The Nation January 25, 2013

Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

$620,000 bribe: Lawan rejects trial NEWS Page 4

•AGF urged to ignore Keyamo

Mark, governors preach peace at Eid-el-Maulud •‘We must put our house in order’

NEWS

Page 8

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VOL. 8, NO. 2382 FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

CUP OF NATIONS

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•Zambia ‘ll fall today, says Keshi •Yobo: I’m fit •‘We ’ll shock champions’ •I ‘ll score for my son, says Victor Moses •AND MORE ON PAGES 15,16&49

Ogun gets first flyover bridge

•SEE PAGE 12

•HIST OR Y: Residents watching the inauguartion of a flyover, Ogun State’s first, by Governor Ibikunle Amosun...yesterday.

•HISTOR ORY

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ELECOMMUNICATION firms have been directed to charge N4 for domestic offnet short messages (sms) from February 5.

Yesterday’s Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) directive attracted mixed reactions in the in-

Operators kick as NCC pegs sms at N4

By Lucas Ajanaku and Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

dustry.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON) kicked against the decision,

but the National Association of Telecoms subscribers (NATCOMS) welcomed it.

Off-net sms are text messages sent acrosss the networks, that is sms sent using the network of other operators. An

SMS sent from an MTN line to an Airtel line, for instance, is off-net sms. Now off-net sms costs N9 and N10.

ALTON said traffic sms had been considerably reduced due to the upsurge in instant

messaging platforms, such as Blackberry, WhatsApp and others.

ALTON President Gbenga Adebayo said the policy would not profit telecom firms. He lamented the situa-

tion where the NCC indulges in micro-managing commercial ventures. This is not in the best interest of the industry, he said.

The NCC directive, signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, Continued on page 4

PDP crisis deepens as Clark attacks governors, Obasanjo Ex-president ‘killed party supremacy’ Party ‘on gunpowder’

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•Clark

ROMINENT Ijaw and SouthSouth leader Chief Edwin Clark launched yesterday a verbal attack at former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) for “rising against President Goodluck Jonathan”.

He said the activity of the Governors

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

Forum, which he described as an “oppressive and dictatorial forum”, is “getting more worrisome by the day.

“The quality of governance in most of the PDP controlled states is very poor,” Clark said.

The former Minister of Information said “the PDP is sitting on a keg of gun powder, which can explode at any time”.

Specifically, he accused Obasanjo of destroying the party’s supremacy because he wanted control by wresting the powers of the party’s leader from

the National Chairman.

He also lambasted the governors for bastardising the slogan of the party from “power to the people” to “power to the governors”.

Besides, Clark denied insinuations that Jonathan signed any pact with the Continued on page 4

•FOUR BODIES FLOAT ON EZU RIVER P4 •’MALI REBELS TARGET NIGERIA’ P2

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

2

NEWS WAR IN MALI

Nigeria is Malian terrorists’ prime target, says Fed Govt •Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (middle, front row), his deputy Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (second left), Chairman, Daar Communications Chief Raymond Dokpesi (second right), Managing Director, Raypower, Mr Kenny Ogungbe (left), Group Managing Director, RayPower, Mr Tony Akiotu (right) and others, when Dokpesi paid a courtesy visit to the governor at the Abere Governor’s Office, Osogbo ... yesterday.

•From left: Former Governor of Western Region Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo, Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, his wife, Bisi and Primate, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, at “An Afternoon of Tributes” held in honour of the late Most Rev. Abiodun Adetiloye in Ado-Ekiti... yesterday.

•From left: Deji of Akure Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida, Olowo of Owo Oba Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi, Osemawe of Ondo Oba Victor Kiladejo and Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, when members of the Ondo State Council of Obas visited the Alaafin over the fire at his palace in Oyo...yesterday.

PHOTO: FEMI ILESANMI

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HE Federal Government yesterday justified its involvement in the war against Jihadists in Mali.

It said the long-term target of terrorists using the North of Mali as base is to attack Nigeria.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru dropped the hint in a remark yesterday at the ongoing African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Defending the deployment of Nigerian troops in Mali, Ashiru said the government will do its all to contain the terrorists’ ambition and ensure the survival of Nigeria.

He said: “The events in Mali, if we don't quickly stop it, it will have effect on the whole of West Africa and Nigeria is their prime target.

“So, we need to act quickly, forcefully in Mali to stop them, to contain them, to destroy their capability to be able to launch any counter offensive within the sub region.”

“When you compare our intervention in Sierra Leone, in Liberia to our intervention in Mali today, the intervention in Mali today is to ensure the survival of Nigeria. The intervention in Sierra Leone and Liberia was to enthrone democracy, rule of law and good order.

“Those two places, the campaign there did not have any security impact directly on Nigeria as such. It is just that we wanted peace in the sub region to ensure refugees did not flood to Nigeria.

“Even with that, they still came to Nigeria because we had lots that still came to Nigeria. So, these are part of the problems you see.

“But for Mali, our intervention is borne out of our own national interest, the survival of our own country because terrorists know no boundary.

“They have no boundary. They move anywhere. Once they are able to cause instability in that area, they move there and the ultimate prize is to destabilise the country.

"So, our intervention in Mali must be seen in that context, that is to ensure the survival of our country, it is to ensure that we contain the terrorists from spreading from northern Mali to come southwards.”

Commending France for taking the initiative to intervene, the min-

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

ister said that Africans must now take charge henceforth to “ensure that we safeguard the territorial integrity of Mali and to make sure that we are able to stop the terrorists from advancing further because they are a threat, not just to Mali but to Nigeria and all countries in the sub region.”

He was confident that the troops already on ground in Mali would soon advance from central part of the country to curtail the terrorists in the northern part of Mali.

Noting that a number of countries and international organisations were involved in financing the intervention he said Nigeria would be expected to commit its own funds initially into the operation but such financial commitments must be seen in the light of the nation's security.

Ashiru said: “As regards financial implication, that is why Nigeria did not act alone. It was not a unilateral action by Nigeria. It is an (Economic Community of West African States) ECOWAS-led intervention, supported by the African Union (AU), supported by the United Nations (UN).

“There will be funding from all these organisations. Initially, Nigeria will have to throw in all sorts of funding but we have to do that in the context of our own national security.

“So, I don't think you should bother yourself too much about that, you should bother yourself about the survival of our country.”

On the proposed African Standby Force, Ashiru said its creation was necessary to ensure quick military action in troubled places on the continent.

He said: “I think it has dawn on most countries today that the creation of a standby force must be accelerated.

Events in Mali, events in Central African Republic, events in Congo will show you the need for the standby force to be in place today.

“In fact, you will realize that in those places I have mentioned, it is the resolution by other countries to send in some troops to assist that has saved the situation. So, we no longer allow empty places in Africa that terrorists will use, armed gangs will use, drug traffickers will use.

“So, this will be stopped by the creation of a standby force that could be deployed quickly to these troubled places.”

Refugees flee to Djenne, donor agencies struggle to tackle crisis

R •From left: Nigerite’s Company Secretary, Chief Sonny Oyekunle, incoming Managing Director Mr Alberto Tonerio, Company Chairman Dr Femi Orebe, outgoing Managing Directo, Mr Jean-Lue Victor and Marketing Director, Mr Toyin Gbede, (Back row from left): Finance Director, Mrs Olaitan Ojuroye, Directors Mrs Yinka Tunji-Ojo Olawole, Mr Jean Robert, Prince Rafiu Adekunle Adele (Engineering). Olusola Akinwunmi Technical) and Mr Nicholas Candelier at the PHOTO: NIYI ADENIRAN sendforth organised for Mr Victor in Lagos... yesterday.

EFUGEES, dislodged by the violence sweeping through their country have gathered in Djenne- a central Malian town.

Some of them have travelled across the country to reach the relative safety of the camp.

One refugee explained why she came.

“I fled Konna because of the bombings. It was too dangerous. I left on foot with my husband and four children. We walked for two days,” the unidentified refugee said.

The United Nations (UN) estimates that some 230,000 Malians have already fled their homes.

Aid organisations are struggling to tackle the humanitarian crisis, as the violence continues to spread.

Mammadou Diallo, of the Catholic Relief Service, said: “We had to leave Sevare in a rush because the jihadists were arriving, so our people were not safe anymore.”

Euronews correspondent François Chignac, in Djenne, concluded: “Fleeing the rebels’ advance and recent bombings, refugees who remain in Mali are the forgotten in this conflict.”

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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NEWS WAR IN MALI

Our ordeal in the hands of rebels, by Malians

I

N troubled Mali, there's no shortage of harrowing stories of life under Islamist militants in Northern Mali - public floggings for smoking a cigarette; brutal beatings for working as a radio journalist; broken limbs and broken hearts.

- all in full glare of aghast residents.

The Islamists compiled a list of unmarried mothers, saying Sharia law condemns relationships outside marriage.

A mayor, his people displaced •Chadian soldiers stand on their armoured vehicles as they prepare to leave a military camp on the outskirts of Niamey, Niger en route Mali... yesterday

•American soldiers stow a Mali-bound French armoured vehicle aboard a C17 aircraft belonging to the US Airforce at the Istres military airport (BA 125)...yesterday.

Mayor Sadou Diallo misses residents of his desert town of Gao, most of whom fled to Bamako when militants took over.

About 229,000 Malians have been displaced -- mainly from Kidal, Timbuktu and Gao, according to the United Nations (UN).

Diallo is one of the displaced. A former respected community leader, trying to rebuild, just like his people.

Residents of the North, once proud of the vibrant desert communities near River Niger, say the region is a shadow of what it used to be.

“Home is not sweet anymore,” said Fadimata Alainchar, a charity worker and native of nearby Timbuktu.

A recent visit to her hometown left her shaken.

“When entering the city, the signboard which was: ‘Welcome to Timbuktu the City of 333 Saints’ is now ‘Welcome to Timbuktu, the gate to the application of the Shariya (Sharia),” she told the Cable Network News (CNN).

The fabled city includes ancient tombs and wooden structures dating to the 15th century, a major part of its cultural heritage.

Those are not the only changes Women who don't cover their bodies in accordance to the militants' Sharia law, are imprisoned or raped, she said.

Their husbands, terrified of killings and amputations, don't utter a word.

And gunshots are a common sound.

Alainchar said: “If not to disperse women marching, it is to kill dogs that are barking and preventing the insurgents from sleeping.”

“Home has changed. Before it was peace, joy and love, now it is shame, terror and abuse. I prefer dying.”

Tales of cruel treatments abound Radio journalist Malik Maiga faced the militants' wrath when he •A young Malian girl at a refugee camp established in Menteao, near the Malian border..yesterday. . PHOTOS: AFP

Division hits rebels’ camp

A

FACTION of Mali's Islamist movement - Ansar Dine has split off. The faction has opted for open dialogue with Malian Government, according to a statement seen by AFP. Alghabass Ag Intallah, a senior member of the faction which has controlled Northern Mali for the past 10 months, claimed he has formed a new organisation called the Islamic Movement for Azawad (IMA).

Azawad is a term used by Tuareg rebels for the North, where they want independence.

Intallah announced that the IMA is poised to seek a peaceful and negotiated solution to the unrest in Mali.

“We want to wage our war and not that of AQIM," Intallah said, referring to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb

•Ansar Dine’s faction seeks dialogue (AQIM), the militant movement that French-led military forces have been trying to repel after their surprise push towards the capital Bamako.

The IMA said it wanted the "Malian authorities and France to cease hostilities in the zones that we are occupying in the Northeastern regions of Kidal and Menaka to create a climate of peace which will pave the way for an inclusive political structure.

It was unclear how many fighters had joined the new faction.

But the twist will encourage international negotiators who have long sought to scuttle the Islamist alliance, seen as a major threat by

the United States (U.S.) and other Western and regional powers.

Something in-between a movement and a representative group, is a mix of Arabs, Tuaregs and Harratin, even though they like to portray themselves as mainly Tuaregs.

Many of the militants involved are refugees and fighters coming from Libya after the fall of former Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

Nicknamed Les Rebels, Ansar Dine is the radical and militant wing of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA).

It uses religion to gain more visibility and alliance.

“S

used his show to warn residents of public stoning or floggings.

Islamists singled him out, beat him up and left him in a cemetery.

He survived and he is among the refugees in Bamako.

Maiga is not the only journalist targeted. Last week, another radio journalist was reportedly killed, leading Gao residents to retaliate by killing a militant leader.

Then there's Suleyman and Muktar, former truck drivers, accused of stealing. Their limbs were hacked off. They are jobless and wander around the capital.

“I prefer dying to being like this,” Muktar said, adding “my hand hurts; my heart aches; I only have God to ask for help.”

“For the Islamists, a human being is like an ant you squash, like an animal you slaughter,” said Sedou Sangare, a resident of Gao. Gao used to be a vibrant community filled with colorful camel caravans lazily strolling down the streets. Bearded men and beaded women mingled freely.

Then the Islamists rode in on rundown pickup trucks, armed to the teeth.

They banned smoking, television, sports and music -- a major setback for the northern region known for its "Festival au Desert."

They forbade unmarried men and women from mixing in public.

Everybody panicky Though Gao has a majority Muslim population, most residents practice a more relaxed form of the religion.

After militants started imposing a stricter form of Islamic law, or Sharia, throngs took to the streets in protest.

“When they declared Sharia, everybody panicked,” Sangare said.

“Christians, Muslims, everybody fled.”

But the protests did not deter the militants, who publicly punished anyone who defied their teachings.

In August last year, they forced a couple allegedly having an affair into two holes and stoned them to death as terrified residents quietly watched.

Mali descended into chaos last year, when junior military members seized power in a coup. Outraged soldiers accused the government of not providing adequate equipment to battle ethnic Tuareg rebels roaming the vast desert in the North.

Tuareg rebels took advantage of the power vacuum after the coup and seized some parts of the North. A power struggle erupted between the rebels and local Islamists, leading the latter to topple the tribe and seize control of two-thirds of Northern Mali, an area the size of France.

South Africa backs African forces

OUTH Africa supports an African led military force in Mali, but understands the need for France's swift intervention to stop a terrorist threat,” a top diplomat said yesterday.

French troops arrived in Mali penultimate week to help the national army fend off Islamist fighters who had captured key towns in North of the West African nation and pushing South toward Bamako, the capital.

“French intervention in Mali is acting in terms of United Nations support for an African-led support mission in Mali,” said deputy foreign minister Ebrahim Ebrahim.

“From the French perspective, the issue in Mali was a terrorist threat involving al-Qaeda in the Arab Maghreb, which posed a threat not only to neighbouring countries but also to European countries,” he added.

Ebrahim, however, added that African forces under the auspices of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should take the lead.

“In Mali, we think (the regional group) ECOWAS should be taking the leading position,” the diplomat told reporters.

He informed that South African President Jacob Zuma was called by French President Francois Hollande to brief him that “France had decided on the request of the Malian government to intervene in Mali”.

“It seemed that there was a need for some type of rapid intervention in Mali because of a threat posed by terrorists advancing to take over the capital Bamako.”

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

NEWS Four more bodies surface on Ezu River

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•Students of Islamiya Secondary School during Maulud Nabiyi (birthday of Prophet Muhammed) celebration at the emir’s palace in PHOTO: NAN Bauchi…yesterday

$620,000 bribe: Lawan kicks against trial

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HE suspended Chairman of the House Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Mallam Farouk Lawan, yesterday asked the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), to ignore threats from a lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, to prosecute him over alleged $620,000 bribe.

He queried Keyamo for allegedly leaving out a businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola, who admitted offering the bribe through a sting operation.

He said if Keyamo is adamant, he would meet the Lagos lawyer in court.

The Police investigated the alleged $620,000 bribery, questioning Lawan, Otedola and the Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo.

Last year, the government appointed a prosecutor, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), to look at the report of police investigation and file charges as may be appropriate.

But Awomolo, last December, raised some issues which required additional investigation by the police.

The decision of the prosecu-

•Ignore Keyamo, lawmaker urges AGF From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

tor is being awaited, but Keyamo has threatened to take legal steps to compel the AGF to prosecute Lawan.

In a reaction, the House member, who spoke through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), described Keyamo’s ultimatum to the AGF as empty.

He said Keyamo cannot question the authority of the AGF on who to prosecute or not.

He said: “The ultimatum of Keyamo both to the police and the AGF is vacuous, empty, vainglorious, grandstanding and it constitutes legal harakiri. He cannot even succeed with order of mandamus to compel the AGF to prosecute any person. The case of Gani Fawehinmi v. Akilu was cited out of context. At that time, I was the deputy of chambers at Gani’s law firm.

“Under Section 174 sub-section 1 of the 1999 Constitution, the AGF has the sole prerogative and responsibility to be

questioned by none, being lord and master unto himself in this regard.

“The AGF has the power to “ institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law in Nigeria other than a court martial in respect of any offence created by or under any Act of the National Assembly or to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other authority or person and to continue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such criminal proceeding instituted or undertaking by him or any other authority or person.”

“Under Section 174 sub-section 2, “the powers conferred upon the AGF under sub-section 1 of this section may be exercised by him or through officers of his department.”

“It is, therefore, clear that the AGF is the only one who can decide whether or not and when, if at all and where he desires and against whom and

in what circumstances and for which offence he can prosecute a person in Nigeria . No one can force him to do that.

“The best a lawyer can do is to go to court and ask for an order of mandamus, which I know no court will grant because of the clear provision of Section 174 of the Constitution.”

Lawan said if Keyamo carried out his threat, he would ask the court to join him in the suit.

The counsel added: “The AGF in defending himself is, if this empty and bombastic threat is carried, to question his bonafide, his locus standi and invoke Section 174 of the institution. In any proceeding emanating from this, Farouk Lawan is entitled to request the court to join him as the target of the attack.

“And going by the Supreme Court decision in Green v.

Green, Farouk Lawan will definitely be joined.

“Another reason why Continued on page 63

MANSEA community in Anambra State remained in shock yesterday following the discovery of two more bodies on Ezu River.

No fewer than 18 bodies were found floating on the river last Saturday.

Ezu River passes through many Enugu and Anambra states’ communities and empties into the River Niger. It is a source of drinking water for many, who no longer depend on it since the strange discovery.

Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo of Amansea described the discovery of more bodies as a mystery to the community.

“These bodies are floating on our river non-stop. About two days ago, we saw two.

Yesterday, two others surfaced,” he said.

Senator Chris Ngige yesterday visited the community which falls within his senatorial district. He met with the traditional ruler and visited the river to see the floating bodies.

Crippled by emotion, Ngige burst into tears.

He promised to discuss the matter with Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar. He had earlier spoken with Anambra State Police Commissioner Bala Nasarawa and the director of the State Security Service (SSS).

The senator said: “The worrisome thing is that these bod-

•Ngige weeps

From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

ies continue to spring up after evacuating 18 before now.

“We must unravel the mystery behind these bodies. We must stop it. Apart from solving the riddle, we are also going to do palliative measures in this area.

“The water has become totally undrinkable. It has already been polluted with the decomposed bodies. There is absolute danger for anybody to drink it.’’

The former governor promised to raise the health status of the community by sinking a borehole in Amaowelle in Amansea to solve their water problem.

Ngige gave the community 6,000 bags of sachet water and 1,000 cartons of bottled water 500 bags of sachet water are for the Hausa community.

A community leader, Mr. Alphonsus Nwene, said the community now lives in fear because of the mystery bodies.

Last Sunday, Anambra State Government officials led by the Commissioner for Local Governments, Mrs. Azuka Enemo, the police, the SSS and other government officials witnessed the evacuation of 18 bodies from the river.

On Tuesday, three of the 18 bodies were taken to the Teaching Hospital for autopsy with pathologists from the police and the state government.

The remaining 15 bodies were buried near the river.

NCC pegs sms at N4 Continued from page 1

according to a statement issued by Head, Media & Public Relations, Reuben Muoka, has been communicated to the operators since January 3.

But she maintained that the Commission will not place a price cap on international sms for now.

The commission, Ms Amuwa said, arrived at the new price cap after due considerations of the submissions made by the operators at various consultative meetings.

Having evaluated and analyzed SMS traffic information provided by the operators, she

said the commission noted that “there was a general recognition that the cost of SMS is too high, especially in view of the interconnection rate of N1.02 (one naira, two kobo only) for SMS as determined by the commission in 2009”.

While noting that the operators had proposed a price cap ranging between N5-10 per message for Off-Net SMS, she said the operators also urged the commission not to set a cap for international SMS because interconnect rates for International SMS are outside NCC’s control.

Continued on page 63

PDP crisis deepens as Clark attacks governors, Obasanjo Continued from page 1

former president that he would have only one term in office.

“It is not true. It is not the former president who decides how many terms a president should do. It is the constitution,” Clark said.

Clark’s Abuja news conference was tagged “open letter to the governors forum”.

Recalling his political experience from the First Republic, the elder statesman said he had no regret attacking the governors because the matter affects the peace and stability of Nigeria.

According to him, “the governors forum is now acting as an opposition party to the Federal Government”.

“It deliberately breaches with impunity, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Constitution of the PDP, without any challenges. The Forum has now become a threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria. Most of the governors today are

more dictatorial than the then military governors,” the chief said.

Comparing the NGF with the United States’ National Governors Association (NGA), the octogenarian said Nigerian governors abuse the constitution with impunity and are using the platform to manipulate the polity.

“I have seen and made enquiries about your counterparts in the United States of America, USA. A governors’ association called the National Governors Association, NGA, does exist, but their existence and operations are practised and operated within the confines of the law of the land. This body, which was formed as far back as 1908 has never been a thorn in the flesh of the country. They are not politically ambitious. Each of the governors of the 50 states in the USA, who want to become the President of the country, does not use the forum to achieve this ambition,” Clark said.

Going down memory lane, the nationalist said the overbearing influence of the NGF started when former Kwara Governor Bukola Saraki became its chairman.

Clark accused the forum of double standards in the way it reacts to national issues.

Questioning the sincerity of the governors, the elerstatesman said “Whereas the governors forum is said to have a peer review mechanism, the Forum is not known to have ever prevailed upon any of its erring members to do what is right. The governors made no comments about Chief James Onanefe Ibori, former Governor of Delta State, all through his trial and conviction, based on corruption both in Nigeria and in London. Neither did they condemn their colleague, who was accused of beating up a fellow Nigerian worker in this civilised world. But conspicuously support their colleagues for no good reasons.”

“The recent action of the National Working Committee,

NWC, of the PDP in which 10 of the members met to take a decision even when the National Chairman was available and did not authorise his deputy to act for him, clearly showed that there was problem in the party. Instead of the Forum to join other party leaders to resolve this problem, it arrogantly supported one side of the dispute.

“The controversy in Adamawa State is being fuelled by the governors forum by declaring its unholy support for the Governor of the state, Murtala Nyako. The Forum did not see anything wrong with Governor Nyako’s ambition of nominating his wife as the Chief Judge of the state.”

Clark blamed the controversy in Adamawa on the selfish interest of the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Nyako and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who all want their sons to be the governor.

“Clark recalled that the conflict between the National

Chairman and the President over who the party leader is started in the days of Obasanjo. According to him, the former president “punctured and destroyed” the party’s supremacy. “..somewhere along the line, the incoming President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo used his military antecedents, indoctrination and perceptual conceptualisation to obliterate the known practice of the distinction of the party chairmanship with the leadership, and office of the President.

“He prevented the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi from becoming the Chairman of the great party on the reason that Chief Awoniyi was a Yoruba man like himself. He preferred Barnabas Gemade, who actually became the National Chairman of the party.

Much sooner and for no justifiable reason, he decided to replace Gemade with young Audu Ogbeh, who used to be Continued on page 63

•Obasanjo

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

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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NEWS NBS denies Poverty Index on Sokoto

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HE National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has denied the report that it rated Sokoto State as the poorest state in Nigeria in the 2012 National Poverty Index.

The Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, was responding to a letter signed on his behalf by Mrs. Yvonne Odu-Thomas and addressed to the chambers of Dr. Alex Iziyon (SAN), who is the lawyer to the Sokoto government.

The letter is entitled: “Re: Bogus, fictitious, baseless and inciting publication on Sokoto State as the poorest state in Nigeria, the Bureau dissociates itself from the report credited to it.”

It reads: “First to be noted is that the Bureau conducts its National Poverty Index every five to six years. The last survey was in 2009/2010, whilst the previous one was conducted in 2003/2004. It can be said, therefore, based on this explanation given by the Bureau that the publications on poverty index for 2012, so mentioned, are out

From Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

of context and false.

“It is important to mention here that the Bureau uses and will continue to use Global Best Practice in conducting all of its surveys and that no such information as alleged by your client is on the Bureau’s website.”

In another letter to the Special Adviser, Sokoto State Poverty Reduction Agency, the NBS said: “Its next assessment is scheduled for 2014/ 2015. There has been no new survey or analysis on poverty

by NBS since 2009/2010.

Therefore, all reports claiming NBS released poverty results for 2012 are false.

“Accordingly, any statistics recorded without the authority of the NBS, as is the case with the one in question, is not to be regarded as official.

The NBS surveys, which cut across states, are done in collaboration with state statistical offices and before any such survey is conducted you would be informed via the Governors’ Forum.”

•The Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev Nicholas Okoh flanked by Bishop J. Akin Odejide and his wife ‘Bunmi after a thanksgiving service to mark Rev Odejide’s retirement at the mandatory age of 70 at the Missionary Diocese, Ifo, Ogun State.

Agbakoba decries poor welfare of judgess

‘Certificate forgery’: Suswam gets Feb. 4 date

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HECourt of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has fixed hearing in the alleged certificate forgery case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Terver Kakih, against Governor Gabriel Suswam, for February 4.

Suswam defeated Kakih in the last PDP primaries.

He challenged Suswam at the Federal High Court, Makurdi, for alleged certificate forgery.

Justice A. Marcel struck out the matter.

Kakih, dissatisfied with

By Joseph Jibueze

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

the ruling, headed to the Appeal Court in Makurdi.

The Nation investigation at the court registry revealed that Suswam’s lawyer, Jibril Okutekpa, last Wednesday filed his reply to Kakih’s appeal with a motion for an extension of time, because he filed the reply out of time.

The motion was served on Kakih yesterday.

It was also gathered that a different panel, constituted by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, will hear the matter to its conclusion.

•Agbakoba

F

ORMER Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has called for a comprehensive welfare scheme for serving and retired judges.

In a letter to the Chairman, National Judicial

Council (NJC), Justice Maryam Mukhtar, he said it was disturbing and distressful that a justice of the Supreme Court, who served for 46 years would receive “a paltry” salary and would retire without a home or good pension.

He said judges tell the same tales of woes upon retirement, but there has been no action.

He urged the NJC to begin “a transformational process to address these issues.”

Agbakoba, a Life Bencher and NJC member, said there is an urgent need to transform the Judiciary.

“I fail to understand why the Judiciary will not have a

•Writes CJN radically-enhanced budget to address the needs of its judges.

“I will propose as a first step that housing, medicals, cars, enhanced salaries and allowances are provided this year.

“I will urge that a comprehensive welfare scheme be put in place for judges, both serving and retired,” Agbakoba said.

The human rights activist said subjecting retired judges to stress before getting their pension should also be stopped.

“I find it distressful that NJC issues the occasional advert requesting distin-

guished honourable judges to queue before junior officers to present credentials as a proof of entitlement to pension!

“All judicial officers will retire. Is this the situation they hope to face?”

Agbakoba referred to an interview a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Olufunlola Adekeye, granted a newspaper, which he said contained a catalogue of woes and deprivation suffered by judges upon retirement from the service.

“I urge that this issue is tabled at the next meeting of the NJC for a robust discussion,” he added.

‘The Primate on a hill’

Borno to Maku: don’t bring your Good Governance Text of Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi’s tribute to the life and times of former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye Tour to us

T

HE Borno State Government yesterday asked the Information Minister, Labaran Maku and his team not to visit the state for the ongoing Good Governance Tour across the country.

The state insisted that there is no federal project in Borno to warrant the team’s visit.

Addressing reporters in Maiduguri, the state capital, Information Commissioner Inuwa Bwala said Maku’s ongoing visits across the country were to cover up for Federal Government’s alleged inadequacies.

The commissioner alleged that the minister’s team has no business visiting Borno State because there is no single project - ongoing or completed - that was executed by the Federal Government and due for inspection.

Bwala noted that the Good Governance Tour to Borno State would rather remain “a tea party as it does not in any way represent the yearnings and needs of the people of Borno, who have been abandoned by the Federal Government in most of the times they needed their presence”.

“Y

E are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven” Matthew 5: 14 - 16 No other scripture captures my fond reminiscences of the life and times of Late Most Reverend Abiodun Joseph Adetiloye than the foregoing.

My earliest memories of the dear departed are of my encounters with Baba (as we endearingly called him) back in my days as a pupil of Christ School, AdoEkiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

Baba used to live on top of the famous Agidimo Hill within the school. I recollect that one of my schoolmates, Akin Ogunrinde, used to live with him back then. Baba was an integral part of school life in that anytime we pupils ran into trouble with the school authority; the principal would run up to Baba on the hill for intervention. Baba would often come down and mediate in the impasse, ensuring the return of normalcy before he left. He carried such a weight of spiritual

authority shrouded in meekness that as young children, we could not but love, respect and obey him. In those early years during which character was being formed in us as young pupils, our privileged interaction with Baba amongst several other authority figures, birthed in us moral rectitude and reverence for God – key values that light our various life paths till this day. For this reason, I also crave the indulgence of Baba’s biological children, to also call him a father to me – indeed; he was a father to all.

His was a light-bearing life that was truly set on a hill for all to see. Though kindled in the ancient town of Odo-Owa in Ekiti State, Nigeria, Baba’s light shone brightly for the world to see. His life of meritorious service in God’s vineyard is a testament of faithfulness, diligence, humility and integrity.

During his time as Primate, his impact reverberated beyond the confines of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, geographically and across all spheres of life. I remember affectionately Baba’s role during the dark years of military rule, he was one of the renowned men of faith who supported the struggle in various ways, un-

afraid to speak truth to the dictators of that perilous era – he was for this reason referred to as the ‘NADECO Bishop’.

In the last years of his glorious life, though Baba was a global citizen, he demonstrated his love for the land of honour, Ekiti State, Nigeria, by refusing entreaties from more cosmopolitan states of the federation, to settle down in retirement in his native Odo-Owa. Baba’s presence in the community no doubt raised its profile, not only considering the numerous distinguished visitors who paid homage to him, but also on account of him frequently putting his weight behind seeking solutions to issues that affected his kinsmen. In fact, the last time I spoke with him was when he called to discuss details of an on-going project. However, Baba never laboured the goodwill and love he knew I had for him; majority of the times he called was for the purpose of checking on my welfare and praying for me. The people of Ekiti State, Nigeria are extremely glad to have had Baba spend his last years with us.

Baba has gone to be with the Lord, he has fought a good fight, he has finished his course, he has kept the faith, and we are certain that he shall receive the crown

of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge has promised all those who love His appearing. In the words of Thomas Mann, “A man’s dying is more his survivor’s affair than his...”, therefore, it behoves those of us that remain on this side of eternity, as we gather in the land of rolling hills to celebrate this great Man of Honour; to reflect on and rekindle our lives with the light from the life of the Primate on the Hill – that the dark aspects of our nationhood might be illuminated by the aggregate of positive actions of each and every one of us.

Baba lived well, Baba served well and Baba died well. We owe him as Ekiti kinsmen, fellow Nigerians and the whole of hu-

•The late Rev. Adetiloye

manity, to continue to pursue the values that the dear departed’s iconic life has come to represent.

On behalf of the government and people of Ekiti State, Nigeria, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Adetiloye Family, the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, and all those who hold him dear. We shall all miss him greatly.

Sleep well dear Baba Adetiloye, sleep well.

ON MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS

NOW N50.00 STARTING FROM MONDAY 28TH JANUARY, 2013

6

CITYBEATS

Dana crash: victims’ families commend NCAA

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

THE families and solicitors of victims of the June 3 Dana Airline plane crash have commended the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for its prompt intervention to ensure that they get the 70 per cent balance of the $100,000 compensation.

The commendation came during a meeting hosted by NCAA at its Annex office, Muritala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The victims' families and their solicitors met with the officials of the Lagos State Probate Registry to fasttrack the process of the issuance of the Letter of Administration as earlier solicited on their behalf by Dr Harold Demuren, the Director General of NCAA. Speaking at the meeting, Bunmi Ibraheem, a solicitor to one of the victims, said: "NCAA has worked assiduously with the Lagos State Government and other relevant agencies to ensure that the compensations are paid.”

She said that the DG, NCAA had impressed the families and their solicitors by keeping the promises he made during the two previous meetings they had with him."

According to her, the NCAA boss promised to appeal to Lagos State Chief Judge for waivers of charges in the processing of Letters of Administration from the probate registry which is a prerequisite for administering the compensation and this, he had since carried out.

In the same vein, Mr Kola Olapoju, a solicitor with Alpha & Partners Solicitor, commended the Director General and his team for doing what he said, “no government agency has done before.'' He added that it was the commitment, love and compassion displayed by the DG, NCAA and that of the Lagos State Government on the plight of the victims' families that got him involved in the matter.

Akinlola Cole, a representative of one of the victims' families declared,''this is his first time of seeing an organization waking up to its responsibility and beyond, doing it right, making promises and fulfilling them''.

He expressed appreciation to NCAA's DG and the Lagos State Government for their unquantifiable support for the compensation exercise.

Also, Mr. Kola Olapoju said that the process for obtaining orders of guardianship for those that need them will also enjoy the benefits of the waivers given to those processing the Letter of Administration. He added that they would do everything to hasten the process so that the two-month deadline could be met and everything about the compensation comcluded.

The meeting was presided over by Dr Teresa Bassey, the Authority's Head ofAeromedical Standards in company of Mrs Antonia Vincent, the General Manager in charge of Air Transport Regulation.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JAN

Anger over gruesome killing of family’s breadwinner •We‘re on the trail of the gunmen, say police

W

HO are the real killers of our father and why was he killed in such a dastardly manner? This is the mystery that the questions that the aggrieved family of late Johnson Olanrewaju is yet to unravel. And members of the family are more traumatised by the "suspicious" manner the police have been handling the matter.

The late Olanrewaju, who until his death on January 17, worked at Cardinal Securities, Lagos, was said to be on his way back home after the day's work when three heavily armed gunmen reportedly intercepted his blue-coloured Toyota Avensis Wagon car, just a stone's throw to his 27, Adeyemi Street, Alakuko, Ogun State residence.

Before the very eyes of his wife, Modupe and Tunde, their little son, 63year-old Olanrewaju was bundled into the trunk of his car and driven off after the gunmen had dispossessed the trio of their valuables, including phone sets and money.

After a frantic search for their breadwinner, his four children got the shocking news of his death the next day at the Sango Police Station, where his car was also parked. It was there the children got the disheartening news from some policemen: "Your father was killed along Ota Road." The body of the victim has since been deposited at the Ifo General Hospital's morgue by the police.

Anger and grief were all over victim's children and mother-in-law when they took their agony to the Lagos Headquarters of The Nation yesterday. Both Oluwakemi Olanrewaju who works with Intels Nigeria Ltd, Warri, Delta State, and her brother, Olalekan fought tears while bemoaning their plight on the incident.

