into the open circle to display some of the foot work that has kept the people looking forward to the next feast. There was traditional wrestling too followed by hours of eating and drinking. The second day witnessed more activities as the people re-converged at the village square to witness the display of various traditional dancers. The various clans under the chiefdom came out with their own dancers. Besides the contents of the cultural festivities, the annual festi-

•Continued from page 31

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) describing the Emir as as an advocate of peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians within his domain irrespective of tribe, religion and equally involve all in the traditional affairs of Zazzau emirate. National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Muhammad Ibrahim, said in a congratulatory message that “ACF is proud of the exemplary leadership quality and

•Local hunters at the Durbar

•Doemak youths paying homage to their traditional ruler

Farmers’ feast in Plateau val brings together the people especially those in the Diaspora, some of them not seeing one another since they left home to the city for greener pastures. The day was also significant because it kept the people in touch with their culture and traditions. The feast, The Nation gathered, had not held for 18 years due to what was described as a disagreement among the stakeholders. They were said to have been divided along political lines. They have ironed out their differences. Doemak people are the descendants of Dafyar who migrated from Kwararafa Kingdom due to Chieftaincy problem in his family. Dafyar is said to have fathered 14 sons, among them Yimpang who

‘The essence of these initiatives is to unite all sons and daughters of Doemak land and Pan chiefdom as it used to be, and to also keep our cultural values and the tradition alive, so that other generations coming up will appreciate our culture and traditions better’ gave birth to a set of twin boys, Daman and Dajin. The rich cultural activities which

herald the day have always been a unifying factor among the Doemak and Pan chiefdom.

The chairman of the association, Mr Datoes Titus said, “The essence of these initiatives is to unite all sons and daughters of Doemak land and Pan Chiefdom as it used to be”. And to also keep our cultural values and the tradition alive, so that other generation coming up will appreciate our culture and traditions better.” Guest speaker, Hon Paul Damar in his paper, said, “It is only when we turn to our cultural values that we will build a nation that embraces all that lives in it”. He also bemoaned the fact that youths now bear arms and cause havoc as members of Boko Haram, cultists and militants. He praised the Doemak youths for organising the feast, saying they have proved to be leaders indeed. Paul urged that the Doemak Day should be allowed to die.

Anniversary durbar for Zaria Emir humility of the Emir in promoting peace and harmony in the emirate and across the country. He is also known as an advocate of peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians within his domain irrespective of tribe, religion and equally involve all in the traditional affairs of Zazzau emirate. Zazzau emirate in the last 40

years under Alhaji Dr. Shehu Idris has witnessed tremendous progress in the areas of education, agriculture, commerce and general socioeconomic development. The Emir is a bridge builder whose influence transcends the boundaries of Kaduna State to other parts of Nigeria. His inter-

est and respect to the rich cultural heritage of the traditional institution promoted its royalty and elegance to the admiration of all Nigerians and foreigners especially the beautiful Durbar display during the Sallah celebrations. It is in view of these achievements that ACF hereby congratulates the Emir of Zazzau HRH Alhaji Dr. Shehu Idris on his 40th anniversary on the throne and wish him good health and more fruitful years of service to Zazzau emirate and Nigeria in general.ý” Albany Shehu Idris was full of appreciation for that good will messages and accolades showered on him. He was also full of appreciation to past Governors of Kaduna State for their support and cooperation toward the development of the emirate in particular and state at large anHe admonished Nigerians to em-

brace one another and always preach peace to pave way for sustainable growth and development. Under the Emir, Zazzau Emirate has recorded both political and socio economic development. Alhaji Aminu Shehu, the Turakin Zazzau and also the eldest son of the Emir of Zazzau, noted that the emirate became very populous with noticeable changes in education and agricultural sector of the economy. He said also that the emirate is blessed to have institutions like premier university of Ahmadu Bello University situated in the area, the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA,) the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the Nigeria Army Depot and Nigerian Military School (NMS). Others are Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Electricity Meter Company (EMCON).

‘The Emir is a bridge builder whose influence transcends the boundaries of Kaduna State to other parts of Nigeria. His interest and respect for the rich cultural heritage of the traditional institution promoted its royalty and elegance to the admiration of all Nigerians and foreigners especially the beautiful Durbar display during the Sallah celebrations’

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

•A collapsed part of the school block built by the community chief

APE community is about 15km drive from the Central Business District. That means pretty little to its over 4,000 residents. Why? They lack almost everything they need. There is no health facility. Nor is there water fit for drinking. That is not all. There is no police post either. Until 2013, Dape had no primary school, let any institution higher than that. The primary school, which came in 2013 being the only evidence of government presence in the district, has just one block of three classrooms. After its opening of on November 1, 2013, the pupils have been studying under the worst possible conditions. The school boasts neither toilet facilities nor a fence. Primary1 pupils have no classroom. Primary Four, Five and Six pupils make do with a single classroom. One more room accommodates two other classes, while crèche kids occupy the third room.

Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com

Inset: Dape traditional ruler Chief James Diko

So close to city, so far from growth From Olugbenga Adanikin

When Abuja Review visited the school, a teacher was busy instructing pupils on the corridor of one of the classrooms. The children sat on benches while their teacher scrawled away on a make-shift board held in by some wooden materials. Apparently, if there were to be a giant tree in the school environment, the pupils would have opted for it. It was gathered that efforts were made by the Head Teacher, LEA Primary School, Dape, Mrs. Martha Aboki-Zhawa and the

‘A teacher was busy instructing pupils on the corridor of one of the classrooms. The children sat on benches while their teacher scrawled away on a make-shift board held in by some wooden materials. Apparently, if there were to be a giant tree in the school environment, the pupils would have opted for it’ Parent Teacher Association (PTA) before a few seats were acquired.

Resident doctors to politicians: invest in health R

ESIDENT doctors have appealed to politicians to invest in the health sector. The doctors said politicians should give priority to the provision of excellent health infrastructure and invest more in the sector because the well-being of the populace depends on it. President of the association in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Dr. Isaac Akerele made the call at a news briefing on the implementation of the consolidated salary structure in Abuja. Akerele said : “Politicians should take the agenda of health very important. Health for all Ni-

Page 33

From Olugbenga Adanikin

gerians. Investment in health should be dear to their heart and be the first. If that will be the only thing they will focus on. “Doctors have to be de-tribalised to be a good doctor. We believe that health care should be given equally irrespective of the political parties. “He urged them to avoid travelling overseas for treatment that could be provided locally. Speaking on their welfare, the

ARD disclosed that the Federal Capital erritory Authority (FCTA) is yet to implement the new consolidated salary structure for the association. He urged the FCT Minister to hasten implementation of the new structure to adequately cater for their welfare. “Our arrears must be paid before the end of January to douse tension of medical workers especially the resident doctors before end of January,” Akerele added.

During another visit to the community, the residents appealed to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for help. The residents, through their traditional ruler, Chief James Ibrahim Diko, said he made several efforts to draw the attention of the authorities to the needs of his people. While help tarried, the community head built another block of two classrooms, using whatever resources he could find. A section of the uncompleted classrooms fell due to paucity of funds and materials. Diko said he had solicited support from the Senator representing Federal Capital Territory, Senator Philip Adudah but no result yet. He emphasised that if the government could not provide anything else, it should at least, support the community with school infrastructures to protect the pupils,

especially during learning hours. “I took over as traditional ruler of Dape District barely seven years ago but there was nothing to show as government presence. So I had to rise up to the challenges and did some follow-ups. An English adage says the mouth that closes is the one that smells. As you can see, we got connected to power barely three years ago. By the grace of God, we have just three classrooms for the school, which is not enough for our population. That is the only government presence here. “I applied for pipe-borne water, no response yet, so it’s an individual that is running the business. applied for health centre, no answer yet. I applied for a police post, I had to start building it myself; it is barely at the roof level now. We have just a single transformer so I wrote to Senator Philip Adudah to support the community with another.” The traditional ruler continued, “Basically, education is the bedrock for socio-economic development of any nation. Without education no society can develop and you won’t have communicated with me. By the time you have that knowledge, you will be able to analyse, ascertain and address groups of people or individuals. “So I plead to government to •Continued on page 34

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NORTH REPORT

So close to city, so far from growth •Continued from page 33

add more to the block of classrooms and fence the school. That is the most important priority because ofthe security challenges in the country. Others can then follow. We can evenassist government as I’m doing. I was building two blocks but because offinance problem, I could not complete it and one side fell. I’m trying my bestto assist the government so government can also assist us.” “Presently, there is no health centre here. It’s either we go to Gwarinpa General Hospital or private hospitals. There is no government borehole or tap. What you see here are boreholes run by individuals,” he added. The head teacher emphasised the need for more classrooms. As

for her, there is urgent need to address the situation considering the increasing population of the pupils. She lamented lack of toilet facilities, perimeter fencing and security measures to protect both teachers and pupils. Although, efforts were made to the AMAC Education Secretariat, through the Secretariat Head of Department (HOD) for Works described as Mr. Shedrack. However, likely interventions were promised for the school in 2014 to be implemented this year. “I was in LEA, Jabi when transfer came with promotion to head this school. When I came in, there was no single infrastructure. There was no teacher, no chair, no desks even teachers’ desk. I was only managing it the way I could. I had to employ three teachers paying them through my

•A police post being built by the traditional ruler

•Pupils writing without desks at the community school

salary. If they pay me, I will pay them until last year second term, they gave me two teachers from LEA and two from federal teachers. “I have written twice to the education secretary through the HOD, Works and they promised to do something but we are still waiting. The benchand desks were provided by personal efforts and the PTA,” AbokiZhawa. Master Taiwo Basset, a Primary Six pupil expressed dissatisfaction over lack of toilet facilities in the school. Little Basset said it was unhygienic for the school to run without toilet facilities. “We need toilets and classes and teachers because we are just managing here,” he solicited. In a lighter mood, the tradi-

tional ruler urged residents to observe traditions of the community. As for him, civilisation has eroded someof the norms and value systems. “Years then, our fathers do have festivals theydo celebrate annually. Like Kakaje, Mamaje, Aboli even Jimaje and the rest butdue to civilisation, youths don’t even like to engage in them. I don’t know whymaybe they think they are advanced or civilised.” However, the onlyrepercussion as observed by the district head is the production of low harvest. Otherwise, farmers who observe the festival do have bountiful proceeds. When Abuja Review contacted LEA AMAC Education Secretary,Mrs. Grace Adayilo, she expressed commitment to at-

tend to the situation, addingthat it would take a gradual process to meet all the need. She said the school was newly established to ensure everycommunity in the territory has a primary school.”The school is new and Rome was never built in a day. We created the school to relieve children from going to karmo. We have almost 150primary schools in AMAC and before I came in, it was 140. We even thank God there is a structure there. It is the commitment of the authorities to ensureall communities have a school of their own. “Aside, I am not in in charge of capital projects. It is only Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) that is in charge,” Adayilo added.

Minister promises better health sector

•Dr. Alhassan

HE Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan has said Nigerians will access better and improved health care this year because the Yayale committee set up to look into all the conflicts and grievances of workers have concluded its assignment, and also the passage of the Health Bill will be fully implemented. Fielding questions from reporters in Abuja, Dr Alhassan said: “We are happy to announce that the committee has already submitted its white paper, a

By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha

report we are confident will resolve most of the tensions in the sector and hopefully we will not experience any strike this year. The Health bill, which is now a Law will fly due to the various policies that were launched during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan to improve health services in the country.” He said, “ We know we still have a lot to do to ensure that our health sector is recognised as one

•Pupils studying on the corridor of the only classroom block in the only school in Dape community, FCT

‘We know that various financial experts have predicted that hard times are ahead for the country, we are already working with all our stakeholders to see how we can adjust our projections to aid us in planning better’ of the best in the world, but we are on track and are putting in place the right mechanism to move the sector forward. “With team work we eradicated Ebola which is still ravaging other African countries, we worked together with all health stakeholders at all levels of government to eliminate this from our shores. This is the kind of team spirit we are working to restore in the sector, one that is patient based and centered. Presently we have sent medical personnels to other countries to assist them battle Ebola, which is a plus to Jonathan’s intervention”. He added that a lot of good things has happened in the sector under this dispensation, numerating them, Alhassan said, “look at the way the country has drastically reduced polio from 56 cases in 2013 to only 6 cases in 2014. We are on the way to becoming polio free and getting our certification from the WHO because we have not recorded any new polio cases for almost a

year, but we are not sitting on our oars, we have introduced various new vaccines to reduce infant diseases and deaths.” He said with the passage of the Health bill, the sector also received a boost saying, “the passage of the health bill is quite timely, because it would help in providing additional funds to the sector. This is even as oil prices has taken a down ward tip.” The minister was optimistic that the health bill would help cushion the effects of the hard times that the country will be experiencing due to the fall in oil prices. He said, “we know that various financial experts have predicted that hard times are ahead for the country, we are already working with all our stakeholders to see how we can adjust our projections to aid us in planning better. “when you talk of the reduction of maternal and infant deaths, the country has made a •Continued on page 35

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

ABUJA REVIEW

•FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed laying a wreath during the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Abuja

•From left: Vice President, China National Electric Engineering Co. Ltd, Weng Zhiming; Managing Director, Cartlark International Ltd, Princess Maryam Sola Akanmode and Minister of Power Prof. Chinedu Nebo during the Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Implementation and Execution of Transmission Lines Projects in Nigeria based on Public Private Partnership in Abuja

•From left: First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan; the newlyweds, Ine and Siemon Onyemaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan during the nuptials at the National Christian Centre in Abuja. PHOTOS: AKIN OLADOKUN

•National Coordinator, Agricultural Allied Cooperative Matters in Nigeria, Prof. Victoria Aladejobi (middle) Oyo State Coordinator, Hakeeb Alarape (left) and Business Manager, First Bank of Nigeria, Solomon Aremu at a meeting with stakeholders on accessing agric PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE loans in Abuja

•Continued from page 34

lot of improvements, we have introduced a lot of interventions both at the federal, state and local government areas to safe guard the lives of women and children”. Speaking on the intervention in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the health minister said that in 2014, the federal government launched the elimination of the mother to child transmission. “The government has already declared a zero tolerance policy to new positive babies, and this is a big commitment but we are

Minister promises better health sector determined to see it through. We also intend to test more Nigerians and also put much more persons on drugs, these are all plans that are in top gear, a distortion in the plan might not augur well for the country.” He called on Nigerians to cast their votes towards continuity and retain the Jonathan led government so as to reap the benefits of policies and strategies already on ground.

On Malaria, Alhassan said that because of the huge funds lost to malaria, the government is investing heavily on preventive measures to curb the spread of the diseases. He said, “more people will receive mosquito nets, massive distributions of the nets will be done nationwide as well as introducing other preventive measures like spraying of the environment to kill the lavas among others. We

•Magajin Garin Zazzau, Malam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, led on a horse ride during the Durbar marking the 40th anniversary of the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, in Zaria

have gone quite far in our plans to reposition the health sector, and I believe having a government that already understands the policies will go a long way in helping us achieve our goals. “We need continuity to sustain these policies, especially now, if you recall the government also launched the universal health coverage which is targeted at reducing out of pocket spending to the minimum. This has already started in ernest and the idea is to get a big pool that can cater for the health needs of women, children, elderly and the vulnerable persons. A lot of improvement and transformative changes are happening under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). We are not there yet but we are getting there.” On the issues of rehabilitating dilapidated hospitals and equipping them, R Alhassan said that so far most tertiary hospitals

and Primary health care centers have been refurbished to provide better health care. He said, “we are working with the peril times we find ourselves, this government recently commissioned the trauma center to handle cases of bomb blast and traumatic emergencies. Now most of our secondary and tertiary facilities are doing transplants which in the past was not possible, we are tackling the issues of medical tourism head on. Most of the surgeries sought for by patients abroad can now be done conveniently here in Nigeria, and all these are due to the commitment of President, Goodluck Jonathan. Nigerians need to exercise their votes judiciously’. On the issue of strikes and disharmony among health professionals, the minister lamented that it was quite unfortunate.

‘We are working with the peril times we find ourselves, this government recently commissioned the trauma center to handle cases of bomb blast and traumatic emergencies. Now most of our secondary and tertiary facilities are doing transplants which in the past was not possible, we are tackling the issues of medical tourism head on’

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

ABUJA REVIEW

ANUARY 10 was a day many guests at the wedding reception of the foster daughter of President Goodluck Jonathan, Inebharapu Paul, will not forget in a hurry. Not only because the President’s daughter got married that day, but because they got more than they bargained for at the International Conference Centre (ICC) venue of the reception. Some of them, who were clutching their invitation cards as they approached the gate filled with a mammoth crowd, got injured in the series of stampedes that ensued. Others lost valuable items like mobile telephone sets, handbags, shoes, wristwatches, earrings and head-ties. Some of the guests lost consciousness when policemen at the gate shot tear-gas into the air as the crowd was surging forward and attempting to force the gate open. While some of those who lost consciousness were revived in the ambulance stationed at the venue, demand for sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’ rose immediately as the guests scrambled for it to wash their faces in order to reduce the effect of the tear-gas. Villa correspondent for The Punch newspaper, Olalekan Adetayo, had is own dose of the fracas as he narrowly escaped sustaining serious injuries from the stampede. Adetayo, like other Villa correspondents, who were there to cover the reception after covering the church wedding, were stuck with the crowd. Just like many of the guests with invitation cards who could not gain entrance to the reception ceremony where the Senate President, Senator David Mark, was said to have made some remarks, many Villa correspondents could not enter the venue with their Villa tags. Some of the State Security Service (SSS) men, who knew that the journalists were there to do their jobs, tried to lead some of them, including Adetayo, through the crowd. Midway to the gate, there was a stampede. They were caught in the middle of deadly pushing from front, back and sideways. The journalists would not have made the attempt if they knew it will nearly cost them their lives. When the crowd at the back moved backwards and the stampede subsided, one samaritan had to pour ‘pure water’ on Adetayo’s head and face to help him regain himself. Undeterred, many of the guests and gate-crashers who gathered at the ICC gate as early as noon, most of whom from the wedding held at the National Christian Centre, were not tired of pushing forward for about three hours in an attempt to gain entrance. Many of them were seen holding handkerchiefs over their noses after the policemen resorted to tear-gas in order to manage the mammoth crowd. To ensure that no fatal incident was

The other side of Jonathan’s daughter’s wedding recorded at the venue, one of the soldiers standing by one of the military vans stationed by the ICC gate after sometime had to push his way through the crowd to the gate and told the policemen to stop shooting the tear-gas. The soldiers also apprehended a guy among the crowd caught stealing somebody’s mobile telephone. He was asked to kneel down by the van. So much was happening at the same time and I could not wait by the van to know how the issue was resolved at the end of the day. Around 3pm when the crowd had reduced, since a great number of them had gone back to their houses and hotel rooms, the soldiers asked the remaining crowd to stay in two straight lines with their invitation cards. After the crowd was pushed backwards from the gate, a message filtered in that the hall was filled up and no guest should be admitted anymore. That was how the latest orderly arrangement was truncated. But some of those who remained on the queue were served cans of malt drinks. Some got bottled water. In a chat, some of the guests, who had attended the wedding of another Jonathan’s daughter, Faith Sakwe in April, 2014 at the same venue, apart from kicking against the use of teargas on the guests at Inebharapu’s wedding reception on Saturday, maintained that no proper arrangement was made for guests to access the reception venue.

From the Villa By Augustine Ehikioya

According to them, not only was it easy for them to access the reception ceremony of the wedding in April, but giant canopies were stationed then at the ICC car parks to accommodate those who could not enter the oversubscribed hall. Giving reasons for the mammoth crowd at the gate and the rowdiness, one of the security personnel, speaking in confidence, said that most of the guests were not supposed to attend the reception. Even though they had the wedding invitation cards, she said that some heads of the various women groups, who thronged the reception venue, had been settled to make arrangements for entertaining their groups after the church wedding at the National Christian Centre. But some women wearing red head-ties at the reception gate said; “We are not aware of such arrange-

ment. All we know is that they brought this head-tie and invitation card to us yesterday night and the elRufai bus brought us here.”

Gym excites Villa staff, families Life, last Wednesday, was brought back to the multi-million naira State House Gym. The gym, which was almost abandoned by many staff and their families for about five months due to problems of electricity disconnection and poor water supply, has started experiencing high usage. Knowing the importance of the facilities to the health of Villa staff, the December 16 edition of this page titled ‘Challenges of keeping fit at the Villa’ was dedicated to drawing attention to the problems following complaints from some staff.

But from last Wednesday, I have received several calls from some staff appreciating the reconnection of electricity supply to the gym by the management. According to them, electricity was restored around 5 p.m. on Wednesday shortly after the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Nebolisa Emordi, led a top management team to inspect the facility. Since then, they said that many staff or registered members of their families have started trooping to the gym to shed their excess weight and keep fit. One of the staff who uses the facility, on condition of anonymity, said: “I was just driving by the gym around 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday and I saw some technicians working on the electricity transformer by the gym fence.” “By the time I was driving back around 5 p.m., I could see light on inside the gym. Since then, I have seen many staff in track suits visiting the gym.” Another staff said: “A friend called to inform me about the electricity reconnection. I went there to see things for myself the following day and I met some people burning calories on the treadmills and other machines.” “It’s a very long time I saw people turn out on weekdays in large numbers at the gym like this. This is really nice because it is not wise to allow these expensive machines to be wasting when they can be used to boost the health and fitness of staff,” he added

Security beef-up at Utako Park

S part of efforts to guarantee passengers’ safety, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has stepped up security at the Utako Central Motor Park. The Branch III chairman of the union, Alhaji Musa Abaji said the measure became necessary to check any form of insecurity. Abaji was speaking with Abuja Review during at the park. “Security is a collective responsibility,” he said. “So we are only playing our part. Anybody who comes into this park must be checked because of the bad people. So except from depending on God for protection, we should also do what is expected of us,” he said. It was observed that one of the two giant gates to the park was open while the other was under lock and key.

From Gbenga Omokhunu

Travellers and other individuals who came to the park were thoroughly checked by officials of the union. They were asked to open their car boots before allowed entry. Speaking on the election, the chairman advised all members of the union to vote at their respective centres. He said it’s a right to vote, thus the Union members have the freedom to vote for any party of their choice. According to him, commercial drivers in the park relates in unity so the union will prevent any party from campaigning in the park. “If we bring politics into the park, there will be problems. So we won’t allow anybody to come and campaign here. We don’t want any problem. We are living as a family here,” he added.

•Members, House of Reps, Sunday Adepoju, Olayemi Busari, Abiodun Awoleye and Oyetunde Ojo after the house session on budget at the National Assembly PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

LAW & SOCIETY

Court orders status quo on oil contract

USTICE Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF), and four others to maintain the status quo on the award of the multimillion dollar contract for the controversial storage and offloading unit FPSO in Egina Field within OML 130. The order will susbsist pending the determination of a suit by a lawyer, Mr. John Owubokiri. Other defendants in the suit are the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS; Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (CDMB); Samsung Heavy Industry Nigeria Limited and Total Upstream Nigeria Ltd. Justice Abang ordered the defendants to “maintain status quo ante bellum as per the plaintiff’s claims before the court, pending the determination of the motion on notice dated 19/11/2014”. He also ordered the plaintiff to serve on the attorney-general and CDMB, the writ of summons, statement of claim, list of witnesses, list of exhibits, witness statement on oath, motion on notice and all other processes in the suit out of jurisdiction of the court. The court noted that it was better

By John Austin Unachukwu

to hear the defendants before taking any decision on the issues raised by the plaintiff in the ex-parte application. Besides, the court took cognisance of the fact that since the matter was before it, parties should not do anything “that may frustrate the hearing and final determination of the suit’’. The plaintiff, Owubokiri in the suit, is asking the court to declare that the award of the contract to Samsung Heavy Industry Nigeria Limited for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the Egina FPSO is unlawful, tainted by irregularities in that NAPIMS, CDMB and Total Upstream Nigeria ignored all extant laws, regulations, directives, and guidelines guiding such awards. He also wants the court to declare that the award of the contract to Samsung Heavy Industry Nigeria for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of Egina FPSO contrary to extant laws, regulations, directives, guidelines and laid down procedure is irregular, null and void and ought to be set aside. “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from

executing, carrying out or taking any further steps pursuant to the award of the contract for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the Egina FPSO. “A mandatory order compelling NAPIMS and CDMB, to reopen the process of the award for the engineering, procurement, construction and inauguration of the Egina FPSO in accordance with the extant laws, regulations, directives, guidelines and laid down procedures as contained inter alia in the public procurement Act, NNPC Act, and the guidelines of NAPIMS.’’ The plaintiff had also prayed for an order of interim of injunction restraining the defendants either by themselves or any of their agents or privies “from continuing or taking any further action or step towards the execution of the award of the contract for engineering procurement, construction and commissioning of floating production, storage and offloading unit FPSO in the Egina Field within OML 130 (Egina FPSO Contract),’’ pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction in the suit. Owubokiri is also praying for an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants from

Attorney-General of Federation, Mohamed Bello Adoke (SAN)

Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta.

giving effect to or implementing the award of the aforesaid Egina FPSO Contract either by way of operating/ executing same in any way with Egina FPSO Contract pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction in

the suit. Further hearing was fixed for January 8, this year, but the court did not sit due to the strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). No new date has been fixed for further hearing in the matter.

UNN to honour Ekweremadu, Azinge

•Ekweremadu

HE University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) will on Sat urday confer honorary Doctorate degree (LL.D) on the Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu and Dr. Valerie Azinge as part of activities

•Dr. Azinge By John Austin Unachukwu

marking its 44 th convocation. Also to be honoured by the University are Chairman of Tetfund, D. Musa Babayo and Chief Executive Officer Seplat Petroleum

Lagos, Mr. Augustin Avuru Senator Ekweremadu is also the Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament). He was born on May 12, 1962 in Mpu, Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. He holds Bachelor of Laws ( LLB. Hons) and Master of Laws (LLM) of the UNN in addition to Leadership Certificates of the Harvard University and Oxford universities. He is a legal practitioner and was an Associate Lecturer at his alma mater, where taught Constitutional Law and Labour Law before venturing into politics. He has fulfilled all the requirements for the award of Ph.D. in Constitutional Law at the University of Abuja, having successfully defended his doctoral thesis recently. His thesis is on the legal framework, theory and practice of fiscal federalism in Nigeria. Ekweremadu have been consecutively elected into the Senate in 2003, 2007 and 2011. He is serving a second consecutive tenure

as the Deputy President of the Senate, having been unanimously elected by his colleagues in 2007 and 2011. Dr. Azinge attended Santa Maria primary School Enuge, where she obtained her primary school certificate, thereafter, she went to Queens School, Enugu where she obtained her West African School Certificate (WASC). She obtained her LL.B (Hons) from the University of Jos, she came out with Second Class upper in 1980 and was called to the Bar in 1981 after a Barrister at Law training at the Nigerian Law School. Dr. Azinge obtained her Master of Laws (LL.M) from the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science in 1984 and in 1990, she obtained a Ph.D from the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma A private legal practitioner with Azinge & Azinge Chambers, she renders consultancy services to the House of Representatives’Committee on Power, Committee on Immigration, Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP), Federal Government, Anambra and Bayelsa State governments. Mrs Azinge has attended several local and international conferences. They include: International Bar Conference London, Human Rights Conference Switzerland, International Bar Conference, Canada African Union Conference on Human Rights,United Nations General Assembly Session on Human Rights, New York, Pacific Lawyers Association Conference United States Female Lawyers Conference, Nigerian Bar Association Annual Conferences. She belongs to various professional associations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), International Bar Association, World Jurist Association Mrs Azinge, a prolific writer and fiery advocate, is the author of several books. They include: Jurisprudence of Failed Banks tribunal and Law of Broking in Nigeria. She was a Commissioner in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) - 1996-2000, Senatorial Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Delta North in 1999 and Secretary, the National Conference.

Appeal Court upholds Lagos monarch’s title

HE Onigbanko of Igbankoland, Badagry, Oba Babatunde Adekunle. Lawal, has won a major legal battle to retain his title. The Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos has dismissed an appeal seeking to set aside the title of Oba Onigbanko of Igbanko land, in Badagry Local Government Area of the state. In a unanimous judgment, Justices of the Court of Appeal, Rita Nosakharepemu, Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba and JamiuYammamaTurkur, upheld the judgment of a Lagos High Court delivered by Justice Fatai Afolabi Adeyinka (rtd) on June 27, 2002 in suit No ID/544/95. The appellants, Benjamin Olayemi Akinyele, Peter Olufunmi Adeyemi and Salami Agbajelola Ilo, had sued the Badagry Local Government Area and Oba Babatunde Adekunle Lawal before Justice Adeyinka. They sought, among others, a

By Adebisi Onanuga

declaration that the Oba Onigbanko of Igbanko land (Approval of change of title) Notice: 2 of 1995 is contrary to the recognised custom of Igbanko and Irede Communities. They prayed for an order setting aside the Oba Onigbanko of Igbanko land title. They also asked for an order restraining the Badagry Local Government and the Lagos State Government from changing the title of Onigbanko of Irede to Onigbanko of Igbanko land. The plaintiff asked for an order restraining Oba Babatunde Adekunle Lawal from parading himself as Onigbanko of Igbanko land. Oba Babatunde Lawal, in his counter claim, sought among other things, an order that only his blood relation and descendants Ogabi Aroporiojoye can be appointed as Ogboni-Isa and not just

anybody from Igbanko Community. He averred that such person shall be a nominee of Onigbanko of Igbanko land. Justice Adeyinka upheld the prayers of Oba Lawal. Dissatisfied with the decision, the appellants headed to the Court of Appeal, Lagos. The notice of appeal was founded 10 grounds. In his lead judgment, Justice Yammama upheld the historical narration of Oba Lawal that his progenitors emanated from Ile-Ife about 300 years ago and travelled through many places before arriving at Igbanko. He added that the village now known as Igbanko was the founding village that gave birth to the Obaship the subject matter of the case. Justice Turkur noted that the first Oba of Igbanko was the founder of many villages around the area, including Irede and that the first Oba of Igbanko was Ogabi Awoporojoye and that the title was

change to Onigbanko of Irede during the reign of the second Onigbanko, Oba Ajose Adawongoriokerbaje when he moved from Igbanko to Irede. The trial judge the naration of how Irede then became the headquarters of Igbanko and that “Onigbanko” means the owner of Igbanko who reigned at Irede. The Court of Appeal held that Oba Lawal’s history of Igbanko and its environ “is congent, credible, authentic and represents the truth of the history of Igbanko and its environs’’. The judge noted that Ogabi Aworopojeye, the founder and first Onigbanko of Igbanko successively handed the title down to Oba Babatunde AdekunleLawalthe 10th and the incumbentOnigbanko. The judge declared that the appellants’ history of Igbanko and its environ “is an after-thought”. The Justice of the Court of Appeal said: “ With the resolution of all the issues against the appel-

•President, Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa lants, it naturally follows that the appeal fails and is not allowed. It is dismissed.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

LAW & SOCIETY LEGAL DIARY LASULAW holds 30th Anniversary/Law Dinner

HE Law Students Society of Lagos State Univeristy(LASULAW) will celebrate its 30th Anniversary and Annual Law Dinner and Award on Thursday at the Banquet Event Centre in Ikeja, Lagos. Th e dinner tagged the “Distinguished Dinner” aims at celebrating legal luminaries, corporate institutions and law makers that have contributed to the growth of legal education and empowerment of youths. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) is expected to chair the dinner. The Vice Chancellor, Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa, is the Chief Host; Dr. Derek Adetokunbo Obadina, Dean, Faculty of Law, is the Host. The President, LASULAW, Mr. Rufai Ganiyu Olawale, said the event would showcase top-class personalities in the legal profession. Tickets are for N2000. ”On behalf of all Law Students of Lagos State University, we welcome you all to our 30th Law Dinner and Awards as we gather to celebrate the legal profession and the dissemination of legal education towards total repositioning for academic excellence,” he said. Other guests expected at the ceremony include the royal father of the day, Oba Gbolahan Akanbi Timson, the Jagunmolu of Somolu; Guests of honour are Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Lagos State, Ade Ipaye and Director, Rocky Sporting Club Limited, Mr. Elias Atrib. They also include Chief Judge, Federal High Court Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Auta,OFR; Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade; Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary Cross River State, Mr. Ekpenyong I. Henshaw and his counterpart in Lagos state, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN) while PDP Lagos East senatorial candidate, Chief (Mrs) Olabisi Salis would be the Mother of the day.

•Mr. Uyi Akpata receiving his plaque from Mr. Osahon, wife of National President of ECOBA at the Ruby Gardens, Lekki, Lagos. With Uyi are his daughters.

Edo College old boys honour Alegeh, others

HE Chairman of Edo College Old Boys Association (ECOBA), Lagos Branch, Mr. Godwin Ize-Iyamu, has described the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Mr. Augustine Alegeh and other members honoured by the association as worthy ambassadors of the college that is based in Benin City, the Edo State capital. Mr. Ize-Iyamu spoke during the first meeting of the association in Magodo, Lagos. In a statement, the Publicity Secretary of ECOBA, Lagos, Mr. Charles Igbinidu, stated that the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Ziakede P. Akpobolokemi,who was the key ote speaker at the event was also honoured. According to Mr. Ize-Iyamu, “the association

By Adebisi Onanuga

is always very meticulous in choosing members to be honoured annually. The criteria used include integrity, handwork, excellence in various aspects of life and display of all the positive values inculcated in us in Edo College”. During its Annual Dinner and Dance at Ruby Gardens, Lekki, Lagos, ECOBA gave an award to the NBA President for excelling in the legal profession. Other awardees were the Chairman of Grenigas Limited Emmanuel Aguele, who was bestowed with ‘The Life Time Achievement Award’, while the Country Senior Partner for PwC Nigeria, Mr. Uyi Akpata and an Executive Director with Ecobank Mr. Kingsley Aigbonkhaevbo were honoured for outstanding performances in their professions.

While further commending the awardees, Mr. Ize-Iyamu implored them to continue to keep the flag of Edo College flying. He urged the younger ones to emulate their exemplary performance and character. Speaking on some achievements of the association, he said: “One of the major goals of ECOBA is to revive educational excellence at Edo College. We are happy to report that in 2014, we financed the relaunch of the Annual Prize Giving Ceremony at Edo College. “Through the generous donations to the Education Fund by members, an initial principal sum has been invested and the interest income used to fund monetary prizes and Plaques to the best students in 11 subjects selected by Ecobites /donors.”

‘How to improve environment’ By Joseph Jibueze

LAWYER, Mr. Adewale Sanni, has called for better implementation of environmental law to reduce climate change effects. He said while new laws that address specific environmental issues may be needed, the existing ones must be enforced. Sanni spoke during the first yearly public lecture of the Eti-Osa Heritage Organisation, titled: Climate change, ocean surge and sustainable development in Nigeria. He said: “I think that while the laws may not be very adequate, even the existing laws lack implementation owing so many factors, chief of which are paucity of finance and politics. “The government at either the states or federal appears to define ecological emergency in relation to the social status of the group affected. No wonder that they can hardly protect the very vulnerable people,” he said. On whether the extant laws are still relevant or need further amendment, Sanni said the major issue remains the political will to protect the environment. “Such laws are as relevant as we wish to make them relevant. The critical issue is the intention and capacity coupled with the political will,” he said. The lawyer also wants to see more people get involved in environmental activism to compel the government to protect the most vulnerable areas that have been neglected. “Environmental rights activism in Nigeria cannot be compared with more advanced societies in terms of effectiveness. Except for agitation to remedy certain wrongs usually by the communities directly affected, there are no sustained campaigns of national magnitude to raise awareness and consciousness,” he said.

•From left: Tobun; Olopon of Ikate Kingdom, Murphy Adetoro; Yaya Dosunmu and Sanni.

Sanni also believes areas prone to ocean surges deserve special compensation to victims where no preventive measures had been taken. Recently, the ocean overflew its boundaries and affected a number of towns and villages in Eti-Osa. “Coastal areas prone ocean surge like EtiOsa need to be rescued and protected but this is hardly done now. The usual excuse is lack of fund. Even the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other agencies involved are poorly funded and trained,” he said. In his speech at the event, Sanni said EtiOsa Local Government remains vulnerable to ocean surges, and urged the federal and state governments “to please do all necessary to save our community before it sinks.” “Urgent efforts must be made to arrest the current coastal erosion;, continuous deple-

tion of what is left of our mangrove forests should also be halted,” he said. Sanni said communities which bear the brunt of development through constant displacements and loss of land “must be protected from the existential threat that is the bye product of the process.” The lawyer condemned the activities of illegal sand miners, adding that alternative employment should be provided for the perpetrators. “The Federal Government should give serious attention to this issue as it concerns Lagos State especially through the ecological fund. Eti-Osa is as essential to the economic prosperity of Lagos as it is to the socioeconomic development of the nation at large,” he said. Lagos House of Assembly member, Abiodun Tobun, who chaired the event, said

more effort should be made towards protecting the environment, such as by planting more trees “so that the environment can be healthy for all of us to live in.” Two lectures were delivered by a council members of the Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Desmond Majekodunmi, and Head, Department of Geography, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. S. I. Oni, represented by Dr Feyi Oni. “Nigeria the giant of Africa needs to be a leading voice in Africa for protecting the environment and particularly for cutting back on carbon emission. We should protect our low lying areas – shorelines – by developing groins and sea walls. The Federal Government must become involved, because it is an expensive project. We must stop beach sand mining and sea shell removal. We should be part of the solution, not the problem,” he said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

LEGAL OPINION LAW AND PUBLIC POWER

with gabriel AMALU email:gabrielamalu1@yahoo.com For comments: 08033054939 (sms only)

Political parties and the Lagos Model •From left: Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Augustine Alegeh (SAN); Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Vice Chairman NBA Section on Business Law (SBL) Olu Akpata during the 60th anniversary of NBA Ibadan.

Falana worried about fate of 527 suspects L

AGOS lawyer and activist, Femi Falana(SAN), has expressed fears over the fate of about 527 suspects paraded across the country last year. The senior lawyer alleged that they might have been extra-judicially killed by the police, as there was evidence that they were arraigned in any court. He disclosed this at a briefing in his Ikeja office. A list of such suspects made available to reporters showed that Edo State tops the list with 60 suspects. It was followed by Bauchi 43; Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Anambra 40 each; Kano 37; and Abia 36 suspects, among others. He challenged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba to disclose their whereabouts or the courts where they were being tried. He condemned the parade of suspects by the Police, describing the act as illegal. He stressed that it breached the constitutional right of the person or party arrested. He argued that since criminal suspects are presumed innocent until proved guilty by the courts, their parade before the media contravenes Section 35 of the Constitution which guarantees the dignity of their persons. “In spite of the presumption of innocence which inures in favour of criminal suspects by virtue of Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act, the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria have continued to subject accused persons to media trial before arraigning them in courts. “By subjecting suspects to media trial before arraignment in a criminal court, the fundamental rights to fair hearing and the dignity of their persons are infringed upon by the

Stories by Adebisi Onanuga

state,” Falana noted. The Senior Advocate called on Abba to warn all law enforcement agencies to desist from illegal parade and the extra-judicial killing of criminal suspects without trial. “Apart from exposing the country to unwarranted ridicule before the international community, the Federal Government has continued to waste scarce resources on the payment of judgment debts for criminal actions of some lawless law enforcement officials.” The lawyer said it was on record that local and international courts have repeatedly condemned the practice of subjecting criminal suspects to media trial. He cited cases of Ndukwem Chiziri Nice versus Attorney-General of the federation (2007) and another and Dyot Bayi and 14 others versus Federal Republic of Nigeria which held in ECOWAS court between 2004 and 2009, among others, to buttress his arguments. While not supporting armed robbery, kidnapping and other forms of criminality, Falana urged the police to do the needful by taking the suspects to court and not parade them illegally. Falana lamented that many armed robbery and kidnap suspects have been extra-judicially killed in police custody by unauthorised executioners after media trials while other criminal suspects are detained in dehumanising detention conditions. The Lagos lawyer berated the police for making distinction in the parade of poor and rich criminal suspects.

He noted that while former governors, ministers, permanent secretaries and other members of the elites, who are arrested and briefly detained by the police and other antigraft agencies, are not subjected to media parade and humiliation, the poor suspects are made to go through a lot of degradations. “On a few occasions that important personalities were exposed to public odium by law enforcement officials, the state has paid dearly for it. Falana recalled how the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on January 15, 1997 for being in possession of alleged narcotic substances. He said the then NDLEA chairman, Major-Gen. Musa Bamaiyi, convinced that the agency had caught a big fish, addressed a press conference where he was paraded. He said after Fela was paraded, a N100million suit was slammed against the agency for violation of his fundamental rights to fair hearing, personal liberty and human dignity.

•Falana

DSS arrests editor in defiance of court

HE Department of Security Services (DSS) has arrested the Editor-in-Chief of Tentacle Magazine, Innocent Nwachukwu. The journalist, according to his counsel, Chief Aloy Ezenduka, was forcefully taken from his Ikotun, Lagos home on January 14, this year and taken to Abuja over a story titled: ”20 threats against Jonathan’s re-election survey” published on September 22, 2014 edition of the magazine. This was in spite of a Federal High Court which restrained the DSS from arresting the journalist. Justice M. N. Yunusa had on December 30, 2014 issued the order while ruling on a Motion Ex-parte application filed by the journalist through his counsel against the DSS. Joined as correspondent in the suit was the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

By Adebisi Onanuga

The judge had granted all the prayers of the applicant. After hearing the arguments of the applicant, through his counsel, the judge had ordered the parties to maintain status quo ante bellum and stay further action pending the determination of the Motion on Notice filed by the applicant. Justice Yunusa also granted the applicant an order for substituted service of the Originating Motion and all other processes accompanying same and subsequent processes on the first and second respondents by Airway Courier at DSS office, Abuja. He said such service shall be deemed as good and proper service on the respondents. He adjourned the matter to February 9, this year for report of compliance. Rather than obey the order, the DSS operatives arrested the jour-

nalist. Ezenduka said in a statement that the development confirmed their fears that the earlier invitation extended to the journalist “was a ploy to harass, intimidate and gag his client’s freedom of the press, of professional and right to disseminate information without undue molestation from any person, including DSS”. The lawyer claimed that officials of the DSS also visited the office of his client “in a commando-style invasion” and vandalised the place, remove computers, working and private documents, beat and manhandled the staff and seized manuscripts of the January 16, this year’s edition of the magazine. Ezenduka urged the DSS release his client unconditionally in obedience to the court order. He threatened to sue the director-general of theDSS and claim compensation for human right abuse.

HE provisions of the 1999 Constitution on political parties, deserve some attention. Unfortunately, in practice, most of the provisions are observed in the breach, and that has caused instability within the parties, which in turn affects party’s succession plans. Somehow, Lagos State has been luckier with regards to succession plans, and that has substantially affected performance and cohesion within the ruling party in the state. The challenge for political practice vis-à-vis the provisions of the law,is aggravated by the institutional weakness of critical organs of the state, particularly the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The result is chaos within most parties. To underscore the importance of political parties as a vehicle to actualise the exercise of the executive and legislative powers provided for, by the constitution, Sections 221 to 229 of the constitution is devoted to the formation, regulation and control of political parties. But most practitioners give scant regard to these provisions. For instance, in complete defiance to section 221 of the constitution, many socio-political associations openly canvas for votes for candidates, despite the provision that “No association, other than a political party shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election”. In practice, in the run-up to the 2015 General Elections, many ethnic and cultural associations which if they are registered, would have stated in their documents filed with the corporate commission, that they are apolitical, have been falling over themselves, canvassing for votes for their preferred candidates. In some instances, there are reports of divisions within the associations, over the choice of candidates, with the elected officials of the association threatened with a sack, unless the candidate adopted by the dominant interest is supported. This anomaly has become very permissive, such that, among some groups, there is a blur between socio-cultural organisations and ethnic based political parties, which is prohibited by Section 2229(b) of the 1999 Constitution. Another fundamental provision of the constitution,concerns the control of the finances of political parties, which is provided for, in section 225. Section 225(2) provides: “Every political party shall submit to the Independent National Electoral Commission a detailed annual statement and analysis of its sources of funds and other assets together with a similar statement of its expenditure in such form as the commission may require”. If INEC has the requisite capacity to enforce this provision of the constitution, many parties and their officials would be seriously sanctioned. The recent lunch by parties for funds for political campaigns is one such instance, for enquiry. Also, sub-section 5, gives the Commission, the “power to give directions to political parties regarding the books or records of financial transactions which they shall keep and to examine all such books and records”. Interestingly INEC is enjoined by section 226 (1) of the constitution “every year (to) prepare and submit to the National Assembly a report on the accounts and balance sheet of every political party”. In sub-section 2, the Commission is enjoined “in preparing its report under this section, to carry out such investigations as will enable it form an opinion as to whether proper books of account and proper records have been kept by any political party, and if the Commission is of the opinion that proper books of accounts have not been kept by a political party, [it] shall so report”.This failure by INEC to obey the constitution, has not elicited any sanction by the National Assembly, who as members of the political parties may prefer that the records are not put in the public domain.Again the humongous amounts spent by candidates on party primaries is an eye opener, on theurgent need to check campaign funding, within the parties. A further interesting provision of the constitution to aid an orderly political environment, is Section 227, which provides: “No association shall retain, organise, train or equip any person or group of persons for the purpose of enabling them to be employed for the use or display of physical force or coercion in promoting any political objective or interest or in such manner as to arouse reasonable apprehension that they are organised and trained or equipped for that purpose.” This provision prohibits the several blood thirsty ethnic groups threatening the election process, in the interest of their preferred candidates. Unfortunately the political actors also promote this unconstitutional conducts, as they try to ride on their backs to electoral victory. Obviously part of why INEC has not been pressured to perform better is because most of the parties are guilty of this breach of the constitution. Also until now, apart from the ruling party at the centre, most of the other parties were too fractious and incapable of insisting that INEC must obey the constitution. However with greater political stability provided in the country following the emergence of the All Progressive Congress, as a counterfoil to the behemoth, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), INEC may be compelled to obey the constitution. In Lagos State, the ruling party’ssuccession plans, have been incredibly successful. Interestingly, even when there are vigorous contests for political positions, as we saw at the last party primaries, the party is able to settle the disagreements. So, arguably, unlike in any other state in the federation, you see the former Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babatunde Fashola, and the likely successor to Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, hand-in-hand, boisterously dancing on the same platform, as they vigorously campaign for Ambode. This can only be the result of robust leadership, internal cohesion and discipline within their party. The benefit is that long-term development plans are successfully executed.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

LAW REPORT

State electoral commissions must be properly constituted IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE OF KOGI STATE OF NIGERIA IN THE KOGI STATE JUDICIAL DIVISION HOLDEN AT KOTONKARFE THIS MONDAY 8TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2014 BEFORE HIS LORDSHIP HON. JUSTICE ALABA OMOLAYE-AJILEYE SUIT NO: HC/KK/002 CV/2013 Between: ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS (APC) -CLAIMANT And 1. KOGI STATE GOVERNMENT 2. ATTORNEY GENERAL AND COMMISSIONER FOR JUSTICE, KOGI STATE 3. KOGI STATE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION (KOGIEC) 4. BARRISTER ABRAHAM A. OLANIRAN DEFENDANTS 5. HON. DAVID O. APEH 6. HON. HARUNA IBRAHIM 7. HON. AHMED A. SAMARI 8. HON. AMOKA SUBERU 9. PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) JUDGMENT