Oluwakemi told The Nation: "On his way from work that fateful night, our father had gone to take our mother back home from her shop at about 9.45 pm.

By Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

On getting to Oluwatobi Junction along FPF Campbell Road near our house, according to our neighbours, they were intercepted by three heavily armed gunmen who took all they had on them before driving our father away in the booth of his car. Immediately, our mother rushed to Alakuko Police Station to report the case.

"The next day, our mother went with us to Sango Police Station following directives from Alakuko Police Station.

There, we saw our father's car. It was parked intact. There some policemen told us that our father was shot dead by armed robbers the previous night."

Olalekan, who corroborated his sister, lamented that "we saw hell in the hands of the police before our father's car was released to us on January 22, five days after. More annoying and shocking is the fact that the police did not give us a copy of the bond we signed as the normal police report on the incident."

He further said: "It is still surprising that the police have not told us the exact spot where our father was killed. All we were told was that he was shot dead along Ota Road. They also told us that they took our father's corpse to the morgue after extracting a bullet from his body. They are yet to tell us the whole truth about how our father was killed. It is still a puzzle to us.

"Upon further investigations, we were told that the gunmen raped a trader's 13year-old daughter after dispossessing her of her money. Then, our father was said to be in the booth of the car. While they were descending on the trader, we were told that our father attempted to escape and at the point, the gunmen shot at him.

We now wonder how our father could have opened the car's trunk that was firmly locked. And strange enough, there

•The late Olanrewaju

•Mother of the deceased, Mrs Mary Olanrewaju

is nobody to tell us the location where exactly he was shot dead. All these account for why we believe that the police have things to hide on the matter."

Shell-shocked and distraught, Olanrewaju's wife was said to have spent three days at the hospital after the incident. Now, members of the family are

Arepo fire: Four suspected vandals nabbed

F

OLLOWING Wednesday fire outbreak at Arepo in Ogun State, the Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Task Force constituted by the Inspector General of Police has arrested four suspected vandals.

They were caught in the early hours of Wednesday while returning from the creek where they had gone to carry out their nefarious activity.

The suspects, who were identified as Wale Onana, Owekeware Olusor Ekperemor, Ebimiru Yeyha and Truce Iroju, are currently being held at the Force Headquarters Annex, Obalende, Lagos.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday Ibadin, who is in charge of the Task Force, confirmed the arrest, adding: "Shortly after the explosion, some police-

•The suspected vandals. Inset: The raging pipeline fire

By Jude Isiguzo

men led by Lagos Sector Commander, Mr Onaghise Osayande, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), cordoned off the area, awaiting the arrival of fire fighters. They extended the search to Konu and Majidun area, an alternative route to the spot. Some vandals were spotted and ambushed, while others fled. Four were arrested."

At the police station, one of the suspects, Onana, said they had simply executed the orders of one of their leaders whom he identified as ‘Igbekorowa’.

In his words: "We learnt that NNPC was mounting a platform close to the creeks and that would be bad business for us. It was agreed that we should try and stop them pending when we must have gotten

enough supply that we could manage before another spot was discovered.

"On the January 22, we sneaked in through the river at about 12am and fetched few gallons of PMS and while we were leaving, Yukun lighted a cigarette and threw it at the ruptured part and the fire started again. On our way back, Igbekorowa asked us to move ahead of him that he and Yukun would follow us from behind. Unknown to us, some police officers were hiding in the bush; they arrested us."

It was gathered that Igbekorowa is a notorious vandal and is suspected to be one of those that killed an official of the NNPC staff, while trying to repair a pipeline at Arepo last year. Igbekorowa and another vandal, popularly known as Togo, have been on the 'wanted list' of the police.

When asked about Togo’s whereabouts, Wale said: "He was badly burnt during the last fire incident but was lucky to escape alive. His girlfriend quickly smuggled him to Ondo State where he is receiving treatment. We were told that he is still alive but nobody knows where exactly he is hiding.

We were only obeying instruction because if you don't obey, Togo would order your execution".

Another suspect, Owekeware said: "Shortly after that fire outbreak, it was agreed that we should stay away from that spot and look for another area. I was surprised when Igbekorowa called and asked me to meet him at the water side. He convinced me to join them. When we were about leaving, Yukun threw a cigarette back to the spot. I was shocked and they explained that NNPC wanted to mount a permanent security post in that area. They said that once the fire is on, those engineers cannot erect any structure because of the heat. I never knew that this was their plan. That was how we got into into police trap."

•From left: Lekan, Bukola, Dip

demanding an autopsy to asce truth about the sudden loss of th winner.

However, when contacted on ter yesterday, Adepoju Ilori, a perintendent of Police (CSP) knowledge of the case, saying was reported at his station, an en

•The youths during training...

T

OUGH times await vandal cultured users of federal gov facilities in Lagos. Reason: eral Road Maintenance Agency has inaugurated a Task Force for pose.

With over 3,000 workers on gr Task Force, headed by AbdulRa Kolawole a.k.a Oto is, accordin saddled with law enforcement, hensive monitoring and complia laid-down rules and regulations the facilities.

"Our concern is about all federa ment highways, set-backs, and o utilities. We have been set up a trained for these purposes and I this that the whole essence of th

7

CITYBEATS

ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

Hospital offers subsidy on IVF treatment THE Chief Medical Director, St.Ives Specialist Hospital, Ikoyi, Dr. Tunde Okewale has said the hospital's management would be offering 50 per cent subsidy on In Vitro Fertility treatment for fertility-challenged couples.

Okewale in a statement in Lagos on Friday said the subsidised treatment was in honour and celebration of the forth coming Mothering Day in March and April.

He noted that the subisidised treatment would include registration, consultation, investigations and treatment for IVF and IUI) and urged fertility challenged couples to take advantage of the opportunity.

The hospital's infertility clinic has had over 500 IVF babies to its credit including the oldest IVF mother in Nigeria at 57 years old. The promo is only at its Ikoyi branch.

Drink firm launches new products

eft: Lekan, Bukola, Dipo and Kemi. Standing: Niyi (younger brother), Alfred, Felicia, Modupe and Kayode (deceased)

ding an autopsy to ascertain the out the sudden loss of their bread-

ver, when contacted on the materday, Adepoju Ilori, a Chief Sundent of Police (CSP), denied dge of the case, saying that if it orted at his station, an entry would

have been made for it.

However, Ogun State Police Spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi admitted that the police were already on top of the matter, saying: "It is a clear case of armed robbery and we are doing our utmost best to fish out the man's killers and ensure that justice is done. Since the case occurred and we got

wind of it, we have made special arrangements to get the man's killers arrested and brought to justice. The era when an innocent citizen would be killed like a fowl without anything done is gone.

On the police's suspected culpability in the matter, he retorted: "Whoever points accusing fingers at the police in this mat-

ter is not being fair to the police institution. We will not rest on our oars in an attempt to get at the root of the dastardly killing of the family man."

Now, the bereaved family awaits justice even as it continues to live with the trauma of the sudden departure of its breadwinner.

DRINK makers Euro Global Foods and Distilleries, a member of the Sona Group of Companies, has launched new brands of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

The alcoholic brands include Seaking Schnapps, Sabrina Gin, Braveheart Rum, Czar Vodka, Amphora wines, Czar Ice and Julius Tonic wine, while the non-alcoholic drinks are Aqua Euro water, and the Savana range of soft drinks.

To make the Tempranillo brand of wine affordable to consumers, a 37.5cl half bottle was also launched. The makers said it is the first wine of foreign origin to be packaged locally in this sise.

"Tempranillo wine, one of Spain's most famous wines is a full-blooded red wine made from black grapes in northern Spain. It is low in acidity and sugar content and is blended with exotic fruits to make it savoury. The product is a vegetal and vibrant wine that contains only 11 per cent alcohol but tastes lighter than most other wines. It is imported from Spain and bottled in Nigeria," the company said.

Church to start TV Programme THE presiding Pastor of The Breath of Life Ministry, Pastor Samsan Jedafe, is to start his Television programme on Silverbird Television from Sunday 27th January.

The programme is tagged 'DEVOTION with Pastor Jedafe' and would run every Sunday between 6:55 am to 7:00 am and on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 6:25 am and 6:30 am.

The Church is located at 24, Obanikoro Street, Off Obanokoro Bus-stop, Somolu, Lagos.

Wed Awards & Wine Fest

uths during training...yesterday

PHOTO:ADEJO DAVID

FERMA seeks sanity on federal highways

UGH times await vandals and unltured users of federal government ilities in Lagos. Reason: The Fedd Maintenance Agency (FERMA) gurated a Task Force for the pur-

By Dada Aladelokun, Assistant Editor

over 3,000 workers on ground, the rce, headed by AbdulRasak Rafiu e a.k.a Oto is, according to him, with law enforcement, compremonitoring and compliance with wn rules and regulations guiding ities. oncern is about all federal governghways, set-backs, and other such We have been set up and wellor these purposes and I must say the whole essence of the exercise

is to create conducive environment for our people in general," he emphasised.

Asked if the Force would not usurp the activities of other such outfits already on ground in the state, especially the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Kolawole replied: "It cannot because we have our well-laid-out rules and regulations regarding our operations. We are not thugs but responsible Nigerians committed to changing the existing system in our areas of attention."

•Recruits 3,000 youths

Kolawole affirmed that their operations would kick off full-blast in the first week of February. "There is no going back because all the needed logistics are already in place. And I must add that the whole effort is also geared towards puncturing the festering joblessness in the country; no mischief, no ill-feeling," he added.

As early as 8 am yesterday, members of the Task Force, especially the new recruits, thronged the defunct Toll Gate Headquarters of the Force on the Lagos-Ibadan Road around 7 Up, Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos.

Clad in all-white training sport wears, the recruits, after their usual daily training

which The Nation learnt, began about three weeks ago, were bubbling with excitement that they were on their way out of the "suffocating" unemployment market.

Oniya Omoebi, one of the officers who spoke with The Nation echoed Kolawole's views, saying: "We are here to do for federal roads, what the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has been doing for state roads. We will operate with all vital equipments like towing vehicle to take care of erring vehicles on the roads under our jurisdiction. We are for sanity in all areas of our operations."

AWEDDING exhibition, Wed Expo, will hold in Lagos between March 21 and 24, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS).

It will feature the Wed Awards, where those described as the "best and the brightest" wedding professionals will be recognized, and the Wine Fest, because weddings have become a source of revenue for wine and spirit makers.

Participants, according to Akin Eso, the event organiser, would be serenaded with music and live performances by artistes.

.Akin Eso

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

8

NEWS ‘Be liberal with tax regime’

By Victor Akande

STAKEHOLDERS in the motion picture industry have stressed the need for the government to be liberal with their colleagues in its tax regime.

They also urged it to create an enabling environment for film-makers to thrive.

In a 12-point communiqué issued at the end of a one-day interactive forum in Lagos, organised by the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) at its Ikoyi office, producers, distributors, marketers, exhibitors and representatives of government agencies said tax policy should not be applied in the production stage, but only on end products.

They said government should be more responsive to the need of the industry so as to encourage the payment and remittance of taxes.

The film-makers said tax incentives should be introduced as a Bill in the National Assembly to stimulate activities in the film sector.

They also want commercial banks to accept film as an intellectual property valuable enough to be used as a collateral for credit facilities.

They said banks should consider film as a profityielding commodity with long term of returns.

Anyim: centenary celebration not to promote PDP administration T

HE Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, yesterday highlighted the benefits of the Centenary celebration, stressing that it would boost employment.

He said the proposed Abuja Centenary City project would provide jobs on a large scale.

Anyim dismissed insinuations that the celebration is designed to shore up the image of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the President Goodluck Jonathan administration ahead of the 2015 general election.

The former Senate President said the focus is the consolidation of the unity of Nigeria.

He said: “In the next two months, we shall start celebrating Nigeria, not any administration. We will celebrate Nigeria as our collective destiny.

We are holding consultations with the stakeholders. In February, we will aggregate the views. The grand finale is January 2014, but we are starting in 2013. The event is not to celebrate government. It is private sector-driven. However, government will fund its participation in it.”

Anyim, who was in Lagos for meetings with stakeholders on the project, allayed fears about power outage and insecurity during the celebration.

He said: “In the next few weeks, power generation, distribution, management and payment of bills will leave the hands of the government.

Companies that won the bids have been announced and the private sector will keep pow-

Entertainers key into programme

N

OLLYWOOD stars, filmmakers and musicians gathered in Lagos yesterday to discuss the proposed activities to mark the 100 years of the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates.

The meeting, held at the Yellow Chilli Restaurant, Joel Ogunnaike Street, GRA, Ikeja, was convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, who is the Chairman of the Centenary Anniversary Committee, and the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke.

The meeting, coordinated by veteran actor Kanayo O. Kanayo, was attended by stakeholders from the Yoruba, Hausa and English film production wings of the industry.

Duke said the Federal Government deemed it necessary to involve the entertainment industry in the project because it was the bedrock of the Nigerian brand and the creative power house on the African continent.

Describing Nollywood as a contributor to the culture and tourism status of Nigeria and a foreign exchange earner besides oil, the minister urged filmmakers not to falter because of the challenges faced by their Colleagues, but should play a leading role in the centenary project as a creative industry.

He said: “I enjoin you to use this opportunity to contribute in several ways and strengthen the Nigerian brand.”

Senator Anyim, who presented a 24-page paper, entitled: “The Centenary Project: Concept Document”, urged the entertainers to develop a position programme to be fused into a larger Centenary celebration calendar.

He said there is need to develop certain legBy Emmanuel Oladesu, Political Editor

er supply steady.”

The SGF said insecurity would not pose a challenge to the celebrations, warning

By Victor Akande

acy- projects, including a city to serve as a hallmark of the Centenary celebrations.

“The essence of the project is to strengthen the unity of Nigeria. Let us stress the need to remain as a country and become what the world wants us to become,” Anyim said.

Said he: “It is important to note that the Federal Government has decided not to put money in the project. It is going to be funded by the organised private sector.”

According to him, whatever programmes the filmmakers would be doing, they should understand that government would only come in by canvassing private sector support for the project.

Senator Anyim, who said a theme song has been recorded by music icon, Onyeka Onwenu, noted that President Goodluck Jonathan would begin the activities leading to the celebrations on February 4 in Abuja.

He noted that the programme is not to promote anybody or administration, adding that it is only by coincidence that it is during President Jonathan’s tenure that the country will turn 100.

Kanayo, who spoke on behalf of the entertainers, said the industry would present a position paper soon.

Actors and actresses at the meeting are: Mahmood, Ali-Balogun, Zeb Ejiro, Chico Ejiro, Bukky Wright, Stephanie Okereke, Alex Lopez, Fidelis Duker, Francis Onwoche, Joke Silva and husband, Olu Jacobs.

Others include Segun Arinze, Charles Novia, Greg Odutayo, Jide Kosoko, Sanni Danga, Sani Muazu, Sunny MacDon W, Lilian Amah and Chinedu Ikedieze of the ‘Aki and Pawpaw’ fame.

against unnecessary exaggeration of the security situation.

Said he: “The challenge of insecurity, particularly terrorism, is not peculiar to Nigeria. Our country, which overcame civil war, militancy in the Niger Delta and the men-

ace of hoodlums in Lagos, will resolve the Boko Haram insurgency.”

Noting that the celebration is coming at a time when an international agency had predicted that Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015, Anyim said

the citizens should prove the agency wrong by concretising its unity and harmony.

He added: “We are in a transformational era and the element is a radical departure from the past. The celebration will be a major milestone in Nigeria.

We have been chided by the rest of the world. Though we are the largest and most educated in black Africa and our youths are innovative, the train of growth and development has been slow. It behoves the leadership to have the vision and mission to move the nation forward.

This is the mission of the Jonathan administration.

“The forces of disintegration are trying to divide Nigeria.

We must find a unity of purpose. Religious, cultural and political differences must be set aside through cultural fusion. Let us use the celebration to bring out the valuable assets of Nigeria.”

Anyim explained the import of the Abuja Centenary City, which he said would occupy 1,000 hectares. He said the residual components would be 20 per cent, adding that this would prevent its regression into the status of a ghost city. He also said it would be a commercial, technological and tourist centre worthy of pride, adding that the proposal would attract 15 billion US dollars investment.

Anyim said the success factors would be a free trade zone, duty free regime, tax holiday, chartered status, offshore status, efficient infrastructure and security.

He added: “Total government commitment to provide a conducive environment in the city is imperative for the success of this important initiative.”

Mark, Akume, governors, others urge peace

S

ENATE President David Mark yesterday urged Muslims to be loving, peaceful and tolerant, adding that these are the virtues Prophet Mohammed exemplified.

He also enjoined Nigerians to support government to make the country a better place.

Mark, in a goodwill message to Muslim faithful to commemorate the Eid-el-Maulud celebration, said irrespective of religious or ethnic differences, Nigerians must see themselves as one people bound by a common destiny.

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola urged Muslims to be of good behaviour and live harmoniously with their neighbours.

He said this in a message to the Muslim community in the state to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammed.

Aregbesola said the essence of religion is to make adherents better followers in their living standard, behaviour, deeds and utterances.

He said Prophet Muhammed lived a life worthy of emulation.

Quoting from the Holy Quran, he described Prophet Muhammed as the best example of mankind.

He said Muslims should strive to emulate the prophet.

Said he: “I congratulate the Muslim Ummah on this year’s Eid-l-Maolood 2013 (1434AH).

As Muslims, we should not forget the essence of what we are celebrating.”

Senate Minority Leader Senator George Akume said: “It is a thing of joy that the Almighty has spared our lives to witness

By our reporters

the momentous occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Maulud celebrations, which is a commemoration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed.

“On behalf of my family and the people of Benue NorthWest Senatorial District, I wish all Muslim faithful joyous celebrations.

“I believe every religious occasion should be used by all as a moment when we should draw closer to our creator and draw inspiration and strength from Him. It is only by so doing that we can show gratitude to Him as well as display the necessary kindness and love that is expected to be the hallmark of all religious celebrations.

“I am hopeful that all Nigerians, irrespective of religious belief, will use this occasion to appeal to God for his guidance.”

Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed urged the Muslim Ummah to imbibe the enduring qualities of Prophet Muhammed by being good neighbours to all, without religious or ethnic biases.

Governor Ahmed, who said this in a message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, on the occasion of the celebration of the birth of Holy Prophet Muhammed, said Muslims should emulate the prophet who was an embodiment of virtues and exemplary example for mankind.

Also, former Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji

Abubakar Kawu Baraje, urged Nigerians to continue to live together peacefully and shun acts that can affect harmonious co-existence.

Baraje said this in his message to Nigerians on the celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed.

He reminded Muslims that Prophet Mohammed, throughout his life, preached peace and harmonious co-existence.

As the Muslim world celebrates Eid-el Maulud, the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) urged Muslims and Nigerians to renew their faith in Allah (SWT) and pray for solution to the nation’s challenges.

The forum also admonished all to share with one another and spread the virtues of peace, love and charity, which the holy Prophet lived for.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, enjoined Muslims to use the festival as a period of sober reflection on the numerous challenges facing the country.

In a message signed by Aliyu’s Chief Press Secretary, Malam Danladi Ndayebo, the forum urged Muslims to follow the exemplary life lived by the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to engender the peace needed for growth and development.

The statement noted that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) lived a complete life worthy of emulation and called on Muslims to imbibe such exemplary qualities to earn maximum reward in the hereafter.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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NEWS

Newswatch: Hearing opens Monday in ex-directors’ fresh suit

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HE management dispute in the troubled newsmagazine, Newswatch has taken a new turn with some of the shareholders going before the Federal High Court, Lagos.

They are praying the court among others, for the “setting aside of “the contract on which basis businessman Jimoh Ibrahim purportedly assumed majority shareholding in the company.

This suit, a petition brought pursuant to sections 310 (a), (b) and (c) and 311(1), (2) (a) and (b) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, is coming just as Justice Okon Abang (also of the Federal High Court, Lagos) has fixed judgment for

By Eric Ikhilae

March 16 in another suit in which Ibrahim seeks to restrain the company’s former directors from further acting in that capacity.

In the fresh suit, the plaintiffs, Nuhu Wada Aruda and Prof Jibril Aminu, minority shareholders and former directors of Newswatch, accused the Jimoh Ibrahim-led management of allegedly assuming control of the company fraudulently and running it in a manner detrimental to the interest of other shareholders.

They also accused the new management of systematically working to kill the company’s main product, Newswatch weekly magazine and replacing same with daily

newspapers, to be published by a newly incorporated company – Newswatch Newspapers Limited – an arganisation in which Ibrahim’s company, Global Media Mirror Limited owns a majority shareholding.

Aruda and Aminu averred that Ibrahim, the new Chairman of Newswatch Communications Limited and the company “have not called a general meeting since the said new illegal take-over of the company.”

They argued that although Ibrahim and his company, Global Media failed to comply with the conditions contained in the contract- a Share Purchase Agreement of May 2011 between Newswatch and Global Media, Ibrahim and his company

“wrongly assumed” the management and control of the company and shut down its operations to the utter detriment and loss of the petitioners.

Aruda and Aminu noted that by Clause 3.0 in the 2011 agreement, Ibrahim and Global Mirror was to acquire 51 per cent stake in Newswatch Communications on the condition they pay N510 million as purchase price; by Clause 4.0 the money was to be paid on or before May 5, 2011, and

by Clause 13.0 Global Media was required to pay additional N500 million within 90 days of its takeover of the company.

“Without complying at all with any of the aforementioned conditions of the agreement, the second re-

spondent (Global Media), through the instrumentality of the third respondent (Ibrahim), went ahead and took over full control and management of the first respondent (Newswatch Communications).

They argued that since the company was shut in August last year, it has lost about N15.780million in revenue and profit, part of which ought to have accrued to its shareholders, including the petitioners.

The petitioners are praying the court to among others, nullify the May 2011 agreement; direct Ibrahim and Global Media to pay the N15.780million loss suffered by the company so far .

They are also praying for an order directing that any

verified money by Ibrahim and Global Media in Newswatch Communications be refunded to them by the receiver/manager from the funds realised from the operations of the company.

The petitioners equally want the court to grant a perpetual injunction, restraining Ibrahim, Global Media and their agents from proceeding with the publication of the planned daily papers; and order of perpetual injunction restraining them from further interfering in the management and control of Newswatch Communications.

They have also filed a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction restraining Newswatch Communications, Global Media, Ibrahim and Newswatch Newspapers from publishing and selling to the public, the said daily newspapers pending the determination of substantive suit.

Justice Ibrahim Buba, in an earlier ruling on a motion ex-parte by the petitioners, refused a similar prayer and abridged the time within which the respondents were to file and serve their processes.

He adjourned hearing to next Monday.

CPC chides Okupe over comment on Buhari From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

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HE Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe came under fire yesterday from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) over his comment that former Head of State, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, lacks the power to blame the government for the attack on Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero The CPC also accused President Goodluck Jonathan of encouraging his aides to insult Buhari for expressing his views.

According to a statement in Abuja by CPC’s National Publicity Secretary Rotimi Fashakin, the party expressed sadness that the Jonathan administration has not prosecuted anybody for the Boko Haram insurgency.

The party said a government that wants to grow should encourage positive criticism.

The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the utterly vitriolic response from the Presidency to Gen Muhammadu Buhari’s (GMB) statesmanlike communication on the armed attack on the Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ado Bayero.

In the said response, Dr Doyin Okupe, the Presidential aide on Public Affairs, was reported to have described GMB’s statement, which aptly mentioned the constitutional provision that the ‘purpose of government is the welfare and security of the people’, as irresponsible, reckless and opportunistic. It is never surprising that Dr Okupe’s communication is often laden on asininity and acerbic profanity, what is befuddling is the quality of leadership of the nation’s presidency that bears with such immeasurable indecency”.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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NEWS

Adetiloye was our Desmond Tutu, says Fayemi

Alaafin condemns attack on Ado Bayero From Bisi Oladele, Ibadan and Bode Durojaiye, Oyo

•Jonathan, Adebayo, Okoh, Olumilua pay tribute to cleric

E

MINENT Nigerians yesterday eulogised the late Primate of the Anglican Church, Most Rev. Abiodun Adetiloye.

At a special afternoon of tributes held in the late Adetiloye’s honour at the Adetiloye Hall in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, President Goodluck Jonathan, in a letter, said the late primate lived a life of leadership and service to humanity.

Adetiloye died on December 14, last year, at 83.

His remains will be buried today St Paul's Anglican Church, Odo-Owa Ekiti, his birth place..

Jonathan said: “He championed fundamental reforms in the Anglican Communion, which engendered greater vibrancy in the church’s work in Nigeria. Even in retirement, he continued to lead by example.”

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi described the late cleric as the country’s version of Bishop Desmond Tutu.

Former Governor of the Old Western State Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd); former Governor of the Old Ondo State Evang. Bamidele Olumilua; Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria Most Rev. Nicolas Okoh; friends and family of the late Adetiloye showered him with encomiums.

Fayemi, who equated the leadership style and forthrightness of the late primate with that of Bishop Tutu of South Africa, urged Nigerians to emulate the late Adetiloye’s ways.

He said the late primate positively influenced pupils of the Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, when he served in the Ekiti Anglican Diocese.

The governor said the late cleric boldly told military dic-

From Sulaiman Salawudeen and Nneka Nwaneri, Ado-Ekiti

•Text of Dr. Fayemi’s tribute on page 5 tators the truth during the “dark years of military rule” and was often called the NADECO Bishop.

He urged Nigerians to emulate the values of integrity and humility, which the late primate represented.

Adebayo said his relationship with the late Adetiloye dated back to 1942, adding that the deceased played a major role in ending the popular Agbekoya war.

He said he was able to instill Christian values in the Army when he was the Chief of Staff through the support of the late cleric. “I cannot and will never forget him”, Adebayo added.

Bishop Okoh and the Bishop of Lagos West Anglican Diocese Bishop Peter Adebiyí described Adetiloye as the “touch bearer” of evangelism in the church, “who stood against all forms of immorality and occultism”.

Chief Deji Fasuan, Chief Biodun Ogunleye and Chief Bamidele Falegan described Adetiloye as “an ardent believer, legend and honest man”.

The late Adetiloye’s first son, Adeola, said his father was a “loving and courageous man, who dedicated his life to the course of the gospel”.

Also at the event were the wife of the governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; former Supreme Court Justice George Oguntade; the State Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola; Bishop of Ekiti Anglican Diocese and Bishop Christopher Omotunde, among others.

Osun builds rehabilitation centre for destitute From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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HE Osun State Government has built a rehabilitation centre for destitute.

It will serve as a transit camp, where destitute evacuated from major roads would be rehabilitated and empowered.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Biyi Odunlade, made this known while speaking with reporters after the evacuation of mentally-challenged persons on major roads in Osogbo, the state capital, by his ministry.

He re-affirmed the commitment of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration to the care of the destitute, who he said need the government’s support to live normal lives.

Odunlade said destitute evacuated from the roads would be treated before they are re-integrated into the society.

Agege Catholic Church for dedication

By Precious Igbonwelundu

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HE Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Diocese, Rev. Alfred Martins, will tomorrow dedicate the renovated St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Agege.

The event will start with the Mass by 11am.

The Parish Priest, Fr. Anthony Eboh and the Chairman of Dedication Committee, Mr. Allen Williams, in a statement, said the church has been expanded to accommodate 3,000 worshippers.

The statement reads: “The remodeled church building sprang out of the ashes of the old one which has been in use since 1980, but over time became too small to accommodate the growing number of worshippers.

“The need for a bigger church gave birth to the construction of this new church building. The efforts began on January, 2010.

“Happily, the new church, with its enlarged gallery, comfortably sits about 3,000 worshippers at a time. It is fully air conditioned, one of the very few of such in the Lagos Archdiocese.

“To ensure that the air conditions are put into use whenever required, there are two electricity generating sets of 150KVA and 40KVA each serving as stand by source of power.”

•Oba Adeyemi

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HE Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, has said the absence of a “clear-cut planning” for the education policy is responsible for the rising crime rate in the Country.

The Alaafin spoke with reporters yesterday after receiving three prominent traditional rulers from Ondo State, who visited to sympathise with him on the fire that gutted 21 rooms

in his palace.

The traditional rulers are the Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida; the Olowo of Owo, Oba Dr. Olateru Olagbeji III CFR and the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Dr. Adesimbo KIladejo.

Oba Adeyemi said policy makers evolve good educational programmes but fail to provide corresponding job intake to cope with the large turn out of graduates from tertiary institutions.

He said: “Several thousands of our able-bodied youths receive admissions into various institutions of higher learning, but at the end of their academic pursuance, search for jobs that are not forthcoming. This leads to idleness, which eventually leads to criminal acts.”

Describing the attack on the

Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, as disturbing Alaafin said the paramount ruler is neither controversial nor fundamentalist, but committed to the well-being of his people.

He said: “So, what then is the basis for the attack? It clearly portends the state of insecurity in the country, which must be tackled headlong by the government.

“For a traditional ruler of that status to be attacked in his domain shows that no where is safe in the country. We pray God to grant quick recovery to the emir’s two sons and others injure in the attack.”

Opposing any dialogue with the Boko Haram sect, the Alaafin said: “How can you dialogue with a faceless group?

Their origin and base are not known. Their mission is unknown but they continue to snuff life out of defenceless

people.

“A leader of the sect, who was said to have been arrested sometime ago by security agents, was traced to Mali.

Also, former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited one of their leaders sometimes ago for amicable solution. Rather than allowing that peaceful resolution to take place, the leader of the Boko Haram was killed the following day the former president visited him.

“The best solution is the one applied by Obasanjo in the Niger Delta. Our national security must be strengthened and be made more effective through efficient and proactive surveillance system.”

The Ondo traditional rulers delivered Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s condolence message to the Alaafin. They said the governor travelled abroad for an award ceremony.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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NEWS

Amosun opens Ogun’s first flyover

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GUN State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday opened the first flyover bridge in the state since its creation in 1976.

The 2.4km dual carriage bridgecost N1.5 billion. It was opened at 1:30pm in Abeokuta, the state capital.

The four-lane overhead bridge begins at the end of Lalubu Road and opens into the elaborate international standard six-lane Ibara-Totoro Road, which cost N1.3billion, with modern features, such as drains, median, greenbelt, walkway, street lamps, modern bus-stop and an air-conditioned pedestrian bridge.

The pedestrian bridge cost N260 million.

Amosun said the flyover was in fulfilment of his electoral promises.

He said the bridge would ease the movement of goods and services.

The governor said: “Our goal is to put our state in the league of advanced economies and make it the investors’ destination of choice, not only in Nigeria, but subSaharan Africa.

“To achieve this, we will continue to rehabilitate existing infrastructure and construct high-tech infra-

•Amosun (third left) inaugurating the bridge . With him are (from right) Tinubu; Akande; Amosun’s wife, Olufunso; Osoba and the Deputy Gov ernor, Segun Adesegun...yesterday.

structure that will enhance the magnificence of our environment and act as a catalyst for socio-economic development.

“I thank residents for their support and sacrifices for this project, especially those whose property gave way to the beautiful edifices that we are building across the state.

“I urge you to exercise more patience and continue to support the administration in its mission to rebuild Ogun.”

Amosun urged the Organised Private Sector to take advantage of the “enabling business environment” in the state and partner the government on wealth creation.

He hailed the efforts of past administrations, especially that of former Governor Olusegun Osoba’s.

The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Lekan Adegbite, said the flyover and every project in the state complied with the “Ogun Standard”.

He cited the Ibara-Totoro road as an example of an “Ogun Stand-

ard” road, adding that the project would be replicated in the three senatorial districts.

In their goodwill messages, former Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Chief Bisi Akande, ACN National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Ogun ACN Leader Osoba praised the achievements of the Amosun administration in urban renewal.

Tinubu described Amosun as “an actualiser of our dream and vision”.

Osoba said: “This is the first time I am seeing such a large number of past Ogun governors at a government event.”

Chairman of Ogun Traditional Council Dr. Adedotun Gbadebo likened the event to the day electricity, pipe-borne water and railway came to Abeokuta. He said: “Amosun has changed the city from the status of 19th century to the 21st century.”

Also at the event were former governors of Ogun and Ekiti states, former and serving federal and state lawmakers, the state chief judge, top government officials, traditional rulers, businessman, media executives, town unions, community development associations, labour unions, market women, non-governmental organisations and students, among others.

Oyo kicks off Samodun Fiesta in style

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HE Oyo State Government yesterday kicked off the maiden edition of the Samodun Fiesta in Ibadan, the state capital.

It began with the “Ajumorin Walk”, which involved Governor Abiola Ajimobi, members of the state executive council, local government chairmen, heads of boards, parastatals and extra-ministerial departments, as well as popular actors and actresses.

The walk took off from the Government House. It went through Oje and Beere to the historic Mapo Hall in Ibadan.

Addressing the crowd at Mapo Hall, Ajimobi said the fiesta was to remind the people of the “great past, culture and tradition of the Yoruba”.

He said: “In the promotion, advancement and propagation of our culture, the world will realise that Africa did not just stumble on a heritage; we have always had a great heritage.

“Indeed, comparatively, we will realise that even though our fathers could not read and write, they were greater doc-

tors, physicists, paleontologists and even political scientists, far more than what obtains in our so-called modernity and civilisation.

“The fiesta advertises the Yoruba culture by showcasing our language, dressing, festivals, folklore, mode of recreation and means of livelihood.

“Being the beginning of another year, especially the year that this government has begun to put an icing on the cake of all its developmental projects, there is no better way to begin than by invoking the ancient prayers of our forefathers that we will all live to see the completion of all these projects by next year.”

Recalling the visit of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) leaders to the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwole Adeyemi III, on Wednesday, Ajimobi said: “The monarch took us on a shuttle into our past as Yoruba people and we are very proud of our noble ancestry. If you were with us at the palace, you would be proud to be a Yoruba and from Oyo State, which is the cradle of Yoruba civ-

•Ajimobi (arrowed) and Nollywood stars...yesterday.

ilisation.

“You would wonder why European historians and theorists condemn Africa as lacking in history, architecture and efficient system of administration.

Unfortunately for us all, we have been boxed into believ-

ing that our inherited system and culture are of lesser texture to that of the Europeans. This is part of the mental slavery that our people have been subjected to for centuries.”

The governor said the urban renewal programme of his ad-

ministration is not aimed at “unnecessarily inflicting pain on the people, but to make life worth living and to improve the aesthetics of the state”.

He said his administration would continue to execute people-oriented projects

Speaking on behalf of the actors and actresses, former President of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Practitioners (ANTP) Prince Jide Kosoko praised the Ajimobi administration for promoting the Yoruba culture through the fiesta.

CPC caucus flays alleged romance of NEC member with Ondo LP

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HE Southwest Caucus of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has passed a “vote of no confidence” in the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fasakin.

CPC state chairmen and other leaders from Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osun states, in a joint letter to the National Chairman, Prince Tony Momoh, accused Fasakin of undermining the merger plan of CPC with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and others.

Copies of the letter were made available to reporters in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The caucus said before last October’s governorship election

From Damisi Ojo, Akure

in Ondo State, Fasakin agreed with the party’s position to collaborate with the ACN, but switched over to the Labour Party’s (LP’s) side after the election.

The letter reads: “We are surprised that after endorsing CPC’s position two days before the election, Fasakin hurriedly went to the media to congratulate LP and Governor Olusegun Mimiko against the advice of our governorship candidate, Prince Soji Ehinlanwo.

“Our party’s spokesman acted without recourse to Ondo State CPC and the entire Southwest Caucus. His action reflected a

disdain for the views of our collaborative partner, ACN, that the election was marred by irregularities and is unacceptable.

His action portrays the party in bad light as working against its partnership agreement with ACN. “It has come to the knowledge of the CPC leadership in the zone that some of our party men and ACN members believe the party’s National Publicity Secretary might have been compromised by LP. “We gave Fasakin the opportunity to defend himself, but he ignored it, an act we consider a display of arrogance and disrespect to the party’s structure and leadership.”

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

Fed Govt attains 77 % recurrent in 2012 budget

By Akinola Ajibade

T

HE Federal Govern ment attained 77 per cent recurrent budget performance in 2012, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala has said.

FBN Capital Limited, in a report, quoted Mrs. OkonjoIweala as saying the recurrent expenditure reached 77 per cent between January to November 2012, and 65 per cent in 2006 when she left the government, adding that the performance of the budget worsened or fell between between 2006 -2011.

According to FBN Capital: “ In her five years absence through to 2011, the ratio deteriorated, and in January to November 2012, the recurrent share ( excluding transfers) of the total had reached 77 per cent,” alluding to factors such as increase in preelection payment for public employees and personnel cost amounting to 37 per cent of the government spending in 2011 as being responsible for hiking recurrent spending in 2012.

The minimum wage legislation in March 2011 and the subsequent increase of salaries of workers from N7,500 t0 N18,000 per month resulted in the increase in recurrent expenditure.

It said the government’s budget proposal for 2013 set the recurrent expenditure expenditure at 69 per cent, while its medium-term target is 65 per cent.

“The underlying assumption is that the fiscal stance is not undermined by the elections in 2015. The best that the federal government can realistically hope for is trim personnel costs in real terms, and to eliminate wastage, such as wages and pension for ghost workers,” the Minister added.

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

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

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

Risk management could entail avoiding the risk completely, reducing the negative impact of the risk through risk mitigation actions, transfering or sharing the risks with other parties and retaining the risk; ie, accepting some or all the consequences of the risk and budgeting for it.

- Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, CBN Governor

Fed Govt squandered $67b, says Ezekwesili

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OVERNMENT has squandered $67bil lion within the last five years, former World Bank Vice President for Africa Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has alleged She said former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration left the cash in foreign reserve ($456) and the Excess Crude Account ($22b) for his successors when he left office in 2007.

She expressed regret that within five years, the money had been blown by successive administrations.

Obasanjo was succeeded by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007. But Yar’Adua died on May 5, 2010. He was succeded by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mrs Ezekwesili, a chartered accountant and founding director of Transparency International (TI) spoke at the University of Nigeria, Nsuka (UNN) convocation lecture, which she delivered yesterday.

In her paper entitled: “The wealth and poverty of a nation; who will restore the dignity of Nigeria?” she also criticised the political elite for making a “tragic choice”.

She said the lack of access to higher education by ma-

From Chris Orji, Enugu

jority of Nigerian youths has robbed the country of the opportunity to fast track its development.

Ezekwesili, who was the Director General of the Due Process Office, later became minister in the ministries of Education and Solid Minerals in the Obasanjo administration.

Mrs Ezekwesili lamented the “squandering of the significant sum of $45billion in foreign reserve account and another $22billion in Excess Crude Account being direct savings from increased earnings from oil that the Obasanjo administration handed over to the successor government in 2007”.

“Six years after the administration I served handed over such humongous national wealth to another one, most Nigerians, but especially the poor, continue to suffer the effects of failing public health and education systems as well as decrepit infrastructure and battered institutions.”

She then queried: “Where did all that money go? Where is the accountability for the use of both these resources and the additional several hundred dollars realised from oil sale by the two adminis-

FERMA seeks 5% fuel tax to fix roads

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HAIRMAN of the Fed eral Road Mainte nance Agency (FERMA), Jide Adeniji, has appealed to the Federal Government to implement the five per cent fuel charge meant for maintaining federal and state roads nationwide.

Adeniji, said the implementation of the fuel charge would provide the resources needed to fix dilapidated roads that have been responsible for road accidents with the attendant heavy casualties.

He said the charge has been approved by the Federal Government since 2007 but that its implementation has been put on hold by bureaucratic bottleneck. He said 40 per cent of the realisable fund will go to FERMA, while state governments are to share the remaining 60 per cent for road maintenance.

“The law was passed in 2007 which allowed FERMA to have 5 per cent fuel charge of petroleum products. From this amount, 60 per cent was meant to go to the state governments, while 40 per cent comes to FERMA. “But state governments that want to benefit from the 60 per cent must have an established road maintenance agency. They have been informed and they are fully complying so that they too can be maintaining their own roads. This will take off as soon as the law is implemented.

From Gbade Ogunwale, Asst. Editor, Abuja

“As a matter of fact, a prominent human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has gone to court to compel the implementation of the policy. He joined the Federal Government, FERMA and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the suit to get them to release money for the implementation because the law has been passed.

“Once the money comes, the state governments would be able to do their business effectively. There’s going to be a measure put in place to monitor the way they spend their money on maintenance and our roads will be better for it,” he added.

The FERMA boss stated however that the agency will continue to maintain the Federal Government’s 34, 120kilometre road network across the country with the agency’s statutory allocation.

He appealed to the state governments to also continue to maintain their 56, 000-kilometre in their care, pending the implementation of the five per cent fuel charge.

“It will amount to nothing if we do the roads that belong to the Federal Government and the states refuse to do theirs, because most of the roads are interwoven. So we are doing our part and we hope that the states will do theirs”, Adeniji stated.

trations that have governed our nation in the last five years? How were these resources applied or more appropriately misapplied?

Tragic choices.”

Mrs Ezekwesili added: “The present cycle of boom of the 2010s is, however, much more vexing than the other four that happened in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. This is because we are still caught up in it and it is more egregious than the other periods in revealing that we learned absolutely nothing from the previous massive failures.”

She described Nigeria as “a paradox of the kind of wealth that breeds penury” because of dependence on oil, adding: “The trend of Nigeria’s popu-

lation in poverty since 1980 to 2010 suggests that the more we earned from oil, the larger the population of poor citizens”.

She gave the figures as 17.1million poor citizens in 1980, 34.5million in 1985, 39.2million in 1992, 67.1million in 1996, and 68.7million in 2004 to 112.47million in 2010.

Mrs Ezekwesili urged educated young Nigerians to be the turning point that would restore Nigeria’s dignity by active participation in the political life of the country, based on sound values.

To her, Nigeria’s political elite had made “tragic choices” in their failure to

invest the country’s oil income in renewable assets of people, infrastructure and investments. She identified failure in education as a major constraint to national productivity and development.

University of Nigeria is the first full-fledged university in Nigeria, founded in 1960. The 52year old institution runs diverse programmes in arts and sciences in 15 faculties, 105 departments and seven directorates charged with special projects. It has a student population of 40, 000 in four campuses - Nsukka, Enugu, Ituku Ozalla and Aba.

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

BUSINESS NEWS ‘Benin-Onitsha 330KV repairs to reduce system collapse’

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HE Chairman, Presi dential Task on Power (PTFP), Dagogo-Jack, yesterday said the proposed repairs on the Benin- Onitsha 330KV line by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) would reduce regular incidents of avoidable system collapse.

In a statement issued by the Head, Media and Communications, Mrs. Awele Okigbo, he pleaded with the affected communities for patience and understanding; promising better service delivery after the energisation of the project.

His words: “The advantages to be derived from the completion and commissioning of the Benin-Onitsha Line is yet another step towards strengthening our transmis-

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

sion grid robustness, and will help reduce the frequent incidents of avoidable system collapses.”

He said the (PTFP) is working with TCN, contractors and other stakeholders to ensure that the scheduled power outage on the Benin-Onitsha 330KV line will be as seamless as possible.

The two day outage will enable TCN to finalise operations on the long awaited second 330KV circuit, he said, adding that another contractor, MBH Power, will carry out pre-commissioning tests during this period.

“The Chairman of the PTFP, Engr Beks Dagogo-Jack explained to the media that this outage has been long on the table.

• The Terminal Manager, General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Mr Tunde Ogini during the dismantling of abandoned aircraft at PHOTOS: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE the airport in Lagos...yesterday.

FAAN begins dismantling of abandoned aircraft at Lagos Airport

O

NE week after it is sued an ultimatum to owners of abandoned aircraft at the apron of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, the special task force on evacuation of abandoned aircraft at airports across the country yesterday commenced the dismantling of a DC8 air-

• Scraps to be recycled into aluminium as roofing sheets

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

craft used by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). It will be taken away as scraps aluminium for recycling.

The scraps will be evacuated to rolling plants in

Ogun and Lagos states for conversion into corrugated aluminium roofing sheets, sliding doors, windows and other small scale industrial uses by the prospective buyers.

The evacuation exercise

began from the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos and it is expected to move to the Abuja airport .

The abandoned aircraft, 13 in all at the Lagos airport, are expected to be dis-

mantled within the next 13 days.

One of the contractors handling the project in Lagos, AAYU Steel Mills, said the aircraft would be recycled in Lagos before being transported to the company in Kebbi State.

The Logistics Officer of the company, Bashir Haruna, explained that out of the 13 aircraft on ground, eight are Boeing 737-200, assuring that the company would do its job diligently.

Speaking on the exercise, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Yakubu Dati, said the company is expected to finish its work in less than two weeks, adding that after the completion of the exercise in Lagos, another contractor would evacuate the abandoned aircraft in Abuja.

Dati emphasised that the exercise is part of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, adding that the government would continue to provide

comfortable environment for airport users.

He said the contractors handling the project took it up without any financial commitment from FAAN. He said: “Airports are not dumping grounds for any operator. We are more concerned about the safety and security implications of these aircraft at the airports, there is environmental implications for this.

“We are determined to create a world class airport environment for our users.

Leaving them here now does not make any economical benefit to the owners. It’s better we remove them from the airport and make the environment friendly to investors.”

The Terminal Manager, of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Olatayo Oginni, said most of the aircraft are not serviceable as they lacked aircraft engines.

He insisted that there is no going back on the evacuation of the aircraft as the agency has given the owners ample time to relocate their machines, which they failed to do.

Consumers kick against NERC’s request to buy meters

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OLLOWING the Nige rian Electricity Com mission (NERC) announcement on Wednesday that willing customers can buy pre-paid meters and recover their money through energy credit from the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) , electricity consumers have described the plan as being unfair to them..

Responding to the story online yesterday, an Associate Professor, Research House, Umuokrika , Mbaise, Imo State, Prof. Reginald Onuoha, said since the establishment of the Commission, electricity tariff has been on the increase.

He pointed out that the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) continues to churn out crazy estimated bills to his neighborhood because the commission allowed it.

He said upon disconnection of consumers from PHCN supply, most of the customers resolved to procure electricity generation plants.

His words: “NERC ap-

From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

pears to be regulating electricity to the detriment of consumers. It is a fact that since they started, price of electricity consumption has been on the increase.”

Another respondent, who simply identifies himself as Fula, recalled that when he paid for a meter, PHCN failed to install the meter, stressing that even as NERC increased the tariff in June, consumers have been paying as there was no improved power supply.

He therefore described the practice as monopolistic.

Fula said: “ I paid for it, yet no meter. You increase tariff and ask consumers to buy meters, yet supply is not better. This kind of client service is only possible with monopolists.”

Another anonymous consumer however accepted the plan, but warned that PHCN must make the meters readily available and install the meters within the stipulated 45 days.

Innocent Amomoh

REPORTING FROM

SOUTH AFRICA

Moses fit for Zambia clash

Pg. 16

•Wants goals for son

Sport

Friday, January 25, 2013

PAGE 15

Super Eagles in training on Thursday at the ongoing 2013 Africa Cup Nations

Keshi: Zambia will fall •‘Eagles can't afford another draw’

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•Keshi

UPER EAGLES’ coach Stephen Keshi has said in spite of the not-too-impressive outcome of the first match against Burkina Faso on Monday, his players are set to clinch the three points at stake today against the defending champions, Chipolopolo of Zambia, in the ongoing African Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Speaking at the pre-match press briefing yesterday, at the

Renard: No pressure on Zambia Pg. 16

•Renard

From Innocent Amomoh, South Africa

Ingwenyama Conference and Sport Resort in Nelspruit, the Big Boss, as he is fondly called, said his players have learnt from their mistakes and that the match against Zambia is an opportunity to make amends.

"We have had some training sessions after our disappointing first outing against Burkina Faso and I

Oboabona: Zambia won't be lucky Pg. 16

think the mistakes made should not reoccur.

"The defenders, especially, have been worked on and we expect that we can secure our place in the quarter finals with this win, "Keshi said.

He, however, admitted that another draw will be detrimental to the set goals of the team, adding that winning the encounter is not negotiable.

Selfish Pg. strikers 49 must play for Eagles —Akpoborie

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49

NATIONSPORT FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

NATION SPORT

AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013...AFCON 2013

Innocent Amomoh

Keshi wants Kalusha’s handshake S

Oboabona: Zambia REPORTING FROM won't be lucky SOUTH AFRICA

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UPER EAGLES’ defender Godfrey Oboabona has declared that Zambia won't be as lucky as Burkina Faso tonight .

O b o a b o n a t o l d MTNFootball.com that he was disappointed Nigeria let in a soft equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game, but promised the defence will be a lot tighter against champions Zambia.

"Burkina Faso were lucky to

get the draw, they never expected it. Zambia won't be lucky against us because we blew many chances against Burkina Faso. I am sure this won't happen against Zambia,” said the Sunshine Stars skipper.

“We are set to raise our game.

We won’t lose focus, and we will correct our mistakes in the next game.”

O b o a b o n a t o l d MTNFootball.com he is not under pressure even though his slip allowed substitute Alain Traore to fire home a stoppage time equaliser on Monday night.

“I was sad with the draw. I couldn’t see the ball early enough inside the box,” O b o a b o n a t o l d MTNFootball.com “Of course I am looking forward to keep the shirt and keep improving. I am not under pressure and the coaches still believe in me.

“Also, I am still very much optimistic that we will qualify and I will keep fighting on for the glory of the team.”

•Oboabona

Kennedy Mwanee: Moses, others don't scare me •We'll attack Eagles as a unit

A

SSISTANT captain of the Zambia national team, the Chipolopolo , Kennedy Mwanee has declared that Chelsea star, victor Moses and other big names in the Nigerian squad don't scare him, adding that his side has resolved to attack the Eagles as a unit.

Answering questions on behalf of team captain, Christopher Katongo at the Prematch briefing held at the Protea Hotel in Nelspruit yesterday, the first-choice goalkeeper said the players understands that they all have a role to play in ensuring success on the field of play, and that the team is ready against future challenges.

He said though the players are still trying to recover from the shock of losing the opportunity of a first win against Ethiopia on Monday, they're more relaxed to face any challenge that the Eagles may want to pose.

"Football is a team game and we will approach it as such, so asking if Victor Moses or any

From Innocent Amomoh, South Africa member of the Nigerian team scare me does not arise. Neither Victor Moses nor any other player has what it takes to scare me during a game. The memories of the match against Ethiopia is still fresh and that explains why we should approach the Nigeria match with more determination,"he said.

Asked what the secret behind his penalty- saving feat is, Mwanee said it is a function of hard work and training to perfect that act of saving penalties.

"As a goalkeeper you must be sharp and intelligent. To be a successful penalty saver a goalkeeper must learn to understand the movement of players," He said the outcome of the match against Ethiopia may just be the gift of God to take them to another Nations Cup final and eventually emerging as champions again.

•Victor Moses in training on Thursday

Moses fit

for Zambia clash

UPER EAGLES’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi says the team is calm and ready for Friday’s crunch battle against defending champions, Chipolopolo of Zambia at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

Speaking at the pre-match media briefing at the team’s Ingwenyama Sports Resort in Nelspruit on Thursday afternoon, Keshi said he foresees a difficult game but was sure that his wards will come out better at the end of the encounter. “Yes, we are playing against the defending champions and we know they are very good but we also know our potentials and we are sure to come clean at the end of the day.

In company of team skipper, Joseph Yobo, Keshi praised the output of the team in the last game against Burkina Faso and again pleaded with Nigerians to give his youthful side time to blossom. “Yes, we have millions of coaches in Nigeria but they m u s t understand that every national team that has achieved took time to build and they must give this S u p e r Eagles side time to grow”, he said.

Keshi also spoke about his former playmate in Belgium who is now the Football Association o f Zambia (FAZ), President, Kalusha Bwalya, declaring that he has had a wonderful relationship with him over the years and do hope to have a good handshake with him at the end of Friday’s game no matter where the result goes. “We played together in Belgium, while I was in Anderletch, he was in Club Brugges and we were like brothers,

up to the 1994 finals in Tunisia. It does not mean we don’t kick ourselves on the pitch, so on Friday our players will kick themselves and we will do the handshakes”.

Selfish strikers must play for Eagles—Akpoborie

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X-NIGERIA star Jonathan Akpoborie has told MTNFootball.com Super Eagles strikers cannot afford to be selfish and wasteful against Zambia.

Nigeria face champions Zambia in a mustwin AFCON Group C clash on Friday afternoon in Nelspruit after both teams were held to draws in their opening matches.

Akpoborie told MTNFootball.com that the Eagles front men were wasteful and went for personal glory and that cost Nigeria victory against Burkina Faso in their opening game.

"I am sure Keshi would have talked to the boys on why we didn't beat Burkina Faso. In my opinion, the strikers were too selfish and they should not do that against Zambia on Friday because this is the game from which the team could advance,” said the former Wolfsburg striker.

“As a striker you can be selfish only when you are clear on goal and when you have no better options upfront.

“They have to take their chances against Zambia because that will be the toughest game they will play in this group.

“And the added importance that has now been attached to the game after the opening draws will make it a lot tougher for both sides.”

Ikechukwu Uche and Brown Ideye had several chances to put the game beyond Burkina Faso but they failed to do so and thereby placed the Eagles qualification hopes in the balance.

•Wants goals for son Yobo: I’m ready for Zambia C HELSEA winger Victor Moses, who missed Nigeria's opening game, is expected to enter the Africa Cup of Nations fray against Zambia here tonight.

Moses' return from injury is welcome news for the Super Eagles, who take on the defending champions four days after being held to a 1-1 Group C draw by Burkina Faso.

That surprise stalemate has placed added emphasis on an already tough assignment for coach Stephen Keshi's side.

Keshi, captain of the Nigerian side that defeated Zambia to claim a second of title in 1994, was in a relaxed mood at the team's plush hotel outside this north eastern city on Thursday.

"That title win was 19 years ago, we have a different game ahead of us tomorrow," he told a press conference.

On Moses, set to make his Nations Cup debut, he confirmed: "Victor trained well yesterday and, hopefully, will be okay to

play. He will bring his desire to the side."

Keshi has one of the most demanding jobs in African football with 180 million would-be coaches back home picking his side.

Reflecting on that pressure, he said: "It is stressful. Everyone wants a return to the glory years, but to get there you have to develop.

"It's difficult because everyone wants to tell you who to play in your team, so I close my ears and do what is best for the side -- it's not easy!

"But it's not only a Nigeria thing -- it was the same when I coached Mali."

One of the striking aspects of the opening batch of group games has been the way socalled lesser lights like Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Ethiopia have jolted the continent's traditional football superpowers.

"You really can't differentiate between the teams now, you can't say which ones are better. In this Nations Cup, no one can tell

what is going to happen it's so tight."

With Nigeria undone by Alain Traore's equaliser deep into stoppage time, Keshi stressed the importance for his players to concentrate right to the bitter end against Zambia.

He described the mood in the Super Eagles camp as "tremendous" before adding: "We know the job we have to do tomorrow".

Tackled on his likely tactics for Zambia, he laughed: "I'm not going to share my plan with you".

Meanwhile, Victor Moses has revealed that he was now fully fit for the game against Zambia and will like to score a goal for his three months old son, Brentley Moses. “I have been in touch with the mother and my little boy and I feel I should do him a world of good by picking three points from Zambia and eventually winning a trophy from Africa for my little boy”, he declared.

From Innocent Amomoh, South Africa

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UPER EAGLES’ captain, Joseph Yobo has shaken off the errors which led to the stalemate recorded by his side in the first game against Burkina Faso on Monday, saying he is ready to stop the Zambians.

Adding his voice to that of his coach, Stephen Keshi, the Fenerbache of Turkey defender said the team has resolved to build on its weakness to scoope the three points at stake against a dreaded Zambian team to make the last match against Ethiopia much more easier.

"There are reports that i am injured. I have since overcome the ankle injury and i am fully fit for the encounter," he

said.

"Zambia is a very strong side and we have great respect for them, but we also know the expectations back home and hope not to disappoint, he said.

Yobo said the Eagles have trained heard enough to go past the first r o u n d o f t h e competition and go all the way to the finals.

•Yobo He added that that is what the team has resolved to do in the field of play today.

T

•Renard

HE head of Zambia, Herve Renard has said that contrary to the reports that his players are under pressure, the team exudes greater confidence now than ever in the defence of the AFCON trophy they won last year.

The Frenchman though expressed high regard for the Super Eagles, however, said nothing scares him especially in football, as he expects that his team carries the day.

"The match against Nigeria is not the final, the final is still way up though, but it will no doubt be a very

From Innocent Amomoh, South Africa

tough encounter. The atmosphere in camp is perfect and we hope to win against Nigeria and qualify for the quarter finals," he said.

The former assistant coach to the Ghanaian national team said he is not intimidated by Nigeria's record especially against Zambia in the past, but added that his team remains the team to beat. " We are not under any form of

pressure. I am not scared of any team in the competition. We have not lost the whim to fight, which we displayed in the last edition. I take responsibility for the outcome of the last match against Ethiopia. I took a risk by bringing in a striker for a defender because i wanted more goals, but against Nigeria tomorrow (Today), it will be a different ball game.

The match has been scheduled for the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, 5pm South African time and 4pm Nigerian time.

D

ESPITE Monday’s finalsecond error that cost Nigeria two precious points against Burkina Faso in Nelspruit, chairman of the House of Reps’ Committee on Sports, Honourable Godfrey Gaiya says he retains unwavering confidence in the Super Eagles.

The Eagles take the pitch against Cup holders Zambia at the Mbombela Stadium on Friday evening, with both teams tied at one point for and one goal for, one against after their first matches.

Gaiya, who also spoke in Nelspruit

Eagles’ll overcome Zambia —Maigari

P

RESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari said on Thursday that he has no doubt the Super Eagles will overpower their Zambian counterparts when both teams clash at the Mbombela Stadium tonight in the on-going 29th Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Speaking at his Emnotweni Hotel in Nelspruit as Nigeria football’s top hierarchy considers Friday’s clash of titans, Maigari had insisted that nothing had been lost and won by any of the teams in the group and that it would be like a fresh start tonight.

“We have one goal for, one against and a point, just as each of the other three teams in the group. Yes, we would have loved to have the three points against Burkina Faso, moreso when we came so close to doing so, but football sometimes presents unexpected and dazzling conclusions.

“Nigerians don’t cry over spilt milk; it is not our attitude. So we take it that everyone is equal and nothing definite has happened in the group.

Everyone is starting on a fresh note and the Super Eagles are ready to make hay.”

Nigeria confront s the Africa Champions Zambia, days after a final-second blunder allowed the Etalons of Burkina Faso to earn a point in the two teams’ opening match of Group C. The Chipolopolo were also a goal up and with one man advantage against the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia before conceeding a second half equaliser at the same venue on Monday.

Nigeria football top officials are refusing to be bothered by a statement credited to Zambia Coach Herve Renard on the margin of the tournament, to the effect that the Eagles are ordinary.

“That statement has no weight;

•Maigari the young man was only playing mind games but our own Coach’s refusal to even dignify him with a reply shows uncommon maturity. I think such maturity by our players on the field on Friday will determine the match in our favour,” stated Chief Emeka Inyama, chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee.

Inyama went down memory lane to say that Zambia has not beaten the Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations in the past 30 years.

“They defeated us at the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations but we booted the Zambians out of the 1990 finals in Algeria and then edged them to lift the trophy in 1994. In 2010 in Angola, the Eagles won their quarter final duel on penalty shoot-out.”

Also speaking in Nelspruit, on arrival on Thursday, chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Barrister Chris Green said: “Please tell Nigerians that there is nothing to worry about. The Super Eagles will be in business against the Zambians on Friday. I have spoken to Coach Keshi and he says there is no shaking. The Zambians will be out to prove that they are truly the champions of Africa, so the pressure will be on them.

“Our gameplan and team selection will be key. But we will get both right,” pledged Green.

Team visits Valencia Park Primary School •Anyansi calls for total support

T

Renard: no pressure on Zambia Gaiya: I have confidence in Eagles •Shows respect for Nigeria

NATION SPORT

on Thursday evening, said Friday will be Nigeria’s day of glory and that the Eagles will not look back afterwards.

“Mistakes were made in the game against Burkina Faso but football is sometimes so unkind. However, those who work hard enough do reap in the end. The Super Eagles prepared very well for this competition thanks to the tireless efforts of the NFF leadership, and I believe they will live up to expectations on Friday.

“Zambia cannot stop Nigeria at this Africa Cup of Nations.”

•Gaiya

HE Super Eagles on Thursday also took time off their busy schedule to visit Valencia Park Primary School in Nelspruit to learn from plans by the school to develop a football culture mixed with astute education.

Assistant Coach, Dan ‘The Bull’ Amokachi led the team of coaches and players that included Coach Sylvanus Okpala, Hydounou Valere and Ike Shorunmi with organisers of the event declaring that it was meant to blend football skills with geometrics and help marry the game with education.

Pupils of the school, who were quite excited to see the Nigerian national team, said they learnt a lot from the exploits of the Nigerian players over the years and are ready to groom their wards to attain the heroics of the Super Eagles over the years with education as the bedrock.

Assistant Captain of the side, Vincent Enyeama, thereafter presented five balls to the school

on behalf of the team to the joy of the pupils and teachers of the elite primary school.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, says Nigerians must put total confidence in the present squad, in their run-up to the championship challenge at South Africa 2013, as he has total confidence in the ability of the team to deliver.

Speaking after one of the team’s training sessions in the course of the week, Anyansi-Agwu, who led Enyimba FC of Aba to a back-toback win of the African Champions League, discovering in the process players like Vincent Enyeama and Ikechukwu Kalu, said he has so far been pleased with the tactical approach of the coaching crew headed by Stephen Keshi. “We are certain that this team will go very far in this tournament and Nigerians must join in this optimism, going by what I have seen so far”, he declared.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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COMMENTARY Comments

EDITORIAL FROM OTHER LAND

Zik’s mausoleum •It is sad that this is yet to be completed about 17 years after launch

T

HE question regarding whether Nigeria has respect for her departed great citizens could not be more opportune than now, with the abandonment of the mausoleum of Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha, by successive administrations in the last 17 years. The regime of late General Sani Abacha initiated the project as a mark of honour for then departed Nigeria’s first president in his Onosi Onira, Onitsha, country home.

The project as designed by Abacha in 1996 was to have a conference centre and library for the promotion of tourism and research. But nearly 17 years after, the promises by successive leaders to complete the project have

‘Our heroes and heroines must be treated with respect, not only while they are alive but also long after they have died. This is the only way to encourage selfless service and genuine commitment to the national cause, and not by the contemptuous way that successive governments have been handling the construction of the mausoleum for this great leader and nationalist’

come to naught. What makes it sadder is the fact that from the initial project cost of N100million, the contract cost shot up to N250 million under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

However, on October 3, 2012, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan approved an upward review of the contract sum to N1.496 billion. But it is over three months that the new contract for the project was approved without any sign of work around the mausoleum site. The entire place was reportedly desolate, having been overgrown by weeds. Yet, FEC gave the contractor 13 months’ time frame to complete the project.

The abandonment of the mausoleum, without hesitation, has a semblance of criminal collaboration between some politicians and civil servants. The pointer: One time works minister, Dr. Nduesse Essien, was reported to have claimed that some un-named officials of the ministry awarded the reconstruction of the compound to the tune of N100 million without his knowledge. As then political head of the ministry, he should know. Also, Chief Chukwuma Azikiwe, eldest son of the late nationalist, reportedly affirmed the dilly-dallying of government officials on the matter.

So far, the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is now saddled with the responsibility of handling the project, upon FEC’s

renewed approval late last year. Despite reported assurances from the ministry, no work has re-commenced on the project, which underscores its underestimation of the significance of Zik to the country. The excuse that commencement of work is delayed because formal handover by the ministry to the contractors has not been done is untenable. We ask: How long would this take the ministry?

Our heroes and heroines must be treated with respect, not only while they are alive but also long after they have died. This is the only way to encourage selfless service and genuine commitment to the national cause, and not by the contemptuous way that successive governments have been handling the construction of the mausoleum for this great leader and nationalist. The way Zik’s mausoleum is officially handled is just a mere reflection of the morass that has crept, over time, into the country’s system.

The mausoleum project for the late elder statesman is a laudable initiative. The late Zik actually deserves more from this country. But we deprecate the present move of turning the project into a platform of corruption by civil servants and politicians in government. This continuing abandonment is an insult to the person and memory of Zik, and more significantly, to his monumental contributions to the nation.

Degenerate deed •How could a man be buried alive over alleged land dispute?

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T could sound like a spiritualised deduction, but it is difficult to escape the thought that infernal demons were probably on the loose in Imo State, in the light of reports that a community leader in Eziali village, Mgbidi, Orlu West Local Government Area, Chief Oliver Ononaku, was buried alive over a land dispute. He was reportedly seized last December by a five-man gang allegedly hired by his antagonist, and interred in Ozara, a neighbouring village, after which his abductors demanded a N30 million ransom from his family, ostensibly for his release.

It may not be a bit far-fetched to think of demons at work, if the remark of another community leader, Chief Iroku Nduka, on the happening, is anything to go by. He was quoted as saying, “The community will begin a cleansing ritual to avert the wrath of the gods.”

The claim that Ononaku was buried alive, if true, presents a heartrending picture of abysmal bestiality. The very thought of this possibility is nauseating.

If, on the other hand, he was killed before burial, it does nothing to redeem his murderers. What foul fury sanctioned his elimination? Or did he just suddenly expire in captivity, and was entombed afterwards? From whatever perspective, it was a degenerate deed that must not go unpunished.

Indeed, that Ononaku’s corpse has been located and exhumed by the police, and the inhuman gang members and their alleged sponsor arrested, is cold comfort. However, this seems the best that could be expected under the circum-

stances. At least, proper funeral rites for Ononaku can now be performed, and those allegedly responsible for his death can get their comeuppance.

The apprehension of the suspects was not without moments of drama, and stretched the ingenuity of the police. It is laudable that creative policing was not only employed in this incident, but also brought about the desired result. According to the narrative, following the victim’s disappearance and his kidnappers’ demand for money from his family, the police force reinvented itself in this particular case. A police source narrated: “The money was made available and the suspects told them where to put it. But a plainclothes policeman, who pretended to be a mad man, was planted where the ransom was dropped. When one of the suspects came out of the bush to collect the money, he was shot and arrested by the supposed mad man. The suspect confessed to committing the crime. It was his confession that led to the arrest of the man who hired them and other members of the gang.

They led the police to where Ononaku was buried. The body was exhumed and deposited in a mortuary.”

Beyond the man’s tragic death, the police approach had elements of risk taking and the comic. It does require mental elasticity to picture a policeman disguised as a lunatic, and getting away with the pretence. Here was life imitating art, and the mimetic capacity of the policeman that effectively played the mad man’s role deserves applause. It is commendable that the police went to such great lengths

to crack the case.

Against the background of criticisms of the police for alleged inefficiency, this is one instance in which the force has impressively demonstrated that it can live up to its billing as a crucial crime-fighting outfit. With the suspects in the net, the police must carry out a thorough investigation to get to the root of the matter for justice to be delivered.

It is bad enough that Ononaku was abducted. Even worse, it is unacceptable that he lost his life in such repulsive circumstances. In the final analysis, the trial and punishment of the culprits must be pursued expeditiously to send a clear message to would-be kidnappers and killers that they will not be accommodated by the society.

‘With the suspects in the net, the police must carry out a thorough investigation to get to the root of the matter for justice to be delivered. It is bad enough that Ononaku was abducted. Even worse, it is unacceptable that he lost his life in such repulsive circumstances. In the final analysis, the trial and punishment of the culprits must be pursued expeditiously to send a clear message to would-be kidnappers and killers that they will not be accommodated by the society’

Following the elections in Israel, a reset

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O LOSE favor in Washington was once political poison for Israeli prime ministers. Twice during the 1990s, Israelis voted out leaders who quarreled with the U.S. president; the second one was Benjamin Netanyahu. So one of the more remarkable aspects of Israel’s current election campaign, which ends at the polls on Tuesday, is that Mr. Netanyahu hasn’t been afraid to play up his notoriously bad relations with President Obama.

Last week the Bloomberg columnist Jeffrey Goldberg reported that Mr. Obama had been privately repeating the observation that Mr. Netanyahu’s Israel “doesn’t know what its own best interests are.” Rightly or wrongly, Israelis judged that to be a White House leak intended to damage the prime minister’s electoral chances. Rather than flinch, however, Mr. Netanyahu pushed right back, boasting that he had “rebuffed the pressure” that would have had Israel “curb our pressure against Iran” and withdraw to its 1967 borders.

Evidently, Mr. Netanyahu calculates that being seen to stand up to this U.S. president is good politics in Israel — and he may be right. A recent poll showed that half of Israelis believes the prime minister should pursue his policies even if they lead to conflict with the United States.

The big story of the campaign has been the surge of far-right parties that reject not only Mr. Obama’s view of Israel but also the twostate solution that has been U.S. policy for more than a decade.

This disturbing trend is partly the result of Mr. Obama’s poor handling of Israel, which he has not visited and where he is widely regarded as supportive of the nation’s defense but unsympathetic to its psyche. If the White House were trying to undercut Mr. Netanyahu, it would be guilty of the same poor judgment the Israeli leader showed in tilting toward Mitt Romney in the U.S. presidential race. No scenario contemplated by political analysts foresees anyone other than Mr. Netanyahu emerging as prime minister from the bargaining that will follow Tuesday’s election.

The question is whether the incumbent will choose, or perhaps be obliged by the electoral math, to include parties from the center and left in his coalition. If he does not, Mr. Netanyahu could find himself isolated both within his own government and internationally: He is one of only two of the top 30 candidates from his own Likud Party to endorse Palestinian statehood.