•Continued from last week According to him, what is relevant is the status of the appointee as at the time of his appointment. Semantically, he argues that should any ground of disqualification arise after appointment, the appropriate claim to be brought before a court would be one calling for the disqualification of such from continuing in office and not one of nullification. According to him, a call for nullification of the appointment of 4th – 8th defendants presupposes that the appointment were void ab initio. Mr.Aruwa describes the evidence of the claimant’s sole witness that 4th – 8th defendants are members of PDP as one based on conjectures. He argues further that in any event, Exhibits P7 and P8 never identified the 4th defendant as the Barr. Abraham A. Olaniran who contested the PDP primaries for Kabba/Bunu House of Assembly election. 29. He also submits that Exhibits P10 and P15 indicate that both Adamu Ahmed Samari and Barr. Ayo Abraham withdrew their membership of PDP.He argues that even if it is assumed but not conceded that the 4th and 7 th defendants are members of the 9 th defendant respectively, once a person resigns from a political party, he ceases to be a member of that party. He submits further that there is no evidence to determine when both Adamu Ahmed Samari became members of PDP. He contends that nothing was adduced in respect of 5 th, 6 th and 8 th defendants and urges the court to hold that the claimant has been unable to prove his case against the defendants. He also urges me to believe the evidence of DW1 who testified for the defendants particularly his evidence that it was one AmokaIsah, his cousin, who contested the House of Representatives election in 2007 under the Action Congress of Nigeria and not himself (the 5th Defendant). Mr.Aruwa also urges me to hold that the retirement of the 4th - 8 th defendants has overtaken the reliefs being sought and rendered any declaration or order of this court an academic exercise. Mr.Aruwa also relies on the principle of laches and argues that the claimant is guilty of delay in bringing this action, five years after the appointment of the 4th – 8th defendants. He finally urges me to dismiss the suit as lacking in merit. Response of the Learned Counsel for the Claimant 30. In responding to all the issues raised by learned counsel for the defendants,Mr.James Ocholi, SAN, formulates three issues for determination viz: 1. Whether having regard to the provision of section 197(i)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (as amended) read together with section 197(2) and section 200(1) along with the provision of part II para B of the 3rd schedule of the 1999 Constitution of FRN (as amended), the 3rd Defendant with its Chairman as 4thdefendant), 5th – 8th Defendants as part of its membership can be said to be validly constituted. 2. If the answer to issue one is in the negative, whether the 3rd Defendant being invalidly constituted against the spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) can validly perform any of its functions provided for by the Constitution. 3.Whether the 3rd Defendant was right in

law to have proceeded to organise undertake and supervise the Local Government Election to the offices of Chairman and councillors on the 4 th of May, 2013 while the Claimant’s appeal to the Court of Appeal Abuja and the Motion on Notice seeking interlocutory injunction to restrain the 3rd Defendant amongst others from conducting the said election was pending to the knowledge of the 3rd Defendant, at the Court of Appeal at all material times. 31. Mr.Ocholi, SAN, argues issues Nos 1 and 2 together. He submits that the crux of this case is that the 3rd defendant is not properly composed as required by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and, therefore, incompetent to perform the functions created by the Constitution on the ground that the 4th – 8th defendants were members of the 9 th defendant (PDP). He argues that a member of any political party or a partisan politician who may not even belong to any political party, who is put in a position to organise, undertake and supervise an election will definitely favour his political party or candidates of his party. According to him, this will make nonsense the concept independent or impartial arbiter at the election, which will abuse the democratic process. 32. Mr.Ocholi, SAN, x-rays the oral evidence of the sole witness for the claimant and the documents tendered and submits that the case against the 4th defendant as a member of the 9th defendant has been duly established. He refers to Exhibit P5, the PDP result of the State House of Assembly Primary election 2010 which he contested; Exhibit P8, the INEC report on the PDP primary election Kabba/Bunu constituency dated 6th January 2011 with an attachment; Exhibit P15, a letter from the 4th defendant to the 9th defendant withdrawing his membership of the 9th defendant and Exhibit P16, acceptance letter of the 9 th defendant of the withdrawal of 4 th defendant’s membership. He draws attention to the fact the in spite of this body of glaring evidence against the 4th defendant, he never came forward to rebut same.Mr.Ocholi, SAN, urges the court to treat this as an admission of the claimant’s claim. He makes similar submissions in respect of the 5th, 6th and 7th defendants. 33. Mr.Ocholi, SAN, further submits that the mischief the amendment to section 200 (1) of the Constitution attempts to cure is that members of political parties or people who are partisan should not be members of a State Independent Electoral Commission in order to enhance its independence. He describes the 4th – 8th defendants as confessed members of the 9thdefendant. He, therefore, submits that in the circumstance, the composition of the 3rd defendant is not in accordance with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). According to him, even if it is the 4th defendant that is found to be unfit to be chairman of the 3rd defendant, his position has destroyed the constitutionality of the 3rd defendant. He cites the following authorities; Omoregbe v. Lawani (1980) 3 – 4 SC 108 Odulaja v. Hadded (1973) 11SC 357 Oseigbe&Okwaranya& 7 Ors (1962) 2NSCC 386 at 388; PDP &Ors v. Ekiti Independent Electoral Commission & 8 ors suit No HAD/196/2011 (unreported) and Ojukun v. Obasanjo (2014) 12 NWLR (Pt 886) P. 169 at 197. 34. On issue 3, Mr.Ocholi, SAN, complains

about the decision of the defendants to proceed to conduct the local government election on May 4, 2013 in spite of the fact that an appeal filed by the claimant (appellant/applicant) was pending. He claims that the defendants had notice of the appeal pending at the Court of Appeal Abuja; a fact, which according to him constitutes lispendis. By proceeding to conduct the election of May 4, 2013, while the appeal remains pending, indicates that the defendants were taking a risk, the consequences of which they must bear, he submits. He refers to the following authorities; Bamigboye v. Olusoga (1996)4 NWLR (Pt 444) 520 at 532. Usman v. Garuke (1999) 1NWLR (Pt 587) 466 at 490.Ararume v. INEC & 2ors (2007) 9NWLR (Pt. 1038) 127 at 161-162 Agwusiobo& 1or v. Okagbue&Anor (2001) 15NWLR (Pt 737) 502. 35. Mr.Ocholi, SAN, replies to all the points raised by learned counsel for the defendants, one after the other. In respect of the capacity and the locus standi of the claimant, the learned silk submits that all the points raised by learned counsel for the defendants were taken up at the interlocutory stage of these proceedings and decided by this court. The court has, therefore, become, as it were, functus officio. He cites Ebba v. Ogodo (2000) 10 NWLR (Pt 875) 387 at 420 – 421 paras G – B. He maintains that the claimant possesses the necessary locus, competency and capacity to maintain this action. 36. Secondly, as regards the application of the Public Officers Protection Law in relation to the arguments of defendants’ counsel of the failure of the claimant to bring this action within three months from the date of appointment of the 4 th – 8 th defendants, Mr.Ocholi, SAN, submits that the law cannot protect the defendants who are in clear violation of the Constitution. He argues further that the composition and structure of the 3rd defendant are continuous acts and that in any event, as at the time this suit was instituted, the local government election which formed the subject-matter of this action was yet to hold. He, therefore, submits that this action is not statute barred. 37. Thirdly, on the allegation of this case constituting an abuse of court process, Mr.Ocholi SAN also submits that this is an issue that had been adjudicated upon at the interlocutory stage. He refers to my earlier ruling on the subject. He refers to Exhibits D1, D2, and D4 and argues that no court process has been abused by the claimant and neither is the principle of estoppel by conduct applicable. 38. On the question as to whether or not this suit has been reduced to a mere academic exercise, Mr.Ocholi, SAN, disagrees and submits that this suit involves many live issues that require the pronouncements of the court. He identifies one of the live issues as the determination of the question as to whether or not members of political parties are competent or qualified to be appointed as member of the 3rd defendant, having regard to the provision of section 200(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He argues further that the fact that the 4th -8th defendants vacated their seats does not remove the necessity to determine their in competence to conduct the 4th May 2013 local government election. 39. Lastly, Mr.Ocholi SAN submits that the non-joinder of the elected chairmen and councillors cannot defeat this action, having re-

gard to the provisions of Order 14 Rule 16 (1) the Kogi State High Court (Civil Procedure Rules) 2006. He describes the submissions of learned counsel for the defendants on nonjoinder of the elected chairmen and failure to lay the complaints in this suit before an election tribunal as a product of misconception of this case. He refers to section 74(1) of the Local Government Election Law 2004 which stipulates the grounds upon which an election may be questioned. This suit, according to him, falls outside the purview of the Election Law 2004 as it has nothing to do with the qualification of the candidates at election; neither does it complain about corrupt practices, non-compliance with the electoral law, votes cast at election or exclusion from election. He, therefore, urges that this court should assume jurisdiction to entertain this action. 40. Both learned senior counsel for the 1st – 8th defendants, Mr.Akubo, SAN, and learned counsel for the 9th defendant, Mr. Aruwa filed replies on points of law which shall be duly considered in this judgment. Consideration of Preliminary Points 41. Let me at this stage express my deep thanks to all learned counsel in this case for their illuminating addresses. There is no doubt that I have, in this case, heard very lengthy, very lucid, and very learned arguments on issues formulated by them. I really must commend them for not sparing any effort in researching very deeply on the issues, and presenting me with very able, exhaustive and comprehensive arguments. Although, I was initially inclined to think that they had done much of downloading on the subjects, it was after applying myself to the various authorities they have so generously supplied me that I found myself sincerely appreciative of the efforts they have expended in this regard. In so making available this wide library of authorities, they have enabled me to comfortably digest the considerations truly and to finally emerge confident about how I now view the issues which I hereby express. 42. It will be prudent in this matter, I think, to first attend to some preliminary issues raised by learned senior counsel for the 1st – 8th defendants and learned counsel for the 9th defendant. The first of these issues is the locus standi and the capacity of the claimant to institute this action. It is important that I attend to the issue of locus standifirst. This is because, the presence of standing means that I can proceed to examine the merits and demerits of this action, while absence of standing means the automatic end of this action upon so holding (Adesokan v. Adetunji (1994) 5NWLR (Pt 346) 540). It would thus be futile to go into debate of all the merits and demerits of the action herein when it may well be that the case does not pass the first crucible or hurdle of standing. (Oloriode v. Oyebi (1984) 1SCNLR 390 (SC). I shall therefore, proceed to examine the arguments of learned counsel on this basic question and either terminate the case at this point or proceed to determine it on merits, depending on what I find to be the claimant’s position vis-a vislocus standi and her capacity to sue. 43. Let me recall here that, at the interlocutory stage of this case, the claimant’s capacity and standi were put into question and •To be continued next week

•From left: Foluso Fayokun; Socilitor-General, Lagos State, Lawal Pedro (SAN) and others at the 11th Annual lecture of the late Gani Fawehinmi in Lagos. PHOTO: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

Mourinho to Chelsea fans: Don't disrespect Gerrard

OSE Mourinho has told Chelsea fans to show Steven Gerrard some

respect in Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg clash with Liverpool at Anfield. Gerrard has long been a target for Blues supporters, having been the enduring symbol of Liverpool from the moment the rivalry between the two clubs began to intensify during Mourinho's first spell at Stamford Bridge. But the relentless abuse faced by the former England international has ramped up since last season's Premier League title run-in, when he slipped

Rodgers confident of beating Chelsea

and gifted the ball to Demba Ba for the opening goal of a game that saw Chelsea deal Liverpool's hopes of a first league title since 1990 a devastating blow. Chelsea fans have created a mocking chant about the incident, but Mourinho insists he doesn't want to hear it when the two sides face off in the first of a twolegged clash for a place at

Wembley on Tuesday. "He’s a historic player for Liverpool, a historic player for the Premier League," the Blues boss told reporters. "He’s an opponent I always admired and respected. There is a song that my fans have that I don’t like at all. "A couple of times it’s good fun but to go and go and go, especially when a player like him deserves respect, we don’t need that." Earlier this month Gerrard confirmed he will leave Liverpool at the end of this season to join MLS champions LA Galaxy, prompting many to take stock of the 34-year-old's remarkable career. Following Chelsea's impressive 5-0 win over Swansea City on Saturday, Mourinho allowed himself to wonder what might have been had Gerrard not spurned the chance to move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2005.

Ronaldo ‘ll win more Ballon d'Or titles than Messi - Zidane

INEDINE Zidane believes Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to end up winning more Ballon d'Or titles than Lionel Messi. The Real Madrid star was crowned the world's best player of 2014 in January for the third time overall, leaving him one behind his Barcelona counterpart. However, Zidane insists there is more to come from the 29year-old and feels he can overtake the Argentine when it comes to winning the accolade. "Ronaldo will win more Ballons d'Or," he told reporters. "What he is doing is from another planet. If this continues, he will improve even further and may end up winning more than Messi." The former Madrid star and France international had a lot to say about compatriot Karim Benzema, who he feels is a pivotal player for Los Blancos. Zidane said: "He is another very important player. Sometimes it is discussed whether to change to him to a No.9 for Madrid and it's wrong.

All wrong. "He is not a player who will score 60 goals a year like Cristiano, but thanks to his quality, he links up with everyone and always makes the moves that the team needs. "Very few in the world can do that." The World Cup winner is currently coaching Madrid's B team and admitted he could take over the first team at some point in the future. "Me as the future first-team coach? We will see," said Zidane. "For now, I'm with the Castilla and I'm fine. we will see what happens in the future."

•Zidane

Wenger: Cazorla is the perfect role model •Rodgers

RENDAN Rodgers has warned Chelsea that they will face a different Liverpool in tonight’s League Cup semi-final first leg. Liverpool welcome Jose Mourinho’s Premier League leaders to Anfield for the second time this season, with Chelsea having emerged 2-1 winners in the top flight in November. That fixture was part of a run of four straight defeats for a Liverpool side who struggled in the early stages of the season after going so close to winning the title last term. Manager Rodgers has seen his side improve vastly recently, though, and Liverpool head into Tuesday’s match unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions. While acknowledging the strength of Chelsea’s squad, Rodgers is confident of progressing over the two-legged tie and insists his target for this season remains winning a trophy and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

FTER impressing again for Arsenal at Manchester City, Santi Cazorla has been labelled as the ideal role model by Arsene Wenger. Spain international Cazorla was in impressive form as Arsenal triumphed 2-0 at Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday, scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot. Wenger believes the attacking midfielder is reaping the rewards for his versatility and feels the young players in his squad can learn from the way he plays the game. "Cazorla has started playing centrally - he played wide a lot and now he's at a level of his career where he can have more influence centrally," Wenger said. "He's been fantastic because he gets you out of pressure in very tight situations. He finds openings that are very interesting. "He is a good example for young players, he shows you

how important it is to be two footed in the middle of the park, it's a vital quality for a midfielder today and he does that very well. He loves the game." Another midfielder was one of Arsenal's unlikely heroes at the Etihad Stadium with Francis Coquelin impressing. Coquelin moved to the Emirates Stadium as a teenager in 2008, but has yet to establish himself as a firstteam regular. But Wenger stated he never had any doubts over his quality and suggested a loan move to Charlton Athletic earlier this season has aided his development. "I took him from France at the age of 16. Today he is 23," Wenger added. "He has gone through some difficult periods but he's a learner from his experiences. "I've always kept faith in him, because I told him three months ago that he needed to play somewhere. He accepted to go down to Charlton and had convincing performances.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

HEALTH THE NATION

E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net

Patients are at receiving end of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) strike. They are demanding amicable resolution of the matter to ensure easy access to health care in public hospitals, reports WALE ADEPOJU.

Health workers adamant as strike bites harder H

OSPITAL attendance has hit an all-time low following the ongoing strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU). The strike began in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) last November 12. Many surgery appointments have been cancelled, the number of out-patients has dropped. Inpatients are being discharged by families. This is the state of public hospitals nationwide, which President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Mr Olumide Akintayo says shows that healthcare is teamwork. Pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and nurses, among other health workers are participating in the strike. The Nation learnt that patients’ names on the waiting list have been increasing daily. The surgery appointments for some patients at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) have been cancelled for now. A surgeon, who does not want his name mentioned, said they have to wait until the strike is over before another date can be given. A patient, who simply gave his name as Akindele, urged the federal and state governments to resolve the matter quickly in patients’ interest. “I don’t know what to do. They said I should come back when the strike is over for another surgery date. I am in serious pain. I don’t want to die. They should do something about the strike because people are dying every day,” he said. Doctors, however, are grappling with other duties once delegated, especially at the eye clinic. Accident and Emergency wards have become ineffective as nurses who provide the core of care are on strike. Activities are also at their lowest ebb at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Metta, Federal Neuro-Psychiatry Hospital, Igbobi and LASUTH. The situation is the same in similar facilities nationwide. At the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Igbobi, Lagos, a patient said he could not get his record and as such doctors asked him to come back with the papers given to him. He said he has been coming since last week for orthopaedic therapy on his troubled limb. Health care services at the Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres were skeletal because of nurses’ absence. Some doctors were present but

they could not do core nursing duties. Some patients were seen assisting others as they took their turns. Some expectant mothers who could not withstand the pressure left angrily. Some healthcare personnel have urged the government to release the circular of salary adjustment for the striking workers in government-owned hospitals. They said such a gesture may end the strike. Akintayo said PSN would stand its ground until JOHESU’s demands are met. According to him, JOHESU has 12 demands. “Moreover, we are asking the government to release the circular of salary adjustment. “It requires N13.7 billion to pay all the affected workers at the federal level after which we will call off the strike,” he said. The PSN president said ordinary Nigerians were feeling the strike. He said: “Anybody can become a patient, either directly or indirectly. So, it is not a situation we can endure as nobody wants to be in this type of situation.” The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Association of Nurses, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Mr Samuel Awodele, said new patients have not been coming visited since the strike began. He described the development as “unfortunate”, adding that the strike would continue until the government acceded to workers’ demands. “Today, there were fewer than 10 patients who received treatment at the Orthopaedic Hospital because many of them

DERMATOLOGIST at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Otrofanowei Erere, has called for more awareness on skin-related diseases to reduce their effects on people’s health. Dr Erere said in Lagos that weather, environment, lifestyle and personal hygiene could be responsible for the spread of skin diseases. She said: “We see a lot of skin diseases and what we see are peculiar to the environment.” The dermatologist said acne and eczema were common, adding that many suffer from them irrespective of their gender or age. “We also have skin lightening and different fungal infections on the skin, scalp, hair and private area. There are many

•Some patients waiting to see ophthalmologists at the Guinness Eye Centre in LUTH.

•A doctor attending to patients at LUTH’s Cardiology Unit

were discharged.” He said nobody was attending to them, adding that doctors can only do very little. What’s more, the core of the job is done by other health professionals. “No surgery and no admission

of patients,” Awodele said. The government, he said, is yet to accede to workers’ demands, adding that there will be a meeting soon to address the issue. “The union’s position, however, still remains the same. We are not going back to work,``

PHOTOS: WALE ADEPOJU

he said. Awodele said the ‘no-work-nopay’ rule would not affect the union’s decision. “We have already prepared our minds and will survive any eventuality,’’ Awodele said.

Expert warns on skin diseases By Wale Adepoju

cases of warts, sexually transmitted diseases, contact warts and others. “Humidity will always allow people to have fungal infections, as such have high rate of fungal infections, which people live with. “These people, however, may not die from these fungal infections but sometimes, suffer social and psychological effects, and generally reduce the quality of life,” she said. Some infectious diseases, Erere said, are still in the environment, adding: “We still encounter cases

of people with leprosy, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis and others. We can help most of them but the point to note is that people are not aware that they exist.” People, she said, should stop assuming that infections were small things that would go away by themselves. Dr Erere said skin disorders also cause discomfort, irritation and embarrassment, stressing that they can lead to stigmatisation, depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies. The dermatologist advised that skin disorders should be taken seriously, even at the community level.

She said healthcare workers must be able to identify skin diseases and make referrals to appropriate professionals, particularly those at the primary health level, such as the primary healthcare workers, community nurses and the community health extension workers (CHEWS). “Also, schools and churches need to let people know the importance of having healthy skin. Emphasis should also be placed on living in clean environment, regular washing of clothes and bodies with soap and clean water, as well as consulting the right personnel whenever issues of skin discomfort arise,’’ Dr Erere said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

HEALTH

How to make National Health Act work, by doctors

OW can the National Health Act (NHA) address the sector’s problem? This is the question stakeholders are seeking answers to one month after the law was passed. Vice President, West African Region (WAR) of the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) Dr Osahon Enabulele said the law is a sign of things to come. The law, he said, seeks to address health challenges by providing a minimum package of basic healthcare services, including free medical care for children underfive, expectant mothers, the elderly and people with disabilities. Enabulele said the Act would ensure improved funding for primary healthcare (PHC) through the establishment of a Basic Health Provisions Fund (BHPF) to be funded with one per cent of the Consolidated Fund of the Federation (CFF). This, he noted would re-energise PHC. Besides, it will provide, protect, promote and fulfill the rights of Nigerians to have unhindered access to health care services. The law, he said, would also tackle medical tourism and its impact on Nigeria; the gross abuse of tax

By Wale Adepoju

payers’ money by political and public office holders who engage in incessant foreign medical trips. “It provides for stricter regulation of all medical referrals abroad and emphasises greater collaboration between public and private health care facilities in Nigeria,” he said. Enabulele said political office holders go to other countries for medical care even for conditions that can be managed at home. He said no fewer than 5,000 Nigerians visit India and other countries monthly for medical tourism with many faced with challenges such as mis-diagnosis, legal and ethical issues, exposure to infectious diseases and other complications, particularly postsurgical complications.

The former Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) president said over N13.6 billion is lost yearly to foreign medical trips. The law, he said, has requirements for Certificate of Needs and Standards (CNS) before setting up public and private health facilities, such as aid regulation, standardisation and due diligence. “It will also promote accountability, monitoring and evaluation of the health system and its performance. “Also, it will guarantee the sustained performance and improvement of the health system and reduce quackery.” He called on the Federal Government to involve stakeholders in the law’s implementation.President,

Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) Dr Felix Faniran noted that the law is silent on the composition of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH). Faniran said: “We, therefore, recommend that FMoH should be composed of various directorates that will reflect the various healthcare professional groups in the sector.” He said there is need for the Health Minister to call a stakeholders’ forum to discuss the law. “We will, however, like to strongly advise that the Minister of Health should summon urgently a stakeholders’ forum on health to discuss the various provisions in the National Health Act and other issues affecting the health sector

‘We will, however, like to strongly advise that the Minister of Health should summon urgently a stakeholders’ forum on health to discuss the various provisions on the National Health Act and other issues affecting the health sector with a view to addressing contentious issues that currently beset the sector’

with a view to addressing contentious issues that currently beset the sector. “It was, however, observed that in the Act, there was no mention of the existing registered trade unions or recognising their roles in the health care services. This should, however, be corrected as soon as possible,” he said. President, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Alhaji Toyosi Raheem said healthcare deserves urgent attention from stakeholders. “NHA is a good document that all can work with in the sector. It is, as I can say, acceptable to all. Therefore, it is necessary for all stakeholders to make it work,” he said. Faniran said the law provides for strengthening primary health care services. It also provides for the inclusion of other healthcare professionals in the composition of several committees and ensures easy access to medical care by a greater number of people, especially those needing emergency medical services. “The Act also provides opportunities for Nigerians in challenging their leaders through judicial process concerning their rights to health care services and many more opportunities,” he said.

Tips on dry mouth prevention THE best way to treat dry mouth — known medically as xerostomia depends on what is causing it. You can do some things to relieve dry mouth temporarily. But for the best longterm dry mouth remedy, you need to address its cause. To relieve your dry mouth: •Chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free hard candies to stimulate the flow of saliva. For some people, xylitol, which is often found in sugar-free gum or sugar-free candies, may cause diarrhea or cramps if consumed in large amounts. •Limit your caffeine intake because caffeine can make your mouth drier. •Don’t use mouthwashes that contain alcohol because they can be drying. •Stop all tobacco use if you smoke or chew tobacco. •Sip water regularly. •Try over-the-counter saliva substitutes — look for products containing xylitol, such as mouth kote or oasis moisturising mouth Spray, or ones containing carboxymethylcellulose (kahr-bok-see-meth-ul-SEL-ulohs) or hydroxyethyl cellulose (hidrok-see-ETH-ul SEL-u-lohs), such as biotene oral balance. •Try a mouthwash designed for dry mouth — especially one that contains xylitol, such as biotene dry mouth oral rinse or ACT total care dry mouth rinse, which also offer protection against tooth decay. •Avoid using over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants because they can make your symptoms worse. •Breathe through your nose, not your mouth. •Add moisture to the air at night with a room humidifier. Saliva is important to maintain the health of your teeth and mouth. If you frequently have a dry mouth, taking these steps to protect your oral health may also help your condition: •Avoid sugary or acidic foods and candies because they increase the risk of tooth decay. •Brush with a fluoride toothpaste. Ask your dentist if you might benefit from prescription fluoride toothpaste. •Use a fluoride rinse or brush-on fluoride gel before bedtime. •Visit your dentist at least twice yearly to detect and treat tooth decay or other dental problems. Source: www.mayoclinic.org

•Mrs Odebunmi (fourth from right) with participants after the walk

ONSTANT physical exercise can reduce untimely death, according to Health and Safety professionals. They spoke last Saturday during an early morning safety walk organised by a group, Safety Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (SAEF). The exercise with the theme: Keep safe, live healthy, was held in collaboration with Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and Nigerian Red Cross. It was attended by the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Mrs Dominga Odebunmi, among others. The others include industry captains, engineers, road safety officers, professionals and workers. The road walk started at 6am from Lagos State Fire Service station in Alausa, Ikeja and covered eight kilometres. According to Mr Jamiu Badmos, the programme moderator, the objective of the

‘Keep fit, live healthy’ By Wale Ajetunmobi

road walk is to reduce common health challenges in work places. Badmos said any worker, who does not do exercises, could have stroke and hypertension, noting that common illnesses reducing workers’ productivity could be cured by constant aerobics. He said: “Long walk is necessary for maintaining body fitness and it contributes to sound health. Our intention is to

reduce common sad news in the industry and the country at large. We don’t want to hear that anybody slumps and dies at work or in the house. We need to keep our body in good shape, especially our heart on which our existence is depended.” Odebunmi said workers would take ill without exercise. She said aerobics could increase cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness, adding that the risk of heart disease and low muscle strength is reduced

through exercises. The safety expert said: “If we religiously hold physical exercises and keep our bodies fit, the risk of contracting illness, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, stiffness, muscular pain and diabetes would be reduced. This is why we came out to sensitise people on the need to hold constant exercises.” Other participants included ISPON Registrar, Adams Otite, SAEF coordinator Mr Shamsideen Kadiri, Etisalat representative Taofeeq Falade, SAEF directors Dapo Omolade and Muyiwa Akinleye.

Stop malaria, health workers told

researcher at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr Bamidele Iwalokun, has advised the public, especially health workers to stop malaria transmission. Iwalokun said in Lagos that Nigeria has adopted malaria elimination goal, adding that by this it has accepted to interrupt malaria transmission totally. The aim, he said, is to get to zero

By Wale Adepoju

transmission. “Elimination means to prevent reintroduction of parasites into our country. We have adopted our own on the basis of feasibility because of improvement in the coverage of basic malaria intervention since 2005. “It is also important that every health worker should know that Nigeria has adopted this elimination goal, awareness

should reach health workers through interpersonal communications.” The message, he said, should get to expectant mothers and people that visit hospitals through awareness campaign. “It should also reach the community and the country at large and when this is done, we should improve our attitude toward the environment,” the researcher said.

THE NATION TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

is a tripod country. Eve‘ Nigerian rything we do depends on tribe, religion, military constituency but Jonathan does not belong in any of these

‘

PDP ‘ll reclaim Rivers State Chief Mike Elechi is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Rivers State and a strong supporter of the governorship candidate, Chief Nyesom Wike. In this interview with PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA in Port Harcourt, the state capital, he says PDP will reclaim the state.

OU have very strong feeling in your support for Jonathan, why? Firstly, as a Rivers man, and as a Niger Delta man, for President Goodluck Jonathan, this is the first time the Niger Delta man is ruling the country against the thinking of other tribes in Nigeria. As a PDP member I believe that I cannot leave PDP and support another party. I am supporting Mr. President because there is no better alternative for me than to support him. The opposition can’t give us a better alternative, they are talking of change but we are talking of phenomena change. My advice for Rivers people is to keep hope and to believe in God that He will always do his miracle. Of course, God has a way to answer our prayer especially now that our support for Jonathan will bring back all the things we have lost in Rivers State. With the look of things, Jonathan versus Buhari would be a very tough game to play, what do you think? No, I don’t see anything tough in this game. Look, one thousand Buharis is not equal to one Jonathan. It is not possible; we cannot leak our vomit or go back to the days of draculean law, military dictatorship. We are in democracy, the world is on digital age, I think that Buhari belongs to the past; if people can say the truth he should not drag us back to religious bigotry and chauvinism. Buhari was the chairman of Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTF) and I know what he did. So, he is not a match for Jonathan. So if opposition had presented a credible candidate, I would have known what to say. Are you aware that the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northern part of the country is a very big challenge for Jonathan? I sympathise with Mr. President on the issue of Boko Haram, to be honest with you. When he came into power four years ago, I saw him as a man who has no political constituency. Nigerian is a tripod country. Everything we do depends on tribe, religion, military constituency but Jonathan does not belong in any of these. He does not belong to any political group; he is not from

Yoruba, Ibo or Hausa, the tribes that people respect in this country. He is just a peasant fisherman without hope. And if by the benevolence of God he became the President of this country. We should support him. Of course, he has proven that he can do it. Look, there is insurgency in all parts of the world, so why are we crucifying Jonathan over the issue of Boko Haram. The western world cannot even help us solve the problem, if the Presidential candidate of the APC, Mohammadu Buhari said once he becomes the president the issue of insurgency would be a thing of the past, then he should also know that if he loses the election the issue of Boko Haram would also be solve. What is the chance of the PDP in Rivers State? I thought you would have asked me what is the chance of APC wining Rivers State. One thing you must know is that Rivers State is a PDP state. If you take your mind back you would know that everybody in the APC today did not willingly or voluntarily resign from the PDP. Therefore, there is still PDP blood ruining in them. Rivers State election will be the most peaceful election in the history of the state contrary to what people are thinking. This is because the electorates are now more educated than before and they know what to do. If some miscreants in PDP has decided to change ship because God has buttered their bread then let us see at the poll. Without violence, I have this confidence that PDP is going to reclaim the stolen mandate in Rivers State. If the government of Rivers State believes they are popular they should open the State House of Assembly and the judiciary. These are the issues we should be asking questions, in Riv-

ers State are we in the military zoon where people will lock the three arms of Government? If what is happening in Rivers State was to be happening in Abuja, don’t you think that they would have been calling for Jonathan’s impeachment? You can see that the press is controlled by the opposition and yet they are operating freely. There is no president that is humble and unassuming like President Goodluck Jonathan. Some who are talking today as past Presidents, we know what they did. They even sent troops to wipe out some community. Some of your supporters have argued that picking a woman deputy governor will give your party an edge over the APC in the state... I believe it is time to give the women the sense of belonging, don’t forget that the deputy governor in waiting comes from the bloc called Riverine. She is from Harry’s Town in Buguma and married to a Bony man. She is a good technocrat and she can shape the incoming administration. It is also a way to allow women participation in the Politics of Rivers State. If a woman can become deputy governor, it shows that one day a woman can become a governor. PDP is made up for good governance, what we are doing is what real Nigerian should do, this is an era where women should be given a chance in everything. The woman who was giving an opportunity as a running mate is not just a woman; she is professionally grounded to make Rivers State heaven on earth. And that would assist us win APC in the state. How would you assess INEC on the distribution of PVC’s? I said it to the INEC personnel that came to my ward recently that INEC was not prepared for the last exercise of distribution of PVC

‘One thing you must know is that Rivers State is a PDP state. If you take your mind back you would know that everybody in the APC today did not willingly or voluntarily resign from the PDP. Therefore, there is still PDP blood ruining in them’

Akwa Ibom: Emmanuel receives church’s endorsement

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, sought divine blessings on Sunday, with the formal dedication of the project to the hand of God. The event, which took place at the Qua Iboe Church, Uyo, the state capital, attracted a large crowd of PDP faithful, the business and political class, various political and socio-cultural groups, who came to show solidarity to the governorship candidate. Addressing the congregation, Deacon Udom Emmanuel said he did not come to the church to campaign, but led his team to consult and seek Divine blessings in view of the assignments before him. His words: “We did not come to campaign because we know that God is with us, and as Christians we must always invite Him to guide us in our aspirations.” Drawing inspiration from Psalm 37:5, which says: “‘Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass,” the governorship candidate admonished everyone to always seek the consent of God in their affairs. He assured that as a firm believer in God’s precepts, he was of the be-

lief that without the Divine backing, one’s aspiration is in vain. The governorship candidate, who used the occasion to urge all Christians in the state to support God-fearing leaders through the PDP, noted that the party was the only one that placed God at the centre of its activities. He acknowledged the prayers of Christians in the state, through their various leaders, saying there is nothing like denominational barriers among Christians in the state, because they all put their trust in God through Jesus Christ. Earlier, the Director-General of the Udom Emmanuel Campaign Council, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, enjoined Christian faithful to support the emergence of Mr Emmanuel, adding that he is a God-fearing leader with requisite managerial and intellectual capacity to lead the state. Nkanga who traced leadership of godly men from biblical times, called on Akwa Ibom people to unite and elect Emmanuel, whom he described as a man after God’s heart. The high point of the occasion was the prayer of dedication on all PDP candidates by the Rev. Ime Usoroh and Elder Okokon Nkan.

•Emmanuel and other party faithful at the church

•Wike

and registration exercise. This is because it took them from 2011-2014 to complete this exercise and they added five days to do update. In your sense of reasoning and thinking do you believe that if INEC will delay from 2011 to 2014 to distribute the PVC then how many years do you think it will take them to give out PVC to millions of Nigerians who have come of age. The funny thing is that, out of these millions they are giving them only five days to update. In ward 4 Elele in Ikwerre Local government area which is my ward, ours was zero capture. So we started ab initio for new registration. They brought the old equipment they used in 2011 registration exercise and at the end of the day half of this ward was not registered. So INEC is not ready for the election. I laugh at them when they say they are using card reader, when they do not have good hands, now they want to use card reader. Tell me where they would see light to charge the battery; my brother INEC is not ready to conduct the election. But we are going to wait for them at the Election Day, but with what I saw during the PVC collection and voters card registration I declared INEC unfit to conduct 2015 election.

THE NATION TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

victory of Okowa was not made ‘The possible only by a section of peoIs President Jonathan

ple, but by the Isoko, the Urhobo, the Itsekiri and the Ijaw

‘

Ortom: I’ll implement my blueprint

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom, has assured that he would implement the blueprint designed by his Policy and Strategy Committee, if elected. He gave the assurance in a meeting at the weekend with members of the committee at Smile View Hotel, in Makurdi. Dr Ortom said: “There is the need for people to elect a governor with creative ideas, who would think outside the box in tackling challenges and someone like him who has the support of a group with ideas such as the committee”. He told the committee that if there is the need to revise the document at any point, he would summon members to carry out the exercise. The former Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, stressed that God had adequately prepared him with experience at all tiers of government to confront the current challenges of the state. Committee chairman, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar in his remarks, stated that the composition has been reconstituted to reflect the change of platform while the draft had to be reviewed in line with the APC manifesto. Professor Ityavyar who highlighted key points of the document to include good governance and revenue security, agriculture-driven industrialisation, relevant science based education and health care, provision of critical infrastructure and women, youths, gender as well as people with disabilities as priorities. He described members as the best and brightest made up of captains of industry, academics, various professionals in the media and other fields, as well as the clergy maintaining that the composition was unprecedented in the history of the state in terms of quality and quantity. Professor Ityavyar announced the constitution of a 15-member harmonization committee and charged it to conclude work within a few days. In his closing remarks governorship running mate, Engr Benson Abounu, commended the spirit of sacrifice exhibited by members stressing that the task of salvaging the state from its present state required the inputs of all major stakeholders especially those he described as eggheads.

Arewa community endorses APC By Musa Odoshimokhe

HE Chairman of the Arewa Community, Lagos State, Mallam Kabiru Abdullahi, has said the group will support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general election. Addressing members of the Arewa community, during a visit of the APC senatorial candidate of the Lagos West, Hon. Solomon Adeola, he said the party has done much for the Hausa community. He said: “It is important I let you understand that the APC is our official party in Lagos State. We will vote massively for the party because we have been well protected and taken care of by the government. There is no complaint made which government refused to address. ‘’We will vote General Mumammadu Buhari as President, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as governor and Hon. Soloman Adeola as Senator. These candidates have excelled in their previous assignments. They have done so well, they will get the Hausa community mandate across Lagos State,’’ he said. Also speaking, Hon. Adeola said the APC will clear the rot in the land and make the country safe for everybody. He noted that the Arewa in Nigeria are peace loving people but unfortunately the rudderless leadership in the country has made their homestead in the northern part of the country a theatre of war. He said: ‘’It is only Buhari that can address the insecurity; the records are there to prove what I am saying. I urge you all to obtain your Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) to enable you vote. It does not end there; you should stand there to ensure that your votes are not stolen when they are being counted. ‘’The aged can leave after voting while the youths should stay behind to secure their mandates. On our part, we will keep a tab on all the process. We will not allow them to cheat because we will be there to until the ballots are counted and announced. He added that the APC will continue to do its good work in the state, stressing that the pace of development could only continue if the party is voted in the coming election. He said: ‘’You see, Buhari alone cannot carry out the revolutionary transformation of the country, he need a National Assembly that will support his efforts. That is why you must vote the APC candidates who are aspiring to be at the House. If the PDP who will form the opposition in the coming years are in the majority in the House, they will try to frustrate him but I know we will triumph and return this country to the part of progress again. Adeola maintained that he will continue to identify with the Arewa community, adding they play a vital role when he was elected to the House of Representatives. ‘’I you give the APC your mandate again, we will treasure it and will not •Adeola disappoint you.’’

Smart Asekutu is the President, Delta Ijaw Peace Movement (DIPM) and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, he speaks about the next month’s elections and other issues.

‘Why Okowa won Delta PDP ticket’

OW would you react to the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State? I must say that his emergence as PDP’s flag bearer in the state is a welcome development. It calls for celebration because Okowa is a man that can be trusted with the resources of the state and he has worked with those that are in power today. He has moved progressively in his political career. Even in the contest for the ticket of the PDP, he was opposed in a manner that ordinarily nobody wants to think that he would win the primary. He is a man that we are very sure of, that he can deliver if given the opportunity to serve as governor. He is a former commissioner and SSG, and now a senator. The delegates decided to vote according to their conscience because of his track record of public service. He has done so many things that could speak for him as a man to be trusted. He was not backed by any godfather but the people. The grassroots decided that he should be the candidate of the ruling party in the state, and that is why every member of the PDP in Delta state is very happy that Okowa is the flag bearer of the party. I am supportive of everything that should be done to ensure he emerges as the governor of the state in the 2015 election. Do you think he has what it takes to confront the candidates of the opposition parties, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP)? People believe that things should be done fairly and that things should

be shared equally. The other day, Chief Edwin Clark said on the pages of newspapers that this time around, whoever would become governor should come from Delta North because they believe that it is time for a Deltan of Delta North extraction to become governor. Yes, we heard some people complaining here and there, but genuine people of Delta State know that it is the time of Delta North to produce the governor in this state. Okowa is from that region and I would think that every well-meaning Deltan would give him their support. They would do what is right by voting for Okowa. I am sure that Deltans are already talking to themselves, reasoning within themselves to make sure they do what is right. Are you aware of the protests from sections of the Urhobo and Isoko against what they termed betrayal by the Ijaw of Delta South? We have been reading some text messages by some faceless persons concerning that. We don’t know the brains behind these nefarious actions because they have been sending these frivolous texts under cover. It is not out of place for people to complain, but I want to say that we need to be careful. You don’t just complain because what you desire is not in place or that you didn’t get what you wanted, therefore, the best thing is to destroy. It is not good enough. What about zoning? Today, the Ijaw, the Urhobo, the Isoko are one. So many things have always been proven that we are one. We need each other to succeed in everything we have to do and so we cannot go to the extreme. You don’t condemn a whole tribe because you

•From left: Former Benue State Governor, George Akume, APC presidential candidate Gen. Muhamadu Buhari (middle) and Dr. Ortom at a political rally.

•Asekutu

wanted something but could not get it. You want to insult leaders, you gives names to people that have worked hard to even make life meaningful to everybody. You say because one thing did not work today, you want to destroy everything. I want to caution people that are behind these agitations to have a re-think. If they say some sensitive things about certain persons now, the next minute, they may see themselves needing the support of such people. So, don’t say because you did not get this one, you are trying to pass the blame or trying to call them names. We just need to be careful. The Urhobos today have produced governors. For instance, Chief Ibru was a governor, he is an Urhobo man. Chief James Ibori was a governor and he is an Urhobo man also. So, there are things they have enjoyed which other ethnic groups have not enjoyed. We have so many people contesting for this position and you know one person will certainly emerge and somebody put the strictures in place to deliver one person. We should not see it as the end of the game. After Okowa’s tenure, we will always have this kind of moment. So, you cannot just sit back and say because it did not happen the way you wanted it, you start calling people names. It is not fair. We don’t have to say things that we may regret tomorrow. I want to add that Urhobo people are people that we respect. We also respect Isoko people. There are people today I know are working effectively for all that we are celebrating now. The Urhobo are part of it, the Isoko are part of it, the Itsekiri are part of it. The victory of Okowa was not made possible only by a section of people, but by the Isokos, the Urhobos, the Itsekiris and the Ijaws; everybody worked for him. If anybody is complaining, we should be able to ask what happened and how it happened. And how would you react to the verbal attacks on Chief Government Ekpemukpolo Tompolo? It is very worrisome. A lot of people may not have known who Tompolo is. One thing I would say is that given the kind of struggle Tompolo was involved in, in the Niger Delta region, if he was a wicked man, he would not have survive a day. If he were a tribalist, he would not even have survived one day. This is one man who lived a very upright life even at the time he was a militant leader in the Niger Delta. Today, people respect him all round the Niger Delta and beyond. It is because this man does not represent one ethnic group but the Niger Delta region. All that he was trying to do was to ensure that good life for the people of the Niger Delta region. We should stop insulting people who have worked hard to make life meaningful for us.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

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Land title: Real estate investors’ headache S

TAKEHOLDERS are upbeat about the prediction of a huge Return On Investment (ROI) in real estate in the coming years. However, a recent report by the World Bank may just be enough caution for prospective investors. It said: “Nigeria is one of the most expensive and difficult places to register and acquire property for businesses in the world.” This revelation was contained in a Word Bank Group, document, entitled, ‘Doing Business in Nigeria 2014’ under the section ‘Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.’ According to the report, an investor in the country’s real estate sector has to go through 11 processes over 78 days, and also pay 15.8 per cent of the value of the property before a transfer of property can be achieved. This situation has made the country to be rated as one of the most difficult and expensive places to register property in the world. The report which based its submission on findings obtained from the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, held that the easiest place to register a property is Zamfara State, where the process takes just about nine processes, 31 days, and eight per cent of the property value. In Abia State, it takes 13 stages, 108 days, and 15.9 per cent of the property value. The World Bank report blamed the delays recorded in trying to register property on government bureaucracy, saying “the time is largely dependent on a single requirement: the state Governor’s consent, which accounts for 65 per cent of the total time required, on average. The delay varies from four days in Gombe to six months in Anambra, or Keffi.” But this is not all. Further findings revealed that apart from the search, consent, registration and stamp duty fees charged, legal fees account for almost half of the total cost to register property. It further stated that the registration fee varies from N2, 500 in Akwa Ibom State to five per cent of a property value in Bauchi, Kano, Sokoto and Taraba States. Several reasons can be adduced for this trend. According to lamudi.com.ng, an online real estate publication, several people are oblivious of some statutory laws that have been enacted and established by both the state and federal government aimed at regulating, guiding and governing all forms of land and landed properties’ transactions in the country. These regulations, it further explained, became necessary because land and landed properties’ transactions,- ownership, sales, acquisition, lease, mortgage, alienation, assignment/conveyance, sublease, are a contractual relationship between two or more persons for exchange and release of interest they have on land and landed property in consideration for a compensation, which is usually of monetary value in nature. It is therefore, for the protection of all parties involved in any, or all of the above mentioned transactions and making such transactions legal and tenable in any court of law, that made the government to enact some statutory laws to guide, govern and protect all persons who find themselves embarking on any of these lands and landed properties’ transactions.

Stakeholders are happy about the prospects of a good return on investment in real estate this year, but the difficulty in regularising title documents may be a problem, reports MUYIWA LUCAS.

• Real Estate... mortgage encumbered by cumbersome property/land regulations.

They include the ones for revenue generation purposes. Some of these statutory laws governing land/property transactions, include the Land Use Act; Land Instruments Registration Laws; Registration of Titles Acts; Rent Control and Recovery of Premises Acts; Tenancy Law of Lagos State; Tenement Rate Laws and Land Use Charge Law of Lagos State. The land instrument registration law, enacted to regulate registration of instruments that are executed prior to, and after the establishment of the Act in Nigeria, incorporates items such as an estate contract, a deed of appointment or discharge of trustee, containing expressly or impliedly a vesting declaration affecting any land. It seeks to guarantee genuine land title documents that have been investigated and registered by the Registrar of Titles in each state of the federation. This is compulsory for any holder of an interest in land, who wishes to transfer same to another person, to have registered such document at the appropriate Land Registry Office as it will assist purchasers of such land in determining if the owner/seller has the genuine land title document to sell the property and all encumbrances that are at-

tached to the land. To authenticate the transfer of title, the owner is expected to apply for the Governor’s consent to the Deed of Assignment, which is being executed by both the seller and buyer in such a scenario. In the case of the Land Use Act, it basically vests the ownership of all the land in the country in the government, who in turn leases it to individuals or corporate bodies as appropriate for a period of 99 years. But experts and stakeholders have faulted these laws, blaming them for being responsible for the difficulty in securing mortgage for housing finance in the country. Experts have at various times expressed concern over the poor state of housing finance, especially by public institutions, which are put at about 10 per cent. Sadly, mortgage banks are said to contribute about two per cent to this, while contribution from banks and other institutions is insignificant. This is a worrisome trend given that in developed climes, housing finance is synonymous with mortgage system. The Principal Partner, Imole-Ayo Real Estate, kayode Oyedele, said with a faltering mortgage system, home ownership in the country is realised by almost 100 per cent sav-

ings from the owners’ purse. He said this is in contrast with what obtains in other countries, such as South Africa, where an estimated 40 per cent of housing finance is sourced from mortgage institutions. Financial experts and real estate developers, agree that the low mortgage contribution to housing finance can be linked to the cumbersome and unfriendly land administration in the country. Lending his voice to the impact of mortgage financing on real estate, UACN Property Development Company (UPDC) Plc Managing Director, Hakeem Ogunniran, identified five drawbacks to housing finance. He said these include cost, character, capacity, collateral and conditions. He is of the view that the problem with land registration and titling, is more of a systemic issue than anything else, explaining that the system is people-driven and not process-driven. He suggested that there should be a “one-stop-shop” for perfecting titles which should be business-like. As a way forward, the Managing Director, Resort Savings and Loans Plc, Abimbola Olayinka, said the Land Use Act should be used to empower the people and not as an economic and political tool by states’ chief executives, adding that the Act

‘The Land Use Act, basically vests the ownership of all the land in the country in the government, who in turn leases it to individuals or corporate bodies as appropriate for a period of 99 years. But experts and stakeholders have faulted these laws, blaming them for being responsible for the difficulty in securing mortgage for housing finance in the country’

should be expunged from the Constitution so that it could be easily tinkered with. Olayinka is of the opinion that land administrators should adopt what he called, “three-one-three strategy” for land registration. This means that land titles should be perfected in three days at one central place, and at the cost of three per cent of the value of the land. Real estate operators and players in the financial sector are of the view that eliminating the bottlenecks created by the land and property laws and regulations will go a long way in encouraging mortgages. They are quick to cite the Ghanaian example, which was said to be a “dysfunctional land administration, long and expensive procedures,” that lasted up to five years and involving six different agencies supervising the process, leading to inefficiency of the system. But following its reforms, property registration in the country was cut to 34 days and queues at the Lands Commission disappeared, making it possible for the mortgage sector to thrive. And following further improvement to the system, today, it takes 10 days to register a property in Ghana. A similar experience happened in Egypt, where high fees and inefficient government agencies that hindered the process of real estate was eliminated by reducing property registration fees; simplifying the registration process, thus encouraging citizens and companies to obtain titles. Stakeholders are of the view that following the steps of such countries, would go a long way in ameliorating the mortgage finance problems in Nigeria.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS ENERGY

E-mail:- energy@thenationonlineng.net

Should the Federal Government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) continue to run the refineries and allied critical infrastructure? No, say stakeholders at a symposium titled: Nigeria's energy revolution-Aglimpse at the future," held in honour of a former NNPC Group Managing Director Chief Festus Marinho in Lagos. They argued that the infrastructure be handed over to the private sector to manage, reports EMEKA UGWUANYI.