For that reason, the wise U.S. policy would be to concede, and maybe even welcome, Mr. Netanyahu’s reelection while quietly urging him to construct a centrist government. In the coming months Israel and the United States will likely have an urgent need to communicate clearly and cooperate closely on the threat of Iran’s nuclear program; and they must try to preserve the prospect of Palestinian statehood.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu may be political foils, but as each begins a new term their deeper interest lies in a reset of their relationship.

– Washington Post

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

20

CARTOON & LETTERS

S

IR: Since we became a sovereign nation in 1960, Nigeria has been experiencing religious and ethnic conflicts. We fought a gratuitous civil war that nearly led to the demise of Nigeria. The North has remained a hotbed of religious violence with attendant loss of lives and property.

In the 1980s, we had the Maitatsine religious uprising. Have we forgotten the Ife/Modakeke war and the Aguleri/Umuleri war? In the Middle-belt, the Jukuns and Tivs are at daggers drawn with each other, and they live like cat and dog. Jos, which used to be peaceful and serene with its beauty, has lost its innocence. The Fulanis have been fighting the Beroms and other tribal groups over ownership of land in Plateau State. When a town is at war, development will be put in abeyance in that area. Owners of industries relocate their industries to safe places.

The Niger Delta region used to be volatile until the federal government under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua gave the militants amnesty. Many of them were sent abroad to learn trade; others received financial grants while learning trades in such institutions like the Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha.

While the Niger-Delta region is enjoying relative peace, the North is now embroiled in a low-intensity

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The state of the nation war prosecuted by the Boko Haram.

No day passes without the group killing people in the North. Since the Boko Haram insurgency started, thousands of people have been needlessly killed by the group.

The South-east is afflicted with

abduction epidemic. For a rich and prominent man to go for a walk unguarded in the South-East is to beg for abduction. Kidnapping people for ransom is big business.

Aren’t we returning to the hobbesian state when life was brut-

ish, short and nasty? Is anarchy not staring us in the face? It is a fact that diversities in colour, tongue, religion and customs are centrifugal forces that cause nation-states to disintegrate. But, we can borrow the American example of turning diver-

Active citizenship key to development IR: With over 160 million population, Nigeria is yet to experience a robust and dynamic citizen’s involvement in crucial areas of its social life. Until recently, government and the people had no connecting point, but the turn of events in the country has revealed that the active citizen participation positions government and whilst engaging the citizenry.

Since the 2011 general elections in Nigeria, citizens’ participation has assumed a more impressive dimension particularly at the national level, as citizens now ask questions on various issues and

S

answers are being questioned on policies and arrangements that affect their existence. This was further demonstrated, by the “Nigerian Spring”, a protest that grounded economic activities in Africa’s largest oil producing nation for couple weeks in January 2012.

While the passion and pursuit to engage the government especially at the national level has increased amongst citizens in recent time, there is however, the need to assess the level of citizens’ participation at the grass-root level. With Nigeria’s structure of a three-tier government, the local government

tier is supposed to be the closet to the people, as such should be the most impactful (socially and politically) on the people. Unfortunately, the situation leaves much to be desired.

Whilst local government authorities, make no concerted effort to create a working connection between the people and itself, the people themselves, find no reason to engage the local system, rather they find solace in being their own local authority as such, heaping pressure on the national and state government, whilst absolving the local government of its responsi-

Police College Ikeja: Matters arising

S

IR: I watched with shock and disbelief the Channels Television documentary on the Nigerian Police College, Ikeja. That place is an eyesore. That this is Nigeria’s premier police training college beats my imagination.

How did such an institution which has produced several great police officers including a former President of Botswana fall into such a sorry state of disrepair?

We need a total overhaul of the police in order to position it to meet the security challenges in our country. We need to examine staff welfare. How much are our policemen

sities believed to be curses into blessings. Our greatness should lie in our diversity.

The issue of lack of security of lives and property should be tackled head-long, if we are to develop as a country. Anarchy is not a force for national development. If anything, owners of industries will relocate their industries to countries with political stability and this will deepen the unemployment crisis in Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency has the potentials of destabilising our country.

• Chiedu Uche Okoye Uruowuhu-Obosi, Anambra State

paid? Do they have adequate insurance for their lives if killed in the line of duty? Are their pensions and gratuity paid as at when due? What about their housing conditions?

A situation in which policemen pay for their own uniforms and boots does not speak well of us as a nation. When Nigerian policemen are sent on peacekeeping missions outside the shores of our land, they perform very well. They even win medals for their efforts. But these are the same policemen who are unable to perform here.

Training is very essential if we want our policemen to perform

their duties optimally. The current state of disrepair of the police college is very shameful. How can men trained under such circumstances turn out to be agents of change in the society? Can you imagine the psychological torture they go through? They can only graduate to take revenge on the society.

Let our police colleges spread across the length and breadth of this country be renovated and refurbished to meet modern standards.

Our policemen should also be sent on crash courses outside the country so that they can see how policing is done in modern societies.

They should be trained in the use of ICT as we now live in a digital age. Their weaponry should be upgraded.

President Jonathan’s statement that someone was out to embarrass the government is nothing but playing to the gallery. He should bring to book those responsible for the state of disrepair in the police college. Mr John Momoh, chairman of Channels Television is a patriot and should be commended for his work of investigative journalism.

• Peter Ovie Akus University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State

bilities.

The dearth of active citizenship at the grassroots level is the hallmark of the many woes the Nigerian society is experiencing today.

Nigeria is grappling with high level of terrorism and insecurity, an unfortunate situation which experts have linked to unchecked youth unemployment and high illiteracy level, resulting from a weak local engagement and empowerment.

If societies must function well, citizens must engage well. Citizens’ participation brings about citizen power. Nigerians at all levels must begin to speak up more loudly on issues that affect them and their society starting from the local government level. The social media provides anyone and everyone the platform to express his or her thoughts on diverse issues as they so choose. Let’s drive our society to our desired destination through constructive criticism and enlightened engagement.

Societal successes are not achieved by the sole effort of the constituted authority but by the collaborative effort of the citizens and the government. Nigerians, let us rise with knowledge and sincerity to play our roles and responsibilities as active citizens of this great country.

• Tayo Elegbede JET, Lagos

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013 16

21

COMMENTS

Nigeria, as it could be made (4)

I

F we should go our separate ways, we shan’t stop being the brutes we are nor shall we stop pretending to have answers to everything, except our duplicity and greed. We shan’t stop exulting by sick dialectics like treacherous revolutionaries in a dusk of compromise.

A simple lust remains our woe; it invalidates the elite class and its infinite abstractions. It amplifies the tragedy of the working class and the Nigerian youth. It is the lust for luxury and unearned greatness.

Like pond scum over moss, the Nigerian elite ingratiate himself to the predatory ruling class in every circumstance and clime even as he makes a big show of speaking all manner of truths, except “truth” to power. Now that his duplicity drags, like a rickety wheel caught in quicksand, the Nigerian elite will forswear youth. He has chosen to play the daunting-Thomas where resolute will and burning heart commands the infinite perspective and possibility of the Nigerian youth.

Not a few people, self-acclaimed elite and progressives, have written to fault my call for the Nigerian youth to save Nigeria. They claim the Nigerian youth is incapable of such human qualities like wisdom, altruism, maturity and tolerance.

One particular “progressive elite” wrote to say that “Nigeria can never thrive in the hands of the Nigerian youth.” He said leadership and nation-building are serious matters that shouldn’t be left in the hands of youth whose idea of citizenship revolves around the acquisition of

T

the trendiest luxury ride and whims of every political predator and criminal mastermind.

I am tempted to believe him given the brutal reality of his assertion. But then this”progressive elite” goes on to recommend bloody revolution to wipe out the incumbent ruling class and a secessionist palliative by which “every ethnic group would go its separate way “peacefully or violently” to forge its destiny away from the madness of the Nigerian dream.”

This secessionist agenda, he claims, “should be driven by the Nigerian youth whose fire and spark is variously misapplied in the current political enterprise.”

In a nutshell, our “progressive elite” and lest I forget, an Associate Professor of Political Science, believes the Nigerian youth is incapable of leadership and positive steps at nation-building but this same youth would serve well in a bloody massacre of the ruling class and secessionist agenda of every ethnic group.

If you are in your youth and you are reading this, then you have known what the almighty elite and articulate hero of practicable politics thinks of you. Maitama Sule, Anthony Enahoro, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa to mention a few, united to build the heritage we destroy, in their youth. But you and I are never considered as worthy of such dignified human endeavours as conscientious leadership and statesmanship, like our late leaders (although Maitama Sule is very much alive). Of course, they had

O live and work in Lagos can be rewarding. Those in the know appreciate why the state is tagged the ‘centre of excellence.’ With active seaports, airports, and markets, Lagos is magnet for commerce. From all parts of Nigeria and abroad, people flock to Lagos.

And the successful Lagosian in some quarters is seen as a conquistador. There is a saying that if one can make it Lagos, one can ‘make’ it anywhere in the world.

Day to day living in Lagos is challenging and hectic - very different from other cities in Nigeria. And one very glaring cause for this is the characteristic bottleneck traffic on Lagos streets.

From dusk to dawn, when the over 15 million inhabitants of the state unleash their presence, the major roads become jam-packed and sometimes, a journey of two kilometres could last for over two hours. The traffic does not care whether one is in town for business or leisure, whether it is routine or an emergency, or whether millions are at stake or just another opportunity to earn a daily bread.

In Lagos, the traffic snarls, crawls, and experiencing it can have a draining effect on the body. It is for this reason many people prefer to live outside Lagos and only come into the state to do their business whenever the need arises.

While the perennial traffic has become the bane of Lagos, the state government over the years have worked on how to reduce the stress on the roads. While traffic lights, overhead bridges, and creation of special law enforcers in the mould of men and officers of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) have come to assuage the situation, many still agree that for the traffic to become more ‘bearable’, more still needs to be done. In fact, original thinking is what is needed.

And in Lagos, these have come in differ-

their faults, they made mistakes, but every unforgivable blunder of theirs is acceptable to our next best attribute.

Today, the Nigerian youth becomes the butt of damaging critiques and interminable cynicism.

Are we going to do anything about it? Or shall we continue to wallow in self-pity and hate even as we continually pursue an agenda to selfdestruct, according to the whims of the incumbent ruling class?

We should never serve as cannon fodder by which familiar shady politicians and activists will achieve their secessionist agenda. If every Nigerian soldier, police officer, student, banker, journalist, doctor, accountant – to mention a few – in his youth could endeavour to scorn the call for bloody revolution or secession and rather advise its propagators to recruit their sons and daughters, mothers and wives, fathers and other blood relatives to propagate their agenda, the end result will spell infinite good for you and me.

Trust me.

But many Nigerian youth and self-acclaimed “progressive elite” will continue to pound the drums of violence and bloodshed from their safe havens abroad while they stay far away from the scenes of genocide they incite. Many more have their escape strategies activated and their escape routes marked, in preparation for the hour when Nigerian drowns in the bloodbath they excite.

Such elite class represents the

purely physical evil whose limit we can never be sure of. Our ultimate goal should be to neuter them, everlastingly to be precise. The abolishment of the infinite evil they epitomize should be perpetuated by ample use of the ballot box. We cannot totally abolish the inhumanity of such contemptible characters but like pestilence, we can diminish their influence by securing a fair and healthy socio-political system for all.

It’s about time we accepted the racism and infinite prejudices of this class of Nigerians as a grievous fact, unpardonable in its intensity, unfortunate in results, and dangerous for the future, but nevertheless a hard fact which only time and conscientious efforts can efface. The Nigerian youth owes it to themselves and subsequent generations to assume that selfless citizenship and leadership that the Nigerian situation so eloquently demands.

Let us dispel notions of our incapacities to produce such leadership and citizenship by exorcising ourselves of the damaging culture and common insensibilities of modern political civilization. Let us rise to the imperative demand for trained youth leaders of character and intelligence; men and women of ability and missionaries of culture, thoroughly adept at harmonizing traditional and modern civilization in the establishment of precepts of self-sacrifice and the inspiration of common identity and ideals.

But if such men are to be effective

‘It is not enough for us to declare that the incumbent ruling class is the cause of our social condition and for us to aver that our social condition would spell the doom of any promising political enterprise. We must change in order to effect the change in leadership and governance that we seek’

they must have political power; they must be backed by the best public opinion and be able to wield for the attainment of our aims, such weaponry as the experience of the world has taught, are indispensable to human progress.

Of such weaponry, the greatest perhaps, in the modern world is the power of the ballot. The only effective means to deny the patent weaknesses and shortcomings of the Nigerian youth is to dissociate from such weaknesses and shortcomings.

This could be achieved by positive citizenship and incursions into political activity.

It would never serve us to remain armchair Trotskys like a reader satirically noted penultimate week.

It is time for the Nigerian youth to champion the cause of that prosperous future of our dreams by effecting a change of guardianship of the Nigerian State. Let us do away with the predators we have allowed too much leverage on our power plinths. Let us deny their wives and children continued access to our seats of power.

It is no longer acceptable for us to bemoan our luck and curse the times while we serve as pawns in the designs of every politician and lobbyist with deep pocket. The Nigerian youth should establish a veritable platform to prosecute its pursuit of freedom and self-determination. To achieve this, we need to establish political leverage, like a youthful and citizenry-centred political party and interest group.

It is not enough for us to declare that the incumbent ruling class is the cause of our social condition and for us to aver that our social condition would spell the doom of any promising political enterprise.

We must change in order to effect the change in leadership and governance that we seek.

To be continued…

Waiting for Lagos’ light rail

By Adebola Thomas ent ways. For instance in 2003, the administration of former governor Bola Tinubu created the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), a bus service which had its own dedicated lanes. Though, the BRT ensured rapid mass commute, given the fact that the buses still competed with other road users, the success in terms of reducing bottlenecks on the roads were marginal. Even the water transportation; while it commercially served those living in places like Ikorodu and worked on the Island, it lacked a mass appeal as if served only those close to the waterways.

With such challenges, it didn’t take much time for the Lagos State government to consider the option of light rail. Well, the idea of a light rail system in Lagos State was originally conceived in the 1980s during the administration of Alhaji Lateef Jakande. Sadly, this scheme was scrapped by the military government of General Muhammadu Buhuari. But, upon being elected governor of Lagos State in 1999, Bola Ahmed Tinubu had revisited the idea and it became a pivotal work of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). However LAMATA in its earliest years of creation concentrated on

implementing the BRT scheme. But, by the time there was a change of baton in the administration of Lagos in 2007 and Babatunde Fashola (SAN) became governor, the light rail project started taking shape. In April 2008, the Fashola administration signed a N70bn deal for a Blue Rail line from Okokomaiko to Marina, a distance of 27.5km and with 13 stations in between. Fashola has promised that this light rail which is being built by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation, CCECC, would be completed this year. And upon completion

by June this year, an end-to-end journey will be approximately 35 minutes.

With this, Lagosians plying that route can envisage how the transport bottlenecks which have come to characterise Lagos could abate. For one, I can imagine the relief of workers that troop out enmasse every early morning to Lagos Island and backwards in the evenings. Already, I’m thinking of relocating to Badagry. I can picture myself, five years from now, a proud owner of a bungalow with a backyard facing the Atlantic Ocean, hosting friends and family to routine weekend barbeque parties. Of course, it is, for I envisage that will be my house, where I live.

For someone whose hustles take place on Mainland Lagos, I know you must be

Fashola has promised that this light rail which is being built by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation, CCECC, would be completed this year.

And upon completion by June this year, an end-to-end journey will be approximately 35 minutes.

thinking I’m going bonkers contemplating going to live in Badagry. Yes, I would have thought so too. But, once the light rails come into existence, I know I can enjoy the best of both worlds. Considering some other persons would be thinking like me, I want to bet traffic congestion is closer to being a thing of the past on the ‘infamous’ Mile 2/Seme expressway.

And, contrary to some thinking, the Lagos Light rail project is not only planned for the Lagos/Badagry axis. In a partnership with the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Lagos stat government will provide light rail coaches to cater for passengers from Alagbado, bordering Ogun State to Marina also in Lagos. This service will complement already running train service being provided by the NRC. Surely, with improvement in transport situation expected when the light rails become functional in Lagos, there is bound to be increase in commerce and Lagosians would begin to benefit from easy and fast intra-city movement. Manhours lost in traffic would reduce, thereby making Lagosians more productive. Also, the social life is bound to increase dramatically as many people on purpose ‘waste’ valuable time either being trapped or waiting to avoid traffic jams.

In order for the light rail to however become a reality, the Fashola administration needs the continued co-operation of all property owners whose properties could affect the take-off of the project.

Also, Lagosians nay Nigerians desirous of progress must gear up to ensure this move to step up transportation in Nigeria’s busiest city is frictionless.

• Thomas writes from Ikeja, Lagos

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

22

COMMENTS “The mediocre leader bemoans while the good leader inspires.” - William Arthur Ward

W

HEN on January 11, 2013, l described the current state of police, in this column, as a nemesis to this country, my mind was not adverted to Channel’s Television’s exposé on the rotten situation of the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja.

Then, l was only expressing patriotic concerns for an institution that ought to be the model for maintaining peace and order in our society but which has long been lost in the dungeon of mal-administration, neglect and corruption.

Many readers believed to be agents of the establishment sent in vitriolic text messages to my mobile phone. However, the issue of abyss in the force is not about any Inspector General of Police but the urgent need to find out how the police as an institution got to this sorry pass that successive administrations overtime always shy away from discussing.

This notion was given credence by President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent visit to the Police College, Ikeja, where he witnessed first hand the horrendous atmosphere under which trainee cadet police men and women undergo training. Their condition of living was not only filthy but also a manifestation of crass decadence in the system. As rich as this country is and as important as the police is to the existence of any country, it is sad that training that is the very rudimentary basics to the evolvement of effective police could not be put right in this nation.

Perhaps, any optimistic thought that hope might be on the horizon could be a forlorn one. Ordinarily, any reasonable human being would have thought that the president would have shown grave concern about the gory spectre that he saw. But this president, thrust upon the land by fate, was more bothered by how Channels TV, to use his word, ‘penetrated’ the college to record the horrific visual it aired to the world. To our once shoeless president, that was a deliberate attempt, by imaginary enemies of his administration, to tarnish the image and non-existent integrity of his administration. The question: Why did the president made the un-announced visit to Ikeja Police College when it was not his aim to get the place repaired immediately or even be ready to discuss the problem?

In case any one is still in doubt about the pickiness of our rulers, that unheralded presidential visit really exposed the myopic thinking of President Jonathan and by extension,

I

HAVE been away on holiday for about forty days. Though I was only able to remove myself from the buzz of the newsroom and the whirls and paranoia of the news process, I could never extricate myself from the news and the Siamese companionship it has provided over these years. In spite of vows to the contrary, a day without my morning dew of news seemed like a void in the history of mankind. So as I lolled between Lagos and the Southeast and particularly, waddling through the red-cloud dust of longforgotten roads in Igbo countryside where I holidayed, I still managed to get a whiff of the news.

Being garroted by news, so to speak, was distracting enough; I did not realize I was taking a mental note of major activities to boot. My mind simply would not play to instruction as football coaches would say of their boys when they fluff a game, by shutting down its news compartments.

Well, what to do than to take advantage of a bad situation by compiling a list of the big issues that broke while I was away - in some order of importance…

The Police College metaphor: This yeoman’s job of Channels Television that is bound for awards was not high on my list of big issues until our dear President Goodluck Jonathan visited the scene of the ‘crime’. What had we not written about the Nigeria Police – their subhuman nature, their demonic tendencies, their habitations – but never before was it captured on camera like Channels did. And when the president did his impromptu inspection, the first I have seen, I was full of admiration and fresh hope welled up in me… but it seem I rejoiced too soon. Then President Jonathan laid an egg, to paraphrase a classic newspaper headline.

One brilliant moment that laid a template for eternal validation of the president and he quenched his light! The Ikeja Police College muck is a metaphor for the Nigerian condition. Nigeria is a big muck that requires a Nehemiahian drive, energy, character, vision and tenacity. For a brief moment, as the president gawked at the ruins of the college, I thought a Nehemiah had come to work. But woe alas! I was cut down by a rerevelation of the Jonathan persona. The president was re-voided in the eyes of watching Nigerians.

It was as if we woke up suddenly and returned to death.

Police College saga: Who is after Jonathan?

• Jonathan that of most of our leaders to police and other serious issues in the land. Where is the right thinking leadership that Nigerians have long craved for? Is it anywhere easy to get across the country or are we, for a long time, going to continue to chase shadows in this regard?

Anybody that has been privileged to travel to respectable countries of the world where police as an institution is accorded reverence and also gives back respect to the society in the discharge of its duty will realise that good training begets positive results. Nigeria has not sown that and cannot reap anything in that regard. To such widely travelled persons, the kind of damning exposé on the Ikeja Police College and the frivolous response of the president are enough to make him lose the 2015 election that he has surreptitiously been preparing for.

The applauding investigative journalism displayed by Channels in unravelling the police college degeneration would obviously have been impossible without the support of some highly placed police official who themselves are disenchanted with the way the place is being administered. It could also be that some peeved junior policemen who are displeased with the mismanagement of their superior officers conspired to make the recording a reality. Whatever the case could be, President Jonathan and IGP Mohammed Dikko must tell Nigerians what they discuss any time they meet in the closet of Aso-Rock Villa. What does the IG tell the president about the parlous state of police affairs in the country? Could it be that the IG was not aware of the rot in the Police College? If he was aware, what effort did he make to remedy the situation? The situation in Kaduna Police College is reportedly far shoddier than the scandalous state of things in Ikeja Police College; is the President through the IG aware of this too and what step have both of them taken to correct the situation?

Does the IG inform the president that police cadets undergoing training are reportedly paid N3, 500 per month when the law permits N18, 000 per month minimum wage in the land? How far can N42, 000 monthly take-home take a cadet inspector after graduation from the Police College where he went through hell during training? For the umpteenth time, let me ask the President and the IG what has happened to the operational funds for the day-to-day running of Police Stations across the country? What about the

EXPRESSO STEVE OSUJI

SMS O8181624757, email:steve_osuji@yahoo.com

Holiday pickings NNPC’s $1.5 b loan caper: until the Channels expose on the Police College, this was my pick for the news of the period. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was about concluding a clandestine foreign loan! The deal was almost concluded but for the expose from a foreign wire service. Questions: how many other such ‘loans’ had NNPC taken in our name in the past? And before we enquire about what NNPC does with money, the real question is what really does NNPC do? It does not drill crude, it can’t run refineries or build new ones, it lacks the capacity to import and distribute refined products, it cannot safeguard the pipelines or stem oil theft, it is stumped by its most important duty which is managing the Joint Venture process. But most painful of all, it is violently corrupt. And with its new reach of hijacking foreign funds in our name, it has grown to the status of an evil enclave.

Let us rename NNPC tormentum, some kind of crude machine for dishing punishment to the people; it has epitomized the ‘oil curse’ and somebody must document a case study on how not to manage oil wealth using the NNPC. Former federal minister, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili was so moved by this new scam to aptly come up with the phrase, “Republic of NNPC”. But that explains it all for after the incoherence about taking a loan to pay off even more loan, you would expect that heads would roll. But no such sanctions, the oil minister, the group managing director, everybody is still on his or her sit plotting more plots for that is all they seem to do. And the plot, make no mistake, often goes deep to the bottom of the very top. That is why it has remained

unchanging seemingly but let’s be consoled brethren: bad behaviours only last for so long.

Governors on AWOL: speaking of bad behavior, the photo of four Nigerian governors decked in winter coats and posing on a heap of London snow turns out an eloquent repudiation of the lies they try to sell Nigerians in that fake wintry posture. That carefully cropped photograph also corroborates the lie and fakery that Nigeria, no, Nigerian leaders and Nigerian governance have unrepentantly become. The picture on the front page of many newspapers on Wednesday January 23, 2013 had Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom State), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Sullivan Chime (Enugu and), Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers State and chairman of governors Forum, Nigeria.

They had taken the pains (and our pound Sterling) to go to London and pose in the blistering snow just to prove to Nigerians that Governor Chime who had been away from office since September is hale and hearty. It was Turai, the wife of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who was quoted as saying that she would rather her husband died in office than returned home to proper rest, care and recuperation. And truly, that gentle soul was chaperoned to his death by a greedy cabal’s lust for power and relevance.

Governor Chime, like Suntai and a few others is obviously seriously ill. It would have been most honorable to come clean to his people, even at the pain of losing that seat. That is the hallmark of character and that is the cornerstone for building a great nation. Yes when leaders show character a nation and her people are edified. Surely the

funds for the welfare of detainees in police custody that would rather die of hunger and neglect if nobody from outside agrees to provide for their food and other necessaries?

Those things when sent might even miss in transit except someone in the police station is bribed to facilitate ease of money and other necessaries to detainees?

The most ruthlessly used vehicles, unlike what obtains in other climes, are police operational vehicles. Apart from being not properly serviced due to poor funding, it has also become routine to see policemen stop on the roads to collect bribes from motorists and unduly harass citizens to fuel these vehicles and to meet other personal responsibilities.

Justice is alien in virtually all police stations across the country because the society, through insensitive government, has been unfair to the police. The real truth however is that the government has only been fair to families and cronies. And this ugly trend is sustained because we have a timid society with people that are not ready to stand up for their rights.

Nevertheless, the president and the IG should endeavour to tell the Nigerian public what has happened to successive budgets of the police. This president has shown deep contempt for the Nigeria Police, by extension the safety of Nigerians, and surprisingly, he expects the force to help his administration maintain peace and order across the federation. It is high time the president realise that it is what he sows that he would reap. He is the architect of his own fortune as nobody is after him.

‘Could it be that the IG was not aware of the rot in the Police College? If he was aware, what effort did he make to remedy the situation? The situation in Kaduna Police College is reportedly far shoddier than the scandalous state of things in Ikeja Police College; is the President through the IG aware of this too and what step have both of them taken to correct the situation?’ governorship isn’t the utmost for Chime and his ilk. There must be more important things in life than being a governor. And for all the governors aiding and abetting falsehood: we say, shame.

And several other pickings… what would it pay you to extend this rehash the way they do in Nollywood films. Bad governance in Nigeria is in a torrid flux and the more we report, the more rapidly things happen. It would suffice to reel out a list of some of the key issues I found deserving of your notice while I was away. I picked an interview granted by Mr Elias Mbam, chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in which he claimed that political office holders are literally robbing the people. Hear him: “While the basic salaries of political office holders are largely known and perhaps pegged to what RMAFC has determined them to be, their allowances are mammoth, opaque and unconstitutional.” But the National Assembly would rather not discuss this matter but time will come when it must be discussed, by fire or by stones. · There were pictures of the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi frequently wearing his turban to the office. It is as if he can’t wait to be the emir of Kano. Well mum is the word here o! · Did you read it tucked inside the papers somewhere that 100 companies have been forced out of the Nigerian Stock Exchange since after the crash? Nobody has told you how many thousands of investors - poor Nigerians suffered in all this.

No resolution, no recompense, no lessons learnt but more money has been dole out to many of the miscreants who caused the crash. · Malam Adamu Ciroma granted an interview in which he stated categorically that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Jonathan “bought PDP delegates with dollars in 2011” presidential primaries. Sadly, we all know that ‘fact’ and we live with it! · Nigeria’s telecoms subscriber spent N111 billion talking in 10 months (January to October 2012). What a loquacious people. · Ten million mobile telephones for Nigerian farmers. What boondoogle scheme? Does Nigeria really have 10 million people who can be truly called farmers? Not likely. · And lastly, the power situation worsens and Prof Chinedu Nebo comes in smoking like all previous power minister. Hmm.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

PEOPLE THE NATION

AN EIGHT-PAGE SECTION ON SOCIETY

Eko Boys High School, Mushin, Lagos mainland, has celebrated its 100th anniversary. The week-long event climaxed with the Old Boys Association holding an award and fund raising dinner on Victoria Island. NNEKA NWANERI writes.

•A cross-section of the alumni

‘Our school passed through us’ •Old boys reminisce as Eko Boys turns 100 OW does it feel for a school to clock 100? Attaining that age seems to come with pride as displayed by old students of Eko Boys High School (EBHS), who rolled out the drums to celebrate their centenary.

The week-long celebration featured a novelty match, foundation laying, visits to traditional rulers and a public lecture, among others.

A dinner, held on January 13, at the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, was the high point of the celebration.

The old boys turned out in their numbers to celebrate their alma mater. Earlier, a thanksgiving service was held at the Hoares Memorial Methodist Church, Yaba, Lagos.

‘Though the dinner was supposed to be an all boys’ affair, many came with their wives.

The ‘boys’ were decked in red and white striped caps made of Aso-Oke. It blended with their cream and white Agbada and Sokoto. The younger Ekorians (as they are fondly called) did not wear their caps. Their Aso-Oke was thrown across their necks and worn like a muffler.

Blue and white were the dominant colours.

The centre stage was decorated with fabric of the same colour.

Before the event began, the boys moved from table to table, greeting one another.

It was a gathering of “grey haired young boys”.

In attendance were two members of the 1948 set, Akin Lawrence and Olu Pen. Though they looked old, they felt like the boys they once were.

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Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, also an ‘Ekorian’, was represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga.

Also present was Group Managing Director of FirstBank Mr Bisi Onasanya, who bagged an award. He looked different from his everyday banking wear of suit and tie. He was decked in a white native attire like others and mingled freely with them.

Hon Sanai Agunbiade and Hon Adebimpe Akinola of the Lagos State House of Assembly; President, Old Boys Association of Igbobi College, Murphy Ipaye and a former Lagos State Commissioner Hon Akeem Gbajabiamila were also present.

Music was supplied by the Nigerian Navy Band. Popular saxophonist and an old boy, Pastor Kunle Ajayi, not only led the opening prayer but also entertained with some melodious tunes.

Though the ‘boys’ are aging gracefully, they sang their school song heartily.

An old boy and Nollywood movie star Yemi Shodimu anchored the event.

National President of Eko Boys High School Old Boys Association Chief Idowu Sofola (SAN), extolled the founder, the late Rev William Euba and his compatriots.

Sofola gave a long history of the school.

Those who were awarded for their contribution to humanity were Fashola; Onasanya; Navy Captain Rasheed Raji who served in Bauchi and Sokoto states during the military era; Alfred Thomson; the school’s 1965 Senior Prefect Theo Ola Ayeni; Commisioner of Police James Caulcrick; Prof Aderemi Kuku;

•Mrs Idowu Sofola and Mr Gladstone Payne

Permanent Secretary, Lagos Television and Radio Services Mr Lekan Ogungbanwo and Alhaji Santos Anjorin.

All the awardees were present to collect their plaques.

Fashola said the award would serve as a challenge to do more, encouraging others to emulate the good they portray.

Captain Raji, who was the chairman, Planning Committee, promised to ensure that

the school waxed stronger.

Going down memory lane, he said: “This gathering has enabled me to meet people. It feels good seeing people I passed out from school with in 1970. I remember us still running around in school with nicknames. I remember how our then principal, Rev Akin Adesola’s discipline has kept us till now. The school has made us what we are today and especially for me. We not only passed through the school, the school passed through us.”

•More pictures on page 26

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

SOCIETY ‘OUR SCHOOL PASSED THROUGH US’

• Mr Onasanya (left) assisted by his wife to receive the award from Chief Sofola

• Mr Sodimu

• Chief Adedamola Adams

• Chief Basorun

•Hon Akinsola (right) and Otunba Olukoga

• Mr Ogunbanwo

• Hon Sanai

•Dr Olufemi Ogunnowo (right) and Dr Rotimi Ewedemi

PHOTOS: NIYI ADENIRAN

ACTION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA (ACN) THANKSGIVING IN LAGOS

• From left: Senator Muniru Muse; ACN Lagos Chairman Chief Henry Ajomale; Pa Safiu Sunmola and former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Dele Alake

•Bashorun Olorunfunmi

•Mrs Kemi Nelson

•From left: Rev Peter Adebiyi; Alhaji Mutiu Aare and Commissioner for Transport Mr Kayode Opeifa

• Omooba Murphy Adetoro (left) and Alhaji Bamu

PHOTOS: DAYO ADEWUNMI

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

SOCIETY

Celebrating a ‘worthy life’ The sleepy IruekpenEkpoma community in Edo State hosted dignitaries as the remains of Mrs Maria Ezekiel-Ikhureigbe, mother-in-law of Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye, were interred.

SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN was there.

•From left: Mr Oseni; Mrs Dongo and Mrs Martins-Kuye

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T was a show of class. The goldedged white casket was gleaming; the zebra patterned Ankara clothes were sewn stylishly; chauffeur driven posh vehicles ferried guests; the canopies enclosures festooned in attractive linen which dot several spaces.

And the cuisines served at various points - all bore stamps of class and trend.

Tradition was recognised as apparent in the moving ancestral songs rendered by local bands at the Christian wake and in the outfits worn by some people.

The lively faces decked in attractive wears showed that it was an occasion essentially for the blue bloods and not mere mortals.

While the men among the grandchildren appeared mostly in white, the women enjoyed some freedom in their choice of colours as reflected in their handbags, head ties, shoes and other accessories that complemented their looks.

It was all for the late Mrs. Maria Ezekiel-Ikhureigbe (aka Odede) whose funeral was held at IruekpenEkpoma, Edo State.

According to the second daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Tekobo Dongo, “mama deserved all these. She loved her children and enjoyed fashion even though she was not in any way worldly.”

Odede, which means ‘grandma’ in Iruekpen’s version of Edo language, as fondly called by everyone, died in November, last year at 97. She was born into the noble Egbondion family of Ehor Quarters in IruekpenEkpoma.

She married the late Pa EzekielIkhureigbe in Lagos and had two children, Otunba Iyabo Martins-Kuye and Mrs Dongo.

A good dancer in her youthful days, Odede reportedly brought under her care and successfully mothered more

•Senator Martins-Kuye (left) and Alhaji Kehinde Dongo •Otunba Doyin Ogungbe (left) and Chief Babatope

children than just her two biological daughters.

She would often tell anyone who cared to listen that “doing good is good business. The good you do today is an investment for tomorrow.”

Recognising the attributes of the deceased, Revd Fr. Mathew Ihensekhien from All Sants Seminary, Ekpoma, said, at the service held at Stella Marris Catholic Church, that most people fear to die and wish to live endlessly not because of the uncertainties of life after death but perhaps essentially because of the evil they had done.

Revd Ihensekhien said: “We love to live endlessly because of the pleasures of the world, the pleasures then blindfold us to the ultimate wealth of eternity. We want to go to heaven but don’t want to die.”

He said even at 97, the children, family and other associates of the deceased would have preferred she lived longer.

The cleric enjoined all to emulate Mama’s hardwork, friendliness and hospitality.

After the sermon, Dr. Christopher Abebe said the people gathered to celebrate a woman who lived a good life and single-handedly gave the

UNION OF LOVEBIRDS •Former Miss Abosede Maumeh and her husband Olatunde Omobulejo during their wedding at Christ Freedom Evangelical Mission, Lagos

Marian Grotto to Stella Maris Catholic Church.

Abebe, father of the former First Lady, the late Mrs Stella Obasanjo, described Iruekpen as a wonderful community where people irrespective of tribe and religion love one another.

After the service, the pallbearers went into their stunts, doing acrobatics with the coffin. They stopped at two places said to be Odede’s ancestral homes before proceeding to lay her remains at the family residence. It was a charged moment as Iyabo and Tekobo, wept uncontrollably.

At the Abia Primary School, venue of the reception, the guests were treated to exquisite local and continental dishes.

They also engaged some of the children and family members in a dancing competition of sorts, spraying them with naira notes as the popular music maestro, Yinka Ayefele and Eno Loius’ Afro Jazz Band dished out irresistible tunes.

In her tribute, Mrs. Martins-Kuye said: “How could I adequately describe my mum. She was beautiful, adorable, vibrant, kind, honest, loving, and above all, she was virtuous.

“Odede was one of the best mothers in the world. She spent her life caring

•Alhaji Toyale Ogunyale (left) and Mr Adewale Benjamin

for us and other people around her.

She did not discriminate. She took everyone as her own.”

Mrs. Dongo said: “My dearest mum, you were the greatest thing that happened to me. I shall always remember how you shaped my life. I am grateful for the life you lived. For those you touched; for the love and care you always showed; for your generous spirit and big heart.”

Others including mama’s in-law, Alhaji Kehinde Dongo; Elder Tina Amzart; Folakemi Banire; Bukola

Aboderin and others joined in the rain of tributes to a “mother of mothers.”

Dignitaries at the event included former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye; former Chairman, Ikole Local Government and successful business woman, Chief Titi Oluwatuyi; Alhaji Kehinde Dongo; the Olomo of IyinEkiti Chief Michael Ogundare; Mrs. Bola Ogundare; the redoubtable iconoclast, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; Otunba Doyin Ogungbe; Mr Wole Koya and Mr Kayode Otitoloju.

MARRIAGE •Mr Kenechukwu Nwadiogbu and his wife Oluchi after their wedding at Cathedral Church of St Faith, Awka, Anambra State

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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It was a joyous moment for the Oloja of Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Oba Johnson Ola Fatola, when he celebrated his 80th birthday. The event, held last Saturday at the Civil Defence Model College field, Igbogbo, drew personalities from far and wide.

YETUNDE BASHIR was there.

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HE Igbogbo community in Ikorodu, Lagos was in a celebration mood.

The inhabitants, joined by visiting dignitaries, celebrated the entry of their monarch, Oba Johnson Ola Fatola, into the octogenarian club on January 12.

The monarch marked his birthday in style.

The Civil Service Model College playing ground, Igbogbo, venue of the event, was agog all day.

Scores of itinerant drummers welcomed guests with praise songs.

There were three big tents, ornately decorated in royal blue and white. The tents were big enough to accommodate thousands of guests who thronged the school pavilion.

Waiters moved in and out of two smaller canopies with local and foreign dishes.

Two live bands – a gospel musician and Juju music singer - ensured there was no dull moment.

The music of King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1) blared from the end of the left side of the giant canopy in the centre.

Make no mistake, the Fuji king was not present but his music was played to the delight of guests.

Waiting for the arrival of Oba Fatola, the compere, Mr Olayiwola Arowolo of Radio Lagos thrilled guests with jokes and exciting stories.

He welcomed those who arrived early enthusiastically. Among them were the Chairman of Igbogbo-Bayeku Local Council Development Area, Hon. Oluwagboyega Basanya, his wife, Olusola; Mr Adebimpe Akinola; Founder of Homat Group of Schools, Mr Olawale Hamzat; prominent politician Chief Reuben Olorunfunmi Bashorun; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Hon. Ademorin Kuye.

The event began with an opening prayer by the Chief Imam of Igbogbo, Sheikh Sikirullahi Tanimose, and Revd Ubenme of the Methodist Church, Igbogbo.

The Oba, who was the cynosure of all eyes, looked resplendent in his royal blue aso ofi. He was accompanied to the field by the Obateru of Egbinland, Oba Richard Ogunsanya; Oba of Ibeseland Oba Akeem Oyebo and their wives. The Oloris (Queens) shone in lace and aso ofi with blue ipele and headgear to match.

The event started with prayers and thanksgiving service in a church and a mosque in Igbogbo on Thursday and Friday.

Saturday’s event was a double celebration - Oba Fatola’s 80th birthday and conferment of chieftaincy titles on some Igbogbo indigenes.

The celebration was unique in many ways. There were traditional ornaments placed in the open for all to see Many of the guests appeared in uniform lace sewn in different styles.

The women were resplendent in their headgears with Ipele.

Chief Bashorun welcomed guests, thanking them for honouring the monarch.

He described Oba Fatola as a humble, honest and loving monarch.

The celebrator’s reign, he said, has brought tremendous development to Igbogbo community.

Bashorun added that the town has witnessed peace and harmony.

Shortly after his speech, he supervised the cutting of the cake.

The three-step purple and white cake was cut by the monarch.

An elated Oba Fatola was grateful and delighted with the success of the occasion.

He thanked God for his sojourn in life.

“I am grateful to God who has been good enough to give us this day; I am also happy that Igbogbo has developed extensively in the last decades, with peace reigning supreme. At this juncture, I will like to heartily express my unalloyed gratitude to the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Sogunro of Igbogbo, for his care for me

A monarch at 80 •Oba Fatola (second right) assisted by his wife Olori Aderonke and other guests to cut the cake

•Asiwaju Basorun (right) and Oba Adeoriyomi Oyebo

•Hon Kuye

•Otunba Ojora (right) and Otunba Shakirudeen Bello

•From left: Hon Adebimpe Akinsola; Mr Adegbenga Basanya and Mr Olubode Best Oshisanya

•Chief Yomi Okusanya (left) and Mr Obayomi Wale

•Oba Ogunsanya Richard and his Olori

and Igbogbo community,” he said.

He expressed appreciation to Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for his support.

“To all the citizens of Igbogbo, I thank you for the cooperation in maintaining peace and tranquility which has given the town the enviable motto ‘land of cool beauty.’ I urge you to continue to do us proud and all of us shall prosper

in all our undertakings,” he said.

Immediately after his speech, the conferment of chieftaincy titles on six people of the community began.

They included Dr. Omotunde Olawale Ogunlaja - Bawosan of Igbogbo; his wife, Mrs. Adebola Oluwatoyin, - Yeye Bawosan; Mrs Bolanle Bashorun - Yeye Asiwaju; Hon. Nosimot Akinsola - Olu Omo of

Igbogbo, Alhaji Tahir Amusa Atunluse of Igbogo and Mr John Ajisetoba of Igbogbo.

He promised that the certificate of office will be given to them next month.

Fashola, represented by Hon Kuye, congratulated the monarch, wishing him more fruitful years.

He assured the Oba of his

•Mrs Ireti Fatola

PHOTOS: RAHMAN SANUSI

administration’s commitment to bringing more development projects to Igbogbo and its environs.

The Governor urged the Oba to continue engaging the people on public enlightenment programmes on the need to be law abiding.

Guests later took to the dance floor before the monarch returned to his palace, leaving his family to continue with the celebration.

29 FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

Vol 4. No. 1786

The challenges of outdoor advertising Outdoor advertising has its challenges.

Among these challenges are conflicting regulations and multiple taxation, huge debts and demolition of their billboards. In the face of all these, the practitioners are undaunted because business is booming.

RAJI ROTIMI SOLOMON examines these challenges and projects into the industry’s future.

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ORMING perception about a brand and stamping it in the mind of a consumer is the ultimate goal of an advertising agency. One of the highly rated brand building tools is outdoor advertising.

The former president of Outdoor Advertising Agency Association of Nigeria (OAAN) Rafiu Ladipo said: “Out-of-Home (OOH) is attractive and strategic to mass communication, hence, there is the need to pay close attention to this medium.

“This is why this kind of advertising is in high demand as many companies worldwide maximise its productivity potential to the optimum. Its efficiency in driving brand consciousness is unquantifiable.”

Mr Charles Chijide, OAAN president, said operators are now cash-cows for some government agencies.

In the beginning In the past, billboards were made of rusty poles and planks on which were pasted materials that peeled off under severe climatic conditions. Due to lack of proper regulation, billboards were planted indiscriminately around cities, highways and roads, constituting nuisance.

Some caused obstructions as a result of their dilapidating state, some poles were bent, some fell on major roads. Posters were pasted without checks. Under-bridges, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) poles, culverts, bus-stop shelters and the rest served as pasting boards. Professionalism in the sector then was at an all time low. Only few practitioners followed the industry standard operating procedures.

Digital age evolution Out of home advertising has gone beyond rusty poles signage in Nigeria. The major

turnaround featured segmented scrolling billboards, unipoles, ultra waves, crossway billboards (gantries) backlit, Hexa signs and the latest of them is the light emitting diodes LED screen billboards. These evolutionary billboards designs are meant to make the outdoor advertising functions more effective, less stressful yet delivering value for money.

These latest electronically controlled billboards could be managed from the agencies office without any stress. Another advantage and a delight to clients is that it could also be monitored by the clients from their offices removing the hassle of going to spy on a billboards post for monitoring. Just like other digital innovations, this one also comes with accuracy, ease, speed and trend.

This new technology provides aerial beautification.

Demolition spree The first act of billboard demolition took place during the Raji Rasaki military regime.

This action marked the beginning of billboard extermination in the country.

In 2006, there was massive demolition of billboards in Abuja. The exercise was aimed at sanitising the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but the resultant effect was the agony it caused some outdoor agencies, some even filed for bankruptcy. In 2007, Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) went on a crusade against billboards in the state.

This exercise made many OAAN members groan in agony. In August 2012, Kano State also embarked on a demolition expedition.

The timely intervention of OAAN relieved practitioners of impending and inevitable heartache. The legal intervention was to forestall a reoccurrence of the Lagos billboard demolition saga which shook the industry violently.

The association dragged the urban planning and development authority to court. Boko Haram insurgency was another major challenge; the destruction of billboards in the northern state caused practitioners some millions.

In July 2012, the over flow of the Niger River caused a great flood which affected the middle belt states initially. Gradually this flood spread out to the east, southsouth. It was recorded to be one of the biggest flood disasters Nigeria has ever experienced after the 1969 flood. This flood was responsible for the collapse of so many billboards. This has been the ordeal of the outdoor advertising industry.

Challenges The three tiers of government lay claim to the control and regulation of OOH, each grabbing a body part to tear. The local government has the power following Section 7(1) and (5) Paragraph Item (k) the fourth schedule of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution to regulate OOH, but the state and Federal Government struggle alongside the local government in generating revenues from practitioners. When all these government agencies levy their taxes and OOH practitioners are to pay, what is left as profit? Little wonder Chijide aptly described the industry as swimming in shark-infested waters.

Economic benefits of OOH Chijide highlighted the following as benefit and impact of outdoor advertising in his speech during the 2012 advertising stakeholders forum.

• Outdoor advertising propels the growth of trade and commerce in peculiar ways that has endeared it to highly successful brands as a must-use.

• It is the second biggest contributor to

objective-driven media engagement worldwide.

• It is the most enduring and most effective among advertising media options, for the reason that it is ubiquitous and reaches markets others cannot.

• It helps to properly target the mass market, reinforces brand availability and provides retailers with proof of marketing support.

• Outdoor advertising is the only vehicle of advertising that is active at all times.

• Outdoor advertising is, forever, committed to supporting brands through offering value-added services, especially within the Nigerian local market.

• Even within the limited and meager resources, coupled with stringent environmental conditions, and stifling statutory restrictions, outdoor advertising continues to make significant contributions to the national economy.

To add to this, OOH is a major employer of labour in the industry.

Resolution and projection OAAN, joins and partners with international bodies and the industry now operate with international standards the president promise to keep such standards and to continually bring innovations that would drive the industry forward. The association also resolves to protect the interest of its members from various forms of extortions and actions that would kill the industry and practitioners.

Lastly we urge different government agencies to support the industry and apply leniency and consideration while carrying out their duties. 2013 would see to the birth of bigger and better innovations, we are ready to do more to better our brands and grow our economy if only we are given the chance to blossom and not strangled.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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Brandnews

CPC honours Indomie

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NDOMIE Instant Noodles, from the stable of DUFIL Prima Foods Plc, has added another feather to its cap. It clinched the Product Excellence Award category at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Consumer Award (NiCA) organised by the Consumers Protection Council (CPC).

Indomie Instant Noodles was bestowed with the award at an event held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, having won among other notable brands shortlisted for the category.

Indomie was voted the best by consumers which was verified and authenticated by an award verification panel comprising members drawn from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Media, Organised Private Sector (OPS), the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

According to the Director-General of the CPC, Mrs. Ify Umenyi, “the Nigeria Consumer Award (NiCA) is

Stories by Wale Alabi

an initiative instituted by the agency to bestow honour and recognition on corporate bodies that have offered products and services adjudged by the consuming public as embodying the highest standards.”

Mrs Umenyi noted that the maiden edition of the awards featured 14 categories which included: Service Excellence Awards, Product Excellence Awards, Consumer Rights Advocacy Awards, Corporate Social Responsibility Awards amongst others and the designation of some eminent Nigerians as Consumer Ambassadors.

The Chief Host of the awards, the Minister of Trade and Investment Mr Olusegun Aganga who was represented by the Minister of State in the ministry, Mr Samuel Ortom, explained that the need to ensure adequate protection for Nigerian consumers cannot be over emphasised.

He urged manufacturers, brand custodians as well as service providers operating in the country to ensure that Nigerians are given the best in terms of products and service delivery at all times.

Winners emerge in Nigeria VJ search

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TV Base, a music entertainment channel on the DStv platform, has announced the names of the three talented newcomers battling for fame and fortune in its VJ Search competition.

Going head-to-head in the last stage of the channel’s search for a new MTV Base VJ, are 26-year-old Ada Ogunkeya, 25-year-old Ehizojia Okoeguale and 22-year-old Kemi Owatemi.

The victor will win a contract with MTV Base worth N10 million plus a new car and other exciting prizes.

Lagos-born Ada is an on-air personality at 92.3 Inspiration radio. A self-confessed “life enthusiast,” Ada’s Twitter page describes her as an “opinionated, impulsive giggle-bot, knowledge fiend, natural hair lover, dancer, and all round dude”.

Ada said: “I feel like I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life – it feels right!”

Smart and witty Kemi (Dahlia to her friends) loves dancehall music and Rihanna in equal measure. The personal motto of this young novel-loving Capricorn is “Happiness is Key”, and she describes her personal style as “more denim than silk”.

Happy-go-lucky jobseeker and computer electronics graduate Ehiz, a.k.a “Special Slim”, is always the life and soul of the party. With a personal mantra that states “Be the best you can because at the end of the day you can only answer for yourself.”

Mr. Mayo Okunola, General Manager, DStv, said: “You’ll be able to see Ada, Ehiz and Kemi showing off their stuff in the next two episodes of the MTV Base VJ Search – Nigeria, on

From left: Ashiwaju; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters Senator Joy Emordi and Mrs. Umenyi at the presentation of the award to Indomie.

Want to build strong brand? Develop manpower

TO become iconic brands leading their categories, experts have advised businesses to develop their manpowers. They concluded that since workers were ambassadors of companies, their quality training speaks volumes of companies’ brands.

At interactive lectures, hosted recently by Tom Associates, a business consulting firm in Lagos, HR professionals spoke on cuttingedge methods for getting the best out of employees, materialising employees’ potential, and by doing so, revamping the images of businesses.

The Human Resource Director of Guinness Nig. Plc. Mr Wale Adediran said: “Human capital development is a competitive edge to be leveraged by businesses. It is a key differentiator. It helps brands to standout.” He explained to the audience, some of whom are his peers leading human resources departments of

Bournvita makes more millionaires

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ADBURY Bournvita Yummy Life Promotion has produced more winners in the Week 8 and 9 draws held last Friday at the company’s head office, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.

Odera Obidimma from Abuja and Nnaemeka Nnawube from Ebonyi won N1 million at the electronic draws witnessed by regulatory agencies and the media.

Other winners included Timothy Ilelaboye, a factory worker in

Agbara, Lagos and Michael Ndukwe, a tricycle rider from Imo State, who won N250,000 each while seven others got N100,000 each.

The two new millionaires brings the number of winners of N1 million to nine.

Cadbury Marketing Director Dele Anifowose said: “With the level of participation by the consumers, the promo has achieved its objectives, which are to create excitement, de-

light and to reward consumers for their loyalty to the brand.”

Anifowoshe congratulated the winners, urging others to participate in the promo to by buying either the 900g or 450g packs.

The representative of Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria (APCON) at the event, Mr Akinnola Adewale, praised Cadbury Nigeria Plc for the transparent manner in which the draw was carried out.

By Damilola Owoyele

well-known companies, that though the methods employed may seem generic, however some tweaking could be done to make it better.

Mr. Adediran proposed a middle ground of partnering with businesses that are into human capital development, rather than training the employees in-house or leaving them entirely in the hands of training vendors who might not understand the specific know-hows to be imparted. He however emphasised that the collaboration must be floated within feasible budget range.

He expatiated, “In partnering with businesses to help them train their employees effectively, a confidentiality agreement could be reached by both parties whereby companies would freely divulge information that will enable (third party) trainers instill the right training in employees to boost revenue and brand. This is not so when their is no partnership: companies only provide anecdotal evidence and have no real data to support their ROI arguments. The data is there, but HR doesn’t know where to find it. This impedes human capital development.”

Mediacraft Associates wins Dragnet Solutions PR account

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• From left: Brand Operations Integration Leader, P&G, Mokutima Ajileye; Celebrity Endorser, Sidney Esiri (aka Dr. SID) and Brand Operations Integration Manager, P&G, Titilola Adetunji at the ongoing Oral-B mobile dental clinic programme organised to support oral health by Procter and Gamble Nigeria held in Lagos recently.

He rounded off, “Since training budget is usually the first to be sacrificed in the face of budget-cut, human capital development professionals should make their work count to foster relevance.”

Director of Human Resources Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Ms. Chizoba Mojekwu, had a similar approach to improving business brands: “The engagement of HR with stakeholders to develop manpower”. She said, “In private sector, good communication with stakeholders is pertinent if the organisation involved must succeed at what it sets out to do. As manpower development professionals, our engagement with our internal and external stakeholders will determine our effectiveness and define how efficient we are. It justifies our being accepted as business partners with our various organisations.”

She said all parties must be ready to lay bare on all necessary aspects crucial to meeting the goals of manpower development.

Ms. Mojekwu and Mr. Adediran both also emphasised on the strategic execution of human capital development by making it an academically evolving exercise rather than the prevalent traditional and rigid practices that ought to have been confined to the past.

IGERIA’S leading computer-based testing and talent management firm, Dragnet Solutions, has appointed Mediacraft Associates its PR agency.

This appointment, according to Dragnet’s Managing Director, Mr. Robert Ikazoboh, is a significant step in establishing the company as the most advanced computerbased testing company as well as a leading provider in technologybased screening and integrity solutions.

He said: “Without a doubt, we are Nigeria’s fastest growing computer-based testing and talent management company. In five years, we have grown to establish ourselves as a force to be reckoned with in computer based tests and examinations; technology based people screening solutions; e-recruitment as well as scholarship and bursary management. Despite all our achieve-

ments, we remain driven to move to the next level. That is why we decided to engage the services of one of the most professional PR and IMC companies in the country.”

The Chief Executive Officer of Mediacraft Associates, Mr John Ehiguese, said his firm was excited to working with Dragnet Solutions which he described as a “young, vibrant and innovative brand with a vision of revolutionising processes and systems.”

He said: “We are truly excited at the prospect of working with Dragnet Solutions. Dragnet may only be five years old but they have done enough to cement their reputation among their target market as an innovative company.

I am confident that Mediacraft Associates will justify the enormous confidence reposed in us by Dragnet Solutions and help grow the corporate brand and its products even more.”

SHOPPING

31

THE NATION

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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

e-mail: janicenkoli@yahoo.com 08033349992 sms only

email:- shopping@thenationonlineng.net

Products in malls’ battle

• Mega Plaza Super market

Malls’ alluring ambience attracts people to shop, relax and be entertained. But, really, it is the products people need that take them there.

This is why manufacturers struggle to get their products displayed in the big malls. JANICE NKOLI writes.

• Story on Page 32

Eateries find key to shoppers’ wallets

Buying quality juicer Page 33

Page 34

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

32

SHOPPING

• Home appliances

Products in malls’ battle A

MAJOR reason people troop to shopping malls is their ability to stock almost everything. They also have the privilege of getting their products directly from manufacturers.

If you go to a place, such as Mega Plaza, Spar, Shoprite or Game, you will see products from different manufacturers. Because they are big names in the retail industry, manufacturers ensure their products are in most malls. For instance, when Samsung’s LED TV first came out, Mega Plaza’s then Electronics manager Nahum Shavit boasted of being the first to display it.

While smaller stores do not have such privilege because of their small capital, the big stores screen the products to know which to accept and which not to. Of course, this does not apply to the big names in manufacturing. The malls are rather proud to display their products.

Those who cannot find their products in the big stores always find a way to distribute their fliers to people at the malls.

The Nation Shopping met Mr Isaac Njoku a little distance before Mega Plaza. He was distributing fliers of an electric iron. When asked why he did not display them at the mall, he said: “My product is very good; it is just that it is not yet known.

Anyone who buys it always attests to that fact”.

It was the same case at Ikeja City Mall. Various people come with fliers and samples of their products to show to shoppers. A similar case has also been witnessed at The

‘While smaller stores do not have such privilege because of their small capital, the big stores screen the products to know which to accept and which not to. Of course, this does not apply to the big names in manufacturing. The malls are rather proud to display their products.

Those who cannot find their products in the big stores always find a way to distribute their fliers to people going into the mall’ Palms Mall. The major advantage of the mall is its gigantic nature and convenient facilities. As far as the environment is conducive, it will always attract people. Many happily go the extra mile to go to malls

• Shoppers in a mall

irrespective of the distance.

Many shoppers insist they get better bargains at the malls, which parade the best in quality products and sell only approved products in a conducive environment. Others said the orderly arrangement of products enable shoppers to identify what they want to buy easily.

The packaging also makes products

look more attractive. Besides, each item has a price tag on it so you do not need to bargain or ask anyone for the price of any item. In addition, the ambience of world class facilities makes a trip to any of the exotic malls a pleasurable one.

Explaining why the products of big manufacturers are found in the malls, the Managing Director,

Samsung, Mr Idy Enang, noted that it is all about providing products that satisfy the life style of people.

“Our philosophy is to devote our human resources in a manner with technology to create superior products and services. We would then use that to contribute to a better global society. People can tell what a good product should deliver.”

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

SHOPPING

Shopping Right with

Are you a label lover?

H

• Omega juicer

Buying quality juicer Juice lovers can go to any length to get their juicy drink.

But, in most cases, the drink is best prepared at home. But you must have the right juicer. JANICE NKOLI reports.

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UICE drinks are common in the market, but it is difficult to get the natural ones, despite the manufacturers claim to the contrary.

So, to get natural juice, you need to get a quality juicer that can meet your need. You could chose from any of the underlisted.

They can be found in any of the malls and even your neighbourhood store. Just make sure you buy from a reputable dealer.

Centrifugal juicer

The centrifugal juicer design is one of the oldest juicer designs. This juicer uses a grater or shredder disc and a strainer basket with straight sides to hold the pulp in the machine. The shredder disk is at the bottom of the basket, which revolves at a high speed (3600 rpm). The produce is put into the top of the machine, pressed through a chute, hits the spinning shredder disc. While the produce is being shred, juice is released. The basket spins at a high speed, much like a washing machine spinning cycle and force pushes the juice through the strainer basket and comes out of the front of the machine, and the pulp stays inside the machine. Generally this style juicer can make one to two quarts before it is stopped, and the pulp must be removed before further juicing can take place. This is not a continuous juicing appli-

• Citrus juicer

ance.

Three-in-one juicer cum grinder

The two in one juicer, mixer and grinder is good for juicing most fruits and vegetables.

It is also easy to use, clean and fast.

If you are interested in juicing both fruits and vegetables with equal quality, this is the juicer for you.

Citrus juicer

A citrus juicer is used for squeezing juice from soft-centered, citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit). It has a conical ridged center. Centering the halves of fruit with their cut-side down over the juicer, a user presses the fruit down and turns the fruit back and forth to extract juice, discarding the fruit afterwards.

A hand-held kitchen utensil version is known as a lemon reamer, citrus reamer, or simply a reamer. It could be electric or manual.

Juice extractor

A juice extractor is a machine that mechanically separates juice from the solid part (pulp) of most fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs. The pulp is usually discarded, but can also be used in muffins and breads or composting.

AVE you come across the label lover? Yes you certainly have. A number of people fall into this category. It is just as simple as it sounds. The label lover is a lover of labels. Talk about all the famous labels in the world.

She does not have many thoughts on fashion herself; at least not any she has not seen from a celebrity snapshot or magazine. As long as it is for labels, the label lover will shop. But these statement labels are less a reflection of her appreciation of craftsmanship or creativity but more about her need to make a statement that everyone understands: ‘look at me, I’m wearing Dolce &Gabbana/Gucci/Prada/ JANICE NKOLI Channel/ whatever is the big label at the moment. Therefore, I must have really arrived. I must be somebody. way. For instance, during her last exhibiThe truth is that the label lover must retion. She used fur, a very strong material ally have quite a large overdraft, unless to showcase the beauty and innovation in she is one of that small set who has perthe woman. fected the look, like the footballers’ wives.

Back on campus, I had a friend who was a Today’s label designer freak. I have lover goes for the lost contact with her key garment from though. I hope I will each new collecmeet her again. I notion, the talkedticed that Helen would ‘My commendation about little top, never spend her money actually goes to those the hyped heels, even to buy good food the super-skinny for herself. But when famous designers.

I jeans. For her, she opens up her colalways admire them. each item is a point lections, you will see scored in an undesigner perfumes, They have been there spoken competiwristwatches, shoes, tion with another for ages and continue to bags and clothes. Each fashion slave. time we went out to eat wax stronger, even decMore than that, she would always want each item is a seme to pay for her. One ades after their foundcurity blanket. day we got talking and ers are gone’ However, my she said: “No one commendation acknows what you have tually goes to put in your stomach those famous debut everyone will see signers. I always the designer label on admire them. They have been there for your outfit. If they don’t see it you can call ages and continue to wax stronger, even their attention to it. Besides, people bedecades after their founders are gone. They lieve you are rich when they see an expenhave stood the test of time, tasted and sive label on you”. trusted and became major fashion referA student of the University of Benin, ence points. In many cases, when a comTochi, said: “Designer label is the in-thing pany is bought over, there must be a name on campus o. Once you can be seen on a change, logo change and so many other designer label, you would be seen to have changes, which end up making people lose arrived. Those who cannot afford it will interest. One good thing about these faenvy you even though they do not know mous labels is that they maintain their how much you bought it. To tell you the names and their names speak for them truth, they do not always have to be very year after year. expensive. What we actually do: my friends People are very sure of the quality of and I, is to always look out for them anytheir products and spend whatever it takes where, including bend down boutique. This to get them. At this stage, they are simply is actually cheaper. However, if you have buying the name and not just the item. Litso much cash to spare, why not? Incidentle wonder, people are so proud to be astally, many designer label stores are now sociated with them even without knoweverywhere so if you have some cash to ing who they are. spare, please suit yourself”.

I think it is their innovation and proactive A student of Lagos State University business acumen that have brought them (LASU) who simply identified himself as this far. For instance, when Giogio Armani Lanre said: “It is true that people love to came on, he decided that he was going to buy designer labels. For me, I am not a produce items that wealthy people could freak but I love them. It is only because I buy. And that was how he started producdon’t go out of my way to get anything no ing shoes and taking them to House of matter how much I like them. I pity those Assembly. They loved it and more people people who waste their parent’s hard began to order for them. With time he earned money on designer labels and go added other accessories”. back home to lie that they used the money After Gucci started, he thought of how to for handouts. It is not fair. Some have rich stand out. An idea came. He began to proparents who give them everything but duce leather interiors for big car compawhat would those of us who do not have nies, beginning with Ford motors. very rich parents do? What are we going On the other hand, Prada always finds to do? My sister, one has to be contented o. something unique to showcase on her runThat is my view”.

Write to us, express your views, observations and experiences. Let’s have your comments about shopping. Your comments, questions and answers will be published first Friday of every month. With your full name and occupation, send e-mail to: janicenkoli@yahoo.com SMS - 08033349992

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

SHOPPING Whenever a mall opens, major eateries find their way there. Like bees they swarm to the place for business, TONIA ‘DIYAN writes.

Eateries find key to shoppers’ wallets S

HOW me a mall and you will find a row of eateries. The malls have become attractive to fast food restaurants because they serve as places where people can relax and also do business.

For instance, KFC is found at the Palms Mall and Ikeja City Mall. On entering Ikeja City Mall, you will see a crowd of people relaxing at KFC. Did they just come to eat?

May be; but, in most cases, they also shop.

So is the case with eateries these days. Why do these eateries draw so many people?

Nigeria’s dinning scene is changing at a rapid pace. While traditional food is still the staple of eateries, international cuisine is just as likely to be available. Nigeria is also witnessing the rise of all-day eateries, especially in shopping malls where they target shoppers.

Of course, shoppers tend to relax after shopping all day, so they patronise eateries.

Even if they do not sit to eat, they buy what they call ‘take away’.

Shopping malls such as The Palms, Mega Plaza, Ikeja City Mall, Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall and Ozon, among others, house many eateries.

The Nation Shopping spoke with some shoppers at some malls. Mr Derin Awopetu, seen at Tasty Fried Chicken at the Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall, said he prefers to eat at the eatery inside the mall because he would like to kill two birds with one stone.

“My reason for being here is to buy new office shirts from ‘Twice as Nice’, a boutique that stocks unisex designer shirts and shoes. I haven’t done that yet, but I will after taking my meal. I prefer their amala and gbegiri. I don’t miss it each time I stop by to do my shopping. It is an avenue for me to unwind and relax. I kill time and fill my tank at the same time.”

Mrs Eunice Ugwu was seen at the Ikeja City Mall with her daughters, Nkechi and Ngozi, who were at the mall to buy food items from Shoprite. She said: “My daughters and I eat in any of the eateries here when we come to shop. We find it more interesting and relaxing when we have the opportunity to do everything in a particular environment within a short period. No time wasting, no traffic delay. Whenever we leave home to come here, we feel at home”.

Ngozi, the eldest daughter said: “Why should I just leave home and go to an eatery somewhere outside a shopping mall, when I can get all I want in one place? I just appreciate the experience of doing many things at the same time.”

Fast food in the traditional sense is not new to people. The roadside selling of suya, akara (fried bean cakes), roasted plantain, fried yam, and roasted corn has been an ageold feature of places serving snacks for those on the go; for everyone from little children to working adults.

Modern Nigerian fast food restaurants also cater for consumers with western tastes. Unlike bukas, which tend to vary in quality and service, modern fast food restaurants place emphasis on cleanliness, hygiene and comfort. Care is taken with food handling and the dining environment is kept clean, air-conditioned and furnished with comfortable seats and television. These restaurants serve western snacks and fast foods such as meat pies, burgers, fries and ice cream together with traditional Nigerian dishes which of course cost more.

Though indigenous meals cost more in eateries compared to roadside buka, they are more patronised. Eateries open from 8.30am to 9.30pm everyday with indigenous food served hot anytime.

Their prices vary, depending on the dish.

• KFC at Ikeja City Mall.

Pounded yam, amala, fufu, wheat, semovita are sold for N200 per wrap with choice soup.

With beef, and two wraps, it would cost N500. Two wraps with chicken cost more than N800.

As you would expect from such an ethnically diverse country, the sort of dishes enjoyed in Nigeria vary widely. It is certainly difficult to highlight any one dish as being a ‘national dish’. Nigerian food has a great variety as there are many ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Indigenous food available in Nigeria is as rich and varied as the culture and history of its people. Eating is an exciting and rich experience therefore; Indigenous food has many styles with thousands of eateries in all the major cities and towns. The country has more than 250 different tribes, meaning that there are more than two hundred variety of local food.

Modern fast food outlets have gained increased access to capital through bank loans, private equity and stock market listings to roll out many more outlets around primary cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

Eateries such as Mr Bigg’s UAC foods, Tantalizers, Tastee Fried Chicken, sweet sensation, Big Treat, Food Concepts, Tetrazzini Foods, KFC, Mama Cass Restaurants, Sizzler’s, Crunchies Fried Chicken, De Tastee and many others stock indigenous meals like amala, starch, owo soup, kosai da koko, edikaikong, gbegiri and ewedu , ofada rice in leaves, pounded yam and egusi soup, afang soup and eba, fufu and ogbono soup, Amala and ewedu, tuwo, starch and owo soup, Moi-Moi, shrimps and smoked fish sauce, Edikai Ikong with Pounded yam, Gbegiri, Ewedu and Stew, Efo Riro, Ofe Onugbu and Eba, Asun(Goat Meat Barbeque), Nkwobi, Mixed Okra soup, Isiewu(Goat Head Mix),Banga Soup, Okra with Melon Soup, Ogbonno, Oha soup with Fufu.

The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) joined hands with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to take Nigerian indigenous dishes beyond the Nigerian and African shores.

Proper descriptions are given to each menu with the knowledge of what ingredients have been combined to make it appetizing.

• A local dish

The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr Samuel Ortom noted in a food seminar that there are many South African food chains scattered around the country but Nigerian food chains rest only within the country.

“There is high demand for indigenous food considering the society’s dependency on junk foods, which are no replacements for eba, fufu, starch, amala, eberipo, ikokore, omu ebe, and akpu. The richness and nutritional value of indigenous dishes should be showcased beyond borders. “he advised.

How to identify a good eatery Eating out should be a treat every time, it is something you should be willing to spend your hard earned money on, therefore, you should enjoy every minute of it.

A good eatery should offer a cautious, professional and seamless dining experience.

It should have an unhurried convivial social atmosphere where guests can unwind, relax and enjoy what is on offer.

Atmosphere is everything. It is hard to define, but it can make or break a place.

Service is to be discreet, with pleasant anticipation of the shoppers’ needs.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

S

INCE the unfortunate crash of one of its planes in Lagos on June 3, last year, Dana Airlines has been in the eye of the storm both within the public and private sectors of the economy. More so, its recent recertification and commencement of operations triggered even more controversy in some quarters. Given this scenario, the airline’s corporate communications manager , Tony Usidamen, in this interactive session with brand writers at its office penultimate week explained why the Dana Air brand does not need to rebrand.

Given the magnitude of the tragedy, which definitely would have impacted negatively on brand Dana Air, are you thinking of rebranding?

A- It’s a very unfortunate incident that affected lots of people. But as safe as the aviation is, as per global statistics, it is still not 100 per cent accident free. As a result, accidents have been recorded in different parts of the world, including Nigeria.

In Europe, in the recent history of aviation, between 2008 and 2009, Air France and BA that suffered similar incident too did not have to change the names of their airlines. And if we come locally as well there was an airline that suffered a crash and continued with its operations with the same name and months after, for commercial reason, the management decided to rest the operations of the airline. So, management can decide for different reasons to either retain the name of an airline or change the name or re-brand as it were.