T was a day of frank talks. They said it as it is. It was all about what they saw regarding what the Federal Government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reduced the oil company to. They spoke as key stakeholders whose interest is to see the NNPC create optimal value from hydrocarbon exploitation for the country’s good. The event was a symposium held in honour of Chief Festus Remilekun Ayodele Marinho, the first and only two-time Managing Director of the NNPC (1977-80 and 1984-85) at the Muson Centre last weekend in Lagos. Many of the attendees were former top management of NNPC, former Ministers of Petroleum Resources and a host of industry top shots. There was a lineup of former Group Managing Directors including Chiefs Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, Chambers Oyibo, Lawrence Amu and Funsho Kupolokun, among others. The chairman on the occasion was a former Minister of Petroleum Resources and now the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, Dr. Edmund Daukoru; the keynote address was delivered by former Minister of Petroleum Mr. Odein Ajumogobia. The panel of discussants included Babajide Soyode, former General Manager, Warri and Kaduna Refineries, and currently Chairman, Petrodata Management Services, Mr. Ibrahim Waziri, former Group Executive Director, Corporate Services, NNPC and now Chairman, Transmission Company of Nigeria, Prof Pat Utomi, Mr. Babs Omotowa, NLNG Managing Director, Mr. Austin Avuru, Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Petroleum and Bunmi Obembe, Executive Director, Oil and Gas Commercial, Total Exploration and Production, Nigeria. They asked for substantial or complete handover of the management and control of the petroleum industry to the private sector. They noted that the industry is lagging behind and not meeting expectations of stakeholders and the populace because of the stranglehold of the government. Ajumogobia set the stone for the day by decrying the dwindling fortunes in the oil and gas industry caused by pipeline vandalism, oil theft militancy, lack of maintenance of critical infrastructure resulting in decay and inoperability of the refineries.Others are inability of the NNPC to meet its cash call obligation and funding of other projects, poor policy formulation and implementation and inability to properly manage the oil revenue to care for the rainy day. He said:“The dwindling fortunes of the industry have been affected by several unrelated factors. Despite news of continuing pipeline vandalism such as the most recent breach of the important trans Forcados line, the amnesty substantially reduced the disruptions to industry facilities and enabled production to go back to previous peaks of approximately 2.5 million barrels per day. “Yet in 2013, a new and frightening phenomenon emerged. It was revealed by our Finance Minister that Nigeria was losing up to 400,000 barrels per day to crude oil theft. This damaging phenomenon is completely inexplicable, especially in the light of the vehement denials of collusion and assurances

•From left: Marinho; his wife Yetunde Oreoluwa; and Former Minister of Gas, Mr. Emmanuel Odushina, at the event.

Why NNPC should hands off refineries, by oil chiefs of our security agencies of their resolve to stop oil theft. Though apparently reduced from that incredible level, the current estimates of approximately 150,000 barrels per day are an indication of most disturbing malaise. “The lack of investment based on the Joint Venture (JV) structure in particular and the inability of NNPC constrained by budget limitations to always meet its financial obligations to the JV, for replacement of ageing and dilapidated assets, especially pipelines and depots many of which have long passed their ‘shelf life’, is another risk factor that will continue to affect the efficiency and well-being of the industry by substantially increasing operating costs, and environmental pollution. Sadly, focus of the regulators of the industry seems focused almost exclusively on the ‘S’ part of HSE (Health, Safety and Environment). “Thirdly, petroleum policy is not always or entirely coherent due in part to the frequent change of important officials. Since NNPC was created 38 years ago, we have had 16 GMDs (Group Managing Directors). In 30 years from 1977 to 2007, there were nine – an average of one every three years. Thereafter, appointments to that office became even more frequent. As a minister, I encountered four GMDs of NNPC in a space of 32 months between July 2007 and March 2010. There have been three others since 2010. That is seven GMDs of our national oil corporation in as many years, with the incumbent being the fifth since 2010. The Directorate of Petroleum Resources has had a similarly high personnel turnover – six DPR directors (though one was in an acting capacity) in seven years.

This certainly is not a recipe for coherent policy making implementation. “Clearly the already dwindling fortunes of the Nigerian oil and gas industry have been considerably worsened by plummeting oil prices. But the fall in the oil prices is really no surprise. Also the rapid devaluation of the Naira can be attributed to lower oil prices which have wiped out billions of Naira in market capitalisation Nigeria’s fledgling indigenous oil and gas companies and with it probably a good percentage of value of our recently rebased economy. Of course the US dollar has also strengthened against world currencies. What are the prospects for recovery?” Ibrahim Waziri in his speech regretted not allowing the late President Yar’ Adua to privatise the refineries when he sought his opinion on the issue. He said he believed that NNPC would change and have the capacity to turn around the refineries but he was wrong as the state of the refineries have worsened. Seplat Petroleum chief, Austin Avuru, said the NNPC and the government have failed in management of oil revenues for the good of the economy and the populace. He was of the view that NNPC should hands off business and focus on policy making and regulation. He said: “In 1971-72 when Nigeria joined the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Chief Marinho was busy with his colleagues constructing the industry before becoming the NNPC Managing Director in 1977, his colleagues in Kuwait, Norway, Saudi Arabia were also constructing their industries. Indigenous participation was one of what OPEC charter demands, that member countries

should develop the industry with indigenous capacity. “The intention then was that indigenous participation will take over NNPC. Over that period of time, NNPC’s contemporaries like Saudi Aramco and others have developed strong partnership with the international oil companies (IOCs) to run their industry efficiently. “During same period of time, our refineries showed signs of inefficiency. In June 1992, Prof Aminu was relieved of his duty because queues started occurring in petrol stations. In those 23 years, things have moved only downwards to a point now where we don’t remember if our refineries are working at all. “In the upstream sector, two critical factors account for soaring cost. Remember that in the 1980s, normal cost for crude was just about $4 per barrel. Today, cost has gone up. If you are efficient, it will cost you about $16 per barrel. Otherwise, it may cost you up to $18-$30 per barrel. “Critical factors account for this. They are security issues in the Niger Delta and also the bottlenecks in the NNPC: project delay, delay in approval and $5billion of cash calls in arrears that have not been paid to the point now where you ask the question: Is NNPC really adding value to the industry today? “When you look at the totality of their involvement in the industry today, downstream that has been dead, the mid-stream has been clogged until now that the private sector is trying to revive it and the upstream where cost has spiralled and characterised by project delay, can we say today that the NNPC is a net destroyer of value in the industry. “All of these have been happen-

ing at a time when Chief Marinho’s colleagues were efficient in managing their industries, so today, Norway which has a GDP of $512billion has a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) of $893billion; Qatar with GDP of $203billion has SWF of $256billion and Saudi Arabia with GDP $748billion has SWF of $762billion. “Why I have given these figures is because these same countries have managed their economies better. They saved for the rainy day and today they can play the game while Nigeria is watching. Which means Kuwait and Saudi Arabia can afford to derive zero revenue from crude oil production over the next three years and survive because of their SWF. “That’s why they are playing with the US to see who blinks first. We are watching helplessly with the SWF of $500million only (half a billion dollars). So if this oil price subsists for the next nine months, be sure we will go back to 1998 when salary cannot be paid, teachers will be out of school because schools will close. “So where do we go from here? “We should try and look inwards and accept the truth. Government and its agencies must withdraw from the industry. They must restrict themselves to proper revenue collection but for management of the revenue for the interest of the current and future generations, they should handover to the private sector including the operation of the industry. Fortunately, the sector is now being led by indigenous players.” Avuru stated that the prediction to have one million barrels per day refining capacity will be achieved by the indigenous sector, noting that Dangote is starting with 500,000 barrels per day refinery. He said that when the NNPC has the courage to sell the refineries, those that will buy them will expand the capacity and will probably have the one million barrels per day production all led by the private sector by 2020. “If we are refining half of our production, we are best able to absorb the next shock from low oil prices when the next cycle comes. It’s always in cycle and we will soon get out of this one,” he added. Prof Utomi stated that he had proposed a special utilisation fund where oil proceeds in excess of $40 per barrel should go. Such fund, according to him, should be accessed in times of recession or slump in crude oil price. He also advocated for NNPC’s focus on policy making as against participating actively oil business. He said that Qatar currently is utilising its gas resource optimally while Nigeria with its abundant gas is not doing anything internally with it. He also drew attention to the frequent change of NNPC’s group managing directors, noting that the trend is not healthy for the growth of the industry. He jokingly begged the NNPC officials at the event that if he hears the appointment of another GMD in the next few months, he would relocate to Equatorial Guinea. The former Group Managing Directors corroborated what the speakers said, adding that the NNPC chiefs only take directives from the government and don’t take decisions and actions on their own. They also condemned the nonpassage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) after 13 years of being in the National Assembly.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

ENERGY

Shell eyes 80 per cent gas flaring reduction S

HELL Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has pledged to achieve 80 per cent gas flaring reduction. In a report titled: “Shell in Nigeria. Gas flaring”, the Anglo Ducth firm said it would hit that mark at the completion of some projects. The projects include the installation of associated gas capturing equipment in its oil fields including the Gbaran-Ubie integrated oil and gas facility in Bayelsa State and Bonga deepwater in the Niger Delta. SPDC said it achieved 75 per cent gas flaring reduction from its facilities between 2012 and 2013. It said 80 per cent reduction would be attained once the equipment has been fully installed in its producing facilities in Nigeria. Shell said: “These reductions were the result of a multi-year programme introduced in 2000 to install equipment to capture associated gas from its oil producing facilities. When completed, these projects are expected to take SPDC’s flaring to below current industry average. We intend to reduce gas flaring by 80 per cent, going by our current efforts of installing equipment that would be capturing gas in our facilities.’’ It said a reduction of about one-

Stories by Akinola Ajibade

fifth in volume of gas flared recorded in the industry in 2013, was due to lower crude oil production. The firm stated that the fall in crude production was caused by sabotage, theft, and other unwholesome practices in the industry. The report said Shell is working with the Federal Government and other companies it has joint venture agreement (JVA) with, to end flaring of associated gas soon. It also noted that Shell is making efforts to further reduce gas flaring, despite the fact that delay of counterpart funding from the government in the JVA stalls efforts of the operators in tackling flaring. “Joint Venture funding challenges have resulted in the delay of some gas gathering projects: two of these projects, which were expected to gather an additional 35 per cent of associated gas by 2014/2015, are likely to be delayed. In spite of these, the overall trend in associated gas gathering and flaring reduction is posi-

tive and SPDC has plans to drive further reductions. Shell will continue to work closely with its joint venture partners and other stakeholders to minimise delays to the key projects on which further flare reduction depends,” the report added. The President, Association of International Energy Economists (AIEE), Prof Adeola Akinnisiju, said prevention of gas flaring is key to the growth of the oil and gas sector. He said the more gas that is flared, the more the problems for people living in gas flaring zones. Akinnisiju said stakeholders including multinational oil companies, indigenous operators, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), among others, have important roles to play on the issue. He said gas that is being flared can be converted and channelled into the power sector for growth. Nigeria had made considerable progress in reducing gas flaring in the past decade, surpassing countries like Russia and Iraq, with Shell playing a key role albeit the unique challenges of executing such infrastructure.

•From left: Manager, Corporate Affairs, Taofeek Lawal; General Manager, Safety, Rajendra Srinivas; Safety Chief Vitalis Ofoegbu; and Manager, Admin Bonaventure Ehiem, all of Nipco Plc, when the company won the Nigeria Ports Authority’s 2014 Best HSE Compliant award in Lagos.

Lack of capital, others hinder gas investments’ HY are investors shying away from gas project? It is because of lack of sufficient capital, inability to access loans, lower yields compared to crude oil projects, and government’s decision to regulate the prices of gas, says Chief Executive officer, Seven Energy Limited, Philip Iheanacho. In an interview with The Nation, Iheanacho said the investors’ problems have affected investment in that segment of the petroleum industry. He said returns from gas are lower than oil’s, adding that this issue made many investors to opt for oil production activities. He said: “Funding of a gas project is a major challenge. The reason is that the project is not bankable. The project is not as profitable as oil.

To develop a gas project, you need to spend between two and three times of what you would spend in developing an oil project. Revenue from gas project is one out of 10 derived from oil. Most investors do not want to invest in gas.” According to him, government’s decision to regulate the price of gas made investors to run from the sector, adding that the development made gas projects unprofitable to investors, compelling them to move to sectors where they would get better profit. “As long as gas prices are still regulated by the government, most people would not invest in gas. The best thing to do is to have a willing buyer and willing seller platform. If you have a project that you would make a lot of money

from, and I have gas to sell, we sit together and negotiate for a price that suits both parties. With a price driven by market forces, I assure you there would be enough gas to use in Nigeria. I think the stimulus would come from the companies that bought power generation companies because they need gas. If they do not come to pay realistic gas prices, they would not get it. There should be a willing buyer and seller arrangement such that banks would be able to put their money into the project,” he added. Iheanacho said many banks offer short term facilities as against long term financing required by gas projects to achieve the desired results.

FMC Technologies secures Chevron’s $268m contract

MC Technologies, Inc. has clinched the contract for provision of subsea systems for Chevron’s Agbami phase 3 project. The company said it received an order from Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited (a Chevron company), operator of the Agbami field, to provide subsea equipment for operations in the Agbami field, offshore Nigeria.

The Agbami field is located 70 nautical miles (113 km) off the coast of the central Niger Delta region, at a water depth of approximately 4,800 feet (1,463 m). The parties in the Agbami field include Famfa Oil Limited, Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, Petróleo Brasileiro Nigeria Limited (Petrobras), Statoil Nigeria Limited (Statoil), and Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC). “FMC Technologies has supported the Agbami field development for several years,” said Tore Halvorsen, FMC Technologies’ Senior Vice President, Subsea Technologies. “This subsea equipment will provide additional production and help extend the life of this deepwater development,” he added.

‘Price recovery in oil likely soon’

IGERIA and other oil producing nations may soon overcome the shock of falling crude oil prices. Price recovery is likely soon, the International Energy Agency (IEA), has said. The IEA gave this indication in a report titled: Is the tide about to turn for oil prices released last weekend. The United States energy watchdog said oil price recovery could be around the corner in view of the happenings in the market. It said the slump in oil prices is expected to have some impacts on non-OPEC production, adding that the development will lead to a rise in prices for oil producing countries soon. “A price recovery barring any major disruption may not be imminent, but signs are mounting that

the tide will turn,” the agency has said. This is coming as the price of oil crashed to $47 per barrel last week, signifying a major impact on Nigeria, which derives 75 per cent of its revenue from oil and benchmarked its 2015 budget on $65 per barrel While describing the oil market as having undergone an’’ historic shift’’ with OPEC’s reluctance to balance the market alone and the US enjoying a true production boom, IEA said there would be no return to previous market conditions. Prices jumped after the report was released, though they are still only around the $50 per barrel, far from the heady days of $115 per barrel in June 2014.

Okay Enugu Power zone, govt told

OUTHEAST and South South investors are demanding the approval and implementation of Enugu Power Free Trade Zone (ENPOWER FTZ) promised them 20 months ago by President Goodluck Jonathan. At a meeting in Lagos last weekend, they said the President has not redeemed the promise he made while commissioning the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu. The zone, they said, would help in improving electricity supply. The Chairman, Hamex Engineering, Mr. Saxena Nagendra, said the delay in approving and executing the project was improper, in view of the economic benefits to the state and the country. He said the Zone would help to boost power supply and accelerate socio-economic activities, arguing that the delay has slowed down growth in the region. Nagendra said Enugu has Coal in abundance, adding that the Zone would be able to access enough Coal for generation of renewable power or energy. He said his company is setting up facilities for the manufacture of transformer resins and related chemicals in the proposed Enugu free trade zone. “Hamex joins a growing list of companies from India, China and the United States as well as local breweries and a major truck assembly plant which have submitted expressions of interest to invest in the free zone project once approved.” Also, the Special Adviser to the state government, Dr. Jude Akubilo, explained that the Free Zone project would help alleviate poverty in the zone through the

creation of over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. He said: “The Federal Government has made power generation and power sector reform a key priority, which will be actively supported by the proposed free zone.’’ The President of Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, said relevant government agencies were not ready to fast-track the process of implementing the project. He urged the Minister of Trade and Industry Mr Olusegun Aganga, to expedite the process of implementing the project promised them about two years ago, adding the project was part of the Transformation Agendas of the Federal Government. He said the all pan-Igbo professional and economic groups affiliated to Ohaneze Ndigbo are worried about the development, demanding that the minister must speedily realise the project or offer credible explanations. Uwazuruike said Igbos are making great strides in trade and commerce, adding the zone would provide the necessary multiplier effects for Enugu State and the country in particular. He said there was no need in delaying the project since the government has agreed to provide it. “When the governor of Enugu State was making the request of a free trade zone, I was smiling in my mind. The certificate is right for the zone. So you do not need to ask. Free trade zones can only be functional if it has access to a functional seaport or international airport , so it is something that has been approved before you requested for it so, you can go and sleep,’’ he said.

Firm unveils solar streetlights

CHNEIDER Electric has introduced a new range of innovative energy efficient, maintenance-free solar streetlights called Villaya, the company’s Field Marketing and Access to Energy Manager, Anne Ezeh, has said. Ezeh spoke while introducing the product to a select group of customers at the company’s head office in Lagos. She said the Villaya has unique attributes, adding that the product offers sustainable lighting capacity for up to 10 years. “Unlike others, the Villaya solar streetlights’ unique integrated concept makes installation very quick and easy because there is no need for trenching, cabling or on site assembling and the advanced LED technology and management system guarantees the lamps can last for up to 10 years,” Anne said. In addition to its smart management system, the Villaya solar streetlights offer unrivalled heat resistance, highly efficient LED light engine that provides the best ratio of lumens per watt as well as a unique all-in-one integrated plug and play design which allows for

retrofitting, easy installation and helps to avoid vandalism, she added. The Villaya solar streetlights work by automatically detecting night time conditions through an integrated circuit processor that guarantees full power during the night and graduated reduction of light intensity after four to five hours, to stretch the availability of its lighting service all year long, the company said. Speaking on the organisation’s unwavering commitment to providing innovative energy solutions, Ezeh stated: “The Villaya solar streetlight is a product solution to promote environmental safety, efficient, renewable, clean and affordable power, even in remote or off-grid areas that require good street lighting and zero electricity bills.” Schneider Electric, she stated, has been at the forefront of sustainable power sector development in Nigeria, not only by the introduction of genuine electrical products, but in the development of manpower, in a bid to complement the Federal Government’s efforts in the sector.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 19-01-15

Oando extends N48.8b rights issue

ANDO Plc has secured a two-week extension for its ongoing rights issue as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) indicated that it would continue to offer the secondary trading platform for other investors that may want to buy into the rights issue. Oando is raising about N48.8 billion from existing shareholders through a rights issue of 2.217 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N22 per share. The offer, which was scheduled to close on Wednesday January 14, 2015, has now been extended till Wednesday January 28, 2015. The extension followed approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). SEC had considered the public holidays during the offer period and decided to provide the investors with more working days to enable them participate fully in the rights issue. With the extension of the offer period, the management of the NSE yesterday stated that it would similarly continue trading on the Oando’s rights until January 28, providing investors with opportunity to buy the rights’ shares at the secondary market. Rights’ shares are usually pre-allotted to shareholders in the register of the company at

• NSE continues rights trading By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

a particular period. But both investors who are not prequalified for the rights issue can buy the renounced rights shares at the Exchange. Also, pre-qualified shareholders can demand for additional shares through their rights’ offer acceptance form. In similar issuance, Oando had in 2013 raised about N55.2 billion from a rights issue, slightly above the initial target of N54.6 billion. Allotment approved by SEC however showed that Oando succeeded in raising N55.2 billion, which many had said indicated the high level of investors’ confidence in the company. Third quarter report of Oando indicated that the company optimized its bottomline performance as significant improvements in top and midline costs moderated decline in turnover and returned higher earnings to shareholders. Key extracts of the interim report and accounts of Oando for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2014 showed that while turnover dropped by 12.5 per cent, the group drew on improved in-

put and marketing costs to grow gross profit and operating profit by 70.4 per cent and 97.3 per cent respectively. Net profit after tax rose by 75.7 per cent. Group turnover stood at N338.11 billion in third quarter 2014 compared with N386.25 billion in corresponding period of 2013. Gross profit meanwhile rose from N70.4 billion in 2013 to N79.60 billion in 2014. Operating profit also nearly doubled at N36.25 billion in 2014 as against N18.37 billion in 2013. Profit before tax rose marginally from N9.76 billion in third quarter 2013 to N10.18 billion in third quarter 2014. With tax gain of N523.4 million, group net profit rose to N10.70 billion in 2014 as against N6.09 billion in comparable period of 2013. Earnings per share meanwhile improved from 93 kobo to N1.26. Oando recently distributed a total of N2.4 billion as cash dividends to shareholders, consisting of a final dividend of 30 kobo per share for the 2013 business year financial year and an interim dividend of 70 Kobo per share for the sixmonth period ended June 30, 2014, bringing total dividend per share to N1.

DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 19-01-15

THE NATION MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

MONEYLINK

CBN laments rise in e-fraud in int’l transactions • Naira up 2.3%

Stories by Collins Nweze

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has traced rising cases of e-fraud in international card to increased insider abuse mainly through theft and abuse of authorisation. CBN Director, Banking and Payments System Department, ‘Dipo Fatokun, said increased use of automation in most banking payment processes has further escalated insider abuse in banks with weak authentication procedures.