The only airline that we know that has changed name, did that because that airline was indicted because the processes and systems were grossly inadequate. So, the airline wanted to get away from the link with that name. But most of these incidents sometimes are not due to the fact that the airline was not doing something right.

When you change a name sometimes there might be a bad connotation, people might think well maybe they are doing something wrong.

Before the incident Dana Airline had a good reputation and so far the preliminary report, released by the only official body that can produce a report, the AIB, has never said anything to the contrary. So at the moment one can still rest on that reputation that we had, since no report has so far shown any deficiency on the airline.

We believe that we have nothing to hide, even though re-branding can’t be a good strategy. In the case of Dana we’ve decided to continue our operations with the same name, and the onus is on us to prove to the travelling public and allay the fears that they have, regarding the unfortunate incident. From the management perspective, we are not looking at re-branding, based on the reputation we have built over the years, based on the fact that the preliminary investigation report released so far, has not indicted the airline, in any way in its processes. This is why we are continuing operations with our name for now There are allegations that the Dana brand is not demonstrating enough sympathy to the families and relations of the air crash?

After the incident, we tried to visit every family, from the Managing Director,

35

Brand thoughts on Dana Air A Deputy Managing Director down. Everybody was part of the visit. Some were not prepared to see us, while some said I don’t want your money, even though we still went to the funerals. While I agree that a lot of things could have been done better, but in terms of funeral there are certain things we couldn’t do, even though we wanted to.

There were two things at the back of our minds in the communication we have been rolling out since the accident. First, assist the families of the victims as much as possible. This we communicated and tried to demonstrate in all the things that we do in the aftermath of the accident. Besides the visits made by everybody including directors of the company to the families, we also put in place processes to ensure that, even though money cannot bring back the dead, what they are due, they get. Just to ensure that as much as it is possible for a human being to do, we can make the process easier on the family.

Nothing that we could have done that would have brought back their loved ones, but we wanted to be there for them as much as we could. So besides the visits, we opened channels of communication for them. We had toll-free numbers that they could call. Even before a lot of people started talking about compensation, we had started calling on the victims’ next of kins to please come forward because we understand our duties to them and we were willing to fulfil them. And this was why immediately after the incident; we took the decision to suspend our operations even before the directive from the federal government came.

Why did it take Dana Airline six months to regain its operational licence?

This is one question we ourselves seem to be asking. What happened to us is an aberration from the norm. In strict aviation guidelines and rules, you do not ground an airline after the incident. Interestingly to the question of cost, this is not a subject we can talk about now because it’s an insult to the memories of people who lost their lives. For us we are not concerned really with how much money we have lost so far. The greatest loss to us is not money but families that we lost because at Dana Air, we consider all our guests as part of the Dana family. So, losing part of our family and our colleagues is our greatest loss. So the greatest loss to us is not money.

What are the strategies that would re-ignite customers’ passion in the Dana brand?

There is no extra ordinary strategy that we adopted, but we hope to keep the information flow as much as possible. May be we have not done enough in that regard, but we need to do a lot in pushing information on everything that we are doing out there. A lot of perception right now is based on inadequate understanding of how the aviation industry works, and secondly, sundry issues like accident investigations, people don’t understand.

‘Before the incident Dana Airline had a good reputation and so far the preliminary report, released by the only official body that can produce a report, the AIB, has never said anything to the contrary. So at the moment one can still rest on that reputation that we had, since no report has so far shown any deficiency on the airline’

DS are the same. They come in either living colour or black and white. People share similar attributes with ads.

You are either black or white. While ads seek to sell products or services to satisfy brands aspiration, people buy goods and services to gratify their desire. Around the world, people’s needs are the same. That is why Nigerians connect easily with foreign ads. That is because people build ads, not machines. On the other side, contest this if you like, ads do not build brands. People do.

A brand that would not deliver what its ad promises cannot be built be another ad. The ad campaign commissioned by an internet service provider (ISP) is a pointer to this. The brand’s ad was engaging. The teaser was spoton. It jiggled the target’s brain with series of quiz: What is the name of the fastest land animal? What is the name of the fastest bird in motion? What is the name of the fastest reptile?

To illustrate this, each ad in the series showed pictures of the fastest animals, suggesting that the product has the same credentials as these animals, as such; the market should rely on it to meet their particular needs. The ads ran for months. The brand promised the target the “fastest wireless broadband speed allowed by today’s technology”. The concept was to convince the customers and would-be customers that the product under the wrap is the fastest in its segment.

The same ad encouraged the target to take their productivity to the next level at home or office; everyone can share reliable high-speed broadband connection and instant Wi-Fi cloud on “your laptops, smartphones, and iPads and gaming consoles working at 4G speeds”. Like all good ads, this ad was riveting. Consumers were wondering what is going on. They were in the dark. They could not comprehend the brand’s logic; neither could they get out of the maze. However, in the passage of time, light shone at the end of the tunnel. The masquerade was unmasked.

The ad achieved its objective: sell the brand.

However, the ad failed to take the brand further. That is because the product failed to deliver what it promised in the ad. When a brand fails to match words with action, it all amounts to sweet nothing. All motion and no action, big hat, no cattle. The ISP actually promised 4G broadband speed. What this means in local parlance is that your car would travel on Third Mainland Bridge without any hindrances, both ways.

With that analogy, you get a clearer picture of how 4G works. However, now imagine travelling on Third Mainland Bridge in the morning or any time and your car moves at a snail pace. Does that match the experience the brand promised in the ad? Let us take it further. You are a subscriber of this 4G stunt from this ISP. Your team of 10 executives were connected. Thinking the 4G would run at the speed of a Cheetah, you sent a JPEG picture to the team from out-field. 24 hours later the teams have not been able to download the picture. Hey, the picture resolution is high! Your colleagues screamed at you over the phone.

You reduced the resolution and sent it again.

The team got the same result.

Meanwhile, 72 hours later, you were back in the office. Got the picture? You asked your team. No. What is up? Trouble-shoot your laptop. The system engineer commanded. It was done. You had the same experience. Desperately searching for a solution, you turned to your BB. Immediately, the picture came alive on your phone and you transferred it to your laptop. All within seconds! Now, mobile download is the option available to most Nigerians, including you.

Warning: There is a limit to what you can achieve with a mobile application. With a oneoff, light download, there is no stress. Nevertheless, with the kind of business you engage in, where data, video and information stream out of you like a river, you need a robust 24/ 7 internet connectivity. When you do not have that, what can you do? You directed the question, this time, at your system engineer. He

Brands fail, not ads looked askance. That is one bad experience.

However, the ads did not give you false expectations. The brand did. Therefore, the brand failed.

Do not go away. Before you got to this stage, the ISP had cutover your link to 4G without a prior notice. Not knowing that the ISP had played a fast one on you by pulling the plug of your 3G internet connection, you were “trouble shooting” and “searching for internet connection” where there was none. When you discovered this, the ISP asked you over the phone to connect to the 4G internet speed. The essence of such an investment in 4G is to boost content download and upload.

This is important to how business manages its information. If it is a business with an incredible richness of information like yours, then it is frustrating not having the internet access for a millisecond. On that score, when you eventually obeyed the “4G order” you thought your life, your business, and your clients would never remain the same. It was never the same because after the connection, activities slowed and you spent your waking hours shuffling between Lagos Island - where the ISP has its office – mainland, your office.

In the ISP office, you noticed several hapless customers: Those without a voice, without options, and without a clue about what was going on. They sat comfortably, waiting for ‘good luck’. Some of these people were hopeful; others were hopeless; some were expectant; others were in suspense. The customer service executives were unfriendly [why customer service executives in most companies are like that beats me!]. They know what was going on. They know that the ISP sold 4G “dummy” modem to the subscribers. They could not tell you. They dare not tell you. Why they could not tell you, beats your imaginations. The look on their faces painted a sad story, a sad story of indifference, total lack of care.

In retrospect, their body language said, “Collect the 4G modem and leave our office. After all, before you know that the modem is not functioning, you would have got to your office and ….” Meanwhile, these customer service executives earn their salary from the subscription of these subscribers. If so, is it too much to show a little care, a little concern, a little compassion for a subscriber who had to leave her office early in the morning and queue up in order to collect the internet modem she had paid for?

The hours spent waiting in that ISP’s office could have been used for something meaningful such as rendering a service to a client, conducting a research online, attending a meeting that would translate to more business opportunities…. Excuse me! You ran after a matronly woman. Goodness, she is the marketing manager. Breathless, you could only mutter two words: Madam. Help. She ushered you into an air-conditioned office. She did not move. She listened to your woes. She promised to help. She promised she would help.

Deliberately, that sentence came twice because she had not helped you at all. Till now.

Take a pause, please. The ads did not let down the subscribers. The brand ambassadors failed the subscribers. The people employed to build the brand through consistent service delivery let down the subscribers. Therefore, the brand promised what it cannot deliver, not the ad.

Let us examine it. The ISP put out a paid ad, saying it is the fastest 4G broadband internet service provider in town. No problems.

Now, face to face with a manager who represents the face and voice of that ISP, what you got was yet another unfulfilled promise. Four weeks after the encounter, you still have not been able to browse, download or upload any information. Shhh, no, the ad did not tell lies.

The ISP promised; the ISP failed. No, ads do not build brands; people build brands through consistent service delivery. Is the ad good in execution? Yes. Can the ISP win back the subscribers’ confidence? Yes. Can ads convince subscribers to return to the ISP? No. Can ads build this ISP? No. How can this ISP build its brand? Practice what you preach.

*Editor - Wale Alabi *Consulting Editors - Rarzack Olaegbe, Sola Fanawopo * Correspondent-Jimi David * Business Development - Kenny Hussain * Legal Adviser - Olasupo Osewa & Co Brandweek is powered by Brandz Republic Consulting and published every Friday in THE NATION newspaper.

All correspondence to the editor - 0808.247.7806, 0805.618.0040, e-mail: korede2000@gmail.com © All rights reserved.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

36

With ekpoita :funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08077706130

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Finalised (9) 7. Employ (3) 8. Tear (3) 9. Succeeded (3) 10. Consumed (3) 12. per Unit (4) 13. Bird (4) 14. Beer (3) 16. Imitate (3) 18. Bed (3) 19. Resort (3) 21. Justly (9)

DOWN

1. Correspond (9) 2. Pinch (3) 3. Sexual Desire (4) 4. Ourselves (2) 5. Moisture (3) 6. Discourage (4) 10. Expression of Surprise (3) 11. Get with Difficulty (3) 15. Enumerate (4) 17. Bird (3) 18. Taxi (4) 20. Father (2)

MISSING LETTERS All the words in the columns below have lost their first letters as indicated by the blank spaces above them. You are required to find and affix them. When done, all the first letters will form a 9-letter, sexually offensive word or action. Happy Puzzling!‘

Sands of Time AALIYAH

Produced by the successful singer R. Kelly, the album quickly sold a million copies and eventually earned platinum status based largely on the success of two hit singles, “Back and Forth” and “At Your Best (You Are Love).” Later that year, tabloid reports surfaced claiming that the sultry teen singer had married the 27-year-old Kelly, but Aaliyah denied the union and the marriage was reportedly annulled.

Natalie Portman

Singer, actress. Born Aaliyah Dana Haughton, on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, the young singer competed unsuccessfully on the television program Star Search at age 11. Later that same year, she performed with R&B legend Gladys Knight, the former wife of her uncle and manager, Barry Hankerson, at a five-night stand in Las Vegas.

In 1994, at the age of 15, Aaliyah catapulted onto the R&B charts herself with her debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number”.

Pep Talk

While a student in the dance program at Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts (she graduated in 1997), Aaliyah released her sophomore album, One in a Million (1996). Helmed by the well-known pop producer Timbaland and featuring rap performer Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, One in a Million portrayed the 17year-old singer as a sultry hip-hop chanteuse with a selfconfidence well beyond her years. The album garnered favorable reviews and sold two million copies.

In 1997 she recorded “Journey to the Past,” the Academy Award-nominated theme song to the animated feature Anastasia and performed the song for the Oscar telecast in 1998. Her next soundtrack effort, “Are You That Somebody?” for 1998’s Dr. Dolittle, starring Eddie Murphy, went to No. 1 on the R&B charts and was a pop crossover hit, earning Aaliyah her first Grammy Award nomination.

In 2000, Aaliyah made her acting debut in the surprise action hit Romeo Must Die, starring opposite martial arts star Jet Li in a Romeo and Juliet-inspired story set in modern-day Los Angeles. She was also an executive producer of the movie’s soundtrack and performed the hit single “Try Again,” which netted her a second Grammy nomination as well as two MTV Music Video Awards for Best Female Video and Best Video From a Film.

Aaliyah was killed on August 25, 2001, when a small Cessna passenger plane carrying the singer and her video crew crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Abaco Island in the Bahamas, where they had just completed work on a video. The plane was headed for Miami, Florida. Aaliyah and seven other people, including the pilot, were believed to have died instantly, while a ninth passenger died later at a Bahamian hospital. Aaliyah was 22 years old at the time of her death. She is survived by her parents, Diane and Michael Haughton, and an older brother, Rashaad

HUMOUR True Believers The two thousand member Baptist church was filled to overflowing capacity one Sunday morning. The preacher was ready to start the sermon when two men, dressed in long black coats and black hats entered thru the rear of the church.

One of the two men walked to the middle of the church while the other stayed at the back of the church. They both then reached under their coats and withdrew automatic weapons. The one in the middle announced, “Everyone willing to take a bullet for Jesus stay in your seats!”

Naturally, the pews emptied, followed by the choir. The deacons ran out the door, followed by the choir director and the assistant pastor.

After a few moments, there were about twenty people left sitting in the church. The preacher was holding steady in the pulpit. The men put their weapons away and said, gently, to the preacher, “All right, pastor, the hypocrites are gone now. You may begin the service.”

Getting Into Fights A young couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word.

An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position.

As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the husband sarcastically asked, “Are they relatives of yours?”

“Yes,” his wife replied. “I married into the family.”

Our ideas like orange plants, spread out in proportion to the size of the box which imprisons the roots.

– Edward Bulwer Lytton

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

37

SOCIETY

Farewell to a sweet mother Banker-turned-business magnate Anthony Fagbuaro was joined by his siblings, relations and friends for the funeral of his late mother, Madam Elizabeth Oladunni Fagbuaro. Though a modest outing, it was a memorable moment at the All Saints Anglican Church, Housing Estate Road, Ado-Ekiti, writes SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN

•From left: Mr Fagbuaro; Alhaji Smith and Major General Sangotade

•Dr Adedeji

S

TATE-OF-THE-ART automobiles competed for space in and outside the premises of the All Saints Anglican Church, Housing Estate Road, Ado-Ekiti. It was the same picture - a keen contest of sorts among select guests who shared grand moments - in the sanctuary. And one message was clear: the dignitaries were not there to mourn; they gathered to celebrate the life of a departed mother.

At the centre of the memorable outing was Mr Anthony Sunday Fagbuaro, a Lagos-based bankerturned-businessman and philanthropist. Joined by his equally successful siblings, relations and well-wishers, he hosted dignitaries from far and wide at the funeral of his mother, Madam Elizabeth Oladunni Fagbuaro.

In their uniform, blue-coloured traditional attires, the celebrators and other members of the Fagbuaro Family were the cynosure of all eyes during the service. Their sprightly mien affirmed Fagbuaro’s view that the service was specially organised in honour of their sweet mother.

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Alhaji Musiliu Smith, who led other dignitaries at the event, later chaired a lavish reception at the Fagbuaros’ country home. He showed no sign that he would leave his host, even days after the outing.

Aside members of the church’s choir who gave a good account of themselves with soul-lifting numbers and complementary drumbeats that caused waists to wriggle, the officiating minister at the thought-

•Oba Owulade and his Olori

provoking service, Ven. Clement Daramola, with his gripping delivery, held all the guests spell-bound. He centred his sermon on the need for people to embrace a holy lifestyle which, he said, was the hallmark of a real human being.

The exhortation and sermon by Ven. Daramola would register long in their memory as well, touching at the very core of the whole essence of humanity, demystifying the fight for vanity among men in a world filled with the certitude of death as of life.

In the sermon which lasted nearly an hour, Ven. Daramola said paradise and hell-fire exist.

Ven. Daramola warned the congregation not to be deceived by the fleeting allures of the world, asking: “Where is your own focus in a world which will soon end; where will you rise on that day.

“I congratulate you, Mama’s children, for her life and times. Imagine the pains she must have gone through, having 12 children. Among them, only two survived. Imagine her experience. This is a lesson for people on the number of children they should have. Raising children is not a joke,” Ven. Daramola added.

Radiating satisfaction, everyone responded joyfully in total obedience when a call for offering and donation to lift the church was made.

•Elder Adelokun Aina and wife, Abiona

•Otunba Famuyibo (left) and Ayuba

But the greatest financial contribution to the church at the service came from the son of the deceased, Fagbuaro, who humbly announced a donation of N2.5million for the procurement of an important music instrument for the church. Thunderous ovation rented the air. But to the donor, “it was in appreciation of God’s love for my entire family.”

At the Fagbuaros’ home, where the guests retired for a sumptuous reception after the service, lips were busy with stories about the late woman’s exemplary virtues as all were

LECTURE

•Former Chairman Punch Nigeria Ltd Chief Ajibola Ogunsola; Prof Niyi Osuntogun; Mrs Akande; President Oluyole Club, Lagos Prof Bashir Akande at the club's Public Lecture in Ibadan, Oyo State

treated to assorted meals and drinks.

The two children of the late “woman of virtue” later evinced their dance prowess to the irresistible beats of the musical ensemble led by Adewale Ayuba, a popular Fuji musician.

Adedoyin, Fagbuaro’s delectable wife, used the moment to show her stuff as a dancer. Above all, the moment gave some guests and close associates an opportunity to overwhelm them with naira notes.

Smith led tributes galore in honour of the late woman. He said: “With what people have been saying about this

good woman, it goes without saying that she was a model. Her life and times offer one lesson – that we must all live in such a way that on departing, we will live in people’s hearts.”

To Niyi Sangotade, a retired MajorGeneral, the children of the late woman were lucky to have her as their mother.

“By their account, the woman cared for them. That means she was a mother of no means order,” he said.

In his tributes, Fagbuaro said his late mother was everything a mother should be to her son. In a groundswell of accolades, as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo once said of his wife, he described his mother as “a jewel of inestimable value.”

According to him, the late Mrs. Fagbuaro would go to any length to satisfy any child’s needs, even if it meant sacrificing her comfort. He added: “No one would come approaching my mother for anything and go empty-handed. My wish is for the Almighty God to accept her and make her an inhabitant of paradise.”

Guests at the event included former Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kenny Adedeji; High Chiefs Yomi Orimoloye and Ayo Ariyo, among other traditional rulers; Oba Abayomi Owulade of Shangisha, Magodo, Lagos State; Otunba Reuben Famuyibo; Prof.

Eddy Olanipekun, Dr. Kayode Fayetinu; Mr Shina Alabede and Mr Kola Amodu.

WEDDING

•Groom’s parents Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education Otunba Fatai Olukoga (second left), his wife Mojisola and the couple Ademiloyin Olukoga and his wife, Mrs. Shanutha Olukoga during their wedding at Ikeja Local Government Registry, Ikeja

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

38

S OCIETY The remains of Pa Joseph Oyewole Oyedeji, father of Mrs Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha of The Nation have been interred at Ada, Osun State. WALE ADEPOJU reports

Till we meet again

A

MIDST glowing tributes, the remains of Pa Joseph Oyewole Oyedeji, a renowned teacher, were committed to mother earth at Ada, Osun State.

Pa Oyedeji, who died on October 29, last year, was 71.

He is survived by six children, among whom are Mrs Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha, who heads the Health Desk of The Nation.

The funeral lasted three days. It began on Thursday with various women groups, including in-laws and daughters of Ile Osolo, Ada, dancing.

The carnival-like atmosphere saw many Ada residents trooping out to catch a glimpse.

The lying in-state and the wake were held the following day. It was conducted by the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, St Joseph Catholic Church, Ada. The choir rendered various songs, reminding the audience of the final home call, encouraging good deeds and equally extolling the good virtues of the deceased who was described as a pivot in the church building project.

The wake featured readings from the Bible, rendition of hymns, offering and a special anthem in honour of the Oke bi orun osi (No mountain like heaven), as the deceased was fondly called.

There were tributes from people who shared their personal experiences on how the deceased left a lasting impression on their minds by helping them either in cash or kind or influencing situations in their favour. Some attributed their being literate or even their lineage’s literacy to the deceased.

By 10:30am on Saturday, a market day, the length and breadth of Ada knew that one of their own was being interred. The pallbearers had a field day as they were in their usual best. The premises of the church under construction, championed by the late Oyedeji was jam packed.

There was human and vehicular congestion.

The parish priest, Revd Father, Benedict Idowu,

•Mrs Gbenga-Mustapha (left) and Mrs Olubunmi •Oyeniyi

spoke of the deceased’s commitments to the church, especially his wish to ensure the roofing of the church was done before December 31.

“Our last discussion, few hours before the final home call, were his resolve to go out there, especially Lagos, where he spent most of his active time, to source for funds for the roofing of the church. But alas, death denied him of that.

What would God say of you?” Revd Idowu asked rhetorically.

The deceased’s remains were sanctified. And the hearse conveyed it to his home where he was interred.

The train moved to St Andrew Field, where guests were entertained. The file and rank of Multi Choice thronged the dance floor, to honour their Finance Controller, Oyeniyi Oyedeji, the first son of the deceased. Likewise the various cadres of Nigerian Civil Defence, Osogbo came to honour their Chief, Oyeyinka Oyedeji, the second son. Staff of Bode Adeniji, The Nation, Ajumoni Secondary School and Lagos State Development Property Corporation (LSDPC) trooped to the dance floor to celebrate with other children of the deceased.

‘Our last discussion, few hours before the final home call, were his resolve to go out there, especially Lagos, where he spent most of his active time, to source for funds for the roofing of the church’

Deceased’s son-in-law Mr Gbenga Mustapha (in cap); his friend Gbenga Adedeji; his mother, Mrs Olufunmilayo Ladipo (right) and a guest

WHAT AND WHERE Funeral

F

UNERAL of Pa Michael Aderibigbe father of head of City Beats Desk of The Nation Newspapers, Mr Adeyinka Aderibigbe will hold today at the Cathedral of St Stephen’s Church, Itasin, Modakeke, Osun State.

Reception follows immediately after the church service at Modakeke High School Play Ground Modakeke, Osun State.

Lecture

A

PUBLIC lecture on disease epidemics in Nigeria, organised by The Nigerian Academy of Science, hold today at Afe Babalola Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. The Chief Lecturer is Minister of Health Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu.

Ceremony

Funeral

T

HE service of songs for the late Samuel Ibem Ifekwe will hold today at 7, Uduma Close, off Asaga Road, EbemOhafia, Abia State while the funeral service will hold tomorrow at the same venue.

T

HE eighth annual Zakat Distribution Ceremony (ZDC) organised by Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation (ZSF) will hold on Sunday at the Syrian Mosque, Ikoyi, Lagos.

It will climax the foundation’s week of distributing Zakat proceeds which earlier held in Osun and Ogun states.

Expected at the event are Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture Alhaji Oyinlomo Danmole; former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Jubril Ayinla while ZSF Executive Director Alhaji Shuaib Abdullahi is the chief host.

•Prof Chukwu

Thanksgiving •The late Aderibigbe

Obsequies

T

HE funeral service for the late Mazi Ijoma Kosoko Obioha will hold today at St. Mark’s Church, Diocese of Ideato (Anglican Communion) Ndiakeme-uno, Arondizuogu, Imo State.

It will be followed by an interment tomorrow at Onyima Obioha’s compound, Ndiakeme-uno, Imo State.

H

OUSE on the Rock will on Sunday hold a special thanksgiving service at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, Lagos. The service will feature Mike Aremu, Chevelle Franklyn, Sammie Okposo and Chosen Treasure.

Funeral HE funeral service of Alhaji Shabaluna Akanni Edu, Mogaji of Edu family, hold tommorow and Saturday at Epe, Lagos.

There will be a fidau prayer, after the jumat prayer at the Edu compound, Bado Epe, while the reception holds at Popo Oba Ground on Saturday.

T

•Alhaji Tijani

Wedding

T

HE Holy Matrimony of children of an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain, Otunba Moshood Tijani and Deacon John Dara; Oluwadamilola Aminat and Oluwagbemiro Daniel will hold tomorrow at the Grandeur Events Centre, Oregun, Lagos. Reception follows immediately at the same venue.

•Hon Ikuforiji

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

39

C ELEBRITY COMMUNICATE YOUR IDEAS

It was double celebration for the immediate past provost of the Television College, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State, Aare Ayo Fasan. He marked his 60th birthday and retirement from service. YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU reports.

Setting your Communication Agenda for Year 2013 (3)

Going after a rewarding career

A

I

T is always wise to quit when the ovation is loudest. This popular saying best described the scenario at the 60th birthday party of Aare Ayo Fasan, the immediate past provost of the Television College, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State capital.

He also celebrated his retirement from the service of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). The two-in-one event was held at Novel Suites and Resorts, Rayfield.

It was an event full of reminiscense about the celebrator, from his childhood, education, career, relationship, philosophy, family life, leadership style and social life.

Encomiums were poured on the celebrator by well wishers. There were so many of them, ranging from serving and retired politicians, serving and retired rectors, staff of NTA, former general managers of NTA, bosom and distant friends, students and relations.

Who is Aare Ayo Fasan? The outgoing rector of the Nigerian Television College served the college for four years. He began his career with NTA Ibadan in 1978 and ended as the Provost, NTA College, Jos in a colourful style.

He attended Ibadan City Academy. He left in 1971 to Ilesha Grammer School where he obtained his Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1974. He was admitted to the University of Ibadan (UI) where he obtained his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Sociology and later a Masters in Sociology Management.

Not done with that, in 1986, he returned to the same university for another Masters Degree in Industrial and Labour Relations.

Fasan joined the services of the NTA in 1978 at 28. He was posted to the pioneer TV station in Ibadan.

He rose to the rank of Controller of Administration at the Ibadan zonal headquarters. He was later moved to the Lagos headquarters of NTA as an Administrative Manager.

It was in the light of his dedication

•Aare Fasan

to duty that the then Director-General of NTA, Ben Murray-Bruce, appointed him the pioneer General Manager, NTA Osogbo in 2000.

Fasan, like a golden fish with no hiding place, was appointed the rector of the television school in Jos in May, 2009.

The UI alumnus is not only an icon in the civil service; he is a fan of traditional institutions across the Southwest which earned him several chieftaincy titles. The most popular are Atunluse of Ojo and Aare Baroyin of Ilajeland in Ondo State.

One of his members of staff in Jos, Terkimbi Manyam, Head, Television Journalism Department, said of him; “Some are great, some are born great, others become great while others are made great. You are

great, born great, became great and made great.”

The college’s Principal Admin Officer, Justin Davwed, said: “The students and staff call him (Fasan) Baba; his contemporaries call him ‘the eagle’, his greatest admirers call him ‘Mr. Fix it’. All together, he is “Baba Eagle that fixes it” What more, his beloved wife, Mrs Fasan described him as a “wonderful husband, partner, outstanding father and mentor.”

The celebrator said: “If you handle anything in life fairly, honestly and objectively, you will never have problem in life.”

Fasan was born in November, 1952 in Ilesha, Osun State. His father was a pastor. Little wonder he grew up propagating the message of peace anywhere he found himself.

ANNIVERSARY

•From left: Mr Idowu Olushola; Taiwo Agboola; Alhaji Bello Raufu; Alhaji Sodiq Olayinka; Mrs Abioye Adenike; Chief Adebisi Daramola and Alhaja Bola Badmus during the anniversary of Aranseoluwa Co-operative and Multipurpose Society Ltd in Lagos PHOTOS: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

WONDERFUL day to you and your dear family. You are on your usual column on public speaking. Frankly speaking, I feel a little embarrassed still titling our current series as "New Year Special."

As I pointed out last week, the New AMODU LANRE OLAOLU (Ph.D) Year greeting is almost completely out sospeak2lanre@yahoo.com. of fashion now. Nevertheless, I 07034737394 choose to see this entire month of January as the runway for our takeoff on our glorious flight throughout the year, by the grace of God. As such, we will use this as our preparatory period for the task ahead.

Previously in this series, we discussed what it means to set communication agenda for the year 2013. It means carefully planning where you want to be at the end of the year and then determining the kind of communication you need to engage in to get there. We also attempted to answer the question on the necessity for setting communication agenda for the year. We said that nothing happens by chance, so, you have to deliberately decide to communicate effectively this year. You cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result. If indeed you want this year to be far better than last year, you have to deliberately aim at effective and contributionoriented communication.

This week, we shall be examining two of the important areas in which you need to set communication agenda. These areas are: your personal and your business.

•Personal Life: I dare to say that this is one of the most important areas in which you need to deliberately manage your communication. This area represents your comfort zone. It represents your life when you think no one is watching. It is your life when you let down your guard. It is your life when you think you are not being scrutinized or judged. The strange thing is that, it is also your life, which you don't want the public to know about.

There are several people who become something else when they are with "outsiders!" They change so drastically that their families don't recognize them anymore. Some people are nicer to none family members because they want to put their best foot forward. Usually, loved ones are the victims of this kind of communication or failed communication. This kind of communication is selfish, however. Yes, it is selfish because you believe there is nothing your family can give you that you don't have already, so, you focus on outsiders who can be of "benefit" to you. Whereas, a lot of times, you have your family and loved ones to thank for whatever you become in life.

On the other extreme, we have people who entirely focus on their families.

Any benefit that should go to other people are diverted "home." Well, there are more people outside their families than inside, so, sooner or later, they will need help from others. So, what do I advocate? Be good to everybody.

Be yourself inside and outside. Know that whatever you do or say communicates something to everyone around you. They either believe that you are a responsible and reliable person to deal with, or they feel that you are better avoided. Remember, if you don't have people's respect and trust, they will never listen to you as a public speaker. As a speaker, your first agenda must be to develop your character, and then you can focus on contributing to other people.

•Business: ok, I agree that I am not your regular business consultant. I may not even have the slightest idea of how to do your kind of business. But I know that they say "customer is king!" Yes, you may tell me how annoying your clients or customers tend to be. In fact, I agree that sometimes, it seems like they actually set out from home to upset you. Nevertheless, that is all part of the fun of having a business. Work will be so boring if you meet the same type of people every day.

What if you decide to make difficult customers or clients a major target in your business? You can determine that you will make every customer smile about one thing or the other while being attended to. This, of course, does not make you a clown; it just means that you are going the extra mile to make your customers like you and what you have to offer.

I once had a barber who cut a class for himself. Not only was his shop very comfortable, I also got entertained by watching movies or listening to music while I waited my turn (meaning that he had heavy patronage). But that was not the best part. The guy would just not let me be; he would discuss all the topics that he believed would interest me while cutting the hair and I would never know it until he was done. He made the experience fun for me.

Never minding that his fee was more than that of others around, I still followed him to the other end of town when he relocated. So, why did I stop patronizing him? Well, I moved out of town. But then, anytime I was in that town, I always went to his shop.

The big question is this, why did he make such a great impression on me that he became emblazoned in my mind as the ultimate barber? He cared for his customers and went the extra mile. He was a great barber, but who cares? It was the experience behind the barbing that I would pay for any time any day.

Communication on different levels is very important to your success in life. The better you are at communicating, the more you will enjoy your relationship with people around you. Next week, we will consider two other areas in which you need to set your agenda this year.

Dr. Amodu lectures at the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

40

SOCIETY A dinner marking the 10th anniversary of Tusen Consulting has been held at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos. AMIDU ARIJE reports.

•Mr Johnson (right) and Mr Femi Adeyomoye

•Mrs Johnson and her husband Seyi

I

A celebration of gains

T was a motley gathering of business moguls, civil servants, clients and of course staff members of the Tusen Consulting Limited when the company marked its 10th year anniversary with a dinner.

The Panoramic View Hall of the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the event was filled to the brim.

Members of staff of the company stood out in their chosen orange and black attires. Some were in suits while others shone in shirt and trousers.

They looked cute.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Babatunde Johnson was clad in a well tailored suit. He moved from place to place to greet the guests with cheers and praises. He was accompanied by his Finance Director, Mrs Nike Osinibi.

The gathering was a three-in-one affair - to mark a decade of existence, appreciate the clients and to present the company’s new logo.

The band of Flaming Tips Musical Band led by Serah Onyeke was on stand, entertaining guests.

It was never a dull moment as his melodious songs kept the people turning their heads, some stood

to dance.

A comedian, Black Saint emceed the occasion.

He thrilled people with jokes and jaw breaking discussions. It was fun all day.

The rendition of the National Anthem by the members of staff of the Tusen Consulting kicked started the programme. This was followed by an opening prayer led by Mrs Osinibi.

Her prayer was followed with a speech by Mr Johnson.

He thanked everyone present with a special praise for the clients and staff for their resilience in moving the company forward.

“It is really a celebration of the last 10 years which have been blossoming for us; we are looking forward to the future in terms of further development and expansion of the company, we have a strategy to continue to grow even in the current economic challenges in our country, “ he said.

To him, the journey of the company has been a wonderful and successful one.

“It has been a wonderful journey because we have been privileged to work with fantastic people;

• Chairman/ Managing Director Mobil Oil Nigeria Ltd Mr Adetunji Oyebanji

•Mrs Osinibi

I am so proud of every one; I will just say we are blessed,” he said.

A 15-minute documentary was played. It narrated the journey of the company for the past years. The guests paid attention to the details of the documentary. The documentary was accorded applauds from the guests when it was concluded.

Mr Johnson was assisted by Mrs Osinibi and their clients from various companies to unveil the new logo.

They removed the satin clothes used to wrap the logo, after prayers was said, the logo was revealed to the admiration of all. They clapped and congratulated the company.

A well designed cake with the Tusen Consulting Company’s name and new logo with inscriptions of the company’s name and tenth year anniversary was cut afterwards.

All members of staff were on the stage to do the cutting.

Guests on the occasion included the Minister of Communications, Mrs Mobolaji Johnson, her husband, Mr Seyi; Mrs Adenike Pearce; Elaine Hall; Mr David Edwards; Mrs Kofo Awonga among others.

Guests were treated to delicious choice food and drinks.

After the closing prayer, guests stormed the dance floor and danced.

MUHARRAM GET-TOGETHER ORGANISED BY THE MUSLIM CONGRESS (TMC) AT TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE, LAGOS

•From right: Chief Executive Officer ATWAK Nigeria Limited Captain Tunde Adeoye; TMC Amir and Senior Lecturer, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Alhaji Luqman AbdurRaheem; Special Assistant to Voice of Nigeria (VON) Director-General Abu Umar Al-Faruq and TMC Secretary-General, AbdulWasiu Taiwo Bangbala

•Chief Missioner Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria Sheikh AbdurRahman Ahmad (left) and Imam, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation Ustadh Muhammad jamiu Trimidhi

•Executive Director Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation Alhaji Shuaib Abdullahi (left) and Chairman, Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Alhaji AbdulLateef AbdulHakeen

•From left: Mufti, Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO) ... and former TMC Amir (President) Alhaji AbdulGaniy Atitebi

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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POLITICS

Awoist in conservative camp Chief Ebenezer Babatope is a disciple of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. As he clocks 70 this week, EMMANUEL OLADESU and DADA ALADELOKUN take a look at the man and his journey through politics.