Fatokun said the fraud cases are rampant when International hybrid cards issued by Nigerian banks are used in non-EMV environments, like the USA. He therefore, advised banks to collate all their card frauds abroad and send same to CBN not later than January 30,. Also, all data on card fraud occurring abroad should be rendered on the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) fraud portal. He advised banks to implement a

maker/checker control structure for all payment platforms, including account and database system maintenances on core banking systems. The lenders, he said, are to implement two factor authentication at login points for applications driving transfers, withdrawal, deposit, standing order, account maintenance and system maintenance processes, adding that an an implementation plan should be submitted to the Central Bank by January 30, and that all banks are expected to fully comply by December 31, failing which defaulting

Access Bank harps on financial support for SMEs, youths T HE Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe has reiterated the bank’s commitment for financial empowerment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the youths in Africa. Speaking yesterday at the Africa Sustainable CEO Business Roundtable in Lagos, Wigwe,, who discussed how the lender is financing youth entrepreneurs and SMEs in the continent, said traditional problems, such as access to finance, environment and the right knowledge on the society where they operate, are some of the factors af-

fecting today’s youths. Wigwe, who was represented by the Executive Director, Personal Banking, Victor Etuokwu disclosed that the lender has a team that drives and adds value to SMEs in the country. “What we have done in Access Bank is that we have a team to drive and add values to SMEs. Finance is not the major issue, but building capacity and understanding things around. We also have programmes that support women entrepreneurs because we find it

interesting working with them,” he said. The United Nations Global Compact, organisers of the programme, charged African Chief Executive Officers to collaborate in contributing to the post-2015 development in Africa. Executive Director, UN Global Impact, Dr. Georg Kell in his remarks enjoined local networks to partner to help achieve economic growth in the continent. He also added that the UN Global Compact will support CEOs and the Nigerian government in their efforts to sustain future business in Africa. CEO, Safaricom Ltd and Board

ANAN, IASeminars to offer training on IFRS, IPSAS

HE Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) and IASeminars are to jointly offer training courses covering a broad range of financial topics of interest to both private and public sectors. In a statement, it said courses to be offered both in Nigeria and abroad are International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards

(IPSAS). It recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced that Nigeria would adopt the provisions of IFRS and IPSAS in both the private and public sectors. The statement said that since then, organisations across the country had been busy implementing these benchmarks of global best practices or else were expected to do so in the near future.

The President and Chairman of the Council of ANAN, Alhaji Sakirudeen Labode, said: “ANAN is pleased to work with IASeminars on this important project. ‘There is a growing demand in Nigeria and across the wider West African Region for high-quality IFRS and IPSAS training. This new collaboration will help provide the necessary technical skills at all levels,’’ Labode said.

banks would incur a penalty of N50,000 daily,” he said. Banks, he said, are to ensure that from February 01, only customers that expressly indicated their intension of travelling to non-EMV jurisdictions, would have their cards default to the magnetic stripe and for the period indicated by the cardholder only. To this end, banks should ensure that their customers are adequately educated. Meanwhile, the naira recovered from a record intraday low after two commercial lenders and an energy company sold dollars on the interbank market ahead of a CBN interest rate meeting, dealers said.

• CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

Ambode promises more prosperous Lagos

HE Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has assured business leaders and investors of a more prosperous Lagos under his leadership. Ambode, who spoke at a meeting with business leaders organised by ‘Round Table Forum’ in Lagos, said if given the opportunity to serve, Lagos will be alive for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “It will be a 24/7 economy. We want to make the city more attractive for investors. Lagos State and how its resources are managed have national implications, either positively or otherwise. Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria and is among the seventh fastest growing cities in the world, with about 21 million people. It is in the interest of this country, that we play our part to ensure that Lagos remains prosperous,” he said. Ambode said the people of Lagos have remained friendly to investors and migrants, adding that it would continue to be so, under his watch.

“I see a Lagos that is safe and more prosperous. I also see a Lagos economy driven by quality service, equity and justice,” adding that he derives joy in encouraging and seeing young people succeed and actualizsing their dreams. He promised that under his watch, there will be continuity in the provision of adequate security in Lagos State and also thanked the business community for their contributions to the Security Trust Fund. “In the last seven and half years, the Security Trust Fund has attracted N12 billion, of which N4 billion came from the private sector,” he said. He said he would deploy CCTV state-wide to tackle criminal activities in all the communities, adding that if elected, his administraion will take steps to ensure that more electricity is made available to the business community as such would reduce their cost of operation. He said that about 40 per cent of cost of doing business comes from alternative source of power, against four per cent in most developed economies.

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 FIDELITY NIG FUND • UBA BALANCED FUND • UBA BOND FUND • UBA EQUITY FUND • UBA MONEY MARKET FUND

126.95 9.17 1.12 1.19 0.63 1.39 1,733.08 1,101.01 111.13 121.16 1.67 1.29 1.32 0.95 1.17

126.90 9.08 1.12 1.19 0.62 1.33 1,733.08 1,100.27 110.55 120.30 1.62 1.28 1.32 0.93 1.17

C/PRICE 19.68 0.57 146.00 79.80 17.30 32.52 8.50 855.00 2.28 15.19 3.66 0.53 37.00

CHANGE 9.94 7.55 5.04 5.00 4.98 4.97 4.94 4.86 4.59 4.11 3.98 3.92 3.82

LOSERS AS AT 19-01-15

SYMBOL

O/PRICE

UPL CADBURY CHAMPION RTBRISCOE COSTAIN ETERNA PZ CCNN AGLEVENT GUINESS STERLNBANK STANBIC FIDSON

4.22 42.00 6.51 0.84 0.67 2.72 26.00 9.29 1.29 130.00 2.46 25.50 3.35

C/PRICE 3.81 39.00 6.19 0.80 0.64 2.60 25.11 9.00 1.25 126.00 2.40 25.12 3.30

Transaction Dates 13/01/2015 3/12/2014 1/12/2014 ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Inflation: December

CHANGE -9.72 -5.00 -4.92 -4.76 -4.48 -4.41 -3.42 -3.12 -3.10 -3.08 -2.44 -1.49 -1.49

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

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

CBN EXCHANGE RATES January 14, 2015

Monetary Policy Rate

GAINERS AS AT 19-01-15

SYMBOL O/PRICE GUARANTY 17.90 NEM 0.53 NB 139.00 WAPCO 76.00 ZENITHBANK 16.48 UACN 30.98 UAC-PROP 8.10 NESTLE 815.40 LIVESTOCK 2.18 ETI 14.59 UBA 3.52 ABCTRANS 0.51 FLOURMILL 35.64

RETAIL DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM (RDAS)

Currency

Buying (N)

Selling (N)

167

168

13.0%

Foreign Reserves

$35b

US Dollar

Oil Price (Bonny Light/b)

$45

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

Money Supply (M2)

N16.42 trillion.

Credit to private Sector (CPS)

N17.2 trillion

Primary Lending Rate (PLR)

Swiss Franc

16.5%

NIGERIAN INTER-BANK OFFERED RATES (NIBOR)

WAUA Tenor

13-01-15 Rate (%) Rate (%) 14-01-15

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. 13, 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 TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

CITY

CITYBEATS LINE: 08023247888

Lagos police to get squad cars

•The suspects... yesterday

Lotto agent, others held for alleged robbery A

26-year-old former Lotto Agent, Gbolahan Lawal, has been arrested by the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) for alleged robbery. He was arrested with two others, Monday Obebe, 28, and Benette Kwam, 20, (a Ghanaian). Three others are still at large. The three suspects, according to the police, are members of a six-man gang, that specialises in snatching vehicles and house-to-house robbery in Ijora, Ikorodu, Bariga, Oworonshoki of Lagos state. They were arrested at Ijora Seven Up on January 17, following a robbery at Bariga where the snatched a car. SARS operatives tracked them down and recovered four guns used in the operation. The suspects, were paraded before reporters yesterday. Lawal said: “I am single and I live with my sister at Ijora. I was a Lotto agent before I joined armed rob-

By Ebele Boniface

bery gang. I am from Adegbayi area in Oyo State. “That fateful day, we went for armed robbery operation we were six in number. We all met at Bariga at about 1.30pm, we used four guns. I collected the one I used from a cult boy named Yusuf. I have participated in five armed robbery operations in Ajah, Orile, Bariga twice and Oworonshoki. We snatched cars and collected phones, laptops and money.” Obebe said. “I am from Igbokoda Village in Ilaje area of Ondo State. I am a plumber and I reside in Ijora. I left plumbing for armed robbery because I was no longer getting plumbing jobs; I started with street boys who engaged in street fighting. We used street fighting to loot shops and rob people.” Kwam said: “ I am a foreigner I came from Takwa-

rade town in Ghana, I went into sand loading when I came to Bariga, Nigeria. It was the boys in Ilaje, Bariga that told me that they can get any type of car or jeep for me to sell if I can go into selling stolen vehicles. I decided to settle in Cotonou and Ghana, because I knew the environment better there. When they bring the stolen car I pay them reasonable amount but I don’t sell the vehicle to Nigerians and I don’t change, the engine number, chassis numbers and plate numbers. You don’t need vehicle document to sell stolen vehicle on Ghana, Cotonou and Seme area. Initially I used to arrange robbery against yahoo boys because they are very stingy but when I discovered that the gang members were cheating me I started going to rob with them. If I see any of them with cash up to N10, 000 we storm his house in the night and rob him.”

OVERNOR Babatunde Fashola (SAN) spoke yesterday of his administration’s plans to provide squad cars for police formations in Lagos State. Commissioning the ICT Resource Centre at Area H Police Command in Ogudu, Fashola said the squad cars, currently being designed in Japan would be fitted with modern gadgets. When deployed, he said, they would assist the police to combat to crime more efficiently. The governor said: “We are at the point where we are planning squad cars for each police station so that police officers can go in pairs with on-board computers and re-inforced shock absorbers. The cars are already being built in Japan. “So apart from the Hilux vans that we have provided at the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), police officers will have dedicated squad cars in which they can go out in pairs and teams, the way it is done in advanced countries”. The governor explained that the ICT centre would help the police improve their data management system especially with the keeping of vehicle exhibits. With the new ICT, the culture of littering police stations with vehicle exhibits during investigation would no longer be necessary, he said, adding: “What we have now is that many of our police stations are littered with vehicles especially those that have to do with traffic offence. “So what does that system

•Fashola opens ICT centre By Miriam Ekene-Okoro

do? It diminishes the value of the vehicle to the owner .By the time the case is finished, the vehicle would have severely diminished in value and we say we can eliminate this problem. “When there is an accident, all that is needed is the vehicles to be brought to the station. Take all of the photographs from all angles and release the vehicles to the owner on bond. “And the owner is given the obligation of producing the vehicle anytime it is needed in court so all of the records will be stored on the server and the system that we have provided today”. Fashola urged the police to take ownership of the centre and use it to enhance their

crime fighting capacity. He pledged the government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property and continued support to the police to make the state safer. Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti, thanked Fashola for his support. The support, he said, had not only enhanced the police operational capacity but also helped in securing lives and properties. “We thank you for your consistent support; all of your interventions had helped make our jobs easier. The ICT centre is a first in the country and we assure you that it would be put to use to help achieve our dream of a crime free Lagos”, he said.

I’m tired of my wife’s troubles, says man

58-year-old man, Timothy Babarinde, has asked an Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve his fiveyear old marriage. He is accusing his wife, Funmilola, of being troublesome. Funmilola, he added, is not also submissive. The petitioner said: “I solely married her because two of my children, from my previous marriage, died of sickle-cell anaemia. Consequently, I broke up with my ex-wife. I know she has never been married but she doesn’t want to see me with another

By Basirat Braimah

woman. She wants me to herself. Our security man caught her burying something at the frontage of my house. In fact, she is an added problem.” However, the respondent, Mrs. Babarinde was not present in court. The marriage which was sealed under Native and Customary law is blessed with a four-year -old child, Boluwatife. The court’s President, Pa Adekunle Williams, ordered the respondent to appear in court February 5.

FOREIGN NEWS

EU urges broad alliance on terrorism

Haiti President names new cabinet AITI’S President Michel Martelly has announced the formation of a new government amid renewed protests calling for his resignation. On his Facebook page, the president listed 18 ministers and 16 secretaries of state to be sworn in on Monday. He kept several current cabinet members in their posts and appointed some of his allies to key positions. His announcement comes after the dissolution of parliament last Tuesday and weeks of political uncertainty. Following anti-government demonstrations in the capital Port-au-Prince on Friday, President Martelly told demonstrators he had reached a deal with the opposition to form a consensus government within 48 hours. Opponents of President Martelly have been holding marches in the capital demanding his resignation On Sunday, he published on his Facebook page (in French) the full list of ministers and secretaries of state who are to deliver their oath of office on Monday.

HE EU’s foreign policy chief has called for a broad alliance to tackle terror, including with Muslim nations, at a summit of EU foreign ministers. Federica Mogherini said there had to be more co-operation both with Muslim countries and internally within the EU. Tens of thousands of people rallied yesterday in Grozny, capital of Russia’s mainly Muslim region of Chechnya, to protest against the cartoons published in Charlie Hebdo magazine. The foreign ministers were meeting ahead of a special leaders’ summit on terrorism

•President Martelly

Among them are members of the current cabinet, including the ministers for foreign affairs, defence, public works, health, tourism and education. The list also shows the appointment of several of his allies to key positions, such as new Planning Minister Yves Germain Joseph and Secretary of State for Public Security Carel Alexandre. Last week a US-brokered deal to extend the life of parliament and call new elections failed when parts of the opposition refused to approve it. Parliament was dissolved on Tuesday after its term expired, leaving Haiti without a functioning government. The opposition accuses Mr Martelly of abusing his powers and forcing a political deadlock in order to rule the country by presidential decree.

on 12 February. Ahead of the Brussels talks, Ms Mogherini said: “The threat is not only the one we faced in Paris, but is also spreading in many other parts of the world, starting from Muslim countries. “We need to strengthen our way of co-operating together first of all with Arab countries and then internally. We need to share information more, we need to co-operate more.” Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi is attending the talks with the 28 EU foreign ministers. Ms Mogherini said: “We will discuss with the secretary general how to increase the

level of co-operation... we need an alliance, a dialogue.” UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond echoed her call, saying Muslim countries had “suffered the greatest burden of terrorism”. High on the agenda of the talks will be concerns surrounding the return of radicalised Europeans who have gone to fight in Iraq and Syria. Mr Hammond said specific measures to be discussed would include “passenger name records within Europe”. Other measures believed to be on the table are tighter border controls within the Schengen area and the fight against

illegal arms-trafficking. EU interior ministers will discuss their response when they gather in Riga on 29 January. On Thursday, members of the US-led coalition against Islamic State will meet in London. US Secretary of State John Kerry will attend. The Brussels talks come after anti-terror raids in Belgium, France and Germany led to more than 20 arrests. Belgian police killed two suspected jihadists in the town of Verviers last Thursday and five people arrested were with “participating in the activities of a terrorist group”.

International pressure mounts against Boko Haram

HE International pressure on Boko Haram will intensify as a high level ministerial meeting holds today in Niger Republic capital Niamey. The French foreign ministry which announced the meting in a statement yesterday did not give the details of who are expected at the meeting but it is believed that the foreign ministers of West African countries will participate. The statement said the meeting will “reinforce the regional mobilisation and engage more international support”

•Cameroon army rescues 24 hostages in the battle to eliminate the sect. South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula also said yesterday that “dealing with terror groups such as Boko Haram and alShabaab will dominate talks at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, next week.” Meanwhile, France yesterday strongly condemned the latest attacks in Nigeria and Cameroon by the sect. “France reaffirms its solidar-

ity and its support for the Cameroonian, Chadian and Nigerian populations in the fight against Boko Haram,” an official statement said. It added that the Foreign Ministry “praised the commitment of the Chadian authorities and supports a robust and concerted regional response” to the long series of attacks by Boko Haram. “We have been contributing for several months to get a regional dimension for this crisis to be taken into account,”

the French statement said, noting that there has been sharing of intelligence and progress on international sanctions and the building of a multinational force to fight terrorism in the region.” Yesterday Cameroon’s army said it freed 24 of some 80 hostages kidnapped during a cross-border attack a defence ministry spokesman said. The kidnapping which occurred in the north of Cameroon on Sunday around the village of Mabass, saw around 30 adults and 50 children taken hostage by the Islamist group.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS

Nigeria is in one chance vehicle of PDP, says Fashola

AGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola has urged Nigerians to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and save the country from destruction. Addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters at the Oworonsoki Playing Ground, Lagos, yesterday, Fashola said the PDP had embarked on campaigns of lies to mislead the people. He said the PDP was desperate in all its actions, comments, including the Greek gift of reduction in the fuel price. He said: “As I was coming here this morning, I saw the desperation of the PDP campaigns and the President. If you look on the Third Mainland Bridge, you will see the President’s posters all over. “In the constitution, it is the local government that has statutory responsibilities for advertising. That is one of the sources of revenue and we have been working with the State Signage Agency (LASSA) not only to clean up Lagos, but also to put an institutionalised framework for advert management. “But, Mr. President and his supporters have taken over this advertising source. They tell us that the Federal Highway is theirs. But, that is not the point. If you build a highway, the advertising on it belongs to the local governments anywhere in Nigeria. “The advertising agencies have existing contracts with the people, private companies, who have paid to use that place. Without applying to LASSA, without respect for the existing contractual rights for businesses in this country, Mr. President has taken over the whole place with his posters. “Is that not lawlessness? Is that the kind of leader you want to re-elect? Now, Mr. President can say anything he likes, about how he does not want violent elections. Yes, we heard him, but leadership is not by words, it is by action.” The governor, who received thunderous ovation, said leaders who break the rules were bad examples. He said: “You break the rules of election and you keep telling us that you will play by the rules. He started campaigning even before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the period of campaigns. He has broken every rule that we have set and expect us to believe him. Can you trust such a leader? No. Can you trust such a party? “Over time I have told every person who cared to lis-

•Supporters at the rally...yesterday.

PHOTO: OMOSEHIN MOSES

Beware of fifth columnists, says Lagos APC

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State yesterday warned its members against fifth columnists, especially at its rallies. In statement by its spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, the party reminded its supporters that it would not allow “outsiders” to introduce thuggery to its campaign. The statement reads: “Our party is known for peace and we plan to run an issue-based campaign. We call on our members By Musa Odoshimokhe and Miriam Ekene-Okoro

ten. That this is not about Mr. President or individual, it is about his job performance as our President. I am a citizen, so I feel the impact of insecurity. “It compounds my work as governor here because so many people have left their homes, and are relocating to Lagos because the country is not safe. So, it doubles the responsibilities that I have. Now, as commander-in-chief, the one in charge of police, how many vehicles have they provided for the police in Nigeria? “We fund the police and provide the vehicles for them. We provide the petrol, sometimes the taxes you pay are not enough. We have to borrow, to buy what they want. And their candidate, the inexperienced apprentice, is saying that Lagos is the most indebted state. Who does not know that Lagos is the most populated state? “He is inexperienced and you cannot trust him with this job. Now, this man here (Akinwunmi Ambode) is the one who helped us raise the finances for most of the projects, including the roads. In fact, Nigeria is in one chance vehicle of the PDP and we must get them out. “We cannot find our daughters in Chibok. You know what

happened, when the Chibok girls were missing, instead of our President to go and commiserate with them, he said they should bring them to him. “Is it the person who is bereaved or the person who commiserates that goes to greet the other? Who is supposed to greet the other? That is the type of President you have in the country. “Do you want him there? I am sure if any of those children was his child, he will not be contesting. So, that is really how important your lives are in his hands. I don’t know anywhere in the world, that a sitting President will have moral comfort to be seeking re-election when over 200 children are missing,” he said. Fashola said the electorate should weigh the gravity of every statement made by the PDP candidates, knowing that the people have rejected them. “We are the only OPEC member importing fuel. The raw material for making petrol is here, by the time Nigeria was fighting its civil war, we were producing petrol in this country. Now, the country is facing insecurity. “Do you want that to continue? No. We want to get out of that one chance, our apprentice governorship candidate says we should come and enter one chance in Lagos. What has the Federal Government done for us?

not to accommodate infiltrators. They plan to disrupt our rallies and cause disaffection. “There should be no rivalry among our members. The campaign is for all the APC candidates in Lagos State that is why were are running the mega rallies at the senatorial levels and in the local governments.” Igbokwe’s statement followed the street fight that broke out at the APC mega rally at the Gbagada Play Ground. “They cannot look after their own responsibilities, I am the one funding the police. The immigration office where you collect passports the Lagos State government built, furnished and equipped it with your taxes. “Look at the Eko Bridge, the 33 expansions on it, nobody has touched them since it was built. That is why you hear heavy noise when you ply the bridge. It was Dr. Femi Hamzat, commissioner for Works, who replaced them. “All their federal roads which they have abandoned, we are the ones dealing with them. Today, they owe us N51 billion. So, we do their jobs bring the money they won’t bring, now they PDP candidate is saying you should come and enter one chance. “I have been on this job for eight years as governor, two and half years as chief of staff. That is the experience I have in government. Ambode was in government before me, at the local government level. He worked with me, for six years, as Accountant-General. “So, he knows what to do from day one. But, let me tell you what their candidate says they want to do. He calls them bold ideas, I call them bold inexperience. The first one, he said he will give you Internet hot spots. Tell him to go and tell his oga in Abuja to provide electricity first. You cannot

Ajimobi, Alao-Akala in live radio debate

YO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his predecessor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, of the Labour Party (PDP) engaged in a live radio debate yesterday. The two candidates who stormed the premises of the Space FM, an Ibadan private radio station with hundreds of their supporters exhibited maturity throughout the debate. The candidates answered questions from the public in the studio; their supporters related peacefully outside the station in an atmosphere devoid of rancour . Veteran journalists- Felix Adenaike , former Managing Director of African Newspapers Nigeria PLC Elder Dada Ogundele, the General Manager of Space FM and former General Manager

From Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan

,Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria( FRCN), Ibadan and the Chairman , Space FM, Otunba Deji Osibogun moderated the debate. Speaking on the reduction of fees in stateowned tertiary institutions, Ajimobi raised the hopes of the people saying the fee which was slashed by 50 per cent would be further reduced by the government to lessen the burden on parents. Though the governor acknowledged that there was nowhere in the world where education was totally free, he assured that his government would continue to subsidise education. On the stolen pension fund, he said the culprits were in court and that the government was waiting for the fund to be returned to its coffers.

have Internet without electricity. Whether it is solar power, diesel power, we need electricity first. He has no bold idea. “He said he will give you high speed ferries, now let me explain that to you. He does not understand ferry service. There is nothing like high speed ferry. Quote me, what you have are water taxis. Water taxis run between 22, 25 and maximum 30 naut. “The speed is measured in naut and if you translate it to kilometre, you are looking at 55 kilometre per hour. So he does not know what he is talking about. All the people who are teaching him and writing all those adverts for him are in the one chance PDP vehicle. “What he did not tell you is that today, we are running over 20 ferry routes in Lagos. Ebute-ero, Ikorodu, Ijegun, Badore, Epe and so on. Let him go and enter ferry so that he will learn. We did this job, today we have 131 licensed ferry operators. “He said we have not been developing Lagos. What was Oshodi like? What does it look like now? Obalende now has 24 hours street lights, it has a bus terminus. Who cleaned it up? Badia, we are building our rail terminus. “The Cardiac Centre here at the General Hospital, who built it? APC. The canal that used to flood, is it still flooding? Now Buhari has contested

three times, but in all the elections they never for once said he does not have certificate. Now that they see that he is going to win, it today he no get certificate, tomorrow he don sick. Who is sick betweenthe two candidates? “Who is the only aspirant who sat down during the APC’s 24-hour presidential convention in Lagos. Buhari was the only candidate. Buhari was there from 7pm till 6pm the following day. He was the only candidate who did not leave his seat. Is that a man who is sick? No. “The man’s body is made of steel, he does not drink. We know those people when they go and represent us abroad, we will be waiting for them to come and speak but we will not see them. Who is sick of the two? So, Buhari strong, he dey kampe. They are running out of lies, everything you here from them is a lie. “ The game is up, it is over. They should begin to pack their load. We are marching on Aso Rock with your votes. Now, on that note, let me tell you, avoid violence, void confrontation, those who want to win, do not want violence. “We want to win, we are going to win. The torrent of change is blowing across Nigeria. Don’t fight, you will speak with only thing and that is your vote. “In order to make sure that you speak, you must have your Permanent Voter Card. So, by February 14, the President will be on his way back to Otuoke, they have not even delivered electricity in Otuoke. They have started distributing the PVC in your wards, as you leave here go and collect them.” Ambode took a swipe at the Federal Government over the reduction of fuel price from N97 to N87, saying that the PDP cannot deceive Nigerians with the reduction coming less than four weeks to the general election. The APC candidate also promised to do build more roads in Lagos State and make life more comfortable for the people. “They said they have reduced the fuel price; is that what we need in this country. What is N10 reduction to the people? They should tell us about the missing $20billion oil fund? What about the subsidy scam? “That scam is running to billions. If we are able to get our money back, we will be able to use it for road construction; we will be able to use it to alleviate poverty, solve unemployment.”