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BENEZER Babatope, Awoistturned conservative politician, is on the weighing scale as he turns 70 this week.

His political journey has provoked interest since he proclaimed himself as a student-socialist in the University of Lagos, Akoka, in the sixties. In that institution, he made name as the President of the Socialist Club and Welfare Officer of the Student Uinion.

His role model and mentor was the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the most principled and consistent progressive arrowhead, who groomed him in the Second Republic.

Babatope was a loyal disciple of the indomitable Awo. He continued on that path, until the ‘June 12’ crisis when ideologues and men of principle suddenly developed cold feet. He was among those who fought the military to a standstill.

Later, in a curious manner, he embraced the military and became a strange defender of the Head of State, the late General Sani Abacha.

When he changed his political gear, the perception of the people about him also changed. He summersaulted in the contradiction of the turbulent era, when politicians dumped purity and joined the bad company of notorious military apologists.

As he stands before the mirror of history, critics are bound to raise some critical questions. Is Ebino Topsy, as he is fondly called, a consistent progressive politician in the mould of Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Michael Koleoso, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Wumi Adegbonmire, who recently passed on? Has he not fallen into the same mistake or error of judgment for which he castigated the late Chief Akin Omoboriowo, Chief Sunday Afolabi and Chief Busari Adelakun in the eighties? Is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) his natural political habitat?

Ebino Topsy was a stunch disciple in the progressive vineyard of Awoism. However, latter-day Babatope, in the analyst’s view, may have mocked that rich political antecedent, which now underscores his contrasting personality as a devotee and a backslider.

In Ilesa, his Osun State country home, politicians of varied cadres, both old and new breed, will find another moment of grand re-union on Saturday when he celebrates his three scores and one decade of eventful sojourn on earth.

Analysts will also beam a searchlight on the journey so far. A thorough-bred politician, teacher, prolific writer, implacable activist and lawyer, Ebeno Topsy, rose to political fame as the indefatigable Director of Organisation of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). He was assisted by Mr. Ayo Opadokun, a journalist and lawyer.

A vocal and charismatic character, Babatope was the rallying point for the youths in the party. He was an outspoken mobiliser Babatope is from a deeply religious family. His father was a Methodist priest. Though he initially enrolled for his primary education at Iperu in Ijebu-Remo, in 1950, in 1957, he later secured admission into Ifaki Grammar School and completed his secondary education there. Though he had earlier enrolled at Elekuro Methodist School, Ibadan, he could not conclude his elementary studies there because his father was transfered to another town.

After a stint at the Lagos City Council as a clerk, he got admitted

•Babatope

into the Igbobi College, Yaba for his Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1964. Then, he was exposed to a re-orientation as he got married to social life in the city. But for the force of destiny, he once confessed, he “would have become a musician.”

He taught at the popular Igbogila Grammar School before he secured admission into the University of Lagos in 1966. There, the instinct of political activism in him crystalised as he joined other gifted writers to fight campus ‘despots.’ He became a full-fledged unionist and thorn in the flesh of campus ‘imperialists.’

Upon graduation, Babatope got invited by Jakande, the then Managing Director of the Nigerian Tribune Group of Newspapers, to come and work with him as a graduate journalist. He proved his mettle and thus, carved a niche for himself through diligence. By his employment, he became the first graduate to be so employed by the newspaper. He rose to become the Lagos City Editor of the paper. He was based in Ibadan.

Prior to his graduation from the university in June 1969, Babatope’s ‘Socialist Club’ organised the 60th birthday of the late Awolowo. It was on March 6, 1969. The late Chief Bola Ige was guest lecturer. Alhaji Lateef Jakande chaired the occasion.

But in 1970, he dumped journalism and took to teaching at the famous Birch Freeman High School Surulere, Lagos.

In the mid-seventies, when he was the Students Affairs Officer at the University of Lagos, Babatope seemed to be in hibernation as an activist as he found it a herculean task expressing his burning pro-

‘In 1998/99, when the former minister signalled his intention to return to Afenifere, like a rain-beaten chicken, the unforgiving Yoruba leaders effectively shut the doors against him.

His admirers were yet to recover from the shock of his backsliding under the military regime when he joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which, by its character, is a conservative fold’

gressive ideas and ideals beyond the confines of the academic environment.

What appeared to be his journey, though harrowing, to political limelight came when he was thrown into jail by the General Yakubu Gowonled regime, owing to his “offensive” write-ups in a campus magazine.

He was sent parking from the university by the Obasanjo Administration.

When he became the UPN Director of Organisation, he endowed his office with visibility. He worked hand-in-band with the late Chief MCK Ajuluchukwu, the party’s Director of Reseach and Publicity. He represented his leader at various functions, owing to the confidence he reposed in him.

Following the military intervention in 1983, Babatope was hounded into jail by the Buhari Administration. He spent 20 months in the custody. When he was released, Awo advised him to go abroad to study Law. He wrote from the university to inform Awo that law was very hard. His leader encouraged him to persevere.

When General Obasanjo released his controversial book, ‘Not my will’, in which he made some remarks about Awo, which Babatope considered to be uncomplementary, he wrote a book, ‘Not his will’, to put the records straight. The depiction recently of Awolowo by the literary giant, Prof. Chinua Achebe, as a man driven by an inordinate ambition for power at the expense of the Ibos in the civil war days, did not go down well with Babatope.

Responding, he described Achebe’s view as “nonsensical and a twist of facts.”

However, Babatope confounded his followers when he pitched his tent with the inglorious regime of the late Abacha. He was appointed Minister of Transport. He and Alhaji Jakande, who served as the Minister of Works and Housing, had often defended his nomination, saying that the symbol of the ‘June 12’ struggle, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, encouraged them to team up with Abacha. When the panYoruba socio-political group, Afenifere asked him to resign as a minister, he turned a deaf ear. Later, he was removed as minister by Abacha.

In 1998/99, when the former minister signalled his intention to return to Afenifere, like a rain-beaten chicken, the unforgiving Yoruba leaders effectively shut the doors against him. His admirers were yet to recover from the shock of his backsliding under the military regime when he joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which, by its character, is a conservative fold.

For him, it was a moment of emotional wrenching. In the PDP, he fired salvos at his colleagues in the progresive camp. His ambition to go to the Senate hit the rock. PDP also became an embarrassment to his region of birth, owing to the party’s poor performance at the federal and state levels. Many observers believe that Babatope shares in the blame for the rot.

Last year, his political career was sealed at the PDP national congress.

Babatope had joined the race for the secretaryship. When the table turned against him, over-zealous reporters exaggerated his plight by reporting that he wept openly at the convention. But he denied it, saying that he only kicked against the violation of convention guidelines.

In 2005, the PDP federal government conferred on him a national award, the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

House of Representatives member Rotimi Makinde (Ife Federal Constituency told reporters in Lagos that the House will consider the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) on its merit. He also said that Osun State will remain the stronghold of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE was there.

‘Osun State has made progress under Aregbesola’

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HAT are the major priorities of the House of Representatives this year?

The House of Representatives has several tasks ahead. It intends to demystify governance and give the masses a feel of what service delivery is. We are definitely going to continue along the path of what we did last year and also improve on it, in terms of making laws that will better the lots of Nigerians. We will work with other arms of government to bring the challenges staring the nation in the face to a halt and perform other legislative duties.

The Petroleum Industry Bill has generated controversy. Can it be passed objectively into law?

I am a member of the ad-hoc committee that was mandated by the House to peruse the bill and I can assure Nigerians that objectivity, fairness and professionalism are our core values in the various deliberations on the matter. The petroleum sector is the key driver of our economy and making appropriate, feasible laws for the sector is the desire of the National Assembly.

Governorship election will take place in Osun State next year. Do you think Governor Rauf Aregbesola will earn the votes of Osun people for a second term in office?

Thank you for that question. First and foremost, the basic duty of any responsible government is to provide a peaceful and stable environment for development to thrive. This is the first thing that Aregbesola achieved for us in Osun state which is monumental. During the era of the impostors from the PDP, there was a serious security challenge in this state. Our people were living on the edge; thugs were at every nooks and crannies of this state. Our traditional rulers were living in apprehension. That was the pathetic state of things before Aregbesola came to office. Today, I can tell you authoritatively that one of the safest states in this country is Osun State. Today, people walk freely both in the day and night on the streets of Osun State without any form of harassment, intimidation or fear.

Let me give you an insight to what the governor did to keep the state secure aside the usual support for security agencies. The strong bond between the governor and the people of Osun State is a pointer in the six point integral action plan manifesto which serves as covenant between them. The most interesting thing is that these action plans are in concrete

terms, people can relate with them.

Unlike the years of PDP maggots, they are seeing these things practically and real. Look at the process of generating employment for our teeming youths who were being used as political thugs in the past.

Through the initiative of this governor, Osun State Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) has taken these youths off the streets and they are gainfully employed, becoming responsible to their families and the society. This is one of the strategies that restored sanity, communal peace and relief to Osun State. I know that my people will never return to the Egypt of PDP, not for anything. As we speak, I have it on authority that some governors are eager to learn how Ogbeni was able to fulfil his promise of engaging 20,000 youths in his 100 days in office, most especially in a state like Osun without robust purse. Not few doubted the realisation of such during the campaigns but today this has being done and it is not media creation, the people are there flesh and blood. I can tell you authoritatively that there is no town, no community that at least not one road work or the other is not ongoing right now. Massive road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance are on-going in the state and these are matters of facts. Look at education and see the various dynamism that are being injected from infrastructure, personnel, curriculum, and welfare and even on the students themselves. He recently engaged about 10,000 teachers into the teaching service. The daily feeding of the pupils with nutritious meal and the free uniform to students is nothing but an auspicious, bold achievement of a governor that overcame all odds to serve his people.

•Makinde

Senator calls for national conference

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ENATOR Ayo Adeseun (Oyo Central) has called on Nigerians to see the Sovereign National Conference as the panacea to the problems facing the country.

The lawmaker, who spoke at the 47th memorial lecture of Late Samuel Ladoke Akintola held at Akintola Villa, Ogbomoso, said the conference will provide opportunity for the ventilation of grievances.

Senator Adeseun maintained that there is urgent need for Sovereign National Conference so that the country can practice true federalism as envisaged by the First Republic leaders, includingTafawa Balewa, Nnamidi Azikwe, Samuel Akintola, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He also called for unity among the Yoruba traditional leaders, saying that it is the only way the region can move forward.

He said: “It is the high time Nigerians convened a Sovereign National Conference for the goodness of the

By Jeremiah Oke

sacrifices made by our first republic leaders like Baba Akintola, Nnamidi Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Amadu Bello and many others, who in the First Republic promoted national unity.

“This is very urgent because aggrieved Nigerians, either from the West, East or Northern Nigeria, will be able to say their mind and the federal government will be able to address it.

“I also want to advise our traditional leaders in the Southwest to see the unity of the region as the only way to move the region to the next level”.

In his own contribution, the National Leader of the Accord Party, Senator Rasidi Ladoja said Nigerians need to work for unity of the country.

He said Nigerians should de-emphasize issues that divide the country and celebrate issues that cement national unity.

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

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COMMENTARY

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HO shares his life’s pure pleasure and works the honest road; who trades with heaping measure and lifts his brother’s load; who turns the wrong down bluntly and lends the right a hand; he dwells in God’s own country and tills the holy land.”

Louis F. Benson No man in history has ever been as fitting to the above poetic description as Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the undisputable greatest man who ever lived. His legacy is the solid foundation upon which the contemporary civilisation is built. But despite the vivid visibility of that legacy it remains invisible to many eyes that are alien to Islam. Thus, the Prophet’s legacy is like the beaming sun which no blind can see and no seeing eyes can perceive in its natural nakedness. Yet, both the blind and the seeing feel the burning effect of the sun ‘Willy nilly’ even as it photosynthesises the plants around them.

This article is not meant to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for which yesterday was declared a public holiday in Nigeria.

As far as ‘The Message’ is concerned, what is to be celebrated about this great Prophet is by far much more than his birthday. His achievements clearly transcend his birth.

Thus, there is no need wasting time on his birthday here.

From the creation of Adam, the first human being, till date, no man’s biography has been so much written and read as that of Muhammad (SAW) the son of Abdullah and Aminah. This man’s biography has been written from all perspectives, positive and negative, by various men and women of diverse races, tribes, ideologies and religions in the past 1444 years or there about. And the biography is still being written and re-written authoritatively and unauthoritatively, today, in uncountable languages.

Through the writings of the Prophet’s biography, some people have zoomed into un-dream-able fame. Others have sunk into the abyss of a permanent oblivion. But virtually all the writers have benefitted from their writings directly or indirectly in coins and in kind. No other Prophet’s biography has attracted as many writers from believers and non-believers, from friends and foes alike as that of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Every aspect of this Prophet’s life including the dresses he wore, the food he ate, the way he spoke, the wives he married, the children he bore, and the wars he fought, has formed the basis of his biography. In short, next to the Qur’an, no book is as much read daily in the world today as the biography of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in one form or another. But there is a vital question: why is global focus so much on this unlettered Prophet from Arabia?

The answer to this question is not farfetched. The world has not produced any other personality like him. And it will not.

He is the seal of all Prophets and the epitome of human exemplariness. In him alone are found all the traits of what a perfect gentleman should be in all ramifications.

If Prophet Muhammad had not been an orphan, he would not have been able to guide humanity on how orphans should be treated especially with regards to inheritance. If he had not been a husband, his marital life would not have been an excellent example for others to emulate and women’s rights would have been permanently ignored. If he had not been a widower the world would not have realised the plight of widows and learnt how to provide for them. If he had not been a father, the proper care for children by parents would have been relegated to the background in Islamic doctrine. If he had not been trustworthy, the value of trust would have been totally lost on mankind.

His migration from Makkah to Madinah paved way for the culture of hospitality universally imbibed today and the wars he was forced to fight engendered the law of war, armistice and peace. Without the conquests he achieved, the word magnanimity would not have found a place in the dictionary of man and if he had not suffered defeat in war, the vanquished would not have learnt the act of gallantry. If the Prophet had not been a judge, the virtue of justice would have been globally thrown to the winds and survival in all societies would have been for the fittest.

If he had not being a democratic ruler, the relationship between the ruled and their rulers, all over the world, today, would not have been dissimilar from that of slaves and their masters and dictatorship in governance would have known no bounds. If Prophet had not been poor despite being a

FEMI ABBAS ON Femabbas@yahoo.com 08122697498

An orphan’s legacy Head of State, the policy of social welfare adopted in civilised societies today in favour of the poor, would not have been possible. If he had not been an illiterate, the world would not have known the difference between literacy and education. And, if, despite all these qualities in him, he had not been humble and affable, arrogance would have been the main character of all privileged people in the world today.

Who else can be compared to this man in history? And, in which any other single person have all the aforementioned qualities ever been found in history? There can be little wonder then why so much attention was and is still being focused on the personality of this extra-ordinary human being. That is Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for you, the like of whom the world has never seen and will never see again. If this man is celebrated anywhere in the world, anytime, therefore, it is definitely not because he was born. His achievements transcend his birth.

But for him, the world would have remained in the dungeon of ignorance and primitivism and humanity would have remained at the level of crude beasts. It was he who brought back the manual of life to mankind after it had been lost in the search for sheer vanity. Manual of life is the divine instruction which came gradually from Allah to mankind according to the growth rate of human intellect. But such manual is not peculiar to man alone. All other organisms have their own instructions from Allah which in a way constitute their own manuals of life.

However, due to the intellectual superiority of man, the various divine instructions to other organisms were incorporated into man’s own manual of life. This is to enable man understand the complexity of his environment vis a vis the essence of his own existence and thereby act effectively as Allah’s vicegerent on earth. Although because of the differences in times and methods, Allah’s message is perceived differently, the fact remains that the message is only one coming from only one and same God. This message is the ‘RIGHT PATH’ to salvation which came to mankind after several millennia of wondering in the wilderness of ignorance and vainglory. And the man, Muhammad (SAW), through whom that message reached us is the ‘PATH FINDER’. There are many attestations to this. For instance, after many years of scientific experimentations, a Germanborn American physicist and Nobel Laureate, Albert Einstein, the inventor of atomic bomb who is generally known as the 20th century creator of special and general theory of relativity, compared his works with the contents of the Qur’an and concluded as follows: “Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind”.

He then called on fellow scientists to endeavour to read the Qur’an without bias in order to know the true origin of science in human life.

And as if responding to Einstein’s call, Professor Tagatat Tajasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific sign accurately mentioned in the Qur’an. He had spent a great amount of his time, as a Professor, in search of pain receptor. When his attention was drawn to the Qur’an, he did not believe initially that such a highly sophisticated aspect of science could have been mentioned over 1,400 years ago. But when he confirmed it by himself in the translation of the Qur’an, he became so much impressed that he purposely attended the 8th Saudi Medical Conference held in Riyadh where he publicly embraced Islam.

Another leading scientist, Professor Marshall Johnson, the Head of the Department of Anatomy a Director of Daniel Insti-

tute at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, USA, was asked to comment on the verses of the Qur’an dealing with embryology. In response, he said it was probable that for Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to have given such vivid description of foetus, he must have had a powerful microscope.

But when he was reminded that the Qur’an was revealed over 1400 years ago and that the invention of microscope took place only a couple of centuries ago Professor Johnson laughed and made the following remark: “I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that Divine intervention was involved when Muhammad recited the Qur’an….”.

Yet another Embryologist, Professor Keith Moore of the Department of Anatomy, University of Toronto, Canada, after carefully examining the translation of the Qur’anic verses presented to him admitted thus: “most of the information concerning embryology mentioned in the Qur’an is in perfect conformity with modern discoveries in the field of embryology and does not conflict with them in any way”.

Professor Moore had no prior knowledge of anything leechlike about embryo until he read chapter 96 of the Qur’an where Allah says “Read! In the name of your Lord Who created. He created man out of a leechlike clot…” He then went to verify this fact in an embryo under a powerful microscope and compared his observation with a diagram of a leech. He was astonished at the resemblance of the two. That prompted him to go fully into studying the Qur’an and Hadith to acquire more knowledge until he was able to answer about 80 hitherto unanswered questions in that field.

That prompted him to correct the contents of his book ‘The Developing Human’ which he published earlier and he re-published it in 1982. It was with that revised edition that he became the recipient of an award for the best medical book written by a single author in the 20th century. That book has been translated into many major languages of the world and is mostly used as textbook of embryology today in the first year of medical studies in various Universities in the world.

Yet, despite talking about all sciences, the Qur’an is not a book of Sciences but that of ‘Signs’. Those ‘Signs’ invite man to realise the purpose of his existence on earth and live in harmony with nature.

Judging the above verses of the Qur’an revealed over 1400 years ago with the wonderful reality of scientific civilisation of today what further proof does anybody need of the genuineness of the Qur’an? And who else can give better guidance than the Supreme Creator Himself? And who else can be better called the ‘PATH FINDER’ than Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who showed humanity the way to that all time guidance?

Perhaps, this was why Michael Hart, a Jewish American Astrophysicist, named Prophet Muhammad the greatest man that ever lived in his famous book entitled ‘The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History’.

If all the descriptions given above about Prophet Muhammad (SAW) sound exaggerated because they are given by Femi Abbas, a Muslim and an ardent follower of that Prophet, and if Michael Hart is seen as crazy in his judgment let us read the views and impressions of some other non-Muslims about this great Prophet. One of them (Alphonse de Lamartine of France) had the following to say in his book ‘Histoire de la Torque’: “Never has a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more sublime aim since this aim was superhuman; to subvert superstitions which had been interposed between man and his Creator; to render God unto man and man unto God; to restore ra-

tional and sacred idea of divinity amidst the chaos of the material and disfigured gods of idolatry, then existing.

Never has a man undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he (Muhammad) had in the conception as well as in the execution of such a great design no other instrument than himself, and no other, except a handful of men living in a corner of a desert…. If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled before their very eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls.

On the basis of a book, every letter of which has become law, he created a spiritual nationality which blended together peoples of every tongue and of every race…..As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured we may well ask, is there any man in human history greater than Muhammad?”

On his own, Napoleon Bonaparte, the great 18th century French conqueror of Europe was so much amazed by the traits of Islam which he saw in Egypt during his military expeditions that he made the following historic statement about that divine religion and its great Prophet: “Muhammad, in reality, was a great leader of mankind. He preached UNITY among Arabs who were, till then, torn asunder due to internecine quarrels, sometimes resulting in bloody war fares. He brought them out of the obscure world in a short time and the discipline which they maintained under his leadership was simply marvellous, and so was their bravery, courage and devotion to the cause which they loved and cherished. This, coupled with the contempt for death, as taught by their leader, made them great soldiers and fighters like of whom history rarely produces. I simply marvel at the achievements of this great ‘Son of the Desert’ within a mere period of less than 15 years; a thing which Moses and Christ could not do in 15 centuries. I salute this great man; I salute his qualities of Head and Heart….”

And, in corroboration of the above statements, variously made by renowned men of letters and intellect, another foremost Orientalist, playwright and dramatist, George Bernard Shaw, had the following to say about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in his book ‘The genuine Islam’ (vol.

1 No 8 of 1936): “The Christians and their missionaries have presented a horrible picture of Islam. Not only that, they also carried out an organised and planned propaganda against the personality of Prophet Mohammad and the religion he preached. I have carefully studied Islam and the life of its Prophet. I have done so both as a student of history and as a critic. And I have come to the conclusion that Mohammad was indeed a great man and a deliverer and benefactor of mankind which was till then writhing under a most agonizing pain. I have always held Islam in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing face of existence which can make it appealing to every age. I have studied him-the wonderful man and in my opinion, far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the saviour of humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness.

I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today”.

For confirmation of Bernard Shaw’s remark quoted above, see ‘The Genuine Islam, vol. 1, No. 8, 1936.

These are just some of the facts that make an orphan and unlettered Prophet, Muhammad (SAW), the greatest human being that ever lived on earth. None of the attestations above made any reference to his birth or birthday because they knew that his birth had nothing to do with his achievements. If non-Muslims could go as far as shown above to benefit from the greatness of Prophet Muhammad’s mission on earth what is expected of Muslims for whom that mission is primarily meant?

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

EQUITIES NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 23-1-13

Equities’ index hits four-year high •Investors gain N148b

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HE main index at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the All-ShareIndex (ASI), opens today at a four-year high just as the market capitalisation of all quoted equities rallied to N10 trillion.

The ASI crossed 31,000 points to close Wednesday at 31,446.22 points, a fraction of point to the 31,446.96 points posted on December 30th, 2008.

Gains by highly capitalised stocks including Dangote Cement, Nigerian Breweries and Nestle supported the generally bullish market situation to mitigate adverse impact of profit-taking transactions on several stocks.

Dangote Cement recorded a second day five per cent maximum price gain on Wednesday. This significantly boosted market indicators especially the key indicators.

By Tonia Osundolire

With a ratio of nearly two advancers for every decliner, average return at the NSE gathered 1.49 per cent, implying addition of N147.90 billion to push ASI and market value to 31,446.22 points and N10.06 trillion respectively.

Volume of shares transacted shored up to 797.793 million valued at N5.125 billion in 6,974 deals, compared to 554.68 million shares worth N4.10 billion exchanged in 7,561 deals on Tuesday. Volume and value grew by 43.92 per cent and 10.96 per cent.

The financial services sector which led the activities chart traded 524.421 million shares. Unity Bank, held steady in spite of a deluge of offers during the session, trading over 233 million units, it still finished with a 10.0 per cent mark-up.

Similarly Wema Bank booked a further 4.6 per cent gain closing with unfilled demand in excess of 45 million that could lead to further gains today. Profit taking however trimmed off a further 3.1 per cent and 3.7 per cent from Sterling Bank and Diamond Bank.

Despite the high positive performances recorded by some stocks in the Industrial Goods sub-sector, the sector was able to occupy the sixth position in the top eight most active sectors. Dangote Cement hit the N150.00 mark on Wednesday, bagging 3.4 per cent. However closing sentiments suggests that this trend could change as demand had thinned out significantly at the close of the session.

CCNN also closed on the up-tick booking a further 4.9 per cent yesterday while Ashaka Cement advanced with a 1.0 per cent mark-up.

Lafarge Wapco however lost a further 0.4 per cent.

The Oil & Gas sector was in the fifth position on the activities table. Oando dropped 9.8 per cent with selling pressure likely to lead to further losses in coming sessions. On the flip side Forte Oil and Eterna Oil closed on the up-tick with gains of 4.9 per cent each.

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE DAILY SUMMARY AS AT 23-1-13

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THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

MONEY LINK

RenCap laments Ecobank’s low capital adequacy ratio

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ENAISSANCE Capital (RenCap) has described the 16 per cent Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of Ecobank Nigeria as low when compared with its peers in the Nigerian financial sector. The bank’s CAR is one per cent above 15 per cent benchmark stipulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade and Exchange Policy Guidelines for 2012 to 2013.

As at September 2012, the Ecobank Group had a capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 19 per cent with Tier one CAR at 14 per cent even as shareholders have expressed concerns over the ongoing capital raising programmes, which have diluted their holdings without any improvement in returns.

“The minimum ratio of

•Poor returns worry shareholders Stories by Collins Nweze

capital to total risk-weighted assets shall remain at 10 per cent for regional and national banks, while it shall be 15 per cent for international banks,” the CBN guidelines said, advising lenders to maintain a higher level of capital commensurate with their risk profile.

RenCap, an investment and research firm, said Ecobank Nigeria’s CAR of 16 per cent is low compared with its peers while Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire CAR of nine per cent is close to the minimum requirement of eight per cent, last September.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) last week held a two-day capital mar-

kets event in Ghana and Togo which improved RenCap team’s understanding of the business and provided the opportunity to interact with senior management.

According to RenCap, after years of expansionary growth, ETI is moving towards a consolidation phase but its plan to complete entry into Ethiopia, Mozambique, South Sudan, Angola and Madagascar means the expansion phase is not completely over. This, it said, will have implications for the cost base, but ultimately strengthen the East and Southern African clusters, which, are currently operating below their optimum scale. It said cost was a key focus area for both manage-

ment and the investor community.

According to the research firm, the bank will record 15 per cent increase in revenue in 2013, with cost growth at around half the pace of revenue growth. But the revenue target, it added, is more conservative than its current forecasts, which see the costincome ratio (CIR) falling below 60 per cent by 2014.

However, based on Oceanic Bank acquisition and related one-off costs associated with right-sizing the cost base, RenCap had assumed an absolute reduction in the Group’s operating costs this year, compared to last year.

“Our understanding at first half 2012 was that $75 million of one-off costs had been

incurred at that point, with an extra $7 million to come through in second half 2012, making a total of $82 million.

However, the one-off portion of these costs is considerably lower,” it said.

RenCap had included oneoff income of $200 million in its 2012 forecasts, on the back of disposals of Oceanic Bank’s non-core assets that included insurance businesses and shares in other Nigerian and regional businesses. However, current thinking is that these disposals are likely to take longer to complete. “With the exception of the disposal of the life insurance business, which is awaiting regulatory approval, none of the other disposals seems likely in the near term in our view, as Ecobank’s management believes it

Stakeholders fault CBN’s new deposit limit guidelines

S

TAKEHOLDERS yesterday, kicked against the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy which sets new deposit limit for all categories of account holders and introduced a three-tier Know Your Customer (KYC) requirement for banks.

Former Executive Director, Bank PHB, Richard Obire, said the policy amounts to over regulation. He said the policy will not help financial inclusion as claimed by the regulator. He urged the CBN to provide further guidelines on how the banks will establish

the account categories operationally.

Obire, wondered how the apex bank will monitor all the individual account holders to determine which category they belong and decide when the thresholds are breached.

He wondered whether the CBN considered the possibility of financial growth by account holders, which could make them to abandon a particular account category when their income levels exceed the threshold.

“If the CBN is advocating financial inclusion and now

places limits on how much one should keep in the bank, where will the rest of the money be kept, or does one have to start saving at home?” he queried.

Obire said the policy is an undue intrusion into the freedom of individuals to own and run bank accounts.

An Economist and industrialist, Henry Boyo, described the policy as a contradiction of the e-payment policy of the apex bank. He said there is a contradiction between what the CBN is saying about Nigeria’s payment system,

and the needs of the people.

He said the policy will further push the people away from the banks, leaving them with the option of keeping their money at home, adding that for as long as fewer people are allowed to use the banks; they will not have enough money to lend to the real sector.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency, Jones Chukwudi Onyereri, told The Nation that the CBN is yet to brief the House on the policy. He said the House

FGN BONDS Amount N

Rate %

M/Date

3-Year 5-Year 5-Year

35m 35m 35m

11.039 12.23 13.19

19-05-2014 18-05-2016 19-05-2016

Amount Amount Offered ($) Demanded ($) 350m 150m 350m 138m 350m 113m

Price Loss 2754.67 447.80

INTERBANK RATES 7.9-10% 10-11%

PRIMARY MARKET AUCTION (T-BILLS) Tenor 91-Day 182-Day 1-Year

Amount 30m 46.7m 50m

Rate % 10.96 9.62 12.34

Date 28-04-2012 “ 14-04-2012

GAINERS AS AT 23-1-13

SYMBOL UNITYBNK JBERGER PRESCO UACN AIICO CCNN BOCGAS FO ETERNA HONYFLOUR

O/PRICE 0.60 42.59 23.60 47.25 0.75 8.85 6.24 12.52 3.64 2.71

C/PRICE 0.66 46.84 25.50 50.00 0.79 9.29 6.55 13.14 3.82 2.84

CHANGE 0.06 4.25 1.90 2.75 0.04 0.44 0.31 0.62 0.18 0.13

OANDO AIRSERVICE TRANSCORP UPL VITAFOAM JOHNHOLT CONTINSURE UBCAP NEIMETH NPFMCRFBK

O/PRICE 15.97 5.90 1.10 4.80 4.10 2.07 0.90 1.14 1.02 1.03

C/PRICE 14.40 5.50 1.04 4.56 3.90 1.97 0.86 1.09 0.98 0.99

NGN USD NGN GBP NGN EUR NIGERIA INTER BANK (S/N) (S/N) Bureau de Change (S/N) Parallel Market

Current Before

Exchange Rate (N) 155.2 155.8 155.7

C u r r e n t CUV Start After %

147.6000 239.4810 212.4997

149.7100 244.0123 207.9023

150.7100 245.6422 209.2910

-2.11 -2.57 -1.51

149.7450

154.0000

154.3000

-3.04

152.0000

153.0000

155.5000

-2.30

153.0000

154.0000

156.0000

-1.96

DISCOUNT WINDOW Feb. ’11

July ’11

July ’12

MPR

6.50%

6.50%

12%

Standing Lending Rate ,, Deposit Rate ,, Liquidity Ratio Cash Return Rate Inflation Rate

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 1.00% 12.10%

8.50% 4.50% 25.00% 2.00% 12.10%

9.50% 5.50% 30.00% 2.00% 11.8%

Date 2-7-12 27-6-12 22-6-12

7 Days 30 Days 60 Days 150 Days

27-10-11 N6.5236tr 20,607.37

28-10-11 N6.617tr 20,903.16

Rate (Previous) 4 Mar, 2012 9.0417 9.6667 11.2917 12.1250

% Change -1.44% -1.44%

MEMORANDUM QUOTATIONS

ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH KAKAWA GUARANTEED STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL BGL SAPPHIRE FUND BGL NUBIAN FUND FBN MONEY MARKET FUND FBN FIXED INCOME FUND NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL DEB. PARAMOUNT EQUITY FUND CONTINENTAL UNIT TRUST CENTRE-POINT UNIT TRUST STANBIC IBTC NIG EQUITY • ARM AGGRESSIVE

Offer Price

Bid Price

9.17 1.00 137.16 139.93 0.80 1.13 0.96 100.00 1,000.00 1,782.25 13.64 1.39 1.87 10,129.50

9.08 1.00 136.77 139.81 0.78 1.13 0.94 100.00 1,000.00 1,781.21 12.97 1.33 1.80 9,839.01

• KAKAWA GUARANTEED • STANBIC IBTC GUARANTE • AFRINVEST W.A. EQUITY FUND

NIBOR Tenor

NSE CAP Index

Name

CHANGE 1.57 0.40 0.06 0.24 0.20 0.10 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.04

Amount Sold ($) 150m 138m 113m

CAPITAL MARKET INDEX Year Start Offer

LOSERS AS AT 23-1-13

SYMBOL

T

HE lack of basic infrastructure in Africa is hampering investments by companies such as SABMiller Plc and Bharti Airtel Ltd, chairmen told Bloomberg.

“Heroic endeavours” are often required in remote parts of Africa to move products to markets or across borders, SABMiller’s Graham Mackay, who is also chief executive officer, said yesterday at a panel discussing risks on the continent at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “On balance, the infrastructure deficit is widening rather than narrowing.”

EXHANGE RATE 6-03-12 Currency

OBB Rate Call Rate

‘Africa infrastructure deficit widening’

WHOLESALE DUTCH AUCTION SYSTEM

MANAGED FUNDS

NIDF NESF

could extract better value over time from these assets, which we view positively.

The downside is the $200 million would have been a welcome fillip to the capital base, especially in key markets such as Nigeria,” it said.

DATA BANK

Tenor

Initial Current Quotation Price Market N8250.00 5495.33 N1000.00 N552.20

will respond accordingly when all the issues relating to the policy become clearer.

However, CBN spokesman, Ugochukwu Okoroafor, said the Central Bank has only lowered the KYC requirement to allow the unbaked access to the financial system.

He said the regulator is interested in bringing small savers into the financial sector in line with its financial inclusion policy.

He said the CBN is not over regulating the financial sector as claimed by some stakeholders.

• CEO Ecobank Nigeria, Jibril Aku

Rate (Currency) 6, Mar, 2012 10.17% 11.46% 11.96% 12.54%

Movement

OPEN BUY BACK

Bank P/Court

Previous 04 July, 2012

Current 07, Aug, 2012

8.5000 8.0833

8.5000 8.0833

Movement

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NEWS Lawyer hails IGP on free bail From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

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LAWYER, Mr. Ikenna Ekwerekwu, has hailed the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, for making bail free.

The lawyer addressed reporters in Onitsha, Anambra State, after witnessing the implementation of the IGP’s directive.

He noted that the action of a police team from Abuja in a case of threat to life levelled against his clients by Arthur Ezenwekwe was quite commendable.

Ekwerekwu urged President Goodluck Jonathan to recommend the police chief for an award, adding that it was during his time that the police are undergoing reformation.

He said: “On January 19, I witnessed, for the first time, where police maintained that a suspect be granted bail without parting with a kobo. The officers from the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit told my clients that they were already being paid for from the tax payers’ money.”