I’ll eradicate poverty, says Makinde

HE ancient Mapo Hill in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, came alive yesterday for the governorship campaign of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Seyi Makinde. Makinde, a 48-year-old engineer and his running mate, Sulaiman Adediran, promised to banish poverty, if elected. Thousands of party faithful and well wishers blocked vehicular movements around the vicinity of Mapo, Oritameri, Beere and Ojaba. Fuji maestro Saheed Osupa thrilled the crowd. Makinde said: “My over 10

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

years of active participation in partisan politics in Oyo State has opened my eyes to the very poor situation of our people. I have visited all the local governments and my conclusion is that the situation in Ibadan, Ibarapa, Oke-Ogun,

Ogbomoso and Oyo is the same. Our people are suffering; those who are supposed to help them have become looters of our commonwealth.” Former PDP leader and minister Elder Wole Oyelese was presented as the Oyo South Senatorial candidate.

14 arrested in Osun From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

OURTEEN people have been arrested by the police in Osun State, following a communal clash between the people of Ipetumodu and Ashipa communities in Ife North Local Government Area. Commissioner of Police

Abubakar Marafa said peace had been restored in the area. “About 14 persons have been arrested in connection with the crisis. The suspects were arrested from the two warring communities. They were arrested with axes, live cartridge and other weapons.”

THE NATION TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS Church celebrates Mary Slessor

HE Presbyterian Church of Nigeria has started activities in celebration of the centenary of the pioneering missionary enterprise of Mary Mitchell Slessor. She was a legendary pioneer evangelist, teacher, judge, mother, medical aid worker and a quintessential crusader for the preservation of human lives, who lived and worked in Nigeria from 1876 to 1915. The activities began on January 12 with the laying of the foundation stone of the Mary Slessor International Centre at Amasu, Arochukwu, Abia State, by the Prelate & Moderator of the General Assembly of the church, Most Rev. Emele Uka. There will also be a Twins Festival in celebration of Mary Slessor’s achievements in the stoppage of the killing of twin babies and the banishment of their mothers in old Calabar, Okoyong and lbibio areas of Nigeria. Other activities will include a memorial lecture, a musical concert and a thanksgiving service, which will form the highlight of the celebrations. In a statement, the Director of Information & Public Affairs of the church, Rev. Kalu Eme, said The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, which is the principal custodian of the name and work of Mary Slessor, was inspired to embark on the celebrations to highlight the legacy of Mary Slessor and use it to address the myriad of social challenges besetting the nation, such as ignorance, illiteracy, poverty, lack of infrastructural facilities, bad leadership, corruption, nepotism, youth restiveness, militancy, insurgency, etc.

Soldiers rescue 14 expectant teenagers, eight children

OLDIERS from the 144 Battalion, Asa in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State have rescued 14 expectant teenagers and eight children from a baby factory. The police stormed the Nma Rehabilitation/Motherless Babies’ Home, at Umunkpeyi Nvosi, in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government, in an exercise lasted more than one hour. Two suspects aged between 16 and 25 years, who were

thought to have been delivered of babies in the home and six young men, who claimed to be workers at the home, were taken into the soldiers’ custody. The owner of the home, Mrs. Nma Charity, ran away. It was learnt that she hid under the pretext of a facility government approved to engage in a ‘baby factory’. A source said men were brought to sleep with the girls

and were paid after impregnating them. The babies were sold for N80,000 (girl) and N150, 000 (boy). A suspect, who was caught at Eke Akpara on the outskirts of Aba when attempting to steal a baby, confessed that he and Mrs. Charity had been in the business for long. He said he sold stolen babies to the woman and she would later sell them to childless couples. About 10 expectant teenag-

ers were at the home when soldiers raided the place, led by the Commanding Officer, 144 Battalion, Lt.-Col. Omolori Rasheed. A source at the battalion, who preferred anonymity, said the babies and the teenagers would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), and the suspects would be handed over to the police for investigation.

•Her Excellency, the First Lady of Kwara State, Deaconness Omolewa Ahmed (middle); flanked by the Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde (right) and Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Senior Pastor of Trinity House, at the Special Communion Service of Trinity House in Lagos... on Sunday

Lamorde: EFCC probing governors, ministers

HE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, said yesterday that the commission and the MetFrom Ogochukwu Anioke, ropolitan Police of London Abakaliki are probing governors, minisBONYI State Governor ters and former heads of the Martin Elechi yesterday civil service for corruption. appointed a Secretary to The list also includes memthe State Government (SSG), Dr bers of the National Assembly Boniface Chima, following the and ex-ministers removal of Chief Fidelis Mbam He, however, said the on health grounds. agency was keeping the list Chima, until his appoint- under wraps until investigation ment, was the secretary of was concluded. Ebonyi Founding Fathers FoLamorde said the EFCC rum. would confiscate assets of exElechi, at the swearing-in of Governor James Ibori in the the SSG in Abakaliki, hailed the United Kingdom. former SSG for his dedication He dismissed insinuations to duty in the last seven and a that the EFCC had abandoned half years. the trial of some ex-governors The SSG promised to per- like Saminu Turaki, Joshua form. Dariye, Jolly Nyame, The governor also an- Abubakar Audu and Governor nounced the reshuffle of his Ayo Fayose. executive council (exco). The EFCC boss said the He said the exercise became commission recently declared necessary, following the resig- ex-Governor Saminu Turaki nation of exco members, who wanted. wanted to vie for political ofLamorde made the disclofices. sures in Abuja while hosting Commissioner for Com- to confiscate Ibori’s assets in merce and Industry Dr Ifeanyi the UK after a meeting with a Ike will head the Ministry of team from the Metropolitan Information and State Orienta- Police of London, led by Detion. tective Chief Inspector Commissioner for Works Jonathan Benton. and Transport Chukwuma He said: “In respect of some Nwandiugo, an engineer, will of the new cases we have emoversee the Department of Pe- barked upon, we are investitroleum Pricing and Distribu- gation sitting governors, some tion and Chief Jonah Egba, for- ministers that are serving, also merly of Inter-Party Dialogue, ministers that have left office, will take over the Department some former heads of the civil of Grants and Donor Agency service of the federation and and oversee the Ministry of members of the National Economic Empowerment and Aassembly. Poverty Reduction. “We will never mention

Ebonyi gets SSG as Elechi reshuffles exco

From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

•Agency to confiscate Ibori’s assets in UK From: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation

names, since it’s a joint investigation that we are doing. And you know unlike what we do here where some of our people here want sensationalism, that’s is not the way it works with them. The investigation has to be conducted properly first. It is when the matter is ready to go to court that publicity is given to individual case. “For the time being, they are here. We are reviewing those investigations and when we are ready to go to court, then names and these cases will be properly mentioned.” Although Lamorde said some of the cases might take time. He, however, said it was important for the public to know what EFCC had been doing. He added: “Another thing I also want to say is that some of these investigations will take a little bit of time. The Ibori case, the investigation lasted about six to seven years before he was again charged and arraigned in court. “So, we cannot be in a hurry, the most important thing is that people should know a lot is going on. “And any person either a man or woman occupying public office, who decides to put her hand or his hand in government coffers to steal, there is no hiding place, whether or not you take the money outside this country. “There are machinery in place to trace this money and

also bring such individuals to justice, and we also want to thank Mr Benton and his team, for the assistance they have rendered to us as an organisation and to Nigeria as a country. “We believe the work they have done to assist what we are doing has helped tremendously in making us achieve a lot of results. It has also helped to discourage a lot of people from stealing money from Nigeria and taking it to the UK to either hide or invest, thinking that it will never be detected. “That has helped the development of Nigeria because the less money is taken out of the country, the more it is retained here for development. Not only that they have done the investigations and confiscated assets and properties, the United Kingdom has always found a way of returning this assets to Nigerians. And I believe shortly we would have more assets that have been confiscated in the United Kingdom being returned to the country.” Lamorde said in a few months, assets of James Ibori in the UK would be confiscated. He added: “As you are all aware, we have had a very robust working relationship with the Metropolitan Police dating over 10 years now, and he has come with his team. The operational members of his team cannot appear with us in the press for obvious reasons, and we are here to review our activities over the years and the current activities we are working on.

“We have a lot of ongoing investigations that we have been doing together. We need to review those cases and how we move them forward. “You are also very much aware that the Metropolitan Police Proceeds of Corruption Unit is the unit that assisted us in the case of ex-governors DSP Alamieyeseigha and Joshua Dariye in the past. And of course, the big one that everybody is aware of, James Ibori, who is currently serving jail term in the United Kingdom. “In a few months, there is also going to be a confiscation proceedings in respect of the assets of James Ibori in the United Kingdom which of course we have been working assiduously to make sure it will be successful.” Asked what has become of some of the court cases against ex-governors and ongoing investigations of some Politically Exposed Persons, Lamorde said the EFCC was still pursuing them. He said in six months, some of the serving governors would lose their immunity to enable them face prosecution. Said he: “As I said, these investigations are ongoing. You don’t arrest unless you have concluded the investigation and you are ready to go to court, or there is an evidence you want to get by effecting that arrest. “On the issue of immunity, in less than six months from now, the immunity will be gone, and not only those that are in office, even those who have left office.”

Ambode’s friends mobilise residents By Tokunbo Ogunsami

KINWUNMI Ambode Kommittee of Friends (AA’KON) has intensified efforts to mobilise for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, at the polls. At his campaign yesterday at Oworonshoki Playground in Kosofe Local Government, the group, led by Elder Cornelius Olopade, mobilised residents to vote for the APC candidate. He said Lagosians were assured of the continuity of good governance if Ambode emerged victorious on February 28. AA’KON members went round the local government to mobilise people to come to the rally Ambode told the people that they would enjoy good life if they voted for him. He said: “An APC government in Lagos State will ensure that the people enjoy basic amenities, such as good roads, potable water, health facilities, quality education and others. “If you vote for APC and its candidates, you are assured of the continuity of good governance started by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola. Never make the mistake of allowing a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government to take over in Lagos State because it will derail the good governance put in place by APC.” Ambode decried the reduction in the pump price of petrol by the Federal Government, saying it was belated. The rally was attended by Governor Fashola, his wife, Abimbola, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, state party Chairman, Henry Ajomale, members of AA’KOF, Tunde Ibraimoh, Rotimi Agunsoye, Olopade, members of the Lagos State Executive Council and other APC chieftains.

Methodists pray for peaceful elections

ETHODISTS will from tomorrow gather in Sagamu, Ogun State to pray for peaceful and rancour-free elections. A statement by the church’s spokesman, Rev. Oladapo Daramola, said the prayer was part of the programmes lined up for the church’s convention, which would be led by the Prelate, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche, archbishops, bishops and others, such as Pastor Gbile Akanni. The statement said other areas the church would focus on included insurgency in the North and the ailing economy. The Bishop for Evangelism and Discipleship, Rt. Rev. Edoka Amuta, said: “The decision of the church to put the elections on the front burner is informed by the conviction that since God has always intervened divinely in the affairs of men, the state of our nation vis-à-vis the coming elections will not be different.”

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS

Akwa Ibom teachers on strike for unpaid salaries

EACHERS in Akwa Ibom State have begun an indefinite strike over non-payment of their salaries, promotion arrears and leave grant by Governor Godswill Akpabio. The teachers, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), said they would not go back to classes until the state government honoured the agreement it

From Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

reached with the union. The union is also not happy with the government over the non-payment of promotion arrears since 2009 to date to its members in the primary schools. The details of the indefinite strike were contained in a circular by the Union’s Secretary, Dr. Mike Ike-Ene. The circular indicated that

the union proceeded on the strike following the breach of agreement between the Akwa Ibom government and the union. The circular reads: “The teachers of Akwa Ibom State have resolved that failure to address all the issues already negotiated and, agreement reached in concrete terms will make teachers not to report for work. “All appeals by the union

to make State Universal Basic Education to clear the backlog of the arrears promotion owed primary school teachers in the state has proved abortive. “Teachers in the primary schools system have not been paid their leave grant since 2012.” The union also alleged that pensions and gratuities due to the primary school teachers and their 2014 December salaries had not been paid. The union advised its members not to return to classrooms until all cases of bio-metric data capturing issues were resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.

‘Ijaw, Isoko, Itsekiri leaders yet to endorse Delta candidates’

HE Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri Leaders’ Forum (3Is) has distanced itself from claims of endorsement of candidates of any political party for next month’s general elections. In a statement yesterday by its Chairman, Edward Ekpoko, the forum said it had not endorsed or adopted anybody, adding that its position on the governorship and Delta South Senatorial candidates would soon be made known. The group said: “It has come to the knowledge of the

Abe to voters: say no to agents of violence

HE lawmaker representing Rivers Southeast in the National Assembly and All Progressives Party (APC) candidate for the 2015 senatorial election, Senator Magnus Abe, has appealed to Nigerians not to elect politicians who encourage violence. He said Nigeria would change for the better immediately the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is declared the winner of the February 14 presidential election. Abe spoke yesterday while fielding questions from reporters shortly after a special church service to rededicate his re-election mandate organised by the Rivers South-East Ministers Forum (RSMF) at St. Barth’s Anglican Church, Bera, in Gokana Local Government Area. He added that politicians encouraging youths to engage in violence, including tearing of campaign posters and banners of opponents and shooting of gun, while their children are studying in the best schools are not worthy to be elected as leaders in the country. “My advice to elders; those of us who call our-

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

•Abe being blessed by Pastor Young ... at the weekend

selves leaders; Rivers people and indeed Nigerians is that time has come for us to look at the quality and characters of those we regard as leaders; ascertain what they represent and what they can offer. “People who are planning one set of thing for their family and another for your own children should be rejected

From Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt

HE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr Dakuku Peterside, plans to develop every part of the state and protect life and property. He said he would build on the achievements of Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Peterside spoke at the palace of the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and President, Ogoni Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, King Godwin N.K. Gininwa, Gbenemene Tai Kingdom. The monarch described Peterside as his son, saying

Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri Leaders Forum in Delta South Senatorial District that some politicians and aspirants are going about claiming to have been endorsed by the body for the forthcoming governorship and senatorial elections. “The Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri Leaders Forum has not at any time adopted any candidate for either the governorship or Delta South Senatorial seat. Though, we are aware that about three of our sons are contesting as running mate to some gubernatorial aspirants, we are yet to endorse any of them. “We shall make our position on the governorship and the Delta South Senatorial seat known to the public shortly. The Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri are advised to remain calm and disregard any contrary claim until our position is made known.”

‘Re-elect all PDP lawmakers’

through your Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC); if anybody sees me telling any child to go and tear posters; to go and shoot gun; to go and harass people; they should also reject me.” Abe went on: “The day you hear the announcement that Gen. Buhari has won as President of Nigeria, everybody

will change their behaviour the next morning. They won’t wait for Gen. Buhari to be sworn in. You know and I know that immediately Buhari is elected, Nigeria will change.” Pastor Henry Young of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Port Harcourt, described the re-election bid of Abe as serious, saying that

only serious issues were brought to the Altar of God. Highpoint of the service attended by a mammoth crowd was the re-dedication of the mandate of Abe and other candidates of the APC for the National Assembly and Rivers State House of Assembly elections from the Rivers Southeast Senatorial District.

My plans for Rivers, by Peterside

•Peterside

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

his emergence inspired hope and belief in a Rivers State that would always travel the path of equity, justice and fairness. He added that the Ogoni, both at home and abroad were proud of Peterside’s candidature because besides spending his formative years in Ogoniland, Ogoni and Opobo, where Peterside hails from, are the same people. He said: “Dr. Dakuku Peterside is my son. So my son, welcome home! Ogoni people have been agitating for the governorship position for many years now but I don’t know the difference between Ogoni and Opobo. I have lived for 75 years and I know that the closest neighbour the Ogoni have are Opobo people. Opobo is our home. “Dakuku was brought up here. I am talking about what I know; I am not a politician who talks politics to make people happy. This is something I know. First you were close to me when you were in school. In fact, three quarter of your blood is Ogoni blood.

‘

We don’t believe people should use the opportunity of serving in government to facilitate chaos, conflict and anarchy. Rather, government should be a force for good, uniting people, advocating for peace and working for the common interest of the people to see to their progress and wellbeing

’

Most of the people your mother taught in Ogoni are now very big people. I congratulate you for winning this ticket. Let me inform you that I am very glad. I can now beat my chest and say that one of my sons is the governor of our state. “Your job here is to tell me that you are on campaign in Tai, not to plead with me to support you because you already have my support. In fact, I am supposed to be telling other people about my son who is running for the office of the governor, and I have been doing exactly that. So don’t beg for the votes of Ogoni. If you don’t develop Ogoni, where else will you develop? I am appealing to

you to think of your people of Ogoni when you are elected.” Peterside, who described Gininwa as commander of Ogoni soldiers for change, progress and unity, briefed the monarch on his plan for Rivers people. “As a government, our objective will focus on protection of life and property. But if you want to attain zero tolerance for crime, one foundation you must set right is the foundation of justice, equity and fairness to all parties. And one of the issues we will be tackling is to restore peace and good neighbourliness between our brothers and sisters in Gbogor and Ugu. We are very concerned that brothers are at war because some persons

outside their communities are busy stocking the fire. We don’t believe that is the way to go. “We don’t believe people should use the opportunity of serving in government to facilitate chaos, conflict and anarchy. Rather, government should be a force for good, uniting people, advocating for peace and working for the common interest of the people to see to their progress and wellbeing. “Your Majesty, by the special grace of God, when we are sworn in as governor and deputy governor of Rivers State, we will work with the people of Gbogor and Ugu to ensure that we restore peace to the communities so that they will all live in peace again.” Peterside also spoke extensively on wealth creation through agricultural revolution. He promised that everybody in the state would benefit from his comprehensive poverty alleviation scheme to be driven by his government’s accelerated social and human capital development programme.

HE Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary, Chief Solomon Ogba, has urged voters to re-elect both performing and non-performing lawmakers for the sake of continuity. Ogba, who spoke at the weekend at the party’s kickoff rally in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, said the non-performing ones deserved to “repeat the class”. Ogba said: “We are appealing to all Isoko people to vote back all PDP candidates, those who perform and the ones who did not. We are aware that if somebody did not perform well in exams, he or she has to repeat and that is what we urge you people to do for all PDP candidates for the sake of continuity. “We are saying this because if you people decide to join the opposition party because the people you gave your mandate to did not perform or failed, it will not only affect them but the entire Isoko nation and that will take us nowhere in the state or at the national levels.” Speaking at the rally, members representing Delta South senatorial district, Isoko North/South federal constituency, Isoko North and South constituencies at the Delta State House of Assembly appealed to Isoko people to vote massively for the PDP in the February general elections. The members are Senator James Manager, representing Delta South, Leo Ogor, deputy majority leader, representing Isoko North/ South federal constituency, Tim Owhefere, Isoko North constituency and Johnson Erijo, Isoko South constituency II made the passionate appeal to the Isoko people during Leo Ogor’s kick-off campaign in Ozoro. The lawmakers urged Isoko people to forgive them if they erred. Secretary to the Delta State Government Mr. Ovuizuorie Macaulay also appealed to Isoko people to vote for the PDP candidates from President Goodluck Jonathan to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and others.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS

Suspected illegal bunkerers kill two soldiers, policeman in Delta

WO soldiers, a policeman and a civilian have been shot dead by suspected illegal bunkerers reportedly led by a former militant leader in Delta State. It was gathered that the military personnel attached to the Joint Task Force, ‘Operation Pulo (Oil) Shield’ were on a routine patrol when the gang opened fire on them at Egwa, Warri South West Local Government Area.

From Shola O’Neil, S’South Regional Editor, Port Harcourt

The two soldiers and a mobile policeman as well as the civilian driver of the boat died immediately. Their bodies were evacuated from the water on Sunday afternoon and brought to Warri, Delta State. A source said: “The former militant leader from Burutu area brought a 200,000 metric ton vessel to Egwa from where they were stealing

crude oil. They had loaded the boat and were returning from the creek when the JTF troops accosted them. “In their desperate bid to escape, the captain of the vessel drove it aground on the river. It was while the military men were approaching the vessel that the criminals opened fire on them, killing the military men. “The bodies of the dead military men and the boat driver, an indigene of

Ogbe-Ijoh, have been deposited at the morgue of a government hospital in Warri.” Attempts to get the JTF Sector 1 Commander, Effurun Barracks, Lt.-Col. Bassey and the JTF Media Coordinator, Lt.-Col. Anka Mustapha, were abortive. Calls to their phones were unanswered and they were yet to respond to a text message inquiry at press time last night. A military source at the

Effurun Barracks confirmed the report, saying: “We are investigating the incident that led to it. At the appropriate time we will make our findings known.” The Nation gathered that the attack was one of several by armed gangs, particularly ‘repentant’ militants in the area in recent times. Ilaje fishermen from neighbouring Ondo State have been under incessant attacks by sea pirates. In one particular incident, over 30 speedboats used by the embattled fishermen were seized by the criminals, who demanded a ransom of N25,000 each before the boats were released.

Five million-man rally for Buhari/Osinbajo

OALITION for Change, a political group supporting the candidacy of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has unveiled plans to mobilise about 5.4 million Nigerians for a walk on Thursday. Briefing reporters at the Lagos Television after a’ Drive for Change’ programme put together by the group, which had its members driving in over 200 cars and buses from the Victoria Island campaign office through Ikorodu Road, Ikeja to LTV ground, the president of the coalition, Dr. Tunde Ayeye, said the day had been set aside to show solidarity with the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

‘

...We desire a change that will ensure that our mothers don’t die in the hospitals, a change that will ensure that our children have good education, a change that will ensure that we grow to old age and in old age we have security, the change that will ensure that the weak, the disabled amongst us are taken care of By Remi Adelowo

Ayeye said: “January 22 is a day of symbolism. Everyone in every corner who desires change for the better, change for better education, change for better security, change for better health care, change for new jobs, change for better infrastructure, change to give Nigeria the pride of place that it needs would come out to show solidarity for Buhari and Osinbajo. “We say that we have the largest economy, but is it translating to reduction in in-

fant mortality? Is it translating to access to education, is it translating to access to portable water? We desire a change that will ensure that our mothers don’t die in the hospitals, a change that will ensure that our children have good education, a change that will ensure that we grow to old age and in old age; we have security, the change that will ensure that the weak, the disabled amongst us are taken care of. “On that day, (January 22) anywhere you are, just dorn something in green. There

’

will be about four programmes that day all across the country.” One of the coordinators of the group, Tola AdekunleJohnson, said the ‘Drive for Change’ came about because of the desire of some supporters who work 8am-5pm and does not have time during the week to participate in the various campaign activities. “We decided to do something on a Sunday that will incorporate them so that they can be part of it too and express their support and desire for change,” he said.

•Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and National President, Jama'atu Ta'awunil Muslimeen, Sheikh Daood Imran Molasan, during the 16th Annual National Conference of Jama'atu Ta'awunil Muslimeen at District Council Elementary School, Araromi , Iwo, State of Osun.

•Buhari

Other persons who spoke at the event include music star, Kenny St. Brown, Lagos lawyer, Rotimi Vaughan among others, who all urged Nigerians to stand up and be counted in the struggle to liberate the country from maladministration.