PUBLIC NOTICE

IDRIS ABDULAHI GUNI CWAY Nigeria Drinking Water Science & Tech. Co. Ltd is notifying all her clients and customers that the above named person is no longer a marketing staff of CWAY. Anyone who does business with him on behalf of the company, does so at his/her own risk.

Signed: MANAGEMENT

Anambra community urges probe of leader’s death T HE assassination of Chief Bernard Mozie, a former chairman of Ububa Nkpor community, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, is generating tension in the community.

Various stakeholders - including the council chairman, Chief Ralph Nnabuife; a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Nkpor Agenda; and the Ububa community - are asking the police

From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

to produce the killers.

Nnabuife urged the police to intensify their investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the assassination of the late Mozie in his home in Ububa.

The chairman of Nkpor

Agenda, Mr. Christopher Ogham, advised the police to ensure a thorough investigation to apprehend the perpetrators.

Ogham noted that to prevent a recurrence, the bereaved family, in conjunction with the community, have started what he called overt and covert consultations.

Mozie was killed in his home at Nkpor few days before the alleged killed of a journalist, Ikechukwu Udendu, the Editor of Anambra News, in the same community.

The Ogidi Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Mr. Kanayo Uzuegbu said the matter has been transferred to the State Investigation and Intelligent Bureau (SIIB), Awka, the state capital, for further investigation.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo: Elders’ council meets to resolve crisis

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HE Elders’ Council of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, may meet today in Awka, the Anambra State capital, to resolve the leadership crisis rocking the association.

The council, which is cochaired by Champion publisher Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, and former PresidentGeneral of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Justice Eze Ozobu (rtd), said it is wading into the matter to save the organisation from the crisis and to reposition it to render good leadership to Ndigbo.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo is facing a

LOSS OF DOCUMENT Land agrement registered as 96/ 96/2239 dated 27th May 2009 covering two plots of land together with semi detached two(2) bedroom flats located at Igbo Elerin, Iba, Lagos state belonging to Mrs Scholastica Nkiruka Iwu is missing since April 2012.If found please contact 08022230378 08023223818

leadership crisis following the election of Chief Garry Igariwey-led executive.

In a telephone interview with The Nation, a chieftain of the association, Mr. Emma Okocha, described what is happening to the association as a collision of ideas, which he said would soon fizzle out.

Okocha noted that other socio-cultural organisations, such as Afenifere, Arewa and the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), had suffered similar crises and survived them.

According to him, Ohanaeze Ndigbo would soon overcome its challenges.

Okocha said in a typical Igbo setting, leadership is earned; people are begged and drafted into leadership positions because of their contributions to the development of the society.

He said: “The current schemings, schisms and manoeuvrings in Ohanaeze Ndigbo are typical of partisan politics of the political parties and

Youths caution Igbo leaders From Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Nnewi

IGBO youths, under the aegis of Association of Igbo Youths (AIYO), have condemned the intrigues, which led to the fallout of the election of a new leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

The youths said they would soon convene a summit where Igbo future leaders would assent to the establishment of an umbrella body to be known as the Movement for the Survival of Igbo People (MOSIP).

The planned group, AIYO said, would unite Igbo youths to offer their best for the ethnic nationality.

In a communiqué issued yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra State, after their emergency executive meeting, Secretary of the Anambra State chapter George Onyisi said AIYO was surprised that an election, which involved the Igbo, could not be performed with one spirit, love and brotherhood.

By John Austin Unachukwu

is alien to the Igbo system of choosing their leaders.”

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo chieftain warned against harmonising the different factions in the current peace moves into one.

Okocha said: “There is no harmonisation between Jews

and Gentiles, because each of them has its own distinctive features. We look forward to the meeting with great expectations and we assure our people that our leaders are competent and capable of resolving these challenges. They are obviously men of proven leadership integrity.”

Imo community leader demands N200m from police for ‘illegal detention’

A

COMMUNITY leader in Imo State, Jeff Ikenga Eze, has asked the police to pay him N200 million as compensation for his alleged illegal detention over a kidnap allegation.

His lawyer, Emeka Obegolu, said Eze was arrested on January 1 by officers from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and detained in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

He said the police accused him of involvement in the kidnap and murder of a member of the community’s Eze-inCouncil, Deacon Oliver Ononaku.

In a letter to the FCT Police Commissioner, the lawyer called for his client’s immediate release.

He also demanded a letter of apology, which he said should be signed by the officer in charge of the Abuja SARS “for the unlawful treatment,

By Joseph Jibueze

extra-constitutional detention and torture of our client in the hands of the men under his control”.

Obegolu asked for N200 million as compensation for the breach of Eze’s fundamental human rights and a release of his seized Toyota Prado Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

The lawyer alleged that Eze, was being victimised by the President-General of EziMgbidi Autonomous Community, Imo State, for “offending some powerful interests” in the town.

The petition reads: “During the pendency of the detention of our client and continued investigation by the police, the kidnappers were arrested and they made useful statements to the police, which led to the arrest of their sponsor and location of the burial place. These confessed kidnappers never mentioned our client and nev-

er knew our client before their arrest.

“In the light of the fruitful investigation and confession state above, our client applied, yet again, for bail but the officers refused him bail and insisted that he must be taken to Abuja. Our client has continued to be in detention in Abuja without bail and access to his family and associates.

“We worry that the Nigeria Police, through the officers mandated to carry out this investigation, has flagrantly breached the fundamental Human Rights of our client and in continuing breach of same.

Unless they are restrained by higher authorities, they will continue in this disdain for our.

“The Police Force envisioned by the Inspector-General of Police in his public statements and official conducts is one that places priority on the observance of rule of law and respect for the rights of the citizens.”

We planned to make Kwara aviation hub, says Saraki

F

ORMER Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki has said his administration planned to make the state an aviation hub following deep and methodic thoughts.

Saraki is the senator representing Kwara Central at the National Assembly.

He said: “The vision to make the state an aviation hub was not an overnight thing but a product of deep thinking on how to move the state out of a docile public sector-driven state to a private sector-driven state.”

Saraki explained that his eight years administration

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

made a deliberate effort to make the state a one-stop aviation destination in Nigeria.

In a statement by his media aide, Akintoba Fatigun, the senator said: “It was when I was bouncing ideas around on the state’s potentials that the vision came up, that Kwara can be an alternate international cargo airport to Lagos and serve the North.

“That’s why immediately I assumed office, I awarded the contract for the remodeling, upgrading and rehabilitation

of the Ilorin International Airport after I got the permission to do so from the Federal Government.”

Besides renovating the airport, Saraki also attracted three airlines - Arik, Capital and Overland - to operate from the airport and open it to the world, the statement said.

It said the former administration “also established the cargo terminal to serve as the first destination of goods going to the North and also enhance the exportation of farm produce from Shonga Farm to the outside world.

THE NATION FRIDAY JANUARY 25, 2013

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NEWS

Ebonyi/Cross River clash: Deputy governor condemns action

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HE Ebonyi State Government yesterday described as “barbaric and callous” the abduction of eight indigenes of Ndiagi Amegu Ikwo, Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State by youths of Adadama community in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Briefing reporters in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Deputy Governor and Chairman, State Boundary Committee, Dave Umahi, said 45 houses were razed by Adadama youths when they invaded Ochuenyim village. Two people were also abducted, he said.

Umahi said the lackadaisical attitude of the Cross River State Government led to the renewed hostilities in the boundary areas.

He said he has written to the Cross River State Deputy Governor many times for a meeting but there was no response.

The deputy governor said: “The

E

From Ogbonnaya Obinna, Abakaliki and Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

genesis of the recent hostility could be traced to November 23, 2011 when some irate youths from Adadama attacked some consultants working on a World Bank assisted erosion management project at Ndiagu Amegu Ikwo. The Adadama youths attacked the workers and seized their equipment.

“When I got the information, I promptly alerted the Deputy Governor of Cross River State via a letter dated November 23, 2011. The workers and their equipment were later released.

“Again, on January 7, last year, it was reported that a man, Oke Alo from Ochenyim in Ndiagu Amagu Ikwo, went to harvest fish from a pond belonging to Bomboy Elechi Oguji.

“Twenty-one Adadama youths attacked him and took his water

•’It’s not true’ draining machine away.

“On October 11, last year, another man, Nwigboji Nwachonu, was kidnapped by Adadama people.

“In total, eight persons from Ndiagu Amagu Ikwo have been abducted between November 2011 and now.

“I have continued to make reports to the Deputy Governor of Cross River State. The body of one of the abducted persons, Omori Ogbonnaya, was found recently.

“His body is still in the mortuary while the bodies of the remaining people have not been found. Forty five houses belonging to Amegu people were razed by the people of Adadama.

“I wish to state that the Ebonyi State Government has continued to make concerted efforts towards the

From Osagie Otabor, Benin

to assist them buy forms if they don’t have money.”

It was gathered that party leaders in some local governments were wooing some aspirants to step down for others.

Political Adviser to Governor Oshiomhole Charles Idahosa said the party has a programme to encourage the emergence of candidates through consensus to cut down cost.

Idahosa, who spoke in an interview yesterday, denied rumours that the governor and some political leaders of the ACN have anointed some aspirants ahead of the elections.

The political adviser said

Oshiomhole has pleaded with party leaders to ensure that every aspirant is given a fair chance and warned against imposition of candidates.

He said: “I want to say nobody has been anointed. We know what the comrade governor stands for.

“He is a man who built his reputation within and outside Nigeria as a fighter.

“He is the apostle of one- man-one-vote which interestingly I see the President use regularly and even Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts.

“So, the issue of appointing any person does not arise.”

Youths ‘supervising’ buildings in Rivers OUTHS in Akpor axis of Obio/Akpor Local Government of Rivers State have reportedly cashed in on the efforts of the Ministry of Urban Development in ensuring that houses in Port Harcourt conform to official approval.

The youths have reportedly hijacked the job of verifying building plans as they go from one site to another, asking for approval documents.

It was gathered that these youths, who are out to make money, are presenting themselves as agents of the ministry.

Even where they are

Y

‘At no time did the ministry engage youths in any community to serve as its agents’ From Clarice Azuatalam, Port Harcourt

shown the documents, sources said they demand for financial settlement or threaten to stop the building development.

A source from Rumuekini community, who also supervises

projects in the area, said the community’s youths did not just come on their own to make demands for plan approval.

“The youths have an arrangement with the officials of the ministry, who told them to help in the enforcement of the approval plan.”

But a source from the ministry said: “At no time did the ministry engage youths in any community to serve as its agents.”

The source said the ministry does not tolerate touting.

He urged the public to arrest such persons “because they are impostors.”

JTF takes over motor park

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HE Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has averted a bloodbath in Ughelli Central Motor Park, Ughelli North Local Government of Delta State.

Otor-Iwhreko youths and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have been bickering over the control of the motor park. This has led to the deployment of soldiers in the park.

A source said the NURTW thought it should control the motor park. The OtorIwhreko community thinks it should be allowed to control the park, since Otovwodo,

From Polycarp Orosevwotu, Warri

Afiesere and Ekiugbo people are in charge of the parks in their areas.

The source said the NURTW Chairman in the park, Emonena Akpodiete and his Deputy, Felix Olokpa have been quarelling over this.

The youth chairman of Otor-Iwhreko, Felix Okoro, appealed to the local government to allow "the community to run the motor park as it is done in other motor parks in the local government."

Umahi called on the National Boundary Commission to expedite action to permanently resolve the dispute.

But the Chief Press Secretary to Cross River State Acting Governor, Effiong Okon, denied Umahi’s allegations.

He said: “If the people from Cross River State attacked them in Ebonyi as they claim, how come there were bodies all over here in Adadama, in the hospitals and in the mortuaries.

“The people had to leave their villages to seek refuge in the church and the palace of their chiefs.

“That impression is a very erroneous one. Or is that after they killed the Ebonyi people, they brought the bodies into Adadama?

“There was even a lady who left her husband to attend a funeral. At the event, she was killed and her body is in the mortuary. That impression is wrong.”

N3.6b contract for Obudu HE Cross River State water scheme Government has

‘Why Oshiomhole is interested in council polls’

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole is concerned about who gets elected in the April 20 local government elections.

Government sources said the governor is unhappy about the non-performance of some lawmakers.

The source said the governor does not want to repeat past mistakes.

“He will not ensure elections of ‘non-performers’ into offices.

“He is worried. That is why he is involved in the local government elections. He does not want non-performers to come in.

“Some aspirants are bringing money but we told them to take it back.

We told party leaders to identify those working seriously for the party for us

peaceful resolution of the land dispute between the two communities, despite the provocation, attacks, harassment, abduction and killing of Ebonyi people by hoodlums from Adadama.

“It is regrettable that despite the numerous letters I have written to the Deputy Governor of Cross River State for the two states to meet, there has been no response.

“On January 18, I held a meeting with the Acting Governor of Cross River State in Abuja over the renewed hostility in the area.

“We promised to prevail on the people of the two communities to maintain peace.

“Unfortunately, the following day, we got yet another report that the crisis had escalated, following the renewed attack on Amagu people.

“Since then, despite our efforts to contain the situation, the area has remained tensed.”

T

•Oshiomhole

signed a contract for the building of a water supply system worth N3.6 billion for Obudu Urban and its surrounding communities.

Speaking after the signing of the contract in Calabar, Acting Governor Efiok Cobham reiterated the readiness of the state in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015.

He said: “The implementation of the World Bank assisted water scheme, which was recently approved for us and Lagos State, is very dear to our heart, especially as we strive towards achieving the

From Nicholas Kalu, Calabar

MDGs, and access to portable water will give us an edge in it realisation.

“Poverty and diseases are main causes of death in developing societies, if we give our people access to potable water, definitely most of these water-borne diseases will be reduced.”

The Project Engineer, State Water Board Limited, Timothy Ntamu, said the water scheme, which will utilise the Obudu dam project, would involve the building of five elevated and ground-level water reservoirs.

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NEWS

23 killed in Plateau communal clashes

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WENTY-THREE people have been killed in three communal clashes in Plateau State.

Twenty of the victims were reportedly killed in a clash between Fulani settlers and indigenous Tarok of Wase Local Government.

Eyewitnesses said in Dompar, Kurmin Dashe and Wadata villages of the local government, 19 people died in a clash between Fulani and Tarok.

The Nation learnt that the clash between the two groups followed the discovery of a body in a bush near Dompar village.

Twenty homes were razed during the clash.

•20 homes razed

From Yusufu Aminu Idegu, Jos

The villagers said the clash led to the death of many people because the police were not informed at their Wase Local Government headquarters, a long distance from the villages.

Four days after the clash, the police have not ascertained the exact casualty figure.

The police command, which confirmed the incident, only said it had despatched its officers to the area.

Police Commissioner Chris Olakpe said he had despatched his men to the area but could

not confirm the casualty figure and other details.

At Foron Junction of Hepiang village, Barkin Ladi Local Government, two bodies were discovered. The deceased were suspected to have been killed

by Fulani herdsmen.

A relative identified the deceased as Pam Rwang, saying another member, Pam Dalyop, was injured and receiving treatment at the Vom Christian Hospital.

Also in Ladura Ward of Du District, where Governor Jonah Jang hails from, a man was allegedly killed by unknown

gunmen when he was returning from his farm.

Special Task Force (STF) spokesman Capt. Mustapha Salisu confirmed the clashes at Barkin Ladi and Ladura Du. He said one of the attackers was arrested, adding that he was not in a position to say that there had been any killing in Wase Local Government.

Capt Salisu added: “I have heard that there was an incident around Wase but I have not found what exactly happened.”

Despite the clashes, the Eidel-Mawlud (the birthday of Prophet Mohammad) celebration was peaceful in Jos, the state capital.

High Court rejects Goje’s plea to HE Federal High Court, Besides, the judge said no sitting in Gombe, has transfer trial session of the court had been struck out the application interrupted by a security threat

T

of former Governor Danjuma Goje, seeking to transfer his trial to Abuja or any other part of the country outside the Northeast.

Chris Uche (SAN), counsel to Goje, had applied to the court to transfer the continued trial of the former governor outside Gombe State and the Northeast for security reasons.

He argued that the security challenge in Gombe State and the Northeast necessitated the application, adding that Abuja or elsewhere outside the Northeast is better.

Prosecution counsel Wahab Shittu agreed to the insecurity claim but said the government was working hard to improve the situation.

He submitted that seeking the transfer of the case was tantamount to delaying the course of justice.

From Vincent Ohonbamu, Gombe

The lawyer prayed the court to throw out the application.

Justice Babatunde Qadri averred that after carefully studying the argument of the prosecution and defence counsel, he observed that they shared common grounds.

He acknowledged that there had been a series of attacks in Gombe and other parts of the North.

The judge said the rights of the accused to fair hearing had not been infringed upon.

Justice Qadri said none of the accused or their counsel had been attacked or subjected to any threat since the case began.

He noted that relocating the case would give a different impression to the common man.

since the hearing started.

He, therefore, rejected the application for change of venue, adding: “This application is hereby rejected for now.

However, if any of the accused, counsel or witnesses is harassed - no matter how little - even if it is by a phone call, please inform the court.”

Justice Qadri advised the prosecution and defence counsel to cooperate with the court to ensure the speedy continuation and conclusion of the matter.

He described Gombe as the most peaceful state in the Northeast.

The judge adjourned hearing on the matter till March 7 and 8 to continue the trial on corruption charges against the former governor and three others.

Saraki’s case for Appeal Court April 15

T

HE Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has fixed hearing for 15 April in an appeal over the disputed Kwara Central Senatorial seat.

The appeal was filed by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Alhaji Lasisi Ayinla Kolawole Jimoh, against the PDP and its candidate, former Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki.

But the former governor has prayed the Appellate Court to decline jurisdiction in the mater on the grounds that the appellant lacked locus standi to institute the appeal against him.

Saraki told the Appeal Court that the appellant did not participate in the last National Assembly election in Kwara State and, therefore, cannot challenge the outcome of the election.

He also argued that the primary election that produced him was a domestic affair of the PDP which, in law, cannot be inquired into by any court.

Saraki faulted the suit that brought the appeal case, claiming that it was instituted at the Federal High Court six days to the constitution of the Kwara State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

The senator, who is representing Kwara Central at the National Assembly, insisted that since Jimoh instituted his case after the election, he ought to have gone to the Election Petition Tribunal and not any regular court.

He prayed the Appeal Court, Abuja Division, to hold that it has no jurisdiction in the appeal case, because it was a post-election suit that must first pass through an election petition tribunal before the Appellate Court.

Saraki prayed the Appeal Court to dismiss the appeal suit.

Gowon, IBB, others shun North’s peace parley From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

•Goje

Addressing reporters after the sitting, Uche said his clients would appeal the verdict since they believe there are security threats in Gombe.

He said: “There is the Court of Appeal and there is the Supreme Court. We will use them to test the might of this ruling.”

Shittu said: “The judge did not only expand but expound the law by stating the jurisprudence the way it should be. We are ready to go on with the case till justice is done.”

P

ROMINENT NORTHERN leaders, who were invited to a Northern peace forum in Kano, yesterday shunned the event for undisclosed reasons.

Those who were absent include former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (who was expected to chair the occasion); former President Shehu Shagari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who was the special guest of honour, also stayed away. Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambulwa and Chairman, Speakers’ Forum of Nigeria, Inuwa Garba, did not attend though they were invited.

The Northern Governors’ Forum also boycotted yesterday’s Northern Leaders’ Summit, held at the African Hall of the Kano State Government House.

No reasons were given for their absence, despite days of publicity given the parley.

62

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

THE NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

63

NEWS Continued from page 4

a Miniter in the Alhaji Shehu Shagari government.”

Clark recalled that Obasanjo removed Ogbeh and imposed Senator Ahmadu Ali over the disagreement on the kidnap of former Anambra Governor Chris Ngige and the politics of the state’s godfather, Mr. Chris Uba. “We witnessed the bastardisation of the party by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and former National Chairman of the Party, Sen. Ahmadu Ali, who for their own interest frustrated all the founding fathers of the party and party faithful by de-registering most of the founding members of the party. Chief Obasanjo installed himself the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BOT, of the party as a former President of the country. With all these actions, the party’s supremacy was punctured and destroyed. Members and all concerned reluctantly accommodated this unilateral attitude of the president in office at that time, while he got himself consolidated for the period he served.

“Concurrently, the governors in the various states also

Clark attacks governors assumed the same posture and in all circumstances seized the soul, the heart and disciplinary features of the party.

“There is no more justice in the party due to the greed and corrupt attitude of the heavy weights of the party who made money, using the party. Today, they are using the same money to destroy the party.”

“There is no unity in the party, it is fragmented everywhere.”

He went on: “The Party’s progress in the country is accidental based on past glory and also due to the presence of petty, tribal and ineffective opposition Parties.

“The slogan of the party has been turned upside down. The PDP members at the grass root no longer control the party and the power of the party no longer belong to the people. The people have lost the power, reluctantly accepting the slogan ‘Power to the governors’.”

He added: “The PDP governors who now regard themselves as the leaders of the Party, are using their own structures to entrench corruption,

lack of internal democracy, imposition of candidates within the structures of the party over the recognised structures as entrenched in the party’s Constitution.

“The over-bearing influence of the governors forum in the polity has become a matter of serious concern. The activities of the PDP governors forum in particular have become very disturbing and calls for urgent correction as it is fast eroding the authority and the supremacy of the party and posing a serious threat to our democracy. The forum has become a powerful tool in the hands of the governors who now use it to pursue and promote their individual and collective interests with little or no regard to the letter and spirit of the party’s Constitution and supremacy.

The octogenarian accused the governors of thwarting efforts to raise funds for the PDP because they want the party to continually depend on them for finances.

He said most governors have hijacked their local gov-

ernment councils and have deliberately failed to conduct elections so as to impose their stooges in contravention of the 1999 Constitution and the Amended Electoral Act 2011.

He added that they have seized the control of Houses of Assembly by appointing Principal Officers who have no financial independence.

He wonderedwhy state lawmakers are afraid to adopt the Constitution amendment that grant them financial autonomy.

The over-bearing attitude of the governors, he said, might be the reason people are opposed to State Police, which ideally should exist in a Federation.

“Quite simply, the people no longer trust the governors. Our democracy is today imperiled because of the excesses of the governors who have put themselves and their interest over and above the interest of the nation.”

The Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Mr. Asisana Okauru did not respond to text messages last night. He also did not pick calls to his mobile phone.

$620,000 bribe: Lawan kicks against trial

•Otedola Continued from page 4

Keyamo can never be allowed to prosecute Lawan is that the AGF and Lawan can accuse him of being a persecutor and not a honest prosecutor because he definitely left out Mr. Femi Otedola, who personally announced to the world that he gave a bribe. Keyamo’s statement did not say he was joining Otedola as a co-accused person. I thought as a lawyer of 32 years at the Bar that bribery is a criminal offence under Nigerian law.

Jonathan: Malian rebels linked to Boko Haram

P

RESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has said the Malian insurgents must be contained, or they could

Mobile operators kick as NCC pegs sms at N4 Continued from page 4

Ms Amuwa said the commission would monitor compliance and penalise those who fail to comply as provided by Section 111 of the NCA 2003.

Adebayo said the NCC directive will kill many small and medium businesses as most of them have entered into contractual agreement with service providers before the regulator’s directive.

“SMS traffic over the last three years or when BB messenger and WhatsApp introduced free internet-based messages, which became popular, has dwindled.

So, this last straw that the NCC has thrown is just to kill SMS business for service providers because the revenue there is meagre. A few people use sms and the NCC is placing a N4 price cap on it. It is very bad for our business.

“Other than the operators, there are other value adding providers who buy bulk sms and resell. This kind of directive will kill this business segement. A lot of them have existing long Contracts with the operators,” the ALTON chief said.

But NATCOMS said though the gesture was coming a little late, it was nonetheless a welcome development.

NATCOMS President Deolu Ogunbanjo said with the directive of the NCC, on-net SMS that used to attract N5 shlould now be reduced to N1, preparatory to the eventual removal of payment for all on-net SMS. “We welcome the development. Since on-net SMS attracts 50 per cent of offnet charges, the operators should reduce on-net SMS to N1 per SMS,” he said.

The President, Nigeria Internet

“Did Keyamo not read that the AGF actually outsourced this brief to a private legal practitioner last year as was reported in Nigerian newspapers and the distinguished SAN raised over 40 questions which must be answered by the Police before any person could reasonably prosecute Farouk Lawan based on the same evidence which Keyamo is relying on.

“The AGF could say it is his prerogative on who to give a case to. That is why both AGF and Lawan could accuse Keyamo of an attention to persecute.

The AGF is one of the finest and best legal minds in this country; he won’t allow anyone to threaten him or his office.”

Group (NIG), shares the same sentiment as Ogunbanjo. According to him, there are countries where on-net SMS goes for free, adding that when broadband becomes ubiquitous, the cost of telephony will crash considerably.”It is good. When broadband is available, people will be able to make Skype calls.

Text messages will be virtually free because of the wide range of options that will be available to the consumers,” he said.

threaten the security of Africa.

Speaking to Al Jazeera’s Stephen Cole, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jonathan said the Malian rebels and the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria were directly linked to each other.

Jonathan also called for the diversification of the Nigerian economy, which he says has become reliant on oil.

“Oil brought money to Nigeria, but oil also brought problem to Nigeria,” he says, adding that his country has “abandoned agriculture, which is our primary source of income.”

TODAY IN THE NATION

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

RIPPLES POWER GENERATION TO HIT 10,000 MEGAWATTS IN DEC–Fed Govt

...and that looks like 10,000 megawatts OF LIES

VOL.8 NO.2,382

C OMMENT & D EB ATE EBA

L

AST WEEK, I raised and addressed the question, “how have our contemporary society fared with regard to discharging the grave responsibility to educate its offspring?” The question presupposes an affirmation of the society’s responsibility to educate. For it is only with that presumption that we have reason to evaluate its performance in discharging that responsibility. The presumption is not difficult to defend, as I did two years ago.

“While the provision of good education is just one of the many functions of a government, it is one that is central to the challenges of any nation including that of violent disturbances that have overrun African nations since independence.

“Education is central in several respects. It gives an individual a sense of self-esteem and self-respect. It gives an assurance that he or she can make a contribution to the society. It is a mind-opener enabling the individual to see the many aspects of the complexity of the human predicament. Even when an educated person is a radical critic of the establishment, he or she can make relevant distinctions, giving the proverbial Caesar his due. Above all, a good education stands an individual in good stead to see other human beings for what they are as humans with inviolable dignity. It is this ability to make distinctions and to move back and assess from a judicious perspective, and to bring to an issue a sense of proportion that prevents an educated person from engaging in senseless acts of genocide.

“Surely, history is replete with highly educated persons that have led their nations in genocidal campaigns. Hitler is the most famous. I do not deny the eccentricity that even good education can produce. What I deny is that such is common or rampant. What is common is for a few educated eccentrics to mobilise and use mobs of less educated or uneducated gangs with less hope for their future and virtually no self-esteem. This is the common phenomenon. A person with good education who is dissatisfied with her position can channel her frustration to useful purposes and will not be easily cajoled into regrettable path. A frustrated person with no functional education is an easy prey for rabble rousers. It’s just a fact of life borne out of our experiences. Politicians know better.”

Now, while there may be a tiny minority of the leadership cadre that does not share the foregoing reasoning, I am pretty sure that most leaders appreciate it and they are very passionate about the responsibility of society to educate its citizens. But when we look at our national score card, it’s pretty grim.

And it doesn’t just exist in research reports; it’s out there in the street corners of our downtowns and inner cities in the sea of heads that we contemplate every day. How the spectacle doesn’t prick our conscience and we are unmoved by the obvious irreparable damage to human dignity is mind-boggling.

For the majority of those who care, the issue has always been the scarcity of resources.

‘Could it be that the IG was not aware of the rot in the Police College? If he was aware, what effort did he make to remedy the situation? ’

SEGUN GBADEGESIN gbadegesin@thenationonlineng.net

The national interest in education

•Minister of Education Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i

This is no doubt true. Ours is a nation that appreciates the joy of large families. Whether from a religious or cultural perspective, we cannot see ourselves imposing limitations on the reproductive freedom of citizens and so, we rightly leave the choice of reproduction to individuals and families. I think it’s the correct policy. What comes with it, however, is an adequate planning that enables us to project for the needs of those children for their first twenty one years of life, that is, from elementary to tertiary education.

Of course, while such planning and projection may tell us what we need in terms of resources, they are not substitutes for those resources. In other words, with adequate planning, we may come to know that in 2023, we

would need ten trillion naira to provide good primary education for the nation’s children.

We still have to source for those funds and start doing so right now. It is the nation that has to do the planning, the projection, and the search for the funds, even when it is clear that the public sector cannot do it all alone.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Article 18, states that (1) “Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels. 2. Government shall promote science and technology. 3. Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end Government shall as and when practicable provide (a) free, compulsory and universal primary education; free secondary education; free university education; and free adult literacy programme.” We have the constitutional provision; we must summon the vision and the will to effectively implement it.

Statistics don’t lie and ours go a long way to demonstrate the correlation between the underdevelopment of the mind and the pathetic underdevelopment of the nation. Eight years ago in 2005, education expenditure in Nigeria as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) was 0.85%. As a result, the country was ranked 167 out of 168 in the world. In comparison, Brazil’s education expenditure was 4.09% of GNI with a ranking of 83. Nigeria’s public spending on education as a percentage of GDP was 0.89%, with a ranking of 136th out of 136. While the duration of our compulsory education is 6 years, Brazil’s is 8 years. Of course, it is needless to

HARDBALL

S

IX federal ministers, among whom were the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; Minister of Transportation, Mr. Abdullahi Umar; Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu; and Minister of Niger Delta, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, were reported to have shunned an investigative hearing into the implementation of the Federal Government’s Subsidy Re-Investment Programme (SURE-P) being conducted by the House of Representatives. Others who shunned the hearing were the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Emeka Worgu; and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Jonah Otunla. It will be recalled that the House of Representatives had on November 15, 2012, mandated the committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream ), Finance, and States and Local Government to investigate the implementation of SURE-P. Mr. Dakuku Peterside, lead chairman of the probe panel, angrily accused the ministers of knowingly undermining the investigation.

“This is a deliberate decision of the ministers not to honour the invitation of the House,” he fumed, before postponing the session to February 12. It is not clear whether the absent ministers will find the humility to honour the invitation when the hearing resumes. While only a few of the heads of agencies invited to the hearing bothered to send representatives, the rest did not even offer explanations for their absence. The Petroleum minister, said an aide, was yet to fully resume work from leave, as if that was a sufficient mitigation. There will be many more of such provocative affronts in the

SURE-P probe in troubled water coming months, as the National Assembly steps up its oversight responsibilities.

But few Nigerians are actually surprised that the legislature is often and openly disrespected.

Right from the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, when the culture of subverting the legislature took root, the upper and lower chambers had been periodically destabilised by a meddlesome government obsessed with controlling or at least influencing legislative functions, in addition to its primary executive functions. The presidency’s disguised contempt for the legislature naturally rubbed off on many government ministers and appointees, some of whom, like the former Federal Capital City (FCT) minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, openly insulted the legislature and accused them of seeking gratification to do their oversight job.

Admittedly, the National Assembly has itself not helped matters. Apart from sometimes indulging in unhealthy and questionable interactions with ministries, agencies and departments, some of which had backfired even in the recent past, the legislature also gives the impression it does not know where its powers end and those of the executive begin. Legislators have sometimes called for the sack of ministers or attempted to cajole the presidency in matters that lie exclusively within the purview of executive responsibility.

Yet, no misinterpretation of powers or misconception of power boundaries justifies the

MOBOLAJI SANUSI

add that we do not enforce the 6 year-rule in any way and we have a majority of under-6 who never attend school. While we rank 104 in the completion rate of primary education, Brazil ranks 13. While our adult literacy rate is 48%, Brazil’s is 82%. (NationMaster.com) What Nigeria fails to put into the education of her citizens, she cannot expect to get out of the economy. Thus while the number of Brazilians living with under $1 a day is 11.6 million, with a ranking of 44th in the world, Nigeria has 70.2 million living with less than $1 a day and a ranking of 2nd in terms of poverty.

In other words, Nigeria enjoys the infamy of ranking 2nd in the incidence of poverty. While Brazil has 1.82% share of world’s poor, Nigeria has 8.03%; and while the Human Development Index of Brazil is 0.792, with a ranking of 63rd, that of Nigeria is 0.452 with a ranking of 159 th. (NationMaster.com). It is the whirlwind that is naturally stirred up by these grim statistics that we experience on our streets on a daily basis.

While public education suffers neglect, private education blossoms because government has outsourced its responsibility to educate its citizens. When officials at the highest level of government applaud private education, assessing it as the model to embrace, it appears that the nation has lost an important moral bearing. Private investment in education cannot be and has never been altruistically motivated. The closest to altruism in motivation were old mission institutions. But we always knew that they had their primary mission (no pun intended) which was not necessarily the national interest. On the other hand, individual private entrepreneurs in education have never been ambiguous in their mission, which is to fill the gap created by the inaction of the state and in doing so, make some profit.

The reasoning in the preceding paragraph is not to suggest that all private involvement in the education of the public is ill-motivated or to be discouraged. What it means is that the public sector must be the driver of the nation’s educational vehicle, and public schools must take the lead. There is room for public-private partnership in every aspect of national life, including education. However, the cart of private initiative must not be allowed to pull the horse of national interest in citizen education.

For the nation, like the individual, is the best source and judge of its interests.

•For comments, send SMS to 08082036515

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above absence of anyone one, not to talk of ministers, invited to any legislative hearing. It appears that the ministers’ deplorable behavior is a reflection of the presidency’s own condescending view of the legislature. Only recently, a few ministers voiced their frustrations with being frequently summoned by the legislature to answer one question or the other. They were too busy to be tied down to answering questions, they said in obvious indication of their limited understanding of democracy and its dynamics. Indeed, if the executive had treated the legislature with the respect the constitution envisages and our democracy demands and deserves, it is unlikely the ministers would show such appalling disrespect and ignorance. For in the end, Nigerian democracy will not be served if those in authority continue to manifest the kind of abhorrent behavior the six ministers showed on Tuesday.

Both the presidency and the National Assembly must recognize that a problem exists in their relationship, just as it exists between the executive branch in the states and the Houses of Assembly. This misunderstanding is potent enough to either undermine democracy or at least stultify it. They, therefore, have a responsibility to mend fences and create fora where both parties to the misunderstanding can be enlightened. Yet, no matter how sometimes misguided the legislature may be in interpreting its powers, ministers have absolutely no right to openly disrespect the legislature, let alone ridicule it both in words and by their absence. For that would mean not only undermining institutions upon which our democracy is built, but also their own legitimacy as cabinet members. Ministers can’t claim not to have this elementary understanding.

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Editor Daily:01-8962807, Marketing: 01-8155547 . Abuja Office: Plot 5, Nanka Close AMAC Commercial Complex, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Tel: 07028105302. Port Harcourt Office: 12/14, Njemanze Street, Mile 1, Diobu, PH. 08023595790. WEBSITE: www.thenationonlineng.net E-mail: info@thenationonlineng.net Editor: GBENGA OMOTOSO