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

choice. Ajibola said the goal was achievable if every member of the party works hard for victory. The campaign council is under the leadership of a prominent businesswoman, Hajia Bola Shagaya. A former governorship aspirant, Deacon John Dara, and the party’s pioneer chairman in the state, Alhaji Kunle Sulyman, are coDirectors-General. He said: “We are aiming for landslide in Kwara State. For a people eager for change,

this is easily achieveable if we work hard. We shall win the 24 House of Assembly seats; we shall win the six House of Representatives seats available; we shall win the three senatorial seats; we shall surely win the governorship seat of Kwara State and finally we shall achieve landslide victory for our president. “President Jonathan’s victory is critical to our success in Kwara State. Let us work hard for him and for all PDP candidates in the state. We must educate our people not to reward the promoters of

political violence. We must not be blackmailed into voting for people who are desperate for power. “For the sake of peace and stability, let Niger Delta finish their second term, we can then rotate power back to the North.” He described the coming election as a viable opportunity for people who wanted a change in the way things were being done and appealed to members of the 217-member committee to ensure the party wins at every polling unit. Ajibola also appealed to ag-

From Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu, has urged voters to protect their votes during next month’s general elections. Bagudu spoke at a campaign rally in Argungu, Kangiwa Local Government Area. The governorship candidate told the crowd that when they vote for APC, they should stay and ensure that their votes were counted. “Don’t be intimidated by the presence of security men. Don’t fear because you are doing the right thing by protecting your votes against rigging, “he said. He urged APC supporters not to engage in violence. “If voted into power, APC government will ensure a better Nigeria with security topping on the agenda,” he said. He also promised to improve agriculture, especially rice production in Kebbi State, provide quality education, improve health care and provide employment for the youth. Some notable speakers at the campaign rally include APC Kebbi central senatorial candidate, Senator Adamu Aliero and APC Kebbi North Senatorial candidate, Dr. Yahaya Abdullahi.

Electricity Supply: Minister sacks Borno reconnection committee

HE Minister of State for Power, Alhaji Mohammed Wakil, yesterday disbanded the Technical Committee for the Reconnection of Borno to the National Grid for alleged poor performance. The Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Mr Olawale Rasheed, in a statement in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said the decision to disband the committee was taken after a stakeholders meeting in Abuja. “The minister took the decision after high level interactions with security and intelligence personnel, especially when reports indicated that sabotage and insurgency are twin evils responsible for the blackout,” it said. According to the statement, the minister had taken full charge of reconnection efforts

PDP vows to wrest power from APC in Kwara WARA State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday declared its determination to win all elective positions in next month’s general elections. Its governorship candidate, Senator Simon Ajibola, spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the inauguration of the party’s campaign teams for the elections. He linked the party’s fate with the electoral fortunes of President Goodluck Jonathan and asked members to redouble efforts at convincing voters to make him their

Candidate to voters: be alert

grieved members of the party to put aside their grievances in the interest of the party and asked members to ensure genuine reconciliation to empower the party to win. Senator Gbemisola Saraki and Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) were not at the event. Also speaking, Minister of National Planning Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman said the governorship election was not about religion, but freedom. He urged all major stakeholders to support Jonathan and Ajibola.

to ensure quick result. “Following a marathon meeting on the blackout crisis, the minister announced that he had disbanded the committee. “Wakil also announced that he had subsequently took direct charge of the reconnection efforts, insisting that Maiduguri must be reconnected, irrespective of security challenges facing the state,” it added. The statement quoted the minister as saying that he had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the ministry’s technical team for the reconnection of the state to the national grid. “Wakil also directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria to speed up work on the 330/132/33 KVA sub-station in Damaturu which when completed is capable of serving both Borno and Yobe. “Borno should now have three sources of power supply from the national grid. “The minister said the administration will no longer tolerate sabotage from within or outside on the reconnection efforts,’’ it said. The statement said the minister directed officials of Transmission Company of Nigeria to hasten the pace of work on the 330/132/33KVA sub-station in Damaturu, which was adequate to supply the two states. “Borno State will then get three sources of power namely the 132KVA GombeBiu-Damboa- Maiduguri line — the 330KVA new Sub-station on Damboa road in Maiduguri and the Damaturu 330/132/33 KVA which should be completed as quickly as possible,” it said.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS NLC, APC, others knock petrol price cut Continued from page 2

have skimmed off huge ‘commissions’ from the firms with which the term contracts were signed, it could not possibly go back and renegotiate those contracts or go into new forward contracts that will reflect the current reduction in crude oil prices. ‘’It takes a strong-willed, determined and transparent leadership to immediately call in the petroleum products contracts for re-negotiation, as this will represent a huge blow on corruption in the sector since clearly ‘commissions’ would have been paid by petroleum product traders on the existing contracts. This explains the token reduction in fuel price, which the government must have hoped will fool an unsuspecting public, especially a few weeks to elections,’’ the APC said. The party also wondered why the PDP-led Federal Government had to wait for a widely-publicised call from the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and some other concerned Nigerians before do-

ing what the government of other countries in Africa and elsewhere around the world have already done: slash the price of petroleum products commensurate with the fall in crude oil prices. It called on the PDP federal government to immediately slash the price of petrol to N70 per litre and the prices of diesel and kerosene to nothing more than N90 per litre each way, and stop stealing from Nigerians who have been pauperised by its bad record of governance since 1999. The APC presidential council, in a statement by its Media Director, Mallam Garba Shehu, said “the Jonathanled PDP government is beginning to listen to public outcry about bad governance, extortion and exploitation of the Nigerian masses in the oil sector where billions of naira are daily being ripped off the pockets of the common men and women through inaccurate pump prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene, despite the dwindling world market prices of these products.” He faulted both the de-

crease ratio of N97 to N87 and the timing of the announcement by the Federal Government as “politicallymotivated, ill-timed and too little, too late”. He added that “the PDP has run out of ideas for the presidential campaign and has resulted to raking straws from inertia ponds. This measure is not different from the President’s belated visit to a few places in the Northeast, a region which has been ravaged and devastated by Boko Haram’s brigandage, a situation to which the number one citizen seemed to be oblivious of until recently. “The oil price decline is 55% and the cut in the pump price is 11%. The argument is that devaluation which is approximately 10% should be factored in. However, the timing and the inadequate price cut smacks of incompetence, insincerity and desperation. “The US has witnessed price cuts in excess of 50% from $4.00 to $2.00 which translates into 50c per litre or N60 per litre, including state taxes. How can petrol in the

US be 25% cheaper than in Nigeria? It just does not make sense. This is too little too late. The alternative will be to further reduce petrol prices and overhaul the subsidy system, which is a cesspool of fraud, money laundering and imperfect market structures.” Shehu questioned the motive and justification for a mere N10 cut in fuel price, considering that global price of crude oil per barrel on which the pricing of petroleum products is predicated, has plummeted from $105 to $50. “How did they calculate the ratio? Aside, if the new price took effect from 18th January, 2015 what happens to the backlog that has existed since December? Will the Minister and her boss give coupons to Nigerians to fill their tanks to make up for the arrears? Or who is benefiting from this windfall?” “Any attempt by the ruling party to make a political gain out of this natural economic phenomenon of demand and supply would definitely hit the wrong notes with the voters come February 14.”

Jonathan, PDP under fire over Buhari ‘death threat’ Continued from page 2

The APC Campaign said petitions were being sent to APCON, INEC, DSS, the Police and concerned newspapers involved “to protest this malicious death wish”. Also yesterday, Baraje, a one-time national chair of the PDP, now a member of the campaign council of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, condemned in strong terms and in its entirety the advertisement. He described it as “high sense of irresponsibility and an insensible act.” Baraje said the advertisement was “not only reckless, uncalled for, but a type that can cause anarchy and crisis in the country.” He expressed surprise that the publication by Fayose

came a few days after President Jonathan, Gen Buhari and other presidential candidates signed a non-violence agreement for peaceful elections next month. Baraje said: “There is a limit to the tolerance of wellmeaningful Nigerians to such inflammatory statements such as that of Governor Fayose. This shows the extent of the desperation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.” He drew the attention of Nigerians and INEC to the inciting statement credited to Fayose, asking them to call the governor to order. Baraje said: “Such a statement apart from having the tendency to cause anarchy and acrimony, the PDP seems to be preparing grounds for violence a few

days to the general elections “Fayose should not dare God by asking Nigerians to chose between life and death which made him to refer to General Buhari, the APC presidential candidate in a news and pictorial advertisement sponsored in front page of a national daily as a dead man due to his age. ”With the statement credited to the Ekiti State Governor and the statement by the PDP Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu that the PDP is a party of injustice and a party that lacks equity where monkey dey work baboon dey chop, the present leaders of the APC have been vindicated by their move to leave the PDP enmasse and defect to the APC.” He warned the leadership of the PDP against bringing

such injustice to the nation. “Nigerians should be patient and not take the laws into their hands because the ruling party (PDP) is already jittery about the impending outcome of the forthcoming elections which is already favouring the APC considering the massive support the APC has been receiving from all campaigns they have embarked upon,” he cautioned. Baraje drew the attention of the Inspector-General of Police, the INEC Chairman, DSS and other security agencies to the inflammatory statements originating from the PDP and its candidates particularly Governor Fayose. He urged the security agencies to “do something urgently so as not to cause crisis in the country.”

Stop Boko Haram, Sultan urges Jonathan Continued from page 2

Earlier, President Jonathan told Sultan Abubakar that the visit was to seek his blessings as a mark of respect for the Sultanate, which he described as key for the peace and stability of the country. He said his administration had been keeping faith with commitments to ensure Nigerians are better of in so many areas of human development. On the entourage of the president were Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu, Governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Godswill Akpabio of

Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor of Sokoto State and campaign coordinator of the president in Sokoto, PDP gubernatorial candidate in the state, Senator Abdallah Wali, former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, ministers, Senator Ahmadu Ali, leaders and elders of the party among others. Jonathan said: “I am particulalry concerned about the education of the Nigerian child who should access same for a sound foundation for self and nation building. “You may recall that I inauigurated the Almajiri integrated model school few years back as foundation that

will the child to achieve great stand in education.” “We will focus on the Goronyo and Shagari dams in an effort to demonstrate our commitment to boosting agriculture in Sokoto State too.” He said the PDP government was committed to improving the lives of Nigerians. Mua’zu told the Sultan that the PDP was committed to reversing all trends for the benefit of Nigerians. “We are fast at ensuring Nigeria survives and remains amiable to all in terms of development, peace and stability for the unity of its people.”

Dr. Jonathan

Babangida to Buhari: we’ll support you to salvage Nigeria Continued from page 2

Gen. Babangida alleging that the media had created the impression that the two leaders were at loggerheads. His words: “You media men have created this impression that we are fighting each other. Look at us here today. He knows what I mean and I know what he means. We both fought to keep Nigeria one when we were young majors

then. We were well travelled. “I want to commend APC for choosing our colleague as your flag bearer. All of us will support you (Buhari) in this course to salvage this country.” Earlier, the APC candidate said he was in Minna in continuation of his nationwide search for votes to salvage the country from the 16 years of “misrule” of the PDP government.

Gen. Buhari, who was elated by assurance, said he had earlier met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo whom he failed to pull to APC but who blessed his aspiration. He said the party was set to take over the state, with the calibre of the candidates presented for various offices and the quality of those who defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). With Gen. Buhari were the

APC Deputy National Chairman Senator Lawan Shuaibu, National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, Chief Bisi Akande, Rivers Governor Rotimi Ameachi, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Chief Segun Oni. Others are: General Abdulraham Dambazzau, Senator George Akume, Chief Niyi Adebayo, Senator Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and Mrs. Kemi Nelson.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

NEWS CAMPAIGN RALLIES

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (second right); Deputy Governor Mrs Adejoke Orelope Adefulire (right); Fashola’s wife Abimbola (third right); All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Mr Akinwumi Ambode(left); party chair Chief Henry Ajomale (second left) and his wife Adetoun at a rally at Gbagada Playground...yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

•Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon

•Senator Gbenga Ashafa (left), Alhaji Lai Mohammed (middle) and APC chieftain at the APC rally. •From right: Deputy Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyegbara; Chairman, Comrade Sunday Nwachukwu and Secretary, Mr. Pius Ani at a meeting of APGA PHOTO: NAN States and Local Government Executives in Enugu...yesterday.

•From left: Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader, Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina; National Chairman Chief Olu Falae, Oyo State governorship candidate, Oluseyi Makinde and his wife Tamunominini at the kick-off of the party’s campaign rally at Mapo Hall, Ibadan...yesterday. PHOTO BY FEMI ILESANMI

•Niger State Deputy Governor Musa Ibeto (middle) and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chiefs after their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the presidential rally in Minna, Niger State...yesterday. PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

•From left; Former Aviation Minister Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, Anambra North Senatorial candidate, Princess Nwaka Onanuju, Mr Nnamdi Nwobu and others at the PDP presidential rally in Onitsha. • Iyaoloja-General of Lagos State, Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo and All Progressives Congress (APC) for Lagos West, Solomon Adeola, when the candidate visited the market leader in Ikeja, Lagos.

THE NATION TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015

SPORT EXTRA AFCON 2015... AFCON 2015...AFCON 2015... AFCON 2015...AFCON 2015...AFCON 2015...

Teranga Lions beat Black stars

NDRE Ayew put the Black Stars in the lead with a first-half penalty before Mame Biram Diouf levelled the score, with the Fenerbahce man popping up late to steal the win Senegal ended their eightmatch winless run in the African Cup of Nations as Moussa Sow struck deep into injury time to see off Ghana 2-1 at the Estadio de Mongomo. In Avram Grant's first competitive game in charge of

Ghana, Sow had the final say after coming off the bench as Senegal came from a goal down to claim victory in their opening Group C clash. Marseille's Andre Ayew had initially settled any nerves for Grant's side 14 minutes in by opening the scoring with a penalty as Ghana threatened even without captain Asamoah Gyan - absent with a mild bout of malaria. However, Ghana failed to add to their lead and the Lions of Teranga punished them,

with Mame Biram Diouf heading home from Pape Souare's delivery before the hour. Alain Giresse's men made all the late running and were rewarded when Diouf turned provider for Sow to allow the Fenerbahce striker to roll home the winner and give his side their first AFCON success since the 3-2 victory over Guinea in 2006 Amid a fast-paced opening, Diouf almost latched onto a lofted pass inside the area five minutes in before Dame N'Doye opted to shoot instead of pass from a tight angle. Somewhat against the run of play, Ghana took the lead as Andre Ayew dispatched a spot-kick after Christian Atsu was brought down in the area by goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul. It was perhaps harsh on Senegal, who started well, but Ghana's pace on the counter continued to cause problems with Ayew's

TODAY IN THE NATION

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL.10

NO. 3101

‘Let the noble, anti-violence ensemble pressure the government to deliver a demonstrably fair poll. That would be better antidote to violence than a thousand pacts’ OLAKUNLE ABIMBOLA

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

OU know that Abuja has been seized big-time by panic and desperation when the Commander-in-Chief who had for all practical purposes been AWOL as rampaging insurgents slaughter and maim and render destitute innocent citizens he took an oath to protect and carve out a vast swathe of the homeland took an oath to defend – it is a sure sign of panic and desperation when a beleaguered President Goodluck Jonathan suddenly materialises in Maiduguri, in Borno State, with frazzled officials in tow. It is the closest he has gone to the frontline in the war against Boko Haram and the closest to Chibok since more than 250 girls were abducted from their school hostels in that town some 280 days ago and taken to locations unknown. If the visit was designed to boost the morale of the soldiers on deployment, it failed at the elementary level of symbolism. The Commander-in-Chief was decked out elegantly in mufti, not in military fatigues. If it was meant to show empathy and solidarity with the parents and relations of the Chibok girls in particular and the area residents in general, there was little in President Jonathan’s largely perfunctory speech that could have served that purpose. It was at once a cynical and opportunistic visit, hastily cobbled to shore up Dr Jonathan’s re-election chances once thought to be assured but now sinking fast as the ship of the APC ticket of General Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo sallies forth, buoyed by what the Americans call The Big Mo (“Mo” as in Momentum). Much to the discomfiture and frustration of the Jonathan camp, corruption has become a major issue in the election campaign. Previously, corruption thrived only on the periphery of the power structure; now, says former President Olusegun Obasanjo, it is embedded in the very heart of the Presidential Villa. No less tellingly, former military president, General Ibrahim Ibrahim Babangida, whose tenure remains a byword for graft on a scale almost beyond belief, has said that if the reports reaching him about the goings-on in the Jonathan administration are true, he and his much-vilified regime would now have to be adjudged saints. Now, Dr Jonathan, who didn’t give a damn about making a public declaration of his immense on-shore and off-shore assets and doesn’t give a damn about so many things that lie at the heart of modern governance, is reeling under his administration’s well-earned reputation for syndicated corruption. In contrast, the appeal of Buhari’s candidature rests principally on public perception of his reputation for integrity, his Spartan lifestyle, and his having little or no tolerance for corruption in its many guises and disguises. In politics, perception is almost everything. No surprise, then, that Dr Jonathan’s publicists have been hacking away at the public perception of Buhari’s personal integrity with everything they can find or invent, determined not merely to neutralise it, but in the classic tradition of warfare, to

RIPPLES

I WON’T FIGHT CORRUPTION BY PUTTING PEOPLE INSIDE CRATE –Jonathan

So where do you put them Sir?... in GOVERNMENT?

OLATUNJI DARE

AT HOME ABROAD olatunji.dare@thenationonlineng.net

Desperate days in Abuja

’

Next month’s presidential election is not about Buhari’s past, though that past cannot be discountenanced entirely. It is primarily about the present, and what it holds for the future

‘

•Dr. Jonathan

turn it into a crippling liability. The thinking in their camp seems to be that if they can show that Buhari’s reputation for integrity is founded on shaky soil, they can cripple his candidature.They are pursing this strategy on two broad fronts. The first is not merely to cast grave doubts on Buhari’s academic qualifications for the post, but to assert categorically that he lacks those credentials. And so, all of a sudden, the paper qualifications of a person who has served as military head of state and run for president three times – albeit unsuccessfully – under a Constitution that has undergone no fundamental change, is whipped into an overarching issue, a test of his integrity. By the way, they should not make too much of the fact that Buhari is running for president the fourth time. Abraham Lincoln was elected president at his fourth attempt, and went on to become one of the greatest U. S. presidents. Buhari is of course no Abraham Lincoln any more than Goodluck Jonathan is Nelson Mandela or Lee Kuan Yew or Martin Luther King, Jr., or Barack Obama, with whom Jonathan is being placed in one sacrilegious

bracket by his acolytes. The second tack of the spirited campaign to render Buhari hors de combat is to cast grave doubt on his integrity as chair of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a position to which he was appointed precisely because of his perceived integrity. A report on the intervention outcomes of the PTF recommended that some N25 billion be recovered from contractors and consultants who had been paid for work not done, or had fleeced the Fund through heavy over-invoicing and supply of junk material and expired drugs, and officials who had spent public funds irresponsibly. Through dark innuendo, Dr Jonathan’s publicists seek to parlay this recommendation into iron-clad evidence that Buhari was somehow culpable and does not deserve the reputation he enjoys. It is nothing of the sort. The report indicts Buhari only to the extent that he was chair of the PTF. He held that post in a non-executive capacity. The executive secretary, and in effect the accounting officer, was Chief Tayo Akpata, who is unfortunately no longer with us. Were he alive, he would have with his accustomed thoroughness answered point by point the charges the Jonathan camp has dredged up. They are even playing the ethnic card, portraying Buhari as a person who hates the

HARDBALL

ETWEEN HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, little appears to have changed. Just as Malam Sanusi was CBN governor-unusual, so, it appears, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi would be Emir-unusual. After a bit of quietude since his enthronement, Emir Sanusi at the weekend gave notice of the probable temper of his Emirship, despite the arch-conservativeness of that stool. Just as he did as CBN governor, Emir Sanusi appears set to spike his Emirship with some social crusading. The traditional CBN governor was to cook up monetary statistics for the extant order (the office is part of the executive, after all), quietly bring erring banks and their executives to heel and get on with the job in the best -- or worst? - tradition of silence being golden (even if conspiratorially so). Not Sanusi! At a stage, when his constant public x-ray of government numbers, at least as it concerned his CBN began to rile a section of the public, not the least the Jonathan Presidency, Mallam Sanusi confessed that though his dad was a diplomat, the elder Sanusi (Allah bless his soul) must have mopped up all the diplomacy in the Sanusi clan! A few months later, President Goodluck Jonathan struck -- he "suspended" the CBN gov-

Emir unusual ernor, less than six months to the expiry of his tenure. Ironically, Mallam Sanusi had secured his term by having it be known that he would seek no second five-year term; so his irrepressible soul could not be held back by a threat of non-renewal. Still, Sanusi had the last laugh -- and not just because, shortly after, he was elected the Emir by Kano kingmakers. He had the last laugh because, even as CBN governor, he was a stout and gallant whistle blower, on alleged sleaze in the Jonathan Presidency. Till date, the government has still not been able to clear Mallam Sanusi's allegations of the missing $20 billion NNPC allegedly did not pay into the Federation Account. Well, just at the weekend, Emir Sanusi showed a streak of the restless though socially conscious CBN Governor Sanusi. At the closing ceremony of the 29th National Quranic Recitation competition at Auchi in Edo State, Emir Sanusi declared -- again likely to ruff-

Yoruba and Igbo because his regime detained a slew of their leaders for unconscionably long periods and because the courts handed many among them unusually long prison sentences. Many of the detentions and jail sentences cannot be justified. But there was no ethnic pattern to them. The target was a political class that had messed up the country. Former President Shehu Shagari was not held in prison, unlike former Vice President Alex Ekwueme; yet he almost lost his sight in the darkened rooms of the house where he was detained in Ikoyi. The late Solomon Lar almost lost his hearing as a result, he said, of drinking bad water in prison. Meanwhile, on a personal level, Dr Jonathan remains the gift that keeps giving to his opponents. In Lagos where he could have wowed the audience and even won it over with a scintillating demonstration of his mastery of the intricate dance steps of the dance craze azonto, he launched into a furious tirade against those parading themselves as international statesmen when they were no better than motor-park touts. I thought the person he had in mind was Chief Edwin Clark, until someone called my attention to the term “international,” which gave Dr Jonathan’s remark an entirely different construction. Only in Nigeria would a hardboiled rabble-rouser like Clark be called a “statesman.” Again, there was Dr Jonathan elsewhere promising to fund at local, state and national level the hugely discredited “office” of First Lady even as he claimed that it did not operate on public funds. On what funds do the women draw, then? In whatever case, is he not aware that his wife, Dame Patience Faka, has done more than all previous functionaries combined to bring the position into odium and disrepute? If in her own particular case she rendered the position so repugnant without access to public funds, she will make it positively execrable when guaranteed unlimited access to the public treasury. On yet another campaign stop Dr Jonathan, armed with figures conjured up by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, went on and on about how, under his transformation agenda, Nigeria had achieved food sufficiency. He made this claim just several days after the Central Bank reported that the inflation rate had inched up, driven largely by rising food prices. Next month’s presidential election is not about Buhari’s past, though that past cannot be discountenanced entirely. It is primarily about the present, and what it holds for the future. Dr Jonathan bears the burden of presenting before a jaded national audience what he will do in the next four years that he could not do in the previous six, and what he will do differently if re-elected. This is the time when the superior learning they claim for him should translate splendidly into superior thinking, superior reasoning, superior understanding, superior articulation, and superior character. •For comments, send SMS to 08111813080

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above tle the feathers of an already nervy and jumpy Jonathan government -- that Boko Haram, the murderous Islamists, were gaining grounds because the Nigerian state was weak. Now, that was the truth and nothing but the truth. But that did not make it less bitter. He also declared that the basic duty of the state was to guarantee the safety and security of its citizens. Of course, that was trite -- until the advent of Jonathan and his thousand-and-one excuses why the state, under his watch, could not deliver on that basic chore; yet he would not give up his agency for another person. Emir Sanusi's follow-up statement was logical: if the state cannot defend the citizens, then the citizens must brace themselves for self-defence. This was not novel from him. He gave the same charge before, prompting Boko Haram to attack the jumat-packed central mosque in Kano, with the possible motive of eliminating him. Emir Sanusi, by this declaration, has sounded new alerts to the current powers-that-be that Nigerians deserve far better deals, when the issue is safety and security. When otherwise sedate Emirs become social crusaders, then the extant order has better watch it. That is the moral from Emir-Unusual, HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II of Kano!

